HL Deb 26 March 1912 vol 11 cc618-9
THE DUKE OF DEVONSHIRE

I beg to ask the noble Marquess who leads the House whether he can make any statement as to the course of business.

THE LORD PRIVY SEAL AND SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA (THE MARQUESS OF CREWE)

My Lords, I am, I think, entitled to assume that the noble Duke's Question has some special bearing upon the Coal Mines (Minimum Wage) Bill. That measure is being proceeded with in another place this afternoon, and I understand that there are some hopes that it may pass through the House of Commons to-day. We are proposing, therefore, that a formal meeting of the House should in that event take place late to-night with a view to the Bill being read a first time, and in that case we would ask your Lordships to take the Second Reading to-morrow. I propose at the same time to put a Notice on the Paper which would entitle us, if necessary, to suspend the Standing Orders in order that, if the House agrees and desires, more than one stage may be taken on the same day. As to whether that course is one which we shall wish to follow I would prefer, if your Lordships would allow me, to leave that over until we meet to-morrow. But assuming that the Bill passes in another place to-day, we should undoubtedly ask your Lordships to take the Second Reading to-morrow.

THE DUKE OF DEVONSHIRE

Is there any chance of its being known to-night, on the First Reading of the Bill, whether it will be necessary to suspend the Standing Orders to-morrow?

LORD ASHBOURNE

At what hour would the House meet to-morrow in the event of the Bill being then taken?

THE MARQUESS OF CREWE

I should think at the ordinary time. I see no reason for calling the House together earlier.

THE EARL OF SELBORNE

I was not in the House at the beginning of the noble Marquess's statement, but no doubt he will explain to us to-morrow at some length any reasons he may choose to adduce for the unusual course of putting the Bill through all its stages in one day, because the special circumstance to which he appealed last week does not on the face of it appear to hold equally good at the present moment.

THE MARQUESS OF CREWE

The noble Earl failed to catch my meaning, as he came into the House in the middle of the observations I was making. What I said was that we should place on the Paper a Motion which would enable us to suspend the Standing Orders, and, if the House so desired and agreed, to take more than one stage to-morrow, though I could not say at the moment whether His Majesty's Government would ask the House to take more than the Second Reading to-morrow.