HL Deb 05 December 1884 vol 294 cc834-5

THE EARL OF REDESDALE (CHAIRMAN of COMMITTEES) moved that the Lords following be named of the Committee:—

Ld. Chancellor. E. Camperdown.
Ld. President. E. Granville.
D. Richmond. E. Kimberley.
D. Saint Albans. E. Redesdale.
D. Bedford. E. Lathom.
M. Lansdowne. V. Hawarden.
M. Salisbury. V. Hardinge.
M. Bath. V. Eversley.
Ld. Steward. Ld. Chamberlain.
E. Devon. L. Colville of Culross.
E. Tankerville. L. Monson.
E. Carnarvon. L. Colchester.
E. Belmore. L. Ker.
E. Bradford. L. Aveland.

THE EARL OF LONGFORD

said, that he did not object to the Committee being appointed; but he hoped that the noble Lords on it would find a convenient room for Members of the House to write and sit in when they had business to attend to.

THE EARL OF CAMPERDOWN

said, that he noticed among the names of the proposed Committee that of the Marquess of Lansdowne, who was not now in England, and was not likely to be so for some years to come, and who, therefore, could not attend the meetings of the Committee. For that reason he begged to move the omission of the name of the Marquess of Lansdowne, and the substitution of that of Lord Sudeley.

Moved, "To leave out the name of the Marquess of Lansdowne."—(The Earl of Camper down.")

THE EARL OF REDESDALE (CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEES)

said, that no doubt the Marquess of Lansdowne would not be able to attend the Committee at the present time; but the practice had always been to appoint the same Peers on the Committee from year to year, and it was not usual to put one noble Lord off and another on.

EARL GRANVILLE

said, that it was very desirable to nominate the same Peers on the Committee; still, it would be better to appoint Peers who could and would be likely to attend the Committee.

LORD BRABOURNE

said, that before the Motion was agreed to he wished to point out that there was no Representative of the Cross Benches upon the Committee.

EARL GRANVILLE

desired to ask the noble Lord whether he could say who was the Leader and who were the Representatives of the Cross Benches? On the previous evening three Peers belonging to it spoke in three different senses.

LORD BRABOURNE

said, that the same Peers sat in not inconsiderable numbers upon the Cross Benches, and it would not be difficult to find a Representative. Moreover, as it was the noble Earl himself who had given to the Cross Benches a Parliamentary "status" by his frequent reference to them and his allusions to the Cross Bench "mind," to no one better than to the noble Earl could be left the selection of a Peer who might duly represent that disposition.

On Question? agreed to.

Then the original Motion, as amended, was agreed to.

Committee appointed accordingly.