§ MR. R. POWERasked the honourable Member for Roscommon, If, having regard to the pressing importance of the Intermediate Education (Ireland) Bill, he would be willing to accept Monday the 15th for the consideration of the Amendments on Consideration of Sale of Intoxicating Liquors on Sunday (Ireland) Bill, so as to allow the former Bill to be brought forward on Thursday the 11th, provided, of course, that Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer will accede to the proposed arrangement?
THE O'CONOR DONSir, My hon. Friend asks me a Question with regard to the order of precedence of two Bills, one of which is in my charge, and the other not yet, I believe, introduced into this House; but which, when it does come here, will be in charge of the Government. I think, Sir, it is rather unusual for an hon. Member to ask that precedence should be given to a Bill of which he is not in charge; and were such a request as is implied in the Question of my hon. Friend to be made at all, I should rather have expected that it should come from the Chancellor of the Exchequer. I can assure the House that any request coming from the right hon. Gentleman would receive from me every consideration, and that I would be most willing to confer with him on any suggestion likely to facilitate the progress of Public Business. But the request on this occasion does not come from him; and I think I might, therefore, if I wished, decline to answer what I may fairly term the unauthorized Question of my hon. Friend the Member for Waterford. However, Sir, I will not do so. I am very glad to find that my hon. Friend takes such a deep interest in the progress of the Intermediate Education Bill—an interest which I can assure him is shared in by me. My hon. Friend desires that the second reading of that Bill should be taken on Thursday next. I share also in that desire, and I see no reason why our mutual wish should not be gratified without any alteration of arrangements previously made. The Bill which is in my charge has been before the House since the commencement of the Session. It has undergone the most searching investigation and criticism, and more than 43 hours have been spent this year in dealing with its merits or defects.
§ MR. REPTONinquired, whether the hon. Member was within his right in going into details outside the Question addressed to him?
§ MR. SPEAKERI think the hon. Member for Roscommon is travelling beyond the limits of a reply, and is entering into matters of debate which are irrelevant to the Question asked. I trust the hon. Member will confine his remarks to a simple reply.
THE O'CONOR DONI only, Sir, wish to explain that as the Sunday Closing (Ireland) Bill, of which I have had 965 charge since the beginning of the Session, has been already discussed for 43 hours this Session, it seems to me that the next stage of the Bill ought not to occupy much time. I think, therefore, if the Intermediate Education Bill is placed as the second Order next Thursday, if my hon. Friends wish it, we shall be able to get through my Bill and the other measure as well, and I will do all I can to promote this result; and, under the circumstances, I do not see any reason for altering the arrangements made by the right hon. Gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer.