THE CHANCELLOR OF THE DUCHY OF LANCASTER (THE EARL OF CRAWFORD)My Lords, in moving that the House do now adjourn, I beg to take this opportunity of announcing what the Government propose to submit to your Lordships in relation to the Industrial Courts Bill. That measure has been under discussion in another place for some time past, and. must continue there for some little while to come. It was originally undertaken that the Third Reading of that measure should not be passed in another place until a final conference had taken place with representatives of labour. It had been hoped that the conference would have taken place before now, and that the Bill would have reached your Lordships' House this week. That expectation cannot be realised. The conference will take place on Friday next, and the Third Reading elsewhere cannot, therefore, take place until Monday. We are most anxious that your Lordships should consent to pass the Bill through all its stages during next week. The reason for that is, I think, adequate. The Bill temporarily regulating wages expires on Friday November 21, and it is necessary that this new Bill should be passed to replace the powers which lapse under the Wages (Temporary Regulation) Act. Those are the reasons which make it necessary for us to invite the House to pass the Bill through all its stages next week. It is accordingly proposed that on Tuesday next my noble friend Lord Curzon will move the suspension of Standing Order No. XXXIX in relation to this Bill, the First and Second Readings being taken on that day and the Committee stage on Wednesday, with the expectation of getting the Bill passed into law finally for Royal Assent on Thursday.
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYMy Lords, I am sure your Lordships are much obliged to the noble Earl for having given us timely notice of the intention of the 254 Government respecting the Industrial Courts Bill. The measure not having yet reached your Lordships, I am afraid that I am not familiar with its terms, though I have a general knowledge of it, and even if it were not out of order to do so I should not desire to offer any comment adverse to the Bill. As far as I know it may be a very good Bill, but of course the noble Earl is aware, or he would not have taken the step that he has taken this evening, that it is a very strong request to ask your Lordships to suspend the usual methods of legislation in order to carry this Bill through. It is possible that when we see the Bill your Lordships may be able to consent to such a course, but the noble Earl will allow me to say with great respect that we can enter into no agreement on that head until we are familiar with its terms. We are, of course, as the noble Earl well knows, resolved so far as in us lies to rather improve the methods of procedure in your Lordships' House and not to assent too readily to a curtailment of those Standing Orders which have been prescribed by tradition in order that legislation may be passed into law with due regard to its importance. I hope that my noble friend will not think that in anything I have said I have gone outside the limits of due courtesy to the Government.
THE EARL OF CRAWFORDI quite understand that nobody in this House is pledged to accept the proposal put forward in this manner. My only object was to give notice at the earliest possible moment.
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYHear, hear.
THE EARL OF CRAWFORDMy object was to give that notice in order that tomorrow, on the Motion for adjournment, your Lordships may discuss this matter, if you wish, in advance of the Motion which will be submitted to the House on Tuesday.
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYWe do not know what is in the Bill.
THE EARL OF CRAWFORDI think everybody is to-day familiar with the Bill. However, it will not come before your Lordships as an operative Motion until Tuesday next.