§ THE LORD PRIVY SEAL (THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY)My Lords, with reference to a conversation that passed between two or three noble Lords and myself yesterday, the Government have had under their notice the large number of Amendments to the Local Government Bill that are upon the Paper. I need not say that I have no complaint to make whatever as to the 83 discussion yesterday, which was eminently characteristic of your Lordships' business-like methods, but undoubtedly we did not get very far. Some very important matters were dealt with, but we reached only the end of the sixth clause. In those circumstances, as I ventured to suggest to your Lordships yesterday, we shall ask the House to sit after dinner to-day. I would propose, with the consent of the house, to adjourn for dinner some time between half-past seven and a quarter to eight, and to come back about nine o'clock. If that were convenient, then I presume that your Lordships would wish to pursue a precisely analogous course to-morrow.
It may be that, even with those efforts, we shall not get through the Committee stage by Thursday night. I earnestly hope that this may not turn out to be the case, but it is possible, and in that event I see no alternative but to ask your Lordships to sit on Friday. The proposal that we would make is that, in the event of our not being able to finish the Committee stage by to-morrow night, we should have a morning sitting on Friday, meeting at noon, and should sit until such hour as your Lordships thought fit to adjourn—I hope until the completion of the Committee stage. I think that would be mostly for the convenience of your Lordships. The other alternative would be to leave Friday alone and to sit on Monday. That would, however, bring us several days later, and would interfere to some extent with the time-table to which your Lordships have up to now given me a sort of tacit assent. Of course I only desire to suit the convenience of the House.
§ LORD PARMOORMy Lords, I am much obliged to the noble Marquess for telling us his proposals, with which I generally agree. I am also grateful to him for his recognition of the businesslike way in which matters were dealt with yesterday. I cannot myself see that any time was wasted anywhere. The question is, I think, between Friday and Monday, assuming we do not finish on Thursday. I rather hope that the noble Marquess may reconsider his view there. Of course, we are always willing to do what is most convenient to the House, but personally Friday is rather a mortgaged day, and if Monday would do as well, we should prefer to sit on Monday. 84 I do not think that it would make much difference from the point of view of delay, but I will leave it to the noble Marquess after ascertaining the general view of the House.
§ LORD BUCKMASTERI would like to point out that the proposals of the noble Marquess would mean the postponement of the judicial sitting and there may be cases of importance to come on.
§ LORD PARMOORThat would be a further reason for sitting on Monday.
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYOf course I will ascertain before the end of to-day's sitting. I only rise to say that no one in my position ever forgets the difficulty of the judicial sittings which always wait upon us so that we have to conform as far as we can to their immense importance. I need not tell the noble and learned Lord that I made some inquiry upon that head before I made that announcement.
§ EARL BEAUCHAMPMy Lords, I am rather inclined to agree with the noble Marquess that it is rather more important that we should have time in which to consider the Bill between Committee and Report. I have never felt that the constitution would be wrecked if the Law Lords were to sit sometimes in the Moses Room, but there are apparently some of them who think that if that happens there would be an end to the House, and therefore I shrink from making the suggestion.
§ THE LORD CHANCELLOR (LORD HAILSHAM)My Lords, I feel that the constitution would be shaken if not wrecked if that were to happen, and it is a very revolutionary proposal coming from so staunch a supporter of law and order. I did make some inquiries in response to information which I received from the noble Marquess, and I think I can assure my noble and learned friend Lord Buckmaster that the judicial business really will not be interfered with by the House sitting on Friday rooming. No doubt the judicial side will adjourn from Thursday until Monday instead of until Friday, but I understand that the state of business is such that that can be done without detriment either to the parties or to the judicial business of this House.