§ Ordered, That the Select Committee on Presumption of Life (Scotland) Bill do consist of Seventeen Members:—Mr. SOLICITOR GENERAL for SCOTLAND, Mr. JAMES CAMPBELL, Mr. PRESTON BRUCE, Mr. ORR EWING, Mr. MACKINTOSH, Mr. COCHRANE-PATRICK, Dr. WEBSTER, Mr. DALRYMPLE, Sir DAVID WEDDERBURN, Admiral Sir JOHN HAY, Mr. HINDE PALMER, Mr. STAVELEY HILL, Mr. ELLIOT, Mr. GRANTHAM, Mr. DICK-PEDDLE, Mr. WARTON, and Mr. ANDERSON:—Power to send for persons, papers, and records; Five to be the quorum.
§ Motion made, and Question proposed, "That this House do now adjourn."—(Lord Richard Grosvenor.)
§ SIR STAFFORD NORTHCOTEsaid, before the House adjourned it would be convenient to have a fair understanding with regard to the proceedings that day and on Monday. His hon. Friend the Member for Oxfordshire (Mr. Harcourt) was most desirous to do everything that was reasonable to facilitate the progress of Business. But he felt that he had a very good position on the Paper, and that it was his duty to make proper stipulations—if he gave up precedence today for the purpose of continuing the debate on the Motion which had been discussed that evening—for a good place in return. He had hoped that it might have been possible for the Government to allow him to take precedence of all other Business on Monday; and he (Sir Stafford Northcote) still thought that would have been a very possible ar- 1922 rangement. However, he believed the Government thought that would involve too much risk to proceeding with the Army Discipline Bill, and, therefore, they still proposed that his hon. Friend should have the second place. If that were so, it might happen that the Army Discipline Bill might not take long for the second reading, and that the Motion might come on at a reasonable hour; but if it should prove otherwise, he hoped the Government would, at all events, promise that, in the event of there not being a fair opportunity for the discussion of the Motion on Monday, they would consider their engagement to assist his hon. Friend as a still continuing engagement, and that they would undertake to do their best to give him an early clay after the Recess. He believed it would be impossible for them to give his hon. Friend any other day than Monday before the Recess, and, therefore, he suggested that if it proved necessary, the Government should undertake to give an early day after the re-assembling of the House.
THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTONsaid, he was sure the House and the Government felt grateful to the hon. Member for the desire he had manifested to meet their convenience. He hoped the discussion on the Army Discipline Bill would not intervene long on Monday before the discussion of the hon. Gentleman's Motion; but if it should, he certainly had no hesitation in saying that the Government would remain under an obligation to the hon. Gentleman to endeavour to give him the earliest day in their power after Easter.
§ SIR WALTER B. BARTTELOTsaid, in that case it would be a great convenience to the House, and, he believed, to many Members of the Government, if the Government would give his hon. Friend the first Monday after the House returned, putting off the Irish Land Bill to the Thursday. Monday would be an inconvenient day to take so important a measure as the Land Bill.
§ MR. E. W. HARCOURTsaid, he would only ask the noble Marquess for a definition of what he would call a reasonable hour, after which he should not be expected to bring forward his Motion on Monday next. Would that definition be taken not to extend beyond 10 o'clock, supposing the Government Business extended beyond that hour?
§ MR. R. N. FOWLERwould suggest 7 o'clock.
THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTONreplied that he thought the hour named by the hon. Member for Oxfordshire was a reasonable hour.
§ Motion agreed to.
§ House adjourned at a quarter after One o'clock.