§ Order of the Day for the Second Reading read.
§ THE DUKE OF DEVONSHIREMy Lords, I hope that it will be for the convenience of the House that this Bill also shall be given a Second Reading to-day. An Amendment has to be introduced in Committee to carry out an undertaking given by my right hon. friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer. That will involve a Report stage in this House, and if we can take the Report and also the Third Reading on Monday we shall be able to return the Bill to the House of Commons then. I hope it will not be necessary at this rather late hour to enter into the details of a complicated Bill. I explained in the earlier observations that I made that this Bill is framed mainly for two purposes—one, to carry out a number of undertakings given by the late Government to meet the case of Ulster, and the other, to carry out a number of provisions necessitated by the passing of the main Bill. There are a number of very technical points, and if I am allowed to have the Second Reading now I suggest that it would be most convenient to the House that any points to be raised should be raised on the Committee stage, when I shall do my best to answer them. I beg to move.
§ Moved, That the Bill be now read 2a.—(The Duke of Devonshire.)
§ On Question, Bill read 2a, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House.
§ House adjourned at a quarter past seven o'clock until three o'clock to-morrow.