§ THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNEI do not know whether the noble Marquess who leads the House is able to give us any information as to the order of business after the reassembling of the House in the month of January.
THE MARQUESS OF CREWESo far as I can gather it seems clear that the course which I suggested as a possible one on a former occasion, that of holding a formal sitting before Tuesday, January 14, in order to receive the Government of Ireland Bill, will not be one which it is necessary for us to take. I understand that we shall in all probability receive that Bill somewhere about January 14. There is a Motion on the Order Paper for that day for the Report stage of the Scottish Temperance Bill, and there are two Notices on the Paper for Wednesday, January 15, in the names of Lord Portsmouth and Lord Midleton dealing with military questions. I am afraid that is all the information I am able to give the noble Marquess at this moment.
§ THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNECould the noble Marquess give the House any undertaking that the Second Reading of the Home Rule Bill would not be taken before a certain date?
THE MARQUESS OF CREWEIn that matter I am very largely in the hands of noble Lords opposite. The general character of the Bill is no doubt familiar to 204 many of those who would desire to take part in the debate. I assume, therefore, that no very long interval would be required so far as the Second Reading is concerned. But we should not desire to take it for at any rate a week after we met. If noble Lords agree, Tuesday or Wednesday in the week following the one on which we reassemble would be a convenient time at which to begin the debate. Of course, I cannot say for certain that we shall receive the Bill in time to give it a First Reading on January 14, and that makes it difficult to fix a precise date for the Second Reading.
§ VISCOUNT ST. ALDWYNIt would be very convenient to know the exact date of the Second Reading, and I suggest that the noble Marquess should say January 27. It would be certain that the Bill would have been read a first time a week before that date.
THE MARQUESS OF CREWEAs I say, I am very much in the hands of the House. It is possible that if we decide not to take the Second Reading of the Government of Ireland Bill before January 27 it might so happen that we should desire to take the Established Church (Wales) Bill immediately on the top of it, whereas it would probably be more convenient to your Lordships to have rather more of an interval between the two. But so far as my personal convenience is concerned I should certainly make no objection to taking the Motion for the Second Reading of the Home Rule Bill on the 27th.