THE MARQUESS OF CREWEMay I ask the noble Earl, Lord Crawford, the Question, of which I have given him private notice, with regard to the general course of business before the adjournment, particularly regarding the times at which it is proposed to take the different stages of the Allotments Bill.
THE FIRST COMMISSIONER OF WORKS (THE EARL OF CRAWFORD)My Lords, the Government is anxious to maintain the desire that I communicated to the House some little time ago that this Bill should get through all its stages before the Whitsuntide recess. I hope it will be possible to finish the Committee stage of this Bill by to-morrow evening. If necessary, we would invite your Lordships to sit after dinner to conclude that stage—to-morrow I mean, not to-night.
§ THE EARL OF SELBORNEAt what time is it proposed to adjourn to-night, before dinner?
THE EARL OF CRAWFORDWe do not propose to sit after dinner to-night, though it might, perhaps, be necessary to sit until eight o'clock in order to finish a particular Amendment. I hope it will not be necessary to ask the House to sit on Monday next, because I trust it will 568 be possible to get through the concluding stages of the Bill on Tuesday, May 30, with a view to adjourning either that night or on Wednesday, May 31. I am afraid that I am not in a position to advise your Lordships yet as to the date on which the short recess will conclude.
THE MARQUESS OF CREWEMay I ask the noble Earl whether that means that it is proposed in any event to take the Report stage and Third Reading on the same day? Perhaps I may venture to express a general opinion that that is not a desirable thing to do if it can be avoided.
§ LORD SOUTHWARKI should like to ask the noble Earl whether he means that all other business after the Allotments Bill will be postponed?
THE EARL OF CRAWFORDNo, I did not mean that. I meant that I should not invite their Lordships to sit after dinner in any case either for the Allotments Bill or the subsequent Orders. I agree, of course, with what the noble Marquess, Lord Crewe, says. Perhaps that question might be mentioned tomorrow when we shall see in a general way the kind of progress that has been made. Otherwise, I should invite the House to meet on Monday for the Report stage and on Tuesday, May 30, for the concluding stages of the Bill, though I hope that will not be necessary.
§ THE EARL OF SELBORNEAm I to understand from my noble friend that the debate on the Committee stage of the Allotments Bill will be adjourned in time to take these other measures which are before the House to-night?
THE EARL OF CRAWFORDWe want to get through as much of the programme as we can. We shall be able to see by six o'clock or half-past six this evening how matters are going, and we will try to arrange that a reasonable time, before a somewhat late dinner perhaps, is given to these matters.
§ LORD DYNEVORI hope the noble Earl, Lord Crawford, will not take the Report stage on Monday. That is much too soon. It does not give enough time between the Committee stage and the Report stage. So far as I know there may be further Amendments moved on Report. 569 I am in communication with certain people on the subject, but we shall not have sufficient time between the two stages if the Report stage is taken on Monday.
THE EARL OF CRAWFORDThe Bill has been in your Lordships' hands for about six or seven weeks, and the Committee stage was postponed in order to give a longer interval between that stage and the Second Reading than the Government had intended. Altogether I think the Bill has been in your Lordships' possession between nine and ten weeks. When the matter was referred to, a week or ten days ago, I made a special appeal to your Lordships that the Bill might get through before the Whitsuntide recess.
THE EARL OF MALMESBURYIt is not altogether the fault of noble Lords here that the Amendments have not been considered before this, but there is a further and more important consideration. Certain interests are involved in this Bill, and it is hoped between now and, say, the middle of next week that an agreement may be arrived at which will make the Bill more acceptable to your Lordships than it is at the present moment. Therefore, I beg very respectfully to suggest that the noble Earl will not take the Report stage on Monday.
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYPerhaps the noble Earl will allow us to revert to this question to-morrow. There is evidently a very strong feeling that adequate time should be given. Really it is not a question of how long your Lordships have had the Bill in your possession. The question is: Are we going to turn out a good piece of work? Unless proper intervals are given it is very difficult to do that. If the time is short, you have not the Bill in its amended condition before you, and then it is rather difficult to put the finishing touches to a work of art such as we want to produce. I hope, therefore, that the noble Earl will meet us.
THE EARL OF CRAWFORDI do not think I can prevent your Lordships, even if I had the desire, from referring to the point to-morrow. Perhaps we might discuss it before public business to-morrow evening.