§ THE CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEES (THE EARL OF DONOUGHMORE) had given notice to move—" That the Standing Orders relative to Private Bills be amended as follows—
§
After Standing Order insert as a new Standing Order—
87A. No Provisional Order Confirmation Bill originating in this House shall be read a first time after Whitsuntide.
§ The noble Earl said: My Lords, your Lordships will have noticed that a number of Provisional Order Bills have reached us at a very late date this year, and you have carried one Over to next session, but some others have reached us in August, when it is almost impossible to give them adequate consideration in opposed Committees. I have to thank some of your Lordships who have made special efforts, which have enabled we to hold opposed Committees during this month, but as your Lordships are a ware, opposed Committees begin to Meet in. April and go on sitting until the end of July, and it is therefore in the interest of business that we should add to the Standing Orders sonic such provision as I now propose.
§ It is similar to one which is to be found among tin Standing Orders of the House of Commons, and as a beginning, therefore, I ask you to make this new Standing Order, harmonising the practice of t he two Houses. At the same time, I do not conceal from myself the fact that it may be necessary, if this Standing Order is not sufficient to cause these Provision Order Bills to reach us at an earlier date, to ask your Lordships to advance the date mentioned in my motion on some future day. I think that some such Standing Order will be necessary, unless the public Departments make a greater effort to let us have these Bills at a touch earlier date.
§ Moved accordingly, and, on Question, Motion agreed to.