COMMITTEE. (Hansard, 3 April 1884)

§ MR. PARNELL
said, he hoped the Bill would not be proceeded with at that hour—12.40. He had supposed, from 1592 the statement of the noble Lord the Secretary of State for War, that the Motion for going into Committee would not be made at a time when it was perfectly impossible for the House to do justice to the throe important Amendments which stood on the Paper in the names of the hon. Member for Sligo (Mr. Sexton) and himself. Of course, if the Government only desired to move the Bill into Committee, and would give an assurance that the clauses would not be considered except at a time when it would be competent for Irish Members to direct attention to these important matters to which the Amendments referred, he should not persevere in the course which otherwise he intended to pursue. He wanted an assurance that the Bill would not be taken at an hour when the House had been wearied out by an exhausting discussion, and when it would be impossible to obtain for the proposed Amendments that attention to which their importance justly entitled them. He also directed attention to the fact that although the Bill had been ruled to be beyond the half-past 12 o'clock Rule, yet such was not the case with former Army (Annual) Bills, and it was owing to that fact that they had succeeded in carrying certain Amendments after full discussion. He, therefore, trusted that the Government would give them the opportunity of bringing these matters fairly before the House. He felt every confidence that if they did so—if they gave the opportunity he asked for of taking the debate at a reasonable hour, and of enabling the House to devote attention to the matter —hon. Members would be able to impress the House with the justice of their view, and obtain some alteration of the very onerous conditions which the Act now imposed on the soldiers of the Army. He begged to move that the debate be now adjourned.

THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTON
I should be very glad, if it were possible, to give a better and more convenient opportunity for the discussion of the important Amendments in the Bill than is afforded on the present occasion. I fear, however, from the necessities of the Public Service, that the Bill must be 1593 passed through this House before the Easter Recess; and that, therefore, no more convenient opportunity than the present will arise for taking this stage of the Bill. I would suggest to the hon. Member (Mr. Parnell) that the question I whether the discussion on the Bill can be taken to-morrow night will depend, to a considerable extent, on the hon. Member himself and his Friends. The principal Amendment on going into Committee of Supply to-morrow is one to be moved by the hon. Member for Longford (Mr. Justin M'Carthy); and if that Motion brings about a prolonged debate, I am afraid we should have no chance of taking this discussion at an earlier hour than now. If, however, it is likely that the debate on the Motion will be concluded at an early hour, we shall have no objection, if the Speaker be allowed to leave the Chair now, to the postponement of the discussion in Committee until to-morrow. If that course is taken, it must be on the understanding that we must ask the Committee to proceed with the discussion of the Bill at any hour at which it may be readied. I am afraid that on Monday the Sitting will probably be a still later one than this; and that Tuesday, when the House, it is hoped, will adjourn for the Easter Recess, will not be a convenient opportunity for discussing the Bill. If the hon. Gentleman thinks there is any probability that the Motion of the hon. Member for Longford will be disposed of to-morrow at an earlier hour than we have now reached, I should have no objection to an adjournment immediately we got into Committee.

§ MR. JUSTIN M'CARTHY
said, he thought that, on the whole, there would be a better chance of the hon. Member's Amendment to the Army Bill being discussed to-morrow than to-night. The Irish Members expected a full debate on his (Mr. Justin M'Carthy's) Motion to-morrow; but, at the same time, they would endeavour to keep within reasonable limits, and he should think there would be a good chance of reaching the Bill at an earlier period than they had arrived at it now. He would, therefore, suggest that the course pointed out by the noble Lord should be agreed to.

§ MR. SEXTON
said, he considered that, on the whole, the course proposed would be a convenient one. The noble Marquess said just now that the necessities of the 1594 Public Service required that the Bill should pass before the Easter Recess; but he (Mr. Sexton) had always, hitherto, understood that if the Army (Annual) Bill passed before the 30th April—27 days distant—it would be in time. He was, therefore, curious to know how the noble Lord could say that the Bill should pass anything like before Easter? There was no reason to apprehend that they would not be able to reach the discussion of the clauses of the Bill at an earlier hour than the present —a quarter before 1.

§ MR. HEALY
said, he would point out to the noble Marquess that, although the hon. Gentleman the Member for the City of Cork agreed to the arrangement suggested, he could have no control whatever over the Motions of hon. Gentlemen on the Paper subsequent to that of the hon. Member for Longford. There was a Motion down in the name of the hon. Member for East Sussex (Mr. Gregory) on the subject of the fees levied upon the suitor in the Supreme Court of Judicature. Then, one of the Members for Westminster (Lord Algernon Percy) had a Motion to call attention to the Carriage Tax, and move a Resolution. There were several other Motions down, and, of course, one in the name of the hon. and learned Member for Bridport (Mr. Warton) with regard to the time of the Session at which the Estimates should be proceeded with. It appeared to him that if the Irish Members agreed to the suggestion of the noble Lord they would be obliging themselves to curtail the discussion on the Motion of the hon. Member for Longford only to make way for those Gentlemen who had Motions down subsequent to that of his hon. Friend. It should depend on the engagements given to-night whether or not Irish Members curtailed their speeches to-morrow.

§ MR. PARNELL
said, he thought it would be best for him to withdraw his Motion for reporting Progress; but, at the same time, he must express a hope that the Government would use their influence with hon. Members on the Opposition side of the House who had Motions on the Paper subsequent to the Motion of the hon. Gentleman the Member for Longford to induce them not to proceed with those Motions, in order to allow the Army Bill to come on at a reasonable time.

§ MR. GREGORY
said, that, as far as lie was concerned, his Motion to-morrow depended very much upon what was done with the Royal Courts of Justice Bill, which was down on the Paper for to-night. If reasonable time was given for the discussion of that Bill he had no intention of pressing his Motion; in fact, he would much rather take the discussion on the Bill, seeing that the measure involved the question contained in his Motion.

§ MR. COURTNEY
said, that, with reference to the Bill in question, he should he quite ready to meet the convenience of the hon. Member as far as possible. It was impossible, he feared, to bring it on any night at an earlier hour; but, as it was a Money Bill, they would not he precluded from proceeding with it at whatever hour it was reached.

§ MR. TOMLINSON
said, the hon. Member (Mr. Gregory) was not the only person who took an interest in this question. Strong representations with regard to it had been made to him (Mr. Tomlinson).