§ LORD BUCKMASTERMy Lords, I desire to ask the noble Earl, Lord Crawford, whether he can give the House any information as to the course that the Government propose to adopt both with regard to-day's business and future work.
THE FIRST COMMISSIONER OF WORKS (THE EARL OF CRAWFORD)My Lords, I should like to take counsel with the House as to the most convenient method of business, and also as to the most expeditious method. I put this out as a tentative suggestion, which I hope will commend itself to the House generally, that to-day, to-morrow, and Thursday should be devoted to the Irish Free State (Agreement) Bill. I would not suggest that the House should sit after dinner tonight if the general impression prevails that the Committee stage can certainly be finished to-morrow, either before or after dinner according to the convenience of Peers, and also that the Report stage, if any, and the Third Reading, could follow on Thursday. In the event of the Bill being amended, and conversations taking place with the House of Commons, I should suggest that this day week be allocated to that purpose. I hope that suggestion will meet generally the convenience of the House, and will also assist the Government in passing the Bill at the earliest possible moment. It is, however, contingent upon the assent of the Chairman of Committees to the postponement of his Motion about the admission of Peeresses to this House, which is on the Paper for to-morrow. If the Lord Chairman is prepared to postpone that Motion until a convenient day next week, it would simplify matters in regard to the Irish Bill.
§ LORD GAINFORDIs it intended to take the Electricity (Supply) Bill this day week?
THE EARL OF CRAWFORDPerhaps Lord Gainford will allow that to stand over for the moment. I will let him know as soon as I can consult Lord Peel.
THE CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEES (THE EARL OF DONOCTOHMORE)My Lords, as regards the question which my noble friend has put to me, I am, of course, like the noble Earl, most anxious to consult the general convenience of your Lordships. I would only point out that this Motion, which is an important one and one in which a number of your Lordships take an interest, was postponed from last week till to-morrow, in order to get out of the way of the Second Reading of the Irish Bill. It is a Motion, I think, that ought to have precedence. My present impression is that the debate will take some time, and if it is not in the fortunate position of coming on first to-morrow, the only day available on Which it can come on first, for certain, is on Wednesday of next week. That day is already filled with a couple of Motions, and I think it would be a pity if we postponed my Motion till that day, hearing in mind that it might come on rather late in the evening, which I know is inconvenient for some of your Lordships. On the other hand, Wednesday is the only day on which it would have precedence, because on Tuesdays and Thursdays any Bill can be put clown by a member of your Lordships' House and have precedence over it. I shall be glad, therefore, of the guidance of your Lordships in the matter as to what you desire to do.
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYMy Lords, I do not anticipate from the information that has reached me that the discussion in Committee upon the Irish Bill will be very prolonged. There are very important matters to be dealt with, but there is no desire in any quarter of the House to delay the proceedings unduly. As to whether the Committee stage can be finished to-day I think it is a little unlikely, and although I have the greatest sympathy with the Lord Chairman I think that to allow an interval to pass between one part of the Committee stage and another part of the Committee stage would be somewhat inconvenient to your Lordships' House. Of course, be is a better judge of that than I am.
I confess that I heard with a certain amount of dismay the suggestion of the 630 noble Earl the Leader of the House for the time being that the Report stage was to follow the Committee stage without any interval. It may be easy to do that when the time comes, but I should not like your Lordships to reach a definite conclusion on the matter until we see what happens on the Committee stage. May I take this opportunity to suggest to the Government that if they want to hasten proceedings on an important Bill like this, as I am sure they do, it is not wise to put down three or four Government Bills in front of it on the first day of the Committee stage.
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYI am not quite sure as to that; but if all of them take an hour, it is a pity. In addition to the Government Bills there is also a Bill in the name of Lord Burnham, in which I am personally interested and which I hope will pass into law. That will take some little time.
§ VISCOUNT BURNHAMI hardly think SO.
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYIt is practically an agreed Bill, I take it. I am glad to hear that the difficulties have been surmounted. At the same time, I desire respectfully to say to the Government that if they wish to secure the easy passage of a Bill of the magnitude of the Irish Bill it is better not to let these small Bills take up so much of the time. It makes it very difficult for the Government to carry out their programme.
THE EARL OF CRAWFORDMy Lords, I hope that in practice it will be found that these Bills will not take nearly so long as the noble Marquess thinks. May I take it, at any rate, that your Lordships will agree to finish the Committee stage of the Irish Bill tomorrow, and in deference to what Lord Salisbury has said, I will defer giving formal Notice to move the suspension of the Standing Orders in order to take the two subsequent stages, if necessary, on Thursday. I am not anxious to sit on Friday, and other Peers take the same view. Perhaps this evening, or to-morrow, we can discuss the position. I repeat, however, that our strong desire is to get all stages during the present week in order 631 that this day week may be free, if necessary, for further conversations with the other House. I suggest that the Lord Chairman should postpone his Motion with regard to the Report of the Committee for Privileges until to-morrow week, and, although I cannot give a complete pledge now, the Government will give favourable consideration to any claims which the noble Earl may put forward for his Motion having precedence over other business.
§ LORD BUCKMASTERMy Lords, as it so happens, for to-morrow week I have a Motion on the Paper which I am sure your Lordships will regard as of some importance. It is a Motion to do no less than to ask your Lordships' approval of certain modifications of the Treaty terms as between this country and our late enemies, and I am sure you will regard it as deserving the gravest consideration, whatever opinions you may form upon its merits. I have twice attempted to put the Motion in such a form as to secure that precedence which I submit most respectfully it deserves.
THE EARL OF CRAWFORDI will do my best to secure that both noble Lords shall have that precedence which they require.