Lords Sitting of 10 August 1914

ENGLISH HOLIDAY-MAKERS ON THE CONTINENT.
LORD LYVEDEN: My Lords, I beg to ask whether, in view of distress in certain centres in Switzerland where Dr. H. S. Lunn, Limited, of which firm I am director, have many clients known personally to our representatives, His Majesty's Government will appoint my co-director Mr. George Cumberland Dobbs, now at Montana Vermala, temporary Vice-Consul for the Rhone Valley; my co-director Mr. Ernest Threlfall Whitehead, now at Murren, Switzerland, Vice-Consul for Bernese Oberland; and Mr. Neil Pearson, our representative at Lugano, Switzerland, Vice-Consul; accrediting them to obtain from State banks moderate sums to suffice for the relief of British subjects in their neighbourhood, receiving, as far as possible, cheques from persons thus relieved to repay the Government at the earliest possible date.
THE LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL (EARL BEAUCHAMP): My Lords, the notice which my noble friend was good enough to give of this Question did not reach me in time for me to consult the Foreign Office before the sitting of the House. I can, however, assure him that I will communicate with the Foreign Office without delay, and inquire whether they are able to take steps in the direction which the noble Lord desires.

UNREASONABLE WITHHOLDING OF FOODSTUFFS BILL.
Brought from the Commons.
THE EARL OF GRANARD: My Lords, the object of this Bill is to give power to the Board of Trade to requisition foodstuffs where the Board have reason to believe that they are being unreasonably withheld. There have been, I am sorry to say, a few cases of rich people and one or two cases of clubs offending in this matter, but, generally speaking, I am glad to say that not very much has been done in this direction. The President of the Board of Trade has been in communication with the great wholesale and retail merchants in this country and has received from them the greatest help throughout; and our thanks are due to
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these large firms for what they have done to prevent the public having to pay unduly high prices for their food. The provision in the Bill follows very clearly the naval and military precedent. I do not think it will be necessary to put the Bill, when it is an Act, very often into operation; yet I am sure your Lordships will agree that this is a power which the Board of Trade should possess in cases of necessity. The Bill consists of one clause, which I will read to your Lordships—
"if the Board of Trade are of opinion that any foodstuff is being unreasonably withheld from the market they may, if so authorised by His Majesty's Proclamation, generally or as respects any particular kind of foodstuff and in manner provided by the Proclamation, take possession of any supplies of foodstuffs to which the Proclamation relates, paying to the owners of the supplies such prices as may in default of agreement be decided to be reasonable having regard to all the circumstances of the case, by the arbitration of a Judge of the High Court, selected by the Lord Chief Justice of England."
The Act is only to have effect while a state of war exists between His Majesty and any foreign Power. I move that the Bill be read a first time, and, if your Lordships agree, I shall hope that it may be passed through its remaining stages forthwith.
Moved, That the Bill be now read 1ª.—(The Earl of Granard.)
On Question, Bill read 1ª, and to be printed.
Then (Standing Order No. XXXIX having been suspended), Bill read 2ª: Committee negalived: Bill read 3ª, and passed. (No. 254.)

MERCHANT SHIPPING (CONVENTION) BILL.
Returned from the Commons, with the Amendment, agreed to.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE ADMINISTRATION BILL.
NATIONAL INSURANCE ACT, 1911 (PART II AMENDMENT) BILL.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT PROVISIONAL ORDER (No. 18) BILL.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT PROVISIONAL ORDER (No. 19) BILL.
SHEFFIELD CORPORATION BILL.
YORK CORPORATION BILL.
Returned from the Commons, with the Amendments, agreed to.

BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE.
THE LORD PRIVY SEAL AND SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA (THE MARQUESS OF CREWE): My Lords, I stated to the House on Saturday that I proposed to make the Notion which your Lordships will see on the Paper. As regards the form of the Motion, it appears to leave the whole action in the hands of my noble and learned friend on the Woolsack. But I think it is only fair to him to state that the House certainly will not suppose that he is likely to use this particular power in an indiscriminate way. I am able to state on his behalf that he would not take this step without consultation with myself and others on this Front Bench, and also without consultation with the noble Marquess opposite and those who are immediately associated with him. I should hope that there is no probability, so far as we can judge, that this power is likely to be needed; but owing to the circumstances which I mentioned when I raised the subject the day before yesterday I think the House will agree that it is desirable that we should have this power in hand.
Moved to resolve, That whenever during the present Session of Parliament the House stands adjourned for more than two days, and it appears to the satisfaction of the Lord Chancellor that the public interest requires that the House should meet at any earlier time during such adjournment the Lord Chancellor may give notice to the Peers that he is so satisfied, and thereupon the House shall meet at the time stated in such notice and shall transact its business as if it had been duly adjourned to that time.—(The Marquess of Crewe.)
THE EARL OF CRAWFORD: My Lords, I do not understand why it is necessary to make this Motion in the House of Lords and not in the House of Commons. There is no such Motion on the Order Paper of the House of Commons to-day. Consequently that House will only be able to meet, prior to August 25, under the Statute of George III, which allows, by the agency of Royal Proclamation, a summons to be issued at six days' notice. By this Motion, therefore, we are taking power to meet four days earlier than could the House of Commons. What is the object of that? I confess I am not completely
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satisfied by the statement of the noble Marquess, and I am inclined to think, after the words of caution which he used at the outset, that in the absence of any similar power being conferred upon the House of Commons it might be well if his suggestion were put into a more concrete form and the assent of the Leader of the Opposition combined to that of the Lord Chancellor, or, perhaps, better still, to that of the Chairman of Committees, who is appointed by this House and corresponds to the Speaker of the House of Commons much more than a member of the Cabinet sitting upon the Woolsack can do. Perhaps the Lord Chairman might be associated with the Lord Chancellor in this matter. I throw that out as a tentative suggestion. I do not propose to move to that effect, as perhaps the noble Marquess will do so himself. But I think we should know why this House is to be summonable at two days' notice and the House of Commons at six.
THE EARL OF CAMPERDOWN: My Lords, I desire to say a word in support of what has just fallen from the noble Earl, Lord Crawford, and your Lordships will understand that in what I am about to say I make no reference whatever to any particular persons; I speak simply on the ground of principle. No such power as this has ever been given in this House before. I have inquired, and I am told that there are no precedents. If your Lordships consider for a moment, you will realise that the Lord Chancellor, though he is Speaker of this House, is also a member of the Government, and in that position he stands on a quite different footing from that of the Speaker in the House of Commons. But if there had been a similar Motion in the other House, I very much doubt whether the Speaker would be the person who would be given power to call the House together. I venture to think it is placing a very great power in the hands of a single man. If this power is to be given, it seems to me that it ought to be vested in the Leader of the House. The Leader of the House is the member of the Government responsible to this House, and if he were to exercise the power in an improper way we should have recourse against him. The whole position is entirely anomalous and without precedent, but it seems to me that if this power is to be given it ought to be placed, as I have said, in the

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hands of the Leader of the House. For this reason, I shall move as an Amendment to substitute the name of the Leader of the House for that of the Lord Chancellor. The inconvenience of adding two or three noble Lords to the Lord Chancellor for this purpose is this. In the first place, how would they meet? It would take them some days to meet. Moreover, if the Lord Chancellor had to consult the Leader of tire Opposition and the Chairman of Committees, the time might have gone; and if there arises an occasion on which the House ought to meet in a great hurry, it certainly appears to me that the Peer who is for the time being Leader of the House is the person who ought to exercise this power.
VISCOUNT ST. ALDWYN: My Lords, I venture to express the hope that the noble Marquess opposite will answer the question put by my noble friend Lord Crawford. I can quite conceive, in the present state of affairs, some crisis arising which might require the almost immediate summoning of Parliament during the proposed recess, but I cannot conceive any such crisis arising which would not apply more forcibly to the House of Commons—take, for instance, some financial matter—than to your Lordships' House. I do not know what kind of business the noble Marquess contemplates that we should take if we were summoned at this brief notice, and I hope, if he persists in his Motion, that he will associate with himself my noble friend the Leader of the Opposition instead of the Lord Chancellor.
THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNE: My Lords, I leave it to His Majesty's Government to answer the question which has been put by my noble friend behind me and by Lord St. Aldwyn. With regard to the Motion so far as it affects your Lordships' House, I have already ventured to say that in my opinion some Sessional Order of this kind is necessary. We had, in fact, proof that that was so the other day, when but for the accident that the House was sitting in its Judicial capacity it would have been technically impossible to summon us at a time when our presence was desired. With regard to the authority to whom should be entrusted the power of calling the House together, I am bound to say that there is a great deal to be said
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for associating with the noble and learned Viscount on the Woolsack some other authority in this House. It was suggested by my noble friend Lord Crawford that the proper official to associate with the Lord Chancellor was the Chairman of Committees. As between that proposal and the proposal of the noble Marquess opposite, I confess that I rather lean to the noble Marquess's proposal; and for this reason, that I think the Leader of the House and to some extent the Leader of the Opposition are more likely to be aware of what I would call the political exigencies of the situation than the Chairman of Committees. What, I take it, would happen would be that the two Leaders would be communicated with, and that if it was thought desirable to call the House together they would inform the Party Whips, and thus the assembly of the House would be brought about. I note, of course, that this is an emergency proposal applicable only to the present session of Parliament.
THE MARQUESS OF CREWE: My Lords, in regard to the question which Lord Crawford asked—as to how it was that we were taking this action and the House of Commons were not—it is, of course, not our business here to criticise the action of the other House of Parliament, and I think the answer to the noble Earl's query lies in the fact to which the noble Marquess opposite alluded—namely, that we received a severe fright over this question when the House of Commons did not. It was extremely important, in order to pass the Postponement of Payments Bill into law, that we should be called together almost at a moment's notice on a day when we were not sitting for public business. The House of Commons was sitting, and therefore they did not receive the mental shock which we received when we found that it was owing merely, as it seemed, to the happy accident of the House being sitting in its Judicial capacity that we were able to meet that afternoon. I think that, somehow or other, we should have managed to meet that afternoon, but as to exactly how it would have been brought about I do not know. At any rate, we were able to do so without any serious breach of our order and procedure.
The noble Earl opposite suggested that the actual authority for taking this step

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should be placed in my humble hands instead of in those of my noble and learned friend on the Woolsack. I hope that the House will, however, agree to what was originally proposed, on the understanding, which I mentioned, that both the noble Marquess opposite and myself would be immediately informed by my noble and learned friend as to what was required. I should hope that the probability of action being necessary is a very remote one. So far as the House of Commons are concerned, they would in quite ordinary circumstances be more likely, as the noble Viscount pointed out, to be hurriedly summoned than ourselves in connection with financial business. But they, I suppose, have more than provided for any possible needs in that direction which could arise during the ensuing fortnight, and therefore I imagine that they are content to take in their hands the Act to which the noble Earl alluded, subsequently amended by an Act of Queen Victoria's reign, which, whenever the House adjourns for more than six days, enables it to be called together by Proclamation, which I fancy takes something of the same time to be brought into effect. Therefore I think the House of Commons would not be in as good a position for this purpose as we should be ourselves. I hope that so far as the main purpose of this Motion is concerned the House will be content to leave it as it is, with the strict assurance of the noble and learned Viscount on the Woolsack that the step, which obviously cannot arise except on a question of urgent political exigency, will only be carried out by him in consultation, not only with me, but with the noble Marquess opposite.
THE EARL OF CAMPERDOWN: My Lords, in a matter of this sort I think understandings are to be deprecated. It is much better to have the thing clearly stated. So far as my suggested Amendment is concerned, I am quite willing that the responsibility should be divided between the Leader of the House and the Leader of the Opposition.
THE LORD CHANCELLOR (VISCOUNT HALDANE): My Lords, this Motion arose out of the emergency we had the other day. The House had adjourned from the Thursday until the Tuesday, but business of very great moment suddenly became
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urgent on the Monday. But for the fortunate circumstance that the House had to meet for Judicial business on the Monday morning we should have been in a very great difficulty. I will not say that it would not have been possible for your Lordships to meet on that occasion, but a constitutional question would have arisen which was only saved by the fact that there was a full sitting, though a Judicial sitting, on the Monday morning. There are now no Judicial sittings, and it is owing to the absence of those sittings that the necessity for this emergency Motion has arisen. As a servant of the House I am entirely in your Lordships' hands in this matter, but I wish to say that I should never think of exercising any power which your Lordships might place in the hands of your Speaker except in consultation with the Leader of the House and the Leader of the Opposition. If any such emergency arose, I should communicate at once with both of them before any step was taken. But I again desire to say that this is entirely a matter for your Lordships to determine. As to the form of the Motion, the experienced officials of the House thought that this was the proper form in which it should be moved.
THE EARL OF CAMPERDOWN: I beg to move that the words "Lord Chancellor" be deleted, and that the words "Leader of the House and Leader of the Opposition" be substituted.
Amendment moved—
Lines 4 and 6, leave out ("Lord Chancellor") and insert in each case ("Leader of the House and Leader of the Opposition").—(The Earl of Camperdown.)
THE MARQUESS OF CREWE: Perhaps I might say, on the noble Earl's Amendment, that I really do not know whether either the noble Marquess opposite or I myself have any real existence in our capacity as Leaders.
THE EARL OF CAMPERDOWN: Nor has the Lord Chancellor.
THE MARQUESS OF CREWE: The positions held by the Leader of the Opposition and by myself are conferred upon us by our supporters. But the Lord Chancellor is a very important entity in his official character.
THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNE: I think the noble Marquess and myself may find ourselves, if the Amendment is adopted, in a position of considerable difficulty. If it is left to us two alone, who is to begin? You must have somebody to take the initiative. It seems to me that the noble and learned Viscount on the Woolsack, by his distinguished position in this House, is admirably qualified to, so to speak, set this official piece of machinery in motion. But if it is left to the noble Marquess and to me, is it the noble Marquess's business to begin or mine?
EARL BEAUCHAMP: My Lords, I rise to support what has just fallen from the noble Marquess opposite. There are no such persons known to our Standing Orders as the Leader of the House and the header of the Opposition. Whereas, on the other hand, not only is the Lord Chancellor the Speaker of the House, but he has all the officials directly under him. Therefore it would be obviously more convenient from every point of view that he should be the person to summon the House in case of emergency.
LORD PARMOOR: My Lords, I venture to think it would be a great disadvantage not to retain the Lord Chancellor's name in this Motion. Might not the matter be dealt with in this way, that the power should be given to the Lord Chancellor but that words should be inserted in the Motion providing that before issuing his writ for summoning the House he should consult the Leader of the House and the Leader of the Opposition. If those terms are not officially recognised we could put in the names—the Right Hon. the Marquess of Crewe on the one side, and the Right Hon. the Marquess of Lansdowne on the other. I think that would meet Lord Camperdown's point. I should certainly oppose the omission of the Lord Chancellor's name from a Motion of this kind.
LORD SOUTHWARK: I am a young member of your Lordships' House, but an old Parliamentarian, and I rise to suggest that the Motion should remain as it is, leaving with the Lord Chancellor the whole of the responsibility for assembling the House should occasion arise; otherwise there might be a difficulty. If something occurred of vital moment which required that the House
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should meet, the noble and learned Viscount on the Woolsack would have to find the Leader of the House and the Leader of the Opposition. It is quite possible that, for some reason or another, the two noble Marquesses could not be found. What an extraordinary position Parliament would then be in. I appeal to noble Lords opposite that they should leave the Motion as it stands.
THE EARL OF CAMPERDOWN: I am quite content to accept the modification of my Amendment suggested by Lord Parmoor.
LORD PARMOOR: If the Amendment is to be in my terms the wording would run, "and it appears to the satisfaction of the Lord Chancellor, with the concurrence of the Marquess of Crewe and the Marquess of Lansdowne," and so on.
LORD SOUTHWARK: I see a distinguished Parliamentarian on the Front Bench opposite—the noble Viscount, Lord St. Aldwyn. As there is a difficulty in coming to a conclusion and as I have so much confidence in the judgment of the noble Viscount, I would make a personal appeal to him as to whether he cannot give the House the benefit of his advice on this matter.
VISCOUNT ST. ALDWYN: My Lords, I ventured to say to your Lordships just now that I thought the Leader of the House and the Leader of the Opposition were the proper persons. But I think we may as well accept the Motion of the noble Marquess who leads the House, on the understanding that my noble friend Lord Lansdowne will be consulted before anything is done.
Amendment negatived.
On Question, the original Motion agreed to.

HOUSING (No. 2) BILL.
EARL BEAUCHAMP: My Lords, there are several Bills to which His Majesty's Government hope to-day to obtain the assent of noble Lords opposite, but the Bills have not yet reached this House from another place. Two of them are of very slight importance. I refer to the River Navigation Improvement (Ireland) Bill, and the Constabulary and Police (Ireland) Bill. But there is another Bill which is a good deal more important, to

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which both sides in the House of Commons have agreed—namely, the Housing (No. 2) Bill. We find ourselves, however, in a difficulty owing to the fact that these measures have not yet reached your Lordships from the other House. I desire, upon this, to say that it reflects the greatest credit on the officials of the two Houses that no question of this kind has arisen before during the last few days. The stress and strain on the officials of both Houses have been great, and I think it is due to them that a word of praise should be said on behalf of their efforts. But for the moment it does so happen that these Bills have not yet come up to this House. I do not know what course your Lordships would wish to take in these circumstances. Perhaps you would agree to adjourn during pleasure and reassemble as soon as the Bills come up.
VISCOUNT ST. ALDWYN: Though, of course, it would be irregular, perhaps the noble Earl who has just sat clown would give us an explanation of the important Bill to which he referred, the Housing (No. 2) Bill. That measure, I understand, makes a very important change in the law, and provides for a large expenditure of public money. I can quite appreciate that there may be reasons which would induce your Lordships to pass the Bill, but those reasons could only be in order to find employment which may be wanting in the present emergency.
EARL BEAUCHAMP: I am, of course, entirely out of order, and can only comply with the noble Viscount's request with the general consent of your Lordships. The Bill in question is one which would ordinarily have been moved by my noble friend Lord Lucas, but he has left the House to attend an important conference on the subject of the supply of meat to people in this country, and he is now in consultation with the butchers. The measure as it will come up to your Lordships' House will be termed the Housing (No. 2) Bill. It may be that some of your Lordships have already seen the Bill, because it formed part of a general Housing Bill which was introduced in another place by His Majesty's Government some time ago. They dropped the first clause of the general Housing Bill in order that they might, by agreement, proceed with the other part, to which your Lordships have already given your assent,
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dealing chiefly with housing for the benefit of men in the employment of His Majesty's Government at Rosyth and elsewhere. We had a short discussion on that Bill on Saturday last. The Housing (No. 2) Bill will consist of the first clause of the original Housing Bill, and it will enable the Government to deal with the building of cottages in rural areas. In order that we may get general assent to the passage of the Bill, I understand that an Amendment has been inserted in the other House providing that the Bill is entirely to apply to the building of cottages in order that the building trade may be given plenty of work during the present war. I cannot recollect the exact terms of the Amendment, though when the Bill reaches this House it can be pointed out to your Lordships. The object of the Amendment, which was moved by friends of noble Lords opposite and agreed to by His Majesty's Government, was to secure that this work shall be a temporary measure for the relief of the building industry during the present emergency. If noble Lords opposite have in their hands a copy of the Housing Bill as originally introduced, I would refer them to Clause 1. The Housing (No. 2) Bill consists of that clause, and to it has been added an Amendment which was asked for, as I have said, by the friends of noble Lords opposite.
VISCOUNT ST. ALDWYN: Perhaps the noble Earl can answer one question. I have only just had the Bill placed in my hands. As I read it, no compulsory power for the purchase of land is given to the Treasury or to the Board of Agriculture.
EARL BEAUCHAMP: The noble Viscount is more fortunate than I am, because I have not seen the Bill since it has passed in another place. But I believe the noble Viscount to be correct. It is intended that there should be on this occasion simply voluntary purchase of land and no attempt at compulsory powers.

WINDING UP THE SESSION.
THE EARL OF CAMPERDOWN: I do not know whether I might put another question in anticipation. I should like to ask whether, when this sitting comes to an end and we adjourn, the Motion will be simply that the House do adjourn until the 25th instant, or whether anything further will be said.
THE MARQUESS OF CREWE: I will answer the noble Earl's question, as he says, by anticipation, and I am glad to do so because I shall shortly have to go away on urgent business and may not be able to stay until the adjournment takes place. If I was now to move the adjournment of the House, I should simply say this—that we propose to adjourn for a fortnight, and that it is our hope that when the House reassembles we shall be able to arrive at a conclusion, which I trust may prove to be an agreed conclusion, with regard to the winding up of the session. It is impossible for me to say more than that at this moment, but I hope that when we meet after the adjournment we shall then be in a position to consider the question of concluding the session, and, as I say, I trust that we may be all agreed as to the method of doing so.
THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNE: The noble Marquess on Friday last, in giving as a kind of preliminary intimation of the intentions of His Majesty's Government, made a statement which seemed to me somewhat oracular, but I did not think it desirable at the moment to press him for further information. He has supplemented that by a further statement this evening, to the words of which we naturally attach a great deal of importance. I gather that what he has to tell us is this, that we are to adjourn for a fortnight and that by the end of that time His Majesty's Government hope to be able to wind up the business of the session and to do so on the basis of some arrangement with regard to outstanding legislation which shall be generally acceptable. I interpret that statement, not as a definite announcement that the business of the session will be wound up when we come back again a fortnight hence, but as indicating that His Majesty's Government have a hope or an expectation of being able so to arrange matters that the winding up of the session will be possible. As to this, I will only say that I trust that these expectations will not be disappointed. I will acid one observation, and it is this. Considering all that has happened during the last few days in Parliament, throughout the country, and particularly in Ireland; considering the universal effort which is being made by people of every political complexion to co-operate in the interests of the country at this critical time; con-
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sidering the manner in which animosities have been laid on one side, and the way in which every one has sought to be instrumental in presenting a united front to the world, it would, in my view, be the gravest of calamities if anything were to happen at this moment, or during the next few days, to revive dormant differences or to mar the unanimity of our patriotism.

SPECIAL CONSTABLES (SCOTLAND BILL.
THE LORD CHANCELLOR: My Lords, following what has been done in the case of the Housing Bill, it may be for your Lordships' convenience that I should inform you what is in the Bill, shortly to come up from the other House, relating to the appointment of special constables in Scotland. In Scotland, at present, only burghs have power to appoint special constables. Circumstances, of course, may arise which may render their appointment desirable in other parts of Scotland. Therefore the object of this Bill is to put the law relating to special constables in Scotland on an analogous footing to that which exists in England.

RIVER NAVIGATION IMPROVEMENT (IRELAND) BILL.
THE EARL OF GRANARD: My Lords, as my noble friend the Lord President and the noble and learned Viscount on the Woolsack have explained their Bills, perhaps I may be allowed to state to your Lordships the objects of two small Bills which are to come up from the House of Commons and which will be down in my name. The first is the River Navigation Improvement (Ireland) Bill. Those of your Lordships who are familiar with Ireland are well aware of the very bad state of the navigation of many rivers in that country. This Bill deals with that matter, and I understand that it is not opposed in the other House or here. In fact, I believe that the noble Earl the Lord Chairman is strongly in favour of the Bill, and I gather that it will do a great deal of good in the part of Ireland in which he lives.
THE EARL OF DONOUGHMORE: My Lords, as the noble Earl has alluded to me, may I say that the Bill in question refers to the whole of Ireland, but I believe it owes its origin to the four Members of

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Parliament who represent the valley in which I am privileged to live. It is intended in my own valley to act upon the Bill at once, and I desire to thank His Majesty's Government for the facilities which they gave the Bill in the other House, and which have made it possible to pass it.

CONSTABULARY AND POLICE (IRELAND) BILL.
THE EARL OF GRANARD: The other Bill which will be in my name is the Constabulary and Police (Ireland) Bill. This measure is the outcome of the recommendations of a Committee which sat in Dublin some time ago. That Committee recommended that the pay of the Constabulary and Police should be increased, and perhaps I may be permitted to read an extract from their Report. The Committee stated—
"If it is desired to maintain the present high standard of physique and intelligence of the Royal Irish Constabulary and to continue to recruit it from the class from which its members have hitherto been drawn, it will be necessary substantially to improve the pay of the force."
This Bill carries out this recommendation of the Committee. It increases the pay of all ranks of the Constabulary in Ireland. It also gives power to grant gratuities to widows of Police officers, and there are in the Bill other matters of importance to the Police force of that country. I shall therefore venture to ask your Lordships, when the Bill comes up front another place, to pass it through all its stages to-day.

HOUSING (No. 2) BILL.
THE PAYMASTER-GENERAL (LORD STRACHIE): My Lords, perhaps you will allow me to follow the example of my noble friends, and to explain to you what has taken place in the other House this afternoon regarding the Housing (No. 2) Bill. Several Amendments have been inserted in Committee, and as I was present and heard what took place I will explain them. I may say that this is a temporary measure for one year only; it is not part of the 100,000 cottages scheme put forward by the Government some time ago. Its object is to meet possible distress in the building trade either in town or country. As far as towns are concerned the Local Government Board is the authority, and the powers of the Board
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of Agriculture only come in as regards agricultural districts. There is no definition in the Bill as regards agricultural districts, but it has been arranged between the President of the Local Government Board and the President of the Board of Agriculture that their Departments will decide what is an urban and what is a rural district; but the bulk of the Bill will be under the jurisdiction of the Local Government Board. The object is, where there is unemployment, that instead of having unremunerative employment, instead of employing carpenters and bricklayers to wheel stones across a road in order to give them employment, they should be employed on remunerative work which will be some good afterwards to the community at large. The Local Government Board have no intention of themselves building houses. Their idea is to advance money either to local authorities or to public utility societies, and it will only be where it is impossible to get either of those bodies to deal with this question, and where, of course, there is great distress and it is necessary to employ money for building houses in a particular district, that the Local Government Board will intervene.
An Amendment has been put into the Bill in the other House to-day providing that neither the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries nor the Local Government Board shall, in the exercise of their powers under tins Bill, in any case themselves build any dwellings unless they are satisfied after holding a public local inquiry that in that case there is insufficient dwelling accommodation for the working classes or that the existing accommodation is unsuitable, and that dwelling accommodation cannot be otherwise satisfactorily provided. So that in that way there is no chance of anything being done unreasonably in this matter. As regards the taking of land, there are no compulsory powers; it can only be taken by agreement. A desire was expressed on the Opposition side in the House of Commons that the Development Commissioners should have intervening powers. In the other House to-day the President of the Local Government Board agreed fully to carry out the negotiations between Lord Robert Cecil and the Government, and the words "after consultation with" were struck out from subsection (1) of Clause 1,

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and the words "with the concurrence of" were inserted, thus giving the Development Commissioners a complete veto in the matter. To meet an objection that was raised, after "maintenance" in sub-section (1) of Clause 3, the word "improvement" has been inserted. The object of this Amendment is to enable the two authorities or either of them to spend money upon buying cottages and improving and so rendering them fit for habitation. I think I may say that this Bill is now an entirely agreed Bill in the other House. In fact, Mr. Herbert Samuel said that unless it was treated as an approved Bill and had the entire consent of the Opposition he would not proceed further with it. Therefore I hope that when the Bill reaches this House your Lordships will pass it through all its stages to-day.

SPECIAL CONSTABLES (SCOTLAND) BILL.
Brought from the Commons; read 1ª, and to be printed: Then (Standing Order No. XXXIX having been suspended) Bill read 2ª (The Lord Granard (E. Granard)): Committee negatived: Bill read 3ª, and passed. (No. 255.)
HOUSING (No. 2) BILL.
Brought from the Commons; read 1ª, and to be printed: Then (Standing Order No. XXXIX having been suspended) Bill read 2ª (The Lord President (E. Beauchamp)): Committee negatived: Bill read 3ª, and passed. (No. 256.)
CONSTABULARY AND POLICE (IRELAND) BILL.
Brought from the Commons; read 1ª, and to be printed: Then (Standing Order No. XXXIX having been suspended) Bill read 2ª (The Lord Granard (E. Granard)): Committee negatived: Bill read 3ª, and passed. (No. 257.)
RIVER NAVIGATION IMPROVEMENT (IRELAND) BILL.
Brought from the Commons; read 1ª, and to be printed: Then (Standing Order No. XXXIX having been suspended) Bill read 2ª (The Lord Granard (E. Granard)); Committee negatived: Bill read 3ª, and passed. (No. 258.)
TOWN CHARITIES (EXTENSION) BILL. [H.L.]
Returned from the Commons, agreed to.

HOUSING BILL.
Returned from the Commons, with the Amendment disagreed to.
Lords Amendment to which the Commons disagreed.
In subsection (1) to leave out the words "on Government works" ["On behalf Of Government Departments on Government works where sufficient dwelling accommodation"].
EARL BEAUCHAMP: The Amendment, to which the House of Commons disagreed is the Amendment which your Lordships inserted leaving out the power to the Government to build in cases where Government employees only were involved. Now that the Housing (No. 2) Bill has received the assent of your Lordships it is unnecessary to insert this qualification. That was the reason why the Amendment made by your Lordships was objected to in another place, and in the circumstances I think it is quite clear that it does become an unnecessary qualification, because the Housing (No. 2) Bill gives the central authority complete power in this respect. I therefore move that this House do not insist upon the Amendment.
Moved, That the House do not insist upon the said Amendment.—(Earl Beauchamp.)
On Question, Motion agreed to.
House adjourned during pleasure.
House resumed.

ROYAL COMMISSION.
The following 38 Bills received the Royal Assent—

Anglo-Persian Oil Company (Acquisition of Capital).

East African Protectorates (Loans).

Labourers (Ireland).

County Town and Parish Councils (Qualification) (Scotland).

Diseases of Animals (Ireland).

Entails (Scotland).

Feudal Casualties (Scotland).

Intermediate Education (Ireland).

Merchant Shipping.

Merchant Shipping (Convention).

499

Milk and Dairies (Scotland).

Metropolitan Police (Employment in Scotland) (No. 2).

National Insurance Act, 1911 (Part II Amendment).

Elementary Education (Defective and Epileptic Children).

Osborne Estate.

Criminal Justice Administration.

Injuries in War (Compensation).

Police Reservists Allowances.

Public Works Loans.

Education (Provision of Meals) (Ireland).

Bankruptcy.

Deeds of Arrangement.

Housing.

Milk and Dairies.

Unreasonable Withholding of Food Stuffs.

Housing (No. 2).

Special Constables (Scotland).

500

Constabulary and Police (Ireland).

River Navigation Improvement (Ireland).

Town Charities (Extension).

Local Government Provisional Order (No. 3).

Local Government Provisional Order (No. 18).

Local Government Provisional Order (No. 19).

Kirkcaldy Corporation Order Confirmation.

Wick Harbour Order Confirmation.

Edinburgh and District Water Order Confirmation.

York Corporation.

Sheffield Corporation.

House adjourned at ten minutes before Six o'clock, to Tuesday the 25th instant, a quarter past Four o'clock.