§ EARL BEAUCHAMPMy Lords, may I venture to ask the noble Marquess the Leader of the House whether it is proposed to adjourn for a short period? If he will allow me to say so, he seems to have conducted the business to-day in a way singularly disregardful of the convenience of the House. The sitting began at an unusually early hour, and though we were more fortunate than on the last occasion, when some of us did not get our Papers, nevertheless eleven o'clock is an unusual hour to meet. I tried through the usual channels to ascertain what steps the noble Marquess proposed to take with regard to the adjournment, but I was unable to get any information until a short time ago. Those of us who are interested in later Bills have been kept waiting about unable to go away and get that refreshment which is not unusual between 8.30 in the morning and shall I say three o'clock in the afternoon, because we are faced with the prospect of remaining at 1124 any rate until three o'clock. I do not know whether the noble Marquess means to give us any relief or any opportunity of having refreshment before three o'clock.
§ THE LORD PRIVY SEAL (THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY)My Lords, I have the greatest sympathy with the noble Earl. I have a feeling in a certain part of my anatomy which makes me very sympathetic to him. I am quite agreed that it would be much more convenient if we could adjourn for lunch, but I hope the House will not share the noble Earl's criticism. After all, eleven o'clock is not an unusually early hour. I am quite certain that a man of the noble Earl's energy rises a long time before that and that it does not interfere with his later sleep at all. I do not think that was a very poignant criticism. As regards the remaining business, I am going to make a suggestion to the noble and learned Viscount and to the noble Earl. I do not know whether they will accept it. If we were to postpone the Second Readings of the other Bills on the Paper at this moment we might have difficulty in getting through the other stages of the Bills in time for their consideration in another place in case your Lordships thought fit to amend them, but it is not unusual in your Lordships' House when occasion serves that a sort of Second Reading discussion should take place upon the Motion that the House resolve itself into Committee. I venture to suggest that your Lordships might pass the remaining Bills on the Paper without discussion, it being understood that if you think fit to raise a discussion on the Motion to go into Committee when the Bills are put down, the Government will raise no objection. Indeed they could not raise an objection, because it is your Lordships' right to do so, but we shall look upon that as a reasonable procedure. May I say how very sorry I am to have taken any course this morning which is unwelcome to the noble Earl because I recognise that in all matters relating to the business of the House he is most helpful.
§ EARL BEAUCHAMPI am much obliged to the noble Marquess, but I think he has missed the point of my charge. It was that we were not told what the Government proposed to do. I did not know that we were going to sit 1125 through until it was too late to go away and make preparations in regard to later Bills. I quite recognise that we do sometimes have Second Reading discussions on the Motion to go into Committee, but there is one difficulty connected with the Road Transport Lighting Bill. There will be a number of Amendments put down to that Bill, and it is against the rules of order to put down Amendments before the Second Reading has been carried.
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYThere will be no difficulty about that because the Second Reading will have been carried. The Bill will stand for amendment and Amendments can be put down and will be printed on the Paper in the ordinary way. The only thing is that upon the Motion to go into Committee there can be a general discussion, which will not interfere with other procedure.
§ EARL BEAUCHAMPI had always understood that it was improper for Amendments to be put down before your Lordships' House had agreed to the Second Reading, but if that is not so—
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYThe Second Reading will have been agreed to, if the noble Earl and your Lordships are willing to take the course that I suggest, but there will still be a further step, not allowed in another place but very common in your Lordships' House—namely, a discussion upon the Motion to go into Committee.
§ VISCOUNT HALDANEMy Lords, there is not the least difficulty about this course. I have known it to be adopted before, and I hope that the House will assent to it, because it is the only one that suits our convenience.
§ EARL BEAUCHAMPI am afraid that I did not understand the point. I understood that the noble Marquess meant that we should take the Second Readings on another occasion, and that would have caused difficulty, but, in view of what he has said, I have no objection to offer.