I am moving to take private Deputies' time to deal to-day with the Second Stage of the Electricity Supply Bill and with the Central Fund Bill in all its stages. If time permits, then Deputy Connor Hogan's motion can come on.
ORDER OF BUSINESS.
I must say that I do not like the proposal of the President to appropriate Private Members' time and to allow me only an indefinite period, if any period at all, this afternoon for the discussion of my motion that is on the Order Paper. I am trying to maintain the rights and the privileges of private Deputies to get on Wednesdays one and a half hours and on Fridays two hours for the discussion of any motion which they may put down. The President has intimated that he is going to take private Deputies' time for the purpose of taking the Second Stage of the Electricity Supply Bill and all the stages of the Central Fund Bill. It is quite possible that it may be 3.30 or 3.45 this afternoon before these two Bills are disposed of. In that event I would be expected to rest content with a quarter of an hour or half an hour or perhaps even less to deal with my motion, which is one of the very greatest importance—I want to impress that on the President and on the Government generally—to my constituents. I do not think that I can accept the President's proposal. By way of anticipating criticism that I expect the Government is going to put up, I may say that at 8.15 last evening the Minister for Justice suggested to me, when I was speaking to an official from the Department of Lands and Agriculture, that if the motion re creameries, which was under discussion then, was finished before 10.30 I could go on with my motion. I could not very well consent to do that, in the first place because the Orders of the Day made no mention whatever of my motion. It would not be fair either to other Deputies who might wish to speak on the motion to have it taken in that way without notice.
I understand there are Deputies who want to speak on the general principle of the census. It would not be fair to them, inasmuch as notice of motion did not appear on the Orders of the Day to take it in the manner the Minister for Justice suggested. Because it did not appear on the Order Paper I was not prepared at that stage, and then again the indefiniteness of the time militated against my acceptance of the suggestion. I cannot agree to let the President appropriate all the time to-day. If he will give me any time next week I am prepared to meet him. If it is on Friday I will stand up for the rights of a Private Member to have a full two hours.
This week's meeting is of an unusual nature. We only meet on two days for the transaction of certain business. The Electricity Supply Bill may be finished early enough to allow Deputy Connor Hogan an hour and a half. Even if it were, the hour is not quite determined and the suggested arrangement is not sound. Even if the Bill is finished to-day, Deputies will not be desirous of staying over to consider anything but this Bill and the Central Fund Bill. I think next week there can be found sufficient time for this Motion and it would be better to put down a definite time. I suggest Thursday.
I agree.
I accept Thursday.
Will the Second Stage of the Barrow Drainage Bill be taken to-day?
I hope to take the Juries Bill (Report Stage) as first business on Tuesday, the Army Pensions (No. 2) Bill (Report Stage) immediately after the Juries Bill and then the Second Stage of the Barrow Drainage Bill. I propose on Wednesday, whatever the state of the business left over, if any, of those three items, to take the Liquor Bill and to finish it and on the conclusion of that I propose to deal with any business left over and the Land Bill.
When will the Land Bill be reached?
The Deputy will understand that I cannot answer that question when a time limit is not stated for each of the three items in question, but I should say it is unlikely that we should reach the Land Bill before Thursday. I anticipate those three items will occupy the whole of Tuesday, the Liquor Bill the whole of Wednesday, and it is unlikely we will reach the Land Bill earlier than Thursday.
Would the Land Bill be taken earlier than Thursday?
Assuming we deal with those three items I mentioned early on Tuesday I should say we will not take the Land Bill. Assuming we deal with the Liquor Bill, say, an hour or so before the adjournment on Wednesday we would take the Land Bill then, but if the Deputy wishes the Land Bill specially to be put down for Thursday I will consider that.
I should like the Land Bill put down for a definite day so that it would not be taken any sooner.
I will consider that and inform the Deputy before the adjournment.
Therefore, for Tuesday we shall have the Juries Bill, the Army Pensions (No. 2) Bill, and the Barrow Drainage Bill. On Wednesday we will have the Liquor Bill on Report. On Thursday we shall have Deputy Connor Hogan's motion and such other business as may be left over.