§ VISCOUNT MORLEY OF BLACKBURNMy Lords, I beg to move that the House do adjourn until April 26.
§ Moved, That the House do adjourn until April 26.—(Viscount Morley of Blackburn.)
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYOn that Motion I should like to ask the noble Viscount, for the convenience of your Lordships, what business the Government propose to take on the reassembly of the House.
§ VISCOUNT MORLEY OF BLACKBURNI understand that the first business will be the Army Annual Bill. Beyond that I am afraid I cannot answer the noble Marquess.
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYThen I might, perhaps, be allowed to put a question to the Secretary of State for War. It has reached me privately that the suggestion of the Government is to pass the Army Annual Bill through all its stages as quickly as possible. But if there are any novelties in the Bill we should have to consider whether we could pass it through so rapidly as proposed.
§ VISCOUNT HALDANEThere is only one novel proposal in the Bill, and that is about horses. I made some reference in another place to what those proposals would be, and legislation is required. This one new clause will no doubt interest your Lordships, and it is right that you should have full opportunity of considering it. We might, if it were thought well. take the Second Reading on the first day after the Easter adjournment, and then I could make a statement fully explaining the who matter so that we could go into Committee after we had had a discussion of that statement. There is, as I have said, only one new point in the Bill, and it concerns horses. I would remind your Lordship that the Bill must pass into law by April 30, otherwise the Army becomes an illegal body, and the Bill has to receive the Royal Assent before that date. I think there will be ample time to arrange matters, and the noble Marquess may take it that we should desire to meet the wishes of noble Lords opposite as to the best use of the time at our disposal.
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYI am much obliged to the noble Viscount. None of my noble friends particularly interested in this matter are in the House at the moment, but if there should be any reason for asking the noble Viscount to, give us one day between two of the stage perhaps he will allow us to communicate with him privately.
§ VISCOUNT HALDANECertainly.
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.
§ House adjourned at a quarter past Five o'clock, to Wednesday, the 26th instant, a quarter past Four o'clock.