THE MARQUESS OF CREWEMy Lords, in rising to make the Motion which stands in my name I venture to hope that it will be received with general agreement by your Lordships. It seems that last Wednesday, when we were debating this supremely important subject, the general desire of the House was to proceed with the discussion and conclude it at as early a date as possible. There is on the Paper for to-day a Bill in the name of the noble and learned Lord on the Woolsack, which raises points of considerable importance. There is also a Question in the name of my noble friend Lord Gainford, and one by my noble friend the Marquess of Lincolnshire. 282 I hope and believe that these noble Lords will be willing to postpone their Motions until after the debate on industrial unrest. I trust that, although there are some important speeches to be made, the remainder of that debate will not occupy a great deal of time, and that there will be plenty of opportunity for the remaining business on the Paper to be transacted in spite of the precedence given to my noble friend's Motion.
§ Moved, That Standing Order No. XXI. be considered in order to its being suspended for this day's sitting; and that the adjourned debate on the Motion of Lord Buckmaster relating to industrial unrest have precedence of the Notices and other Order of the Day.—(The Marquess of Crewe.)
§ LORD GAINFORDI have a Question on the Paper which I have already postponed once, but in order to meet the convenience of your Lordships I am quite prepared to postpone it again. I notice that there is a cognate subject to be raised to-morrow by Lord Sudeley, and if it is convenient I will raise my Question tomorrow.
THE CHANCELLOR OF THE DUCHY OF LANCASTER (THE EARL OF CRAWFORD)With regard to Lord Sudeley's Question on the Paper for to-morrow, I am not quite sure whether the information will be ready to reply as fully as my noble friend would desire; but I think it would be well, as it is not an urgent question, that Lord Sudeley's Motion and Lord Gainford's motion should be taken together to-morrow. We can then survey the position of these public museums from all points of view.
§ LORD GAINFORDI will put my Motion down for to-morrow.
THE EARL OF CRAWFORDIf you please. I understand that the noble and learned Lord on the cross-benches is quite prepared to agree with the view of the Leader of the Opposition, and in these circumstances I imagine that your Lordships will accept Lord Crewe's Motion. Now that we are discussing the question of business, may I say that it is expected that the Bill setting up a Commission to inquire into the conditions of coal-mining will pass through the House of Commons to-day. It was hoped that it might have got through the other House yesterday, but 283 in any case it is expected to pass through its final stages to-night. I therefore give notice that to-morrow I shall ask your Lordships to suspend the Standing Orders to enable the Bill to be passed through all its stages in your Lordships' House at to-morrow's sitting in order to get the Royal Assent at the earliest possible moment.
§ On Question. Motion agreed to.