§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (The Marquess of LANSDOWNE)My Lords, I trust that your Lordships will not consider that the Motion which I have put on the Paper is an invasion of the privileges of the House. The proposal that Bills should have priority of other business towards the end of the session is not a new one. I admit that of recent years the proposal has more usually been made with reference to a particular Bill on a particular evening; but, as we now stand, we have to look in the face the fact that there are probably not more than eight working days left of the session, during four of which, under the Standing Orders, Bills already have priority. My Motion really, therefore, only amounts to this, that during the other four days Bills should be given a similar priority. As there are several important Bills awaiting the consideration of your Lord hips, it does seem, I think, desirable that they should be dealt with at the commencement of each sitting, and that time should not be taken up, as it sometimes is, in the discussion of Motions and Questions, with the effect of giving the really important business of the evening a subordinate and secondary position. I, therefore, ave to ask your Lordships to agree to the Motion standing in my name.
Moved, That Standing Order No. XXI. be considered in order to its being suspended, and that for the r m under of the session the Bills which are entered for consideration on the Minutes of the day shall have the same precedence which Bills have on Tuesdays and Thursdays.—
§ EARL SPENCERMy Lords, I said something the other day rather pointing in this direction, arising out of the action of the noble and learned Lord on the Woolsack, who took my noble friend Lord Wemyss somewhat to task with regard to the discursive nature of his speech. I, therefore, have no serious objection to the Motion now moved by the noble Marquess. It has been the practice elsewhere for Government measures to have precedence, but that has not applied to private Bills. Therefore I would suggest that the noble Marquess should amend his Motion so that Government Bills only should take precedence.
§ THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNEWe shall certainly raise no objection to that proposal as the noble Earl has made it, and I gladly amend my Motion accordingly.
§ Motion, as amended, agreed to; and ordered accordingly.