§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURYsaid he had promised to make known as early as possible the terms of his Motion with regard to the suspension of the Twelve o'clock Rule on Monday and for the remainder of the Session. He proposed to place on the Paper a Motion couched in precisely the same terms as the notice of the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Monmouth. He wished to state that he proposed to make another Motion with regard to the proceedings in Committee on the Irish Land Bill. The House wow remember that when they separated last night the Motion before the Committee was the omission of Clause 4 of the Bill. The Motion was put under some misapprehension, and the best plan of getting over the difficulty would be to move, under the new Standing Order passed at the beginning of the Session, dealing with clauses to be omitted from a Bill. In that he should include not merely Clause 4, but also Clauses 5, 13, 14, and 15—["Hear, hear!"]—and in making that announcement it might be convenient to state that he should make the Motion with regard to Clause 4 with a different intention as compared with Clauses 5, 13, 14, and 15. He proposed to omit these clauses permanently from the Bill. ["Hear, hear!"] Clause 4 would be put down again as a new clause in an amended form with which the House was more or less familiar. He trusted that this course might be approved by the House without any prolonged discussion on Monday. He moved the adjournment of the House.
MR. T. M. HEALYsaid that in his opinion this proposal of the right hon. Gentleman would greatly facilitate the passage of the Bill, and he congratulated the Government on the omission of these clauses. He hoped that when the Government brought up Clause 4 effectively it would be with the firm intention of passing it.
§ DR. TANNERthought that the statement of the right hon. Gentleman with regard to Clause 4 was going back on the idea which the whole House held upon the subject last evening. He thought that some intimation ought to have been given to both sides of the House as to the statement which the right hon. Gentleman had made, and he did not think the Leader of the House had tended in any way to abbreviate discussion by taking what he could not refrain from calling an unfair advantage.
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURYhoped he would be able on Monday to convince the hon. Member who had just spoken that the course he had taken was the proper course. In answer to the hon. Member for Louth, he had to say that Clause 4 would come up at the end of the Bill, and they had not the slightest intention of hazarding the clause by forcing it through. They would bring it forward in a form in which it would be far easier to discuss than if they introduced seriatim the Amendments put down by the Chief Secretary.
§ COLONEL SAUNDERSON (Armagh, N.)asked whether Clause 4, whenever it was brought up, would be exactly as they now saw it on the separate paper? Would it be absolutely unchanged?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURYYes, exactly as it is now on the separate paper.
§ MR. HUBERT DUNCOMBE (Cumberland, Egremont)asked if the Government proposed between now and the end of the Session to afford any time whatever to any private Bill?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURYsaid that would be a proper question for his hon. Friend to put to him on Monday, when he should have to make a general statement as to business in asking for the suspension of the Twelve o'clock Rule.
§
House adjourned at a Quarter after Twelve o'clock till Monday next.