* THE EARL OF LIMERICKMy Lords, my noble Friend the Earl of Jersey, who is unable to be present, has requested me to move the Resolution which stands in his name. I am, of course, not so well acquainted as my noble Friend with the circumstances which have conduced to the late introduction of these Bills, and, therefore, I hope my noble Friend the Chairman of Committees is not prepared to oppose the Motion very strongly. The delay, I believe, is due to the exceptionally heavy nature of these Provisional Orders, of which there have been nine, coming on this year for the first time. They have had to be prepared concurrently with 58 other Provisional Orders of various sorts between March and the end of May, and consequently a great deal of work had 1326 to be done, and pressure has arisen in consequence. I hope that, as the circumstances are exceptional this year, my noble Friend will not object to the Motion which I make as regards these Bills which appears on the Notice Paper.
§
Moved,
That the Sessional Order of the 10th of March last, 'That no Bill brought from the House of Commons confirming any Provisional Order or Provisional Certificate shall be read a second time after Friday the 27th day of June next,' be dispensed with, and that the Bills be read 2a."—(The Earl of Limerick.)
THE EARL OF MORLEYMy Lords, I really think that the Public Offices have been rather later than usual this year in introducing the various matters which they had to bring before your Lordships. The present five Bills I think it is impossible for me to pass, and I think I should be neglecting my duty if I did so without saying a few words. As your Lordships are aware, a Sessional Order was made that no Bills should be received here after the 27th of June. These five Bills were introduced into the House of Commons, one on the 5th June, one on the 9th June, two on the 10th June, and one, the most important of all, on the 11th June. It was absolutely impossible for the three last-named Bills to have got through the House of Commons in time to have complied with the Sessional Order of your Lordships' House. All these Bills, with one exception, I think, refer to the subject of borough extension, and that is a class of business which has only recently been thrown on the Local Government Board. That is, I believe, the only excuse which can be offered for the lateness of these Bills coming to this House; but I would point out this, that it is not fair for the offices to throw the responsibility on your Lordships' House at the last moment of not passing the Bills. It is simply because there is not time to discuss them adequately. One of them I am told is now opposed, and at this time of the Session it is no easy matter to get a Committee to consider such an important matter, for instance, as the Manchester City Extension. I thought it right to say these few words to show that it is no mere red tapeism that induces me to oppose the introduction of Bills at so late a period, but because I do 1327 not think at this time of the Session Bills, and especially opposed Bills, can be adequately and carefully considered. With those words I shall not oppose the Motion of my noble Friend, but I hope he will impress upon those whom he represents the importance of being earlier in the introduction of their Bills in other years.
§ On Question, agreed to.