THE EARL OF CRAWFORDThe Agriculture Bill, as your Lordships are aware, has not yet reached this House from another place. It is contemplated that the Bill may be passed within twenty minutes or half an hour. As Amendments are reaching this House they are being transmitted to the printer, but I think it would be very optimistic to assume that we could have the Amendments in print before 7.30 or perhaps later. In those conditions it is for your Lordships to settle whether it would not be convenient to suspend the sitting until 9 o'clock.
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYThere appears to be a strong wish, and one which is very comprehensible, on the part of many of your Lordships not to put off the discussion of these Amendments to a later moment than is absolutely essential. I understand from the noble Earl that the Commons Amendments are being printed as they come in; therefore I suppose a good many are already in print.
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYPerhaps the noble Earl can tell us whether we could get the great body of them at comparatively brief notice.
THE LORD CHANCELLORPerhaps I might reply to the noble Marquess. I made inquiries about this because I thought that your Lordships might wish to know. The earliest batch of printed Amendments is promised for about 7.15, but I think your Lordships would be unwise to count upon precise punctuality; experience teaches me to utter that warning. I think we shall receive the earliest Amendments between 7.30 and 8 o'clock; I do not think I can be more sanguine than that.
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYThat leaves us the alternative of taking the Amendments at 9 o'clock, according to the noble Earl's suggestion, or taking them in manuscript. How many Amendments are there?
§ THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE (LORD LEE OF FAREHAM)I am in the unfortunate position that I have been engaged in the Cabinet all the afternoon and up to this moment, and I have not seen those Amendments myself. They may be in manuscript but I have not seen them, and I am no more informed than your Lordships as to the later stages. I knew what the situation was up to the time I went to the Cabinet at four o'clock, but I have no idea what has happened since. I think it would be unfortunate if the Minister had to discuss the Amendments the moment he got them. It is possible that they may be in print by 7.30, but I presume that your Lordships would not wish to begin the discussion at that time. It would be more convenient, it seems to me, to have dinner first and begin the discussion at 9 o'clock, but I am most anxious, of course, to meet the convenience of the House.
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYWere it quite certain that we should have the Commons Amendments at 7.30, your Lordships would probably prefer it. The noble and learned Lord on the Woolsack, with the caution which is very appropriate to his high office, thinks it is very unlikely 904 that we shall get them much before eight o'clock, and I gather from certain indications that those who are in an even better position to judge than the Lord Chancellor agree with him.
THE LORD CHANCELLORI think those who are in a better position to judge than I—and there certainly are such—would prefer that your Lordships should attempt to deal with the Commons Amendments as early as possible. Were it possible to have an interval between now and 7.30 and to begin then to deal with a few Amendments in manuscript, I think that would be a convenient course for your Lordships to take. We might be able to deal with a few manuscript Amendments, and then as the printed Amendments began to come in, as they might do shortly after that time, they could be dealt with in their turn.
§ THE EARL OF SELBORNEI have a suggestion to make in regard to this matter. It is that we should dine at seven, and take the Amendments at eight o'clock.
§ [The sitting was suspended at ten minutes past six o'clock, and resumed at eight o'clock.]