HL Deb 16 July 1869 vol 198 cc14-5
EARL GRANVILLE

said, it might be for the convenience of their Lordships if he stated that, as there was every reason to believe that this Bill would come up from the other House that evening, after the consideration by the Commons of their Lordships' Amendments, he proposed that the Bill in the form in which it left the other House should be printed, so as to be distributed among their Lordships to-morrow morning; and in that case, thinking it desirable for every reason that there should be as little delay as possible in the matter, he now gave notice that the Bill with the Amendments would be brought under their Lordships' consideration on Monday next.

THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY

said, he understood that the alterations made in the measure by the Commons were very large, and would require careful attention from their Lordships. He thought it would be exceedingly inconvenient and hardly consistent with a due sense of the importance of the subject, or even with the respect due to the other House, if their Lordships were to consider the Bill on the very next night after it came up from the Commons. They would scarcely take that course in the case of an ordinary trumpery Bill. He earnestly trusted that the noble Earl would fix Tuesday instead of Monday.

EARL GRANVILLE

remarked that Monday was not the very next, but the third night after Friday.

LORD CAIRNS

said, that it had at one time been thought that the House of Commons would conclude the consideration of the Amendments last night, and then it might not have been unreasonable for their Lordships to consider the Amendments on Monday. The House of Commons, however, would continue the consideration to-night, and as their Lordships' House did not meet to-morrow (Saturday), it would not be a convenient day for exchanging opinions upon the subject. He thought that it would be only respectful to the House of Commons that their Lordships should give very careful and deliberate attention to the course which they themselves should pursue when they came to consider the course which had been taken by the House of Commons. It had already gone abroad—only, however, in the ordinary channels of information, and not upon the responsibility of the Government—that Tuesday would be the earliest night upon which the Amendments of the Commons could be considered by their Lordships' House. He thought that, under the circumstances, the proper day for the consideration of the Amendments would be Tuesday. He agreed with the noble Earl that there ought to be no unnecessary delay; but it was no unnecessary delay that one day should elapse between the receiving the Bill when re-printed and taking it into consideration—for Sunday ought not to be counted.

VISCOUNT MELVILLE

was understood to recommend that the consideration of the Bill should be taken on Tuesday.

EARL GRANVILLE

said, that after the expression of opinion which he had heard he would defer to their Lordships' wishes, and fix the consideration of the Bill for Tuesday.