§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYMy Lords, perhaps you will allow me to indicate the course which I propose to pursue when the Motion for the adjournment of the debate is moved this evening. There is naturally a very general feeling in your Lordships' House that the debate upon the Prayer Book Measure should not be interrupted now and that it should be resumed when we assemble to-morrow in order that it should be carried to a Division before dinner. I think that no one who was present in your Lordships' House yesterday and who observes the attendance to-day, can fail to be conscious how deeply moved both the House and the public are upon this very important matter, and I am sure that it would be contrary to the wish of your Lordships that the debate should be interrupted by any other matter. Unfortunately, by, I suppose, an inadvertence of mine and at the very time when I was giving notice to your Lordships of the arrangement of business, a Motion was put upon the Paper by a noble friend of mine sitting opposite, which deals with agriculture. Agriculture is a great subject, but I think it must not be allowed to interrupt this very important debate. Therefore, by your Lordships' leave, I shall move when the Motion for the adjournment is made to-night an Amendment to the Motion so that it shall read:—"That the debate be now adjourned until to-morrow and be then taken first Order." This will make the matter absolutely regular so that your Lordships will know that as soon as we assemble to-morrow the Motion regarding the Prayer Book Measure will be at once proceeded with. I think that in taking that course I shall have the almost universal support of your Lordships' House.
I have only one other word to say about business. A very important Bill is to be 830 taken for Second Reading on Thursday, the Unemployment Insurance Bill. My noble friend Lord Peel, who is in charge of that Bill, is very anxious that the difficulty of understanding it should be mitigated as far as possible and he has therefore made arrangements that a White Paper should be prepared explaining details of the Bill. That matter has been put in hand and a good number of copies will be available this evening in the Printed Paper Office for any of your Lordships who care to ask for them. I hope that this also will lead to the convenience of the House.
§ EARL BEAUCHAMPMy Lords, I do not know whether the noble Marquess has anything to say about the hour at which we should meet to-morrow afternoon. It might be for the general convenience that we should meet a little earlier than usual. I will not press that point now, but the noble Marquess might like to say something when we adjourn, if your Lordships should think it necessary to meet earlier to-morrow afternoon in order that the debate may be concluded in good time before dinner.
§ LORD STRACHIEMy Lords, since the proposal which the noble Marquess is going to move to-night on the adjournment refers to a Motion standing in my name—["that agricultural land should be entirely relieved from all local rates by increasing the grants under the Agricultural Rates Acts"]—I rise merely to say that when he moves that Motion I will explain the reasons why I was not able to take it off, on the ground that this is a question of vital importance to agriculture in its present depressed state.
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYI quite agree that it would be for the convenience of your Lordships House to meet earlier to-morrow and I have been in conference with my noble friends who have been kind enough to undertake the arrangement of business for this debate, which is not of course a Government matter. Up to a late hour last night there was not absolute agreement as to what the hour of meeting should be, but it will be either three o'clock or half past three. I will, if I may, take advantage of the suggestion of the noble Earl and announce the actual hour to the House at a later period this evening.