THE UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (The Duke of MARLBOBOUGH)My Lords, I beg to move for the Return which stands in the name of the noble Marquess the Lord Privy Seal, and in doing so I may remind your Lordships that this Return is very similar to one which was moved for at the beginning of this session and to which your Lordships assented. That was a Return of the number of aliens arriving from the Continent at ports in the United Kingdom in each month of the year 1905. The Return for which I am now moving is to enable figures to be prepared as to the numbers and nationalities of the passengers leaving the United Kingdom for places outside Europe in each month from June to December, 1905, the desire being that this Return should form a sort of a complement to the others which have in previous years been laid before Parliament.
Moved, "That there be laid before the House a Return, showing the Numbers and Nationalities of the Passengers that left the United Kingdom for Places 240 out of Europe in each month from June to December, 1905, distinguishing the principal countries in which the passengers contracted to land."—(The Duke of Marlborough.).
§ EARL SPENCERMy Lords, I confess I am still somewhat surprised at the Motion. In the first place, I think it is wrong grammatically. It is very curious to speak of passengers who "left the United Kingdom" on a future date. It would, I think, be more grammatical to say who "left or shall have left." However, I think it is a mistake to order a Return going beyond the period reached. It would surely be sufficient when Parliament meets to move for a Return for the previous year.
*THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (The Marquess of LANSDOWNE)If the Return is to be for the information of Parliament when it meets next year, surely Parliament will be better informed if the information is up to the end of the year. With regard to the suggested alteration in the grammar of the Motion, my noble friend the Under-Secretary informs me that the previous Return was moved in exactly the same form.
§ LORD JAMES OF HEREFORDOn that occasion the grammatical error may not have been noticed, but I hope, now that it has been pointed out, that there will be no objection to putting the Motion right.
§ *THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNEI do not understand that the grammatical alteration will qualify the sense of the Motion, and we therefore agree to it.
§ On Question, Motion, as amended, agreed to and ordered accordingly.