Lords Sitting of 8 June 1910

Preamble
Several Lords—Took the Oath.

MESSAGE FROM THE KING.
The King's Answer to the Address of the 11th of May last reported by the LORD STEWARD (E. Beauchamp) as follows:
"It has deeply gratified me to receive "your dutiful and affectionate Address.
"I find consolation in your sympathy "with me in my loss and in your words "of appreciation for the memory of my "dear Father who, as you truly say, "ever laboured with zeal and success "to promote the happiness of his people,"to preserve the peace of nations, and "to alleviate human suffering.
"I thank you for your expressions of "loyal attachment to my person and of "confidence in my earnest desire to "promote the contentment of my people "and to guard their liberties. I join "in your prayer that by the blessing of "Almighty God I may be able to justify "the trust you repose in me."

HIS LATE MAJESTY KING EDWARD VII.
The LORD CHANCELLOR acquainted the House that he had received the following Messages of Sympathy on the death of the late King—
I.—" Le conseil de I' Empire de Russie"en sa première séance apres le décès"du Roi Edouard 7 s'associe unani- "mement et de tout cœur á la douleur "qu'eprouve le Royaume-Uni. L'entente
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"entre les deux pays est devenue un "gage de paix et de prospérité. Vénérant "la mémoire de celui qui y contribua "puissamnient le conseil de I'Empire "tient á exprimer á la Chambre des "Pairs ses sentiments de sympathie "émue.
"AKIMOFF,
"Président."
II.—"La perte cruelle de sa majesié "Edward 7 a profoundément attristé le"Medjlis qui me charge de transmettre "á la Chambre des Lords l'expression "de sa douloureuse sympathie en cette "occasion de grande épreuve pour la "nation britannique.
"Le President du Medjlis,
"MOSTECHAREDDOVLEH."
III—"La Chambre des Pairs du "Royaume du Portugal piésente à"votre excellence et à la Chambre des "Lords ses plus sincères condolèances "pour le décès de sa majesté le roi "Edouard 7, roi de la grande nation"alliée et ami devoué du Portugal.
"Le vice-Président,
"EDUARDO DE SERPA PIMENTEL."
IV.—"On the 7th instant the Italian"Senate, after hearing a commemorative"speech delivered by the Marchese di"San Giuliano, Minister for Foreign "Affairs, decided to suspend its sittings "for three days in token of mourning "for the death of His Majesty King Edward VII, the august Sovereign "whose memory is venerated by all "Italy.
"At the same time the Senate decided "to instruct His Excellency the President "to convey to the House of Lords and"to the British Government its pro "found condolence at the great loss"which the British Nation has sustained.
"According to the instructions which "I have received from the President, "I have the honour to request Your "Excellency to convey these sentiments "to the Prime Minister, the other"Members of the Government, and the "House of Lords.
"I have, &c.,
A. MARTIN-FRANKLIN."
V.—Also a translation of a Note from the Italian Ambassador, enclosing a report of the proceedings of the Italian Senate at a Session held in commemoration of His late Majesty King Edward VII, and of the speech delivered on that occasion by the Marquis di San Giuliano.
Several Lords Several Lords—Took the Oath.

HAVANT GAS BILL. [H.L.]
Read 3a, and passed, and sent to the Commons.
SURBITOX URBAN DISTRICT COUNCIL BILL.
Read 3a, with the Amendments, and passed, and returned to the Commons.
TRAMWAYS ORDERS CONFIRMATION BILL. [H.L.]
A Bill to confirm certain Provisional Orders made by the Board of Trade under the Tramways Act, 1870, relating to Huddersfield Corporation Tramways, Milnrow Urban District Council Tramways, and Rawtenstall Corporation Tramways—Was presented by the Lord Hamilton of Dalzell; read 1a; to be printed; and referred to the Examiners. (No. 47.)
EDUCATION BOARD PROVISIONAL ORDER CONFIRMATION (LONDON) BILL. [H.L.]
A Bill to confirm a Provisional Order made by the Board of Education under the Education Acts, 1870 to 1907, to enable the London County Council to put in force the Lands Clauses Acts—Was presented by the Lord Steward (E. Beauchamp) for the Lord President (V. Wolverhampton); read 1a; to be printed; and referred to the Examiners. (No. 48.)
UNIVERSITIES OF OXFORD AND CAMBRIDGE ACT, 1877.
Statute made by the University of Oxford on the 1st day of February, 1910, and sealed upon-the 15th day of the same month, amending the Statute made by the University of Oxford Commissioners concerning the Chichele Professor of International Law: Laid before the House (pursuant to Act), and to be printed.
THE MEDITERRANEAN COMMAND.
VISCOUNT MIDLETON: My Lords, I beg to give notice that I propose on Monday next to call attention to the position of the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief and High Commissioner in the Mediterranean; to ask His Majesty's Government whether it is intended to continue the appointment; and to move for Papers.

BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE.—THE REFORM RESOLUTIONS.
EARL CAWDOR: My Lords, I wish to ask the noble Earl who leads the House whether he can give your Lordships any information as to the course of business during the next week or two.
THE LORD PRIVY SEAL AND SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (THE EARL OF CREWE): My Lords, the House will recollect that, as arrangements were before the deplorable event which has so affected us all, my noble friend on the Cross Benches (Lord Rosebery) had put down his Resolutions for the first day of our reassembling. Now I understand that be has so far taken them off the Paper as to place them in the list of Motions which are put down without any date named, and I understand that he does not propose to bring them forward for a short time. The House will also remember that we had arranged that we should not take the Government Resolutions until after those of my noble friend had been discussed. We have no desire to depart from that arrangement, and therefore we do not propose to deal in any way with our Resolutions until those of my noble friend have been brought forward. I do not know whether my noble friend has anything to say on the matter, but in any case it will probably be for the convenience of the House if the whole question as regards the discussion of this particular matter stands over for a week or two, when perhaps we shall be in a better position to speak more definitely. As regards other business, your Lordships have the Paper at your disposal, and I think you will see that there is not a great deal of business before us at this moment.
THE EARL OF ROSEBERY: My Lords, what my noble friend has said is quite true, that my Motion has passed into the category of those for which no day is

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named. That is partly in its origin due to a misunderstanding on my part. I thought the Resolutions were put down for the first day after the recess, and that that day would automatically pass from May 26 to June 8, but in any case it was not my intention to proceed with them to-day. I had, I admit, been very anxious to do so, but I have received intimations from influential quarters that, in the opinion of those who are well qualified to judge, it is better that I should not proceed on the first day of our reassembling. There was, I think, in the minds of those who so spoke an idea that the opportunity might be taken of the recent bereavement of the nation for some form of pacification as between the acute demands of the two Parties on this great constitutional issue. There Was also a feeling, I think, that it was not desirable to embarrass the beginning of a new reign and the personality of a new King by pushing forward issues affecting the Constitution so grave as those which we have been discussing this year. Of course that, in my judgment, does not apply to my Resolutions. They are a matter, at this stage at any rate, for the House itself. They are the principles which the House of Lords desires, as I hope, to lay down with reference to some future plan of reform to be carried out by some future Executive Government. But they have not passed beyond that stage, and indeed they have not arrived at the stage at which they exist at all as Resolutions of this House. But it was said, and perhaps truly, that if I were to press on these Resolutions I should seem to invite reprisals—though, as I have already pointed
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out, this is not a matter of reprisals; that I should at any rate possibly act as a provocation to those who are not unwilling to be provoked; and that it would be said that my action, or rather our action—for it is not my action, but the action of this House—would be taken as raising the question afresh at a time when there was a general desire for peace. Nothing, in my judgment, could be more unfounded in logic than any such pretence of provocation in proceeding with our Resolutions. This is not a new matter for us. To those who desire the reform of the House of Lords the question has not arisen since the rejection of the Finance Bill of last year. For six-and-twenty years some of us have been working to try to bring this matter to a favourable issue, and therefore I venture to say that, except as offering a favourable opportunity for carrying forward our reforms, our Resolutions have nothing to do with the Veto Resolutions of the Government. Therefore, when I say I shall not proceed with them to-day, or perhaps to-morrow, or immediately, I have no intention of deferring them as being in relation to the Resolutions of the Government. Our Resolutions stand apart and on their own foundation, and though I will not willingly, directly or indirectly, do anything to provoke a spirit of animosity or to prevent a spirit of pacification, I must say that as regards our Resolutions they must remain within our own control.
House adjourned at twenty minutes before Five o'clock, till Tomorrow, half-past Ten o'clock.