HC Deb 04 April 1884 vol 286 cc1651-4
SIR WILLIAM HARCOURT

It may be for the convenience of the House that I should state that I propose on Tuesday morning next to ask leave to introduce a Bill for the better government of London. As a matter of form, I may also mention that it will be necessary, as it is a Notice of Motion, formally on Monday night to make a Motion, not with the view of making a statement on Monday night, but that it may be made an Order of the Day to be dealt with on Tuesday morning.

MR. J. LOWTHER

asked the noble Marquess what arrangements the Government had made for the adjournment of the House for the Easter holidays?

THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTON

said, he was glad the right hon. Gentleman had put that Question. The Government would endeavour to make any arrangement which might be most in accordance with the desires of the House upon this matter. There was, however, some difficulty about it. The Motion might be made on Monday evening, after the other Business was concluded. If, however, that course was not acceptable to the House, and if it was desired to have a discussion on the Motion for Adjournment, then it would be necessary to make the Motion on Tuesday morning, after his right hon. and learned Friend had brought in the London Government Bill; or, if there was not time on Tuesday morning, it would be necessary that the House should moot on Tuesday evening to make that Motion.

In reply to Mr. GIBSON,

SIR WILLIAM HARCOURT

said, that the Government did not intend to take any other Business than the London Government Bill on Tuesday.

SIR STAFFORD NORTHCOTE

I do not quite understand what the noble Marquess means when he says that the Motion might be made on Monday night for -the adjournment. would it be—"That the House at its rising tomorrow," and so on?

THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTON

Yes; I believe that course has been taken with the concurrence of the House.

MR. J. LOWTHER

believed it was the intention of the Government that on the Tuesday after the re-assembling of the House the Contagious Diseases (Animals) Bill should be put on the Paper. He wished to know whether it would be put down with the idea of being seriously proceeded with?

THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTON

said, he did not quite understand the question. Of course, if the Government put the Bill down it would be with the desire of making as much progress as possible.

MR. J. LOWTHER

said, that it had been distinctly stated that the Government would not proceed with the clauses; but that the Bill would be put down simply with the view of getting the Speaker out of the Chair. He wished to know whether adequate Notice would be given when it was intended to go through the clauses?

THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTON

said, that the arrangement referred to by the right hon. Gentleman was only made in order that sufficient time might be given to Members for the consideration of Amendments. That reason no longer applied, and the Government hoped to make progress with the Bill.

MR. W. H. SMITH

asked what Supply would be taken on Monday, the 21st, when the House re-assembled?

THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER (Mr. CHILDERS)

Civil Service Estimates, Class I.

MR. HEALY

said, he believed there was no precedent for the course proposed to be taken with regard to the Motion for the adjournment for the holidays. The usual plan was to make that Motion as the first Business. It was the intention of his hon. Friend the Member for the City of Cork (Mr. Parnell) on that Motion to call the attention of the House to the question of the police tax in Cork, and the Irish Members intended to raise a debate. If the Motion were not made until after the introduction of the London Government Bill, he was afraid the House would be put to the trouble of meeting again at 9 o'clock on Tuesday evening.

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

pointed out that, although the Government had put before the House two alternatives with regard to the Motion for Adjournment, they had not stated which of them they would adopt. It would be highly inconvenient that the Motion should be made late on Monday night; because in the present anxious and critical state of affairs in Egypt it was highly probable that attention might be drawn to the subject.

THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTON

said, he thought that the discussion on the Motion of the hon. Member for the City of Cork might be taken after the other Business was disposed of on Monday night. If it were necessary to put it down on Tuesday, it was extremely likely that the House would have to meet on Tuesday evening to consider it.