BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE. (Hansard, 13 November 1918)

THE LORD PRIVY SEAL (THE EARL OF CRAWFORD)
My Lords, I rise to move that Standing Order No. XXXIX be considered in order to its being suspended for the remainder of the session. Your Lordships will remember that yesterday I withdrew this Motion, which then stood in my name, in order to satisfy myself that it was a reasonable proposal to make within the precedents of your Lordships' House. I have satisfied myself that a good precedent exists, and I accordingly submit that the Motion can be carried.

LORD BALFOUR OF BURLEIGH
My Lords, I am not quite satisfied that the precedents bear out the interpretation which apparently the noble Earl puts upon them. I have done my best to look into them with the assistance of the Clerk at the Table. Taking the last three occasions I find upon the second—in 1914—that Standing Order No. XXXIX was suspended for the remainder of the session on January 26, and Parliament was prorogued the following day. In 1917 notice was given on January 31, the Standing Order was suspended on February 4, and Parliament was prorogued on February 6, so there were only two days between. In the session of 1916 the Standing Order was suspended from day to day, and had been on three particular days—December 12, 18, and 19. I do not think that there is any precedent for suspending the Standing Order for an unlimited time unless the date of the Prorogation is actually announced. That is not the case, as I understand it, to-day. Therefore to put myself in order I move that the Standing Order be suspended for the remainder of this week.

THE EARL OF CRAWFORD
I shall not oppose that Amendment if the noble Lord desires it to be done in that form.

§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY
My Lords, I desire to say one word on this Amendment. My noble friend is very courteous in the management of the House, and he has said that he accepts the suggestion made by my noble friend Lord Balfour. But I think it only right to point out how very necessary it is to proceed cautiously in this matter. The noble Earl yesterday, no doubt speaking from information supplied to him, told us that the proposal to suspend this Standing Order for the remainder of the session was well within the precedents of the House. He, of course, has been convinced by my noble friend that that is not the case, and that it is very unusual indeed to move the suspension of the Standing Order except when the Prorogation is quite immediately in prospect—within two days—and had we done as he suggested last night, we should have created a new precedent of a very far-reaching character. I think it only right to point that out. Not that I comment in any way upon my noble friend's action, because he only did what he was instructed to do, and what he thought was within the precedents. This just shows how cautiously your Lordships should proceed in matters of this kind before agreeing to a novel form of Resolution.

THE EARL OF CRAWFORD
In justice to myself I think I ought to tell your Lordships that I consider the precedent is adequate for the Motion; but rather than occupy your Lordships time when there is so much business to be done, I preferred, as being the most courteous course to pursue, to accept Lord Balfour's Amendment, though I should have been quite prepared to argue my case.