§ PROVISIONS WITH RESPECT TO THE NOMINATION ELECTON AND TERM OF OFFICE PTCE OF SENATORS.
§ 1. His Majesty may by Orders in council make such provisions as may appear necessary or proper with respect to the election of senators, and particular with respect to the making and keeping of lists of persons belonging to the Bodies named in the third part of the First Schedule, the issue of writ s, the triodes of service and the returns to be made to swell writs.
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2.— (a) The term of office of every elected member of the Senate of Northern Ireland shall be eight years.
(b) With respect to the members of the Senate of Southern Ireland the term of office of every nominated senator, and of every elected senator (other than senators elected by members of County Councils) shall be ten years, and the term of office of a senator elected by members of county council, shall be three years.
(c) The term of office of a senator shall not be affected by a dissolution of the Parliament of Southern Ireland or Northern Ireland.
(d) S[...]ators shall retire at the end of their term of office and their seats Shall be filled by new elections.
§ 3. If the place of an elected senator becomes vacant before the expiration of his term of office by death, resignation, or incapacity, the Lord Lieutenant shall cause a writ or write to be issued 1134 for the election by the body by whom such senator was elected of a senator in his place, and if the place of a nominated senator so becomes vacant, the Lord Lieutenant shall nominate a new senator in his place, but any senator so elected or nominated to fill a casual vacancy, shall hold office only so long as the senator in whose stead he is elected or nominated would have held office.
§ The noble Lord said: This has been referred to before. I had to move an Amendment with reference to it at an earlier stage of the Bill, and I then said that the substantive part of it would be dealt with in the schedules. I therefore beg to move.
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Amendment moved—
Insect the said Third Schedule.— (Lord Oranmore and Browne.)
THE EARL OF CRAWFORDThis is, so to speak, consequential upon Amendments already made, but the Schedule certainly requires very careful attention, and so far as I can seethe Schedule will not work, as it is drafted. This particular Schedule may require considerable amendment to make it work.
LORD ORANMORE AND BROWNETo make it work— is that in reference to the Senate for Southern Ireland or with reference to the Joint Senate?
THE EARL OF CRAWFORDWith reference to the Southern Senate. It may be necessary in this schedule to put in provisions to make it a workable instrument.
LORD ORANMORE AND BROWNEPerhaps that can be done on Report, or else perhaps the Government know what they suggest.
§ On Question, Amendment agreed to.
§ Fourth Schedule:
§ THE LORD CHANCELLORThe Amendment standing in my name to the Fourth Schedule is drafting.
§ Amendment moved—
§ Page 67, leave out line 19, and insert ("the officers employed in his office").— (The Lord chancellor.)
§ On Question, Amendment agreed to.
§ Fourth Schedule, as amended, agreed to.
§ Remaining Schedules agreed to.
1135§ THE LORD CHANCELLOROn the Motion that the House do resume I should like to say this with reference to this Bill. Many Amendments have been made which cannot cohere with the main scheme of the Bill, but do not even cohere with one another, and we are all concerned that the Bill should leave the House in a workmanlike condition, properly expressing the view of the House. I should be very glad for those noble Lords who have taken a prominent part in amending the Bill to see the draftsman and take his advice on the very difficult points so that the whole scheme when it leaves this House shall be creditable to us, whether it expresses the views of all of us or not.
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYI think we should be very grateful to the noble and learned Lord for the very generous way in which he has spoken of our Amendments. We shall be glad to take the opportunity of consulting the draftsman. I should like to ask when it is proposed to take the Report stage.
THE EARL OF CRAWFORDAs your Lordships are aware, to-morrow and Wednesday the Agricultural Bill will be taken. Very large amendments have been made in the Government of Ireland Bill, and the sooner they can be sent to another place for consideration the more convenient it will be for everybody. We are therefore anxious to take the Report stage as soon as may be after the Second Reading of the Agricultural Bill, and if the House will agree I suggest we should begin the Report stage on Thursday, or as soon after as possible.
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYMay I suggest Monday as a better day.
THE EARL OF CRAWFORDI should like to state a fact with which I am afraid Lord Salisbury is not acquainted. A Bill of considerable importance connected with dyes is going shortly to be introduced into the House of Commons and will come to your Lordships before very long. The Committee stage of the Agricultural Bill under those conditions would follow the Home Rule Bill Report and Third Reading, in order that the Home Rule Bill might go down to the other House before the conclusion here of the Committee stage on the Agricultural Bill. I suggest, therefore, for 1136 your Lordships' comment that on the conclusion of the Second Reading of the Agricultural Bill we should begin the Report stage of this Bill— namely, on Thursday, and continue it if necessary on Friday the 10th, concluding it on the Monday (this day week).
§ THE EARL OF MIDLETONI hardly think we shall require so long a time for the Report and Third Reading. I think the Report stage might be concluded in a day, but there is so much drafting and if we are not able to complete the Report on Thursday we may have to ask for an adjournment till Monday.
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYI think it is a great mistake to try and take the Report stage on Thursday. The noble and learned Lord has said with truth that the Bill has undergone a great many changes, and I know from long experience how very difficult it is to adjust the drafting. It requires a lot of care and consolidation. I think the Government will only make a mess of it—if they will excuse me using so colloquial a phrase—if they ask us to take the Report stage so early as Thursday.
THE DUKE OF BUCCLEUCHWill the Committee of the Agricultural Bill not be taken before Tuesday?
THE EAT OF CRAWFORDThat is contingent on what happens with regard to the Irish Bill. In regard to what Lord Midleton said, if your Lordships would care to treat the Third Reading as little more than formal, as not requiring any more than a few brief speeches, perhaps we could get through the whole of the stages of the Bill on Monday of next week. We could then have a whole day for Report on the assumption that Third Reading would only require a few speeches.
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYMonday and Tuesday? That would be in the interests of the Government. I do not think it would be wise to take the Report and Third Reading on the same day. We shall have some difficulty in adjusting the Bill on Report, and then we ought to have a further opportunity of adjustment on Third Reading. To take both stages on the same day is not the way to do business.
THE EARL OF CRAWFORDIt is difficult to lay down a programme; a week in advance, as your Lordships are aware. I ask your Lordships to bear in mind that we took ample time to consider the Bill before its Second Reading after it had arrived here, and there is a not unnatural desire that we should not have to adjourn two or three days over Christmas and come back immediately after. If we can get the Report stage concluded on Monday and the Third Reading, if not on Monday night at any rate on Tuesday, we could probably fit that in, although I confess it is driving oil the ultimate stage of the Agriculture Bill very late, which will be to our own mutual inconvenience later on, I am afraid. I cannot say any more now. I only throw that out for your Lordships consideration.
The Report of Amendments to be received on Monday, Bill to be printed as amended.