BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE. (Hansard, 11 March 1913)

§ THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNE
I wish to ask the noble Marquess who leads the House whether he is in a position to make any statement as to the course of public business in this House during the next few weeks.

*THE LORD PRIVY SEAL AND SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA (THE MARQUESS OF CREWE)
My Lords, I understand that there is no business on the Paper, and so far as we are able to ascertain the desire of the House it would meet the general convenience if we adjourned to-day until the end of the month. It will be necessary for the House to meet for the purpose of passing the ordinary Appropriation measure before the end of the financial year—namely, on March 28. I therefore propose, with your Lordships' leave, to move the adjournment of the House till that day, when the Consolidated Fund Bill, which is of a purely formal character, can be passed through all its stages with a view to a Royal Commission being held on the same day. It probably may be for the convenience of your Lordships to meet soon after that, quite at the beginning of April, for the transaction of any business that may be before us. So far as Government business is concerned, I do not anticipate that at any rate in the early part of April there is likely to be any to occupy our attention, but I assume that after the formal meeting of the House on the 28th, the further adjournment will be quite a short one, and that we shall meet perhaps on April 1 or at any rate in the course of that week to see what business we may have before us.

THE CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEES (THE EARL OF DONOUGHMORE)
Perhaps your Lordships will allow me to say that there is one very important portion of business which must be carried through before Easter. I refer to the Second Reading of Private Bills, numbering about fifty, many of which will be considered by Committees upstairs early in April. I understand that your Lordships will be sitting judicially next week, and I propose with your permission, to take the Second Reading of these Private Bills on one day then when the House is so sitting. I understand that that has been done before, and I hope the Leader of the House will have no objection to this course being adopted on this occasion.

*THE MARQUESS OF CREWE
In these circumstances the day should be named in the Motion for adjournment on which the business which has just been mentioned by the Lord Chairman is to be taken.

THE EARL OF DONOUGHMORE
I understand that the House will be sitting judicially on Monday next. That would be a convenient day for my purpose.

*THE MARQUESS or CREWE
Then I beg to move that the House do adjourn, except for Judicial business, until Monday next.