§ LORD HYLTONMy Lords, on behalf of my noble friend, the Earl of CRAWFORD, I beg to make the Motion standing in his name on the Paper.
§ Moved, That Standing Order No. XXI. be considered in order to its being dispensed with for to-morrow's sitting, and that the adjourned debate on the Question put by the Lord Harris relative to Sir Joseph Benjamin Robinson and the Notice standing in the name of the Lord Strachie have precedence over the other Notices and Orders of the Day.—(Lord Hylton.)
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYMy Lords, before the Motion is passed, I desire to thank the Government for proposing it. They have done so, of course, in pursuance of an arrangement that was come to by reason of the postponement of the debate upon the Peerage question from to-day till to-morrow. We are very grateful to the Government for their action, but it has the necessary effect of displacing 60 the Constabulary (Ireland) Bill which stands on the Paper now to be dealt with. I see that my noble friend Lord Crawford is now in his place. I was saying that the effect of the proposal of the Government was to disturb the Constabulary (Ireland) Bill which will go down to the bottom of the Paper. I understand that the Constabulary (Ireland) Bill raises one or two points of an important kind and is likely to lead to a certain amount of discussion, and an opinion has been expressed to me in certain quarters that it will be rather difficult to discuss it after the Peerage question is disposed of, as that is likely to take some time.
I should like to ask my noble friend, therefore, in the event of it appearing that the Peerage question will take some time when we come to discuss it, whether he would agree to postpone the Constabulary Bill until Monday. We are very anxious that the Bill should be passed, but it seems a pity that it should be passed at a time when it is impossible to discuss the points at which I have hinted. The noble Earl will remember that late yesterday evening a point connected with this subject was raised by my noble and learned friend, Lord Carson, and I think it likely that he will take the opportunity of raising it again on this Bill. In these circumstances perhaps the Government will consider what course they will pursue in reference to it.
THE FIRST COMMISSIONER OF WORKS (THE EARL OF CRAWFORD)My Lords, I was detained by an episode in the street which made me late. If it appears, to-morrow, that the discussion is likely to continue on Lord Harris's Question until a time when the Constabulary (Ireland) Bill could not conveniently be taken, I suggest, as Lord Salisbury proposes, that we should postpone it until Monday, but if your Lordships would like we could take it as the first Order to-morrow.
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYOh! no.
THE EARL OF CRAWFORDWe must leave it then at this—if, to-morrow evening, we find that we are not likely to have sufficient time to discuss it, providing that we adjourn at a reasonable hour, we will put it off until Monday.
§ On Question, Motion agreed to, and ordered accordingly.