PAGE ESTATES BILL. [H.L.] (Hansard, 15 April 1913)

§ THE EARL OF PORTSMOUTH
My Lords, I should like to ask the noble Earl the Chairman of Committees what course is proposed to be taken with regard to the Page Estates Bill, which stands on the Order Paper for Second Reading to-day. It was put down for Second Reading on Monday last and was then postponed, and I have come down to the House to-day expressly for the purpose of doing my best to defeat the Second Reading of this Bill. But I am now informed that it is intended to again postpone the Second Reading. This is, in my opinion, a most extraordinary Bill. It attempts to overrule Acts of Parliament and to create a roving Commission with power to interfere with titles 120 years old. I ask the Lord Chairman, first, whether he intends at any time to move the Second Reading of this Bill, and, if he does not so intend, whether it is his intention to assume any responsibility at all for the Bill.

THE CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEES (THE EARL OF DONOUGHMORE)
My Lords, I am extremely sorry that any of your Lordships should have been inconvenienced, but I am bound to point out that no member of your Lordships' House had given notice for the rejection of this Bill. Had that been done, I should have taken the usual course of consulting with your Lordships as to the most convenient date for the discussion to be taken. The matter, as far as I am concerned, is in this position. I have informed the parties that I am not prepared myself to move the Second Reading of this Bill. That is a course which I understand my predecessors have taken in days gone by in regard to certain Private Bills. It is open to the parties, if they desire to do so, to get some other member of your Lordships' House to move the Second Reading of the Bill, but meanwhile it is necessary that the Bill should be kept alive by putting it off by order of the House from time to time. As your Lordships are aware, by the Standing Orders all Private Bills must be read a second time by a certain date. That date has long since passed, and the only way of keeping the Bill alive is to postpone it from time to time, as has been done already and as was intended to be done again to-day, in order to enable the parties to consider whether or not they will go on with the Bill.

LORD BALFOUR OF BURLEIGH
It is quite obvious that to keep the Bill alive the course proposed has to be taken. But I venture to suggest that it would have been more convenient had the Bill been put off yesterday, in which ease it would not have appeared on the Order Paper for to-day. If it is technically necessary that notice should he given, I am perfectly prepared to give notice of a Motion to reject the Bill.

THE CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEES
I did not mean to suggest that it was necessary that notice of rejection should be given. My point was that had I known that objection was going to be taken to the Second Reading of the Bill I would have seen that notice was given of the fact that the Bill was going to be again put off.

LORD BALFOUR OF BURLEIGH
Until what date is it proposed to postpone the Bill?

THE CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEES
Until to-morrow fortnight. But I would gladly fix any other day if it would be more convenient to your Lordships.

§ LORD HYLTON
I should like to ask the noble Earl the Chairman of Committees whether I would be in order in moving the Second Reading of this Bill to-day, in the hope that it might be finally got rid of in the way suggested by Lord Portsmouth?

THE CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEES
I should be interested to hear what arguments the noble Lord, would advance in favour of the Bill.

§ LORD HYLTON
But should I be in order in moving the Second Reading?

THE EARL OF CAMPERDOWN
The Lord Chairman has told us that he is not prepared to move the Second Reading of the Bill, and from that I think we may infer that if it were moved there would be opposition to it. At all events I hope that if any noble Lord takes the Bill up sufficient notice will be given to the House, so that on the one hand we may not have it put down on the Order Paper when it is not coming on, and, on the other hand, it shall not be brought forward without our having sufficient notice of it.

THE CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEES
Now that I realise how many of your Lordships object to this Bill, I will see, of course, that full notice is given of anything being done with the Bill in any shape or form.