§ THE LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL (LORD PARMOOR):My Lords, before I mention a date for the Second 2 Reading of the Agricultural Wages Bill I ought, perhaps, to confer with the representatives of the Opposition. I may put it down temporarily for Thursday, but it may have to be altered.
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY:Probably it will be found more convenient not to take this Bill on Thursday, but if the Government put it down only provisionally then, perhaps, on the adjournment we might decide.
§ LORD PARMOOR:I think that that was the arrangement. I notice that the Leader of the Opposition is not here. I was very much pressed to put the Bill down for to-morrow, but I hope it will be possible to take it on Thursday. I agree that that must be a matter of arrangement.
§ EARL BEAUCHAMP:My Lords, may I enter acaveat against putting down measures provisionally for a certain date? I notice that, apparently, the discussion on India is to be continued to-day, although I had understood that it was to be taken at a later date. It is extremely inconvenient if the Government makes mistakes of this kind, because a noble friend of mine who moved the adjournment expected the Motion, in accordance with the arrangements made, to be taken on a subsequent day, but found it put down for to-day. It is really very inconvenient to noble Lords especially if they live in the country, and if we could have dates a little more definite and fixed, it would be to the convenience of everybody.
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY:My Lords, it is only fair that I should say that in the matter of the Indian debate I do not think that any blame attaches to His Majesty's Government. It was down for yesterday and could not be taken because of the other proceedings. An arrangement was then come to with the Government that it should be taken at a later date. There is a little difference of opinion between me and the noble and learned Lord whether that was Thursday or Friday, but it certainly was not to-day. The responsibility for putting the Notice down for a later date, however, did not lie on His Majesty's Government, but on one of us, I am afraid. That is an oversight for which I apologise to my noble friend. As the Motion was in the name of the noble Viscount, Lord Peel, it was our business to see that it was put down for a later date. But I hope that nothing will be understood as fixed with regard to the Indian debate until a later hour this afternoon. I shall have the opportunity of seeing Lord Peel and the noble Marquess, Lord Curzon, and the matter can be put on an. absolutely firm footing. I entirely agree with the noble Earl, Lord Beauchamp, that it is very unfair to noble Lords when a mistake of this kind is made.
§ LORD PARMOOR:I sympathise with the noble Earl, and I hope that later in the afternoon everything will be quite settled.