§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURYI beg to move that the several stages of the Local Government (Ireland) Bill have precedence of all orders of the day and notices of Motion on every day for which the Bill is appointed.
§ MR W. ALLEN (Newcastle-under-Lyme)I have an Amendment down on the Paper to omit the Wednesdays on which the Miners' Eight Hours Bill and the Mines Regulation Bill are down for Second Reading. The former is a Bill which possesses very great interest for a large section of the community. I think, if the First Lord of the Treasury will give us some assurance that he will not put down the Irish Local Government Bill for that day or for the day on which the Mines Regulation Bill is to be taken it would be satisfactory—at any rate, as far as I am concerned. I have had representations made to me, and many Members are very anxious that they should again have the opportunity of considering this Bill. There is, too, a Bill down for next Wednesday, which is of great interest to Nonconformists, relating to registrars. This has for a long time been felt to be a Measure of the greatest importance, and I think perhaps the First Lord of the Treasury might give us some assurance that that day also will not be taken. I should have included it in the Amendment on the Paper had I not believed that the Bill might have been read a second time on that date. I object to this Motion of the First Lord of the Treasury for another reason. It allows the Government to pick and choose exactly what days they will deprive private Members of. If there is a Measure put down by their own side that they think is of interest to a section of their own Party they need not take the day put down for that Measure, and they can leave it alone, but if the Motion is put down by an hon. Member on this side they can cut out that day if they think the Measure would prejudice their interests in 411 the constituencies. I think we ought to have some assurance which Wednesday they will leave us, so that we shall know what Measures are likely to come up for discussion.
§ *SIR JOHN LENG (Dundee)I beg leave to second the Amendment, and I wish simply to mention that there is a Bill that has been before Parliament for eight years now, and it is to be put on one side. That Bill has priority on the 18th May over the Bills to which hon. Gentlemen have alluded, and I think that after waiting patiently all that time I should now be rewarded.
§ *SIR JOHN LUBBOCK (London University)I am somewhat surprised at seeing my right hon. Friend propose a Motion to deprive us of our opportunity of moving my Motion to-morrow evening relating to the Education Bill which is down in my name. For a good many years past there has been a continual tendency to encroach upon the rights of private Members, and this is almost the first time it has been done without any special reasons being given. We have now very few opportunities of bringing forward Measures, and I am afraid that I shall have no other opportunity this Session if to-morrow is taken.
§ MR. SPEAKEROrder, order! The date under consideration is the 18th of May.
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURYBefore dealing with the comparatively narrow point raised by the Amendment, let me just say one word upon this question, and let me preface that word by taking up, if I may, the charge which my right hon. Friend behind me has made, that I am the first person occupying the position of Leader of the House who has introduced such a Motion without any explanation or comment at all. Well, it is my misfortune to inflict myself upon the House, but I do not wish to make speeches in which everybody knows precisely what I am going to say before I say it, and everybody knows why this Motion is put forward. The Bill in respect of which it is put forward is the 412 biggest Measure of the Session, and it is one which must take a considerable amount of time in Committee. Certainly it is quite in accordance with usage, and it is certainly for the convenience of the House, that when the discussions on any stage of that Bill are commenced they should be continued de die in diem with as little interruption as possible. These are the broad grounds of the appeal I make to the House, and I am sure that my right hon. Friend will remember this before he reproaches me with having unnecessarily taken up the opportunities of private Members with regard to the special Motion before us, which is that a particular Wednesday should be reserved from the operation of this Rule. I may remind the House that it is quite impossible, I think, to manage the business of this House if we are to make exceptions here and there, either in accordance with our own particular views or in accordance with the views or prejudices of any particular section of this House. Endless confusion and complications would arise, and if the House consents to such a Motion it must do so with the distinct understanding that the Motion is worked impartially, and that, however legitimate may be the desire of certain hon. Gentlemen in the House to discuss these Bills which they have secured days for, it is quite impossible to meet their wishes, desirous as we are of doing so, without introducing difficulties into the general management of the business of the House of Commons. I hope, therefore, the hon. Gentleman will think that this has not any special reference to his Bill, because it is applied equally to all Bills, from whatever part of the House they proceed. I hope, therefore, the House will not be put to the trouble of dividing.
§ MR. SAMUEL WOODS (Essex, Walthamstow)I think I am speaking correctly when I say that for one or two years, within the last six years, a special exemption has been made of the Miners' Eight Hours Bill. I think the Leader of the House of Commons in the last administration, on one or two occasions, had specially exempted the Eight Hours Bill from all Measures exempted. Great interest is taken in this question, not only 413 in the House of Commons, but outside of it, and I think the right hon. Gentleman might reasonably and sympathetically consider the appeal which is made in the Amendment of my right hon. Friend. I would appeal respectfully to him, and ask him to really reconsider the attitude he has taken up in regard to these Bills included in the Amendment of my hon. Friend, and I hope he will make the exemption asked for.
§ MR. LABOUCHEREI rather agree, speaking generally, with what has fallen from the Leader of the House. I think it is very difficult to make exceptions, and that in all these matters goose and gander must be served with the same sauce. But I would point out to the right hon. Gentleman that this Miners' Bill has had a great deal of interest taken in it in the country, and it comes up for consideration on the first Wednesday after the Easter holidays, if we meet on a Monday. We know perfectly well that important Bills are not, as a matter of fact, taken immediately after the holidays, so that in all probability, without interfering either with Irish gentlemen, who very often want to prolong their holidays a little while in Ireland, and without interfering with the general scheme of the Government, we might make this exception. I do not think the right hon. Gentleman will take the Irish Bill that day, so that I really think he might say that he will consider the matter and see whether it is possible to make exemptions in this instance without interfering with the general arrangements of the Government.
§ *MR. JAMES LOWTHER (Kent, Isle of Thanet)The proposal of my right hon. Friend, which he spoke of as being in conformity with general practice, seems to me, upon the other hand, to lead us a long way further than we have been asked to go upon any previous occasion in the direction of extinguishing the rights of unofficial Members. My right hon. Friend speaks of the particular Bill he desires to proceed with as being of great 414 importance. Government always consider their Measures as of great importance, so that what we are now asked to do is to establish a precedent by means of which the Government of the day may be able at its discretion to absorb the whole time of the House for its own business. If, however, any proposal of the kind is to be adopted, we ought, at any rate, to carry it out impartially, and not to make exceptions in favour of any one or more private Members' Bills. I further would express a hope that my right hon. Friend does not propose to set aside the regular Rules and Standing Orders under which the business of the House is supposed to be conducted, except upon very special occasions.
§ *MR. W. JOHNSTONI would like to make an appeal to the Leader of the House with regard to the Intoxicating Liquors (Ireland) Bill, which is first Order on the 4th of May.
§ SIR GEORGE S. BADEN-POWELL (Liverpool, Kirkdale)I wish to enter my protest against the right hon. Gentleman making any concessions of the kind asked for by the hon. Members who have spoken. I have a Motion down on the Paper upon a most important Colonial matter, and I consider that I should not be doing my duty if I did not surrender my Motion in the interests of the Empire.
§
Motion made and Question proposed—
That the several stages of the Local Government (Ireland) Bill have precedence of all Orders of the Day and Notices of Motions on every day for which the Bill is appointed."—(Mr. Balfour.)
§
Amendment proposed, at the end of the Question, to add the words—
Except on Wednesday, the 27th of April, and on Wednesday, the 18th of May."—(Mr. William Allen.)
§
Question put—
That those words be there added.
§ The House divided:—Ayes 77; Noes 221.
417| AYES. | ||
| Allan, William (Gateshead) | Hayne, Rt. Hon. Chas. Seale- | Pirie, Captain Duncan |
| Asher, Alexander | Hemphill, Rt. Hon. Chas. H. | Price, Robert John |
| Ashton, Thomas Gair | Holburn, J. G. | Priestley, Briggs (Yorks.) |
| Balfour, Rt. Hn. J. Blair (Clackm.) | Humphreys-Owen, Arthur C. | Provand, Andrew Dryburgh |
| Billson, Alfred | Jacoby, James Alfred | Rickett, J. Compton |
| Birrell, Augustine | Jones, David Brynmor (Swnsea) | Roberts, John H. (Denbighs.) |
| Brigg, John | Kay-Shuttleworth, Rt. Hn. Sir U. | Robertson, Edmund (Dundee) |
| Brunner, Sir Jno. Tomlinson | Kearley, Hudson E. | Shaw, Thomas (Hawick B.) |
| Bryce, Rt. Hon. James | Kinloch, Sir Jno. Geo. Smyth | Sinclair, Capt. J. (Forfarsh.) |
| Buchanan, Thomas Ryburn | Labouchere, Henry | Smith, Samuel (Flint) |
| Caldwell, James | Lambert, George | Stevenson, Francis S. |
| Cameron, Sir Chas. (Glasgw.) | Leese, Sir Josh. F. (Accrington) | Strachey, Edward |
| Carmichael, Sir T. D. Gibson- | Leng, Sir John | Thomas, Alf. (Glamorgan, E.) |
| Causton, Richard Knight | Lewis, John Herbert | Ure, Alexander |
| Clough, Walter Owen | Lloyd-George, David | Wallace, Robert (Perth) |
| Coghill, Douglas Harry | Logan, John William | Warner, Thos. Courtenay T. |
| Commins, Andrew | Lyell, Sir Leonard | Wayman, Thomas |
| Crombie, John William | M'Arthur, Wm. (Cornwall) | Wedderburn, Sir William |
| Dalziel, James Henry | M'Ewan, William | Williams, Jno. Carvell (Notts.) |
| Dilke, Rt. Hon. Sir Charles | McKenna, Reginald | Wills, Sir William Henry |
| Duckworth, James | Mappin, Sir Frederick Thorpe | Wilson, John (Govan) |
| Ellis, Jno. Edw. (Notts.) | Moss, Samuel | Woodall, William |
| Farquharson, Dr. Robert | Newdigate, Francis Alexander | Woods, Samuel |
| Ferguson, R. C. Munro (Leith) | Nussey, Thomas Willans | |
| Fitzmaurice, Lord Edmond | Oldroyd, Mark | TELLERS FOR THE AYES— |
| Gourley, Sir Edw. Temperley | Perks, Robert William | Mr. William Allen and |
| Harcourt, Rt. Hn. Sir Wm. | Pickersgill, Edward Hare | Captain Norton. |
| NOES. | ||
| Allhusen, Augustus Hy. Eden | Cohen, Benjamin Louis | Fry, Lewis |
| Arnold-Forster, Hugh O. | Collings, Rt. Hon. Jesse | Galloway, William Johnson |
| Ashmead-Bartlett, Sir Ellis | Colomb, Sir Jno. Chas. Ready | Garfit, William |
| Atkinson, Rt. Hon. John | Colston, Chas. Ed. H. Athole | Gilliat, John Saunders |
| Austin, M. (Limerick, W.) | Cox, Robert | Goldsworthy, Major-General |
| Baden-Powell, Sir Geo. Smyth | Cranborne, Viscount | Gordon, Hon. John Edward |
| Bagot, Capt. J. FitzRoy | Cripps, Charles Alfred | Gorst, Rt. Hon. Sir John Eldon |
| Bailey, James (Walworth) | Cross, Alexander (Glasgow) | Gray, Ernest (West Ham) |
| Baird, John George Alex. | Cross, Herbt. Shepherd (Bolton) | Greville, Captain |
| Balcarres, Lord | Cruddas, William Donaldson | Gull, Sir Cameron |
| Baldwin, Alfred | Cubitt, Hon. Henry | Hall, Sir Charles |
| Balfour, Rt. Hn. A. J. (Manch'r) | Curran, Thomas (Sligo, S.) | Halsey, Thos. Frederick |
| Balfour, Rt. Hn. Grld. W. (Leeds) | Curzon, Rt. Hn. G. N. (Lanc S. W.) | Hamilton, Rt. Hon. Lord Geo. |
| Banbury, Frederick George | Curzon, Viscount (Bucks) | Hanbury, Rt. Hon. Robt. W. |
| Barton, Dunbar Plunket | Dalbiac, Colonel Philip Hugh | Hanson, Sir Reginald |
| Bathurst, Hon. Allen Benj. | Dalrymple, Sir Charles | Hare, Thomas Leigh |
| Beach, Rt. Hn. Sir M. H. (Bristl.) | Daly, James | Healy, Maurice (Cork) |
| Beaumont, Wentworth C. B. | Davenport, W. Bromley- | Healy, Timothy M. (N. Louth) |
| Bethell, Commander | Davitt, Michael | Heath, James |
| Bhownaggree, Sir M. M. | Denny, Colonel | Heaton, John Henniker |
| Bill, Charles | Dillon, John | Helder, Augustus |
| Blake, Edward | Dixon-Hartland, Sir Fred Dixon | Hill, Rt. Hn. Lord Arth. (Down) |
| Blundell, Colonel Henry | Doogan, P. C. | Hoare, Ed. Brodie (Hampstd.) |
| Bonsor, Henry Cosmo Orme | Dorington, Sir Jno. Edward | Hoare, Samuel (Norwich) |
| Boscawen, Arthur Griffith- | Douglas, Rt. Hn. A. Akers- | Hogan, James Francis |
| Boulnois, Edmund | Drage, Geoffrey | Holland, Hon. Lionel Raleigh |
| Bowles, T. Gibson (Lynn Regis) | Drucker, A. | Howell, William Tudor |
| Brodrick, Rt. Hon. St. John | Duncombe, Hon. Hubert V. | Howorth, Sir Henry Hoyle |
| Brown, Alexander H. | Dyke, Rt. Hn. Sir Wm. Hart | Hozier, Hon. Jas. Henry Cecil |
| Bucknill, Thomas Townsend | Engledew, Charles John | Hubbard, Hon. Evelyn |
| Carlile, William Walter | Fardell, Sir T. George | Hutton, John (Yorks., N. R.) |
| Carvill, Patrick Geo. Hamilton | Fergusson, Rt. Hn. Sir J. (Manc.) | Jameson, Major J. Eustace |
| Cavendish, R. F. (N. Lancs.) | Field, William (Dublin) | Jebb, Richard Claverhouse |
| Chamberlain, Rt. Hn. J. (Birm.) | Finlay, Sir Robert Bannatyne | Jeffreys, Arthur Frederick |
| Charrington, Spencer | Fisher, William Hayes | Johnston, William (Belfast) |
| Clancy, John Joseph | Fison, Frederick William | Johnstone, John H. (Sussex) |
| Cochrane, Hon. Thos. H. A. E. | Flower, Ernest | Kenyon, James |
| King, Sir Henry Seymour | Mowbray, Rt. Hon. Sir John | Sidebotham, J. W. (Cheshire) |
| Lafone, Alfred | Murray, Rt. Hn. A. Grhm (Bute) | Sidebottom, Wm. (Derbysh.) |
| Lawrence, Sir Ed. (Cornwall) | Murray, Chas. J. (Coventry) | Simeon, Sir Barrington |
| Lawson, John Grant (Yorks.) | Myers, William Henry | Sinclair, Louis (Romford) |
| Lecky, Rt. Hn. William Edw. H. | Nicholson, William Graham | Smith, Abel H. (Christchurch) |
| Legh, Hon. Thos. W. (Lanc.) | Nicol, Donald Ninian | Smith, Jas. Parker (Lanarks.) |
| Leigh-Bennett, Henry Currie | Northcote, Hon. Sir H. Stafford | Stanley, Lord (Lancs.) |
| Lockwood, Lieut.-Col. A. R. | O'Brien, James F. X. (Cork) | Stanley, Henry M. (Lambeth) |
| Loder, Gerald Walter Erskine | O'Brien, Patrick (Kilkenny) | Stewart, Sir Mark J. M'Taggart |
| Long, Col. Chas. W. (Evesham) | O'Connor, Arthur (Donegal) | Sullivan, Donal (Westmeath) |
| Long, Rt. Hn. Walt. (L'pool) | O'Connor, Jas. (Wicklow, W.) | Sullivan, T. D. (Donegal, W.) |
| Lopes, Henry Yarde Buller | O'Kelly, James | Talbot, Lord E. (Chichester) |
| Lorne, Marquess of | Parnell, John Howard | Thorburn, Walter |
| Lough, Thomas | Pease, Arthur (Darlington) | Thornton, Percy M. |
| Lowles, John | Pender, James | Tomlinson, Wm. Ed. Murray |
| Lowther, Rt. Hn. Jas. (Kent) | Plunkett, Rt. Hn. Horace Curz'n | Tritton, Charles Ernest |
| Loyd, Archie Kirkman | Powell, Sir Francis Sharp | Usborne, Thomas |
| Lubbock, Rt. Hon. Sir John | Priestley, Sir W. Overend (Edin) | Verney, Hn. Richard Greville |
| Macaleese, Daniel | Purvis, Robert | Warkworth, Lord |
| Macartney, W. G. Ellison | Rankin, James | Warr, Augustus Frederick |
| Macdona, John Cumming | Rasch, Major Frederic Carne | Webster, R. G. (St. Pancras) |
| Maclean, James Mackenzie | Redmond, Jno. E. (Waterford) | Webster, Sir R. E. (I. of W.) |
| M'Hugh, E. (Armagh, S.) | Redmond, William (Clare) | Welby, Lieut.-Col. A. C. E. |
| M'Hugh, Patrick A. (Leitrim) | Rentoul, James Alexander | Wentworth, Bruce C. Vernon- |
| M'Iver, Sir Lewis | Richardson, J. (Durham | Whitmore, Charles Algernon |
| Malcolm, Ian | Ridley, Rt. Hn. Sir Matthew W. | Williams, Josh. Powell- (Birm.) |
| Maple, Sir John Blundell | Ritchie, Rt. Hn. Chas. Thomson | Willoughby de Eresby, Lord |
| Maxwell, Rt. Hn. Sir Hbt. E. | Robertson, Herbert (Hackney) | Wilson-Todd, W. H. (Yorks.) |
| Mellor, Colonel (Lancashire) | Roche, Hn. James (E. Kerry) | Wodehouse, Edm. R. (Bath) |
| Melville, Beresford Valentine | Russell, Gen. F. S. (Cheltenham) | Wolff, Gustav Wilhelm |
| Milner, Sir Frederick George | Russell, T. W. (Tyrone) | Wortley, Rt. Hon. C. B. Stuart- |
| Milward, Colonel Victor | Rutherford, John | Wyndham, George |
| Molloy, Bernard Charles | Samuel, Harry S. (Limehouse) | Young, Samuel |
| Monckton, Edward Philip | Sandys, Lieut.-Col. Thos. Myles | Younger, William |
| Monk, Charles James | Savory, Sir Joseph | |
| More, Robert Jasper | Seely, Charles Hilton | TELLERS FOR THE NOES— |
| Morton, Arthur H. A. (Deptf'rd) | Sharpe, William Edward T. | Sir William Walrond and |
| Mount, William George | Shee, James John | Mr. Anstruther. |