§ THE EARL OF SELBORNEMy Lords, I wish to ask my noble friend the Leader of the House, a Question of which I have given him private notice. It is in connection with the arrangements which will be for the convenience of your Lordships when the Prayer Book Measure comes before this House. I would suggest to my noble friend that it might be convenient—and I make this suggestion with the knowledge and approval of the Archbishop of Canterbury—if the Resolution asking your Lordships to approve of the Measure were brought forward on Monday, December 12, and that the debate should continue on the next day, Tuesday the 13th—the House sitting on both those days after dinner if necessary—and continue on Wednesday, the 14th, the Division being taken by arrangement before dinner on Wednesday.
§ THE LORD PRIVY SEAL (THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY)My Lords, my noble friend is well aware, as your Lordships are aware, that I have no control over the time of the House in the manner in which my noble friend is kind enough to suggest. I can only offer my humble advice to your Lordships in respect of business and it does appear that it would be for the general convenience that the Prayer Book Measure should be taken upon December 12. The Government, of course, are deeply conscious of the great importance of the issues to be tried, and therefore we shall, so far as we are concerned, make every effort to meet the wish of the House in the matter. Therefore, if December 12 is a convenient day from the point of view of noble Lords interested in the subject, as far as we are concerned we shall be very glad should December 12 be assigned to the debate. 175 My noble friend tells me he is given to understand that the debate will last longer than one day, indeed longer than two days, and I am quite willing, as far as we are concerned, that the 13th should be similarly devoted to the Prayer Book Measure and the 14th too, so that a Division might be taken before the dinner hour upon the third day. As I have said, I can only give my advice to the House, but I think, after this expression of opinion, if it is the view of other noble Lords of influence, that we might suggest respectfully to our colleagues in the House that they will not put down Notices upon those throe days, which then will be left vacant for this important discussion.
Now I am on my legs on the subject of business I might venture to take this opportunity of asking whether your Lordships would be willing to allow the Government to have a certain privilege for the remaining weeks of this Session. We shall have a good deal of business from the House of Commons and we know by sad experience how difficult it is to find time for the transaction of all that work in the closing days of the Session. I am therefore inclined to suggest to your Lordships that on and after Monday, December 5, by the consent of the House, Government Orders should have precedence over other Orders. If I get encouragement from noble Lords opposite I shall put down a Motion to that effect for the formal consent of the House.
§ VISCOUNT HALDANEMy Lords, so far as I am concerned I fully recognise the difficulty that every Government has in disposing of business in the last days of the Session. I think it is very desirable that we should not be squeezed up with Government business and therefore I should quite willingly assent—again I say so far as I am concerned—to the taking of the days after December 5 for Government business. Now I come to the Prayer Book Measure. The proposal, I understand, is that we should take that question on Monday, December 12, Tuesday, December 13, and Wednesday, December 14, sitting after dinner if necessary. I think that is quite reasonable having regard to the interest there is in the subject and I make no objection. It is always awkward taking Divisions after dinner because a great many people do not attend then, but we could get through a good deal of 176 speaking upon the Monday, we could get through a good deal more upon the Tuesday, and we ought to be able to divide before dinner on the Wednesday, But, if necessary, I am quite prepared to sit after dinner upon the Wednesday.
§ LORD OLIVIERMy Lords, my noble Leader has answered this question on the spur of the moment, but I would beg to put in a plea for a Motion I have on the Paper for December 7 [relating to East Africa]. I had that Motion down for November 30 and I feel that it is one of considerable importance and may be of interest to your Lordships' House. I postponed it at the request of my noble friend Lord Lovat, to suit his convenience, because of a mysterious festival on November 30, and I would rather strongly protest—and I hope my noble Leader will support me in the protest—against December 7 being entirely occupied with Government business.
§ EARL BEAUCHAMPMy Lords, it really is not for me to interefere in a discussion between noble Lords on the Opposition Bench. It is not the first appearance of disharmony between them which has occurred in the last few days. But I am quite ready with regard to the discussion on the Prayer Book Measure to agree to the suggestion of the noble Marquess the Leader of the House. I am not quite sure that we shall need all three days, but it may be well to allot them, and if it is necessary by all means let us sit after dinner. The other question is that of Government business after December 5. I feel unwilling to allow them precedence, but precedence I am willing to give them. I will leave it to the noble Marquess to say how far he disagrees with me on that point. I am ready to come to the help of the Government all the more because the noble Marquess is more ready than many people to allow your Lordships time for discussion.
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYMy Lords, I do not compete with the noble Earl opposite in the pronounciation of the English language. I am sure if there is any difference between us, he is right and I am wrong. As regards the noble Lord, Lord Olivier, I was not aware of his Motion being on the Paper when I spoke, but I hope your Lordships will realise that the form of Motion which I 177 shall submit is that; Government Orders shall have precedence when they are sent down. If there is very strong-feeling in the House, as, for example, in the case of the Prayer Book Measure, that Orders which are not Government Orders should be taken, it is always open to the Government not to put Orders down in front of the particular Notice which it is sought to save. I will not promise the noble Lord to exercise clemency in his particular case, but perhaps he will allow me to confer with him afterwards on the subject. I will do the best I can to study the convenience of noble Lords.
§ VISCOUNT HALDANEMy Lords, I was not aware of the special arrangement made about the Motion to which my noble friend referred. There seems to be a good deal in the point, and if the Government could avoid putting down Government business for that day, I think perhaps it would be better, because it is a very important question. As to the gibes which the noble Earl, Lord Beauchamp, chooses to address to this Bench, I think it would be better taste if he would keep them to himself.