§ On the Motion that the order for the Second Reading of this Bill be discharged, and the Bill withdrawn,
§ MR. T. M. HEALY (Louth, N.)said it was surprising that the hon. Baronet should have made a Motion like this without giving the House some notice. He thought they were entitled to a statement with regard to the Motion to discharge this Order. He did not know whether Mr. Speaker would take his formal objection, but he respectfully submitted that with regard to a Bill brought in by a Cabinet Minister they were entitled to debate the question upon a Motion discharging the Order. He begged to move that the debate be now adjourned.
§ * MR. SPEAKERI cannot put that, I think the Government are entitled to discharge this Order. It is always done as a matter of course.
§ MR. T. M. HEALYsaid that, with great respect, he thought Mr. Speaker would hardly come to that conclusion if he examined the precedents. He thought it would be found that there were a number of precedents in which speeches had been made upon the discharge of Orders. Upon a matter of this kind he thought they were entitled to a statement from His Majesty's Government, with regard to the measure which was to replace it.
§ * MR. SPEAKERThe question cannot be debated. I have known no case of a debate taking place upon a Motion that an Order be discharged.
§ MR. T. M. HEALYsaid that until recent years it had been the custom to have two Motions, firstly that the Order be discharged, and secondly that the Bill be withdrawn. It was only in recent years that they had been put as one Motion. He remembered that at one time they frequently debated Motions of this kind, although he admitted that in recent years the practice had fallen into desuetude. He had frequently debated such Motions himself. In the present state of the Irish Question, and seeing that they were being denied any opportunity of discussing Irish affairs generally, he thought they should be allowed to ask for some explanation from the Chief Secretary as to what were the future intentions of the Government. He would ask the right hon. Gentleman what he intended should take the place of this Bill after the Order had been discharged? Had he any scheme for the future, or were they to go to the Irish people again without knowing the intentions of the Government, and without one word of hope as to what was to be done in the future?
§ MR. WYNDHAMI do not know whether I shall be in order in replying, MR. Speaker.
§ * MR. SPEAKERMy opinion is that this matter cannot be debated, but if the right hon. Gentleman wishes to give an answer to the question put to him by the hon. Member I will not object to his doing so.
§ MR. WYNDHAMSome misappre hension might arise if this matter were left where the hon. and learned Member has placed it. I understand that I should be out of order in debating this question. Perhaps I may be allowed to say that, although I was not aware that this matter was going to be raised, I will say that the Motion to ask leave to discharge this Order must throw no other interpretation upon the intentions of the Government in respect to the Land Purchase Acts than might be reasonably inferred from the speeches I have made in this House, and out of it during the present year. This Motion arises only from the fact that we are met during an autumn session mainly, and as far as may be exclusively, to conclude the Education Bill. But for the fact that the Education Bill had taken up much more of the time of the House than was originally anticipated I should have had an opportunity of proceeding further with the Bill now before the House than has unfortunately been the case. It is idle now to suppose that this Bill can be passed into law this year in addition to the Education Hill. That being so, we do not wish to leave it on the Order Paper, as by so doing we may give rise to a false impression. But next year, undoubtedly, it will be the 344 principal measure of the session. I shall hope then to bring in what I may properly call the Bill of the session, but, of course, a Hill embodying such modifications and Amendments as I should myself have been most ready to introduce into the present Bill if it had been referred to a Committee. Of course such a Bill, if it is to carry out the views expressed in the speech I made in Belfast in January this year, must be a Bill to facilitate a voluntary arrangement between the parties to assist the landlords in turning the price they may receive to the best account, and to assist the tenants to offer a price which the landlords may accept, without prescribing exactly the terms themselves.
§ CAPTAIN DONELANsaid the Irish Party accepted the withdrawal of the Bill without a tear.
§ Order for Second Heading discharged; Bill withdrawn.