§ Order of the Day for the Second Reading read.
§ THE EARL OF PLYMOUTHMy Lords, I think it is customary not to discuss this Bill at any length on Second Reading. It is an annual Bill, and it is usual to raise points on the Committee Stage, when the representatives of the various Departments will be here in order to answer any question that may be put. I beg to move.
§ Moved, That the Bill be now read 2a.—(The Earl of Plymouth.)
§ LORD PARMOORMy Lords, I agree with the noble Earl and I do not desire to raise a discussion at the present moment, but I think it is convenient at this stage to suggest a point that I intend to raise on the Committee Stage in order, as the noble Earl says, that the appropriate Minister may be here to deal with the matter. If the noble 361 Earl will look at Part I of the Schedule he will see "The Aliens Restriction (Amendment) Act, 1919, Section 1." The result of that is chat whereas the Aliens Restriction Act of 1914 was only to be applied in cases of emergency or of imminent national danger such as war, those words are now excluded, so that it may be put into force at any time. I shall ask on the Committee Stage whether there are any reasons why a provision originally introduced as an emergency provision with the limitations I have stated should still he wanted in a case of ordinary administration. Of course, if it is not necessary for the purposes of ordinary administration it undoubtedly takes away one of the causes which may, and do, raise friction between this country and other countries.
§ On Question, Bill read 2a, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House.