§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYSeeing the noble Earl in his place opposite, I may say that rumours have reached me as to the conduct of Public Business in another place, and I wish to know whether the noble Earl has anything to tell us as to the proceedings of this House in this totally unexampled state of affairs?
THE LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL AND SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA (The Earl of KIMBERLEY)The noble Marquess takes me in one respect a little by surprise. So far as I can judge, speaking of the immediate Business of the House, I may say, in the first place, I think it will be necessary that the House should meet next week on account of a Bill in which I am much interested—the East India Loan Bill. It is essential that that Bill should be passed before Christmas, and it will be necessary to take the requisite Sittings for that purpose. I am not aware of any other pressing Business before Christmas for this House. I do not quite know what will be the exact course of the Business of the other House with regard to the Amendments to the Employers' Liability Bill. I should hardly think the Bill will come back to us in sufficient time for us to consider any Amendments before Christmas. With regard to our further proceedings after the Christmas Recess, my belief is—and I dare say the noble Marquess has quite as good a knowledge on the matter as I have—that the House of Commons will be invited to proceed with Business immediately after Christmas in order that what is commonly called the Parish Councils Bill may be advanced. It is not in my power to say how soon the other House will deal with that Bill, but I suppose it will come within some reasonable time to a conclusion, and then it will certainly be our duty to ask this House to consider the Bill with a view to its being disposed of before the commencement of another Session of Parliament. That is the best answer I can give the noble Marquess at present.
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYI only wish to call the attention of the noble Earl to the fact that such a proposal as that Parliament should meet in January to consider an important Bill in Committee is absolutely unexampled. I believe that you might go back for many centuries without finding a precedent. The inconvenience of such a proposal to noble Lords is extreme. I am not speaking of myself, for I have the fortune to have a house very near London; but to most other people, who are forced by their duties at Quarter Sessions and County Councils to remain in the country at that period of the year, it will be a great inconvenience to have to come backwards and forwards, especially in the weather with which we are familiar in January. I think it is a hardship which is inflicted upon Parliament—if it be inflicted—without any justification, and in consequence of a decision which cannot be at all defended. But what I wish to say is that, though on all matters concerning the Business of the House I have deferred most anxiously to the views of the noble Earl opposite, and while I fully recognise the consideration with which he manages everything in the House in regard to which he has an independent judgment, yet I cannot admit that in a matter which is so wholly unexampled as this, we are bound by the usual rule to accept without demur whatever the Government may think it right to propose. I therefore reserve to myself the right to make any proposal or to take any course that may seem to us desirable in view of the very unprecedented and unexpected course that Public Business appears to be taking. I do not wish to go further into details until we know a little better how Business is likely to go on, but I cannot accept the idea that in consequence of what has taken place in the House of Commons we should sit in this House in the earlier part of January.
THE EARL OF KIMBERLEYIn the first place, with regard to the remarks of the noble Marquess as to the meetings of County Councils and other Local Authorities, no doubt they generally have their meetings at the beginning of January, but however important those duties may be it seems to me that the demands of Parliament upon the services of its Members must be paramount. I cannot think that 1339 those meetings are a sufficient reason to urge against the course suggested; and certainly, as to the weather being severe, I do not know that it is more inclement in London at that time than in the country.
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYIt is to the fact of having to go backwards and forwards that I referred.
THE EARL OF KIMBERLEYThis is not the first time that the Members of this House have been asked to travel to London in January in order to attend to their Parliamentary duties, and I do not suppose that would be a very serious inconvenience. Of course, the noble Marquess is perfectly within his rights in reserving his judgment as to the course which he will pursue; but I shall be slow to believe that when a Bill of great importance is sent up to this House from the other House your Lordships will decline to receive and consider it even at any time.