After the Archbishop of Canterbury had expressed general approval of
the Bill, Lord St. Aldwyn made a hedging speech. He thought the Bill was properly described as an extension of outdoor relief. But though he considered that the financial aspect of the question was very grave indeed, and though he very much sympathised with Lord Wemyss's proposal not to consider the Bill till Lord George Hamilton's Commission bad reported, he did not intend to vote against it, for he believed it would be a great boon to many deserving poor persons. Lord Rosebery's contribution to the debate was, in effect, if not in form, a very able speech against the Bill. After saying that he would not touch on the Socialistic effect of the I3111—" It is, of course, Socialism pure and simple "— be went on to point out that the money for the Bill must come from somewhere, since there was no gold-mine at the disposal of the State. "The surplus which will be taken from some people to pay for these pensions for some other people will be the surplus which would be given to charities, and that will probably eventuate in a movement which may not be so remote as some of us think,—the handing over the charge of the hospitals to the State."
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