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Seanad Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 3 Oct 1923

Vol. 2 No. 2

THE ADJOURNMENT.

I take it that you feel like I, and like many more do, that we have had no time to consider this question, and I would venture to move: "That we adjourn the consideration of this Address to this day week, to give us time for the consideration of it." Its details are very elaborate and some of the subjects referred to are very important, particularly that relating to agriculture, and I would like to consider them fully.

I beg to second the motion, and would also support the suggestion that the Standing Orders Committee meet in the meantime to provide Standing Orders for occasions such as the present. I think it is necessary that we should complete our internal machinery for dealing with all situations. Of course we are only building ourselves up at the moment and many things have yet to be provided for that our Standing Orders have not taken cognisance of.

Before you put that motion, may I venture to point out that as a matter of fact we have not at this moment before us an Address to consider at all. It is the practice in England when His Majesty makes his opening Speech to the Houses of Parliament, in both Houses an Address in response to that Speech is moved, criticising or approving of the remarks which His Majesty has made. We do not apparently do that. The Order Paper refers to the consideration of an Address, but what Address? The Governor-General's Speech is not an Address. It seems to me that the proper procedure is that somebody should move, in this House, that an Address be presented to the Governor-General thanking him for his remarks and agreeing, or disagreeing, with what he said, and that that question be discussed. As the matter stands it seems to me that we have nothing to discuss but the remarks of the Governor-General. Perhaps that is a point that may be considered by the Standing Orders Committee.

AN CATHAOIRLEACH

That is one of the things our Standing Orders Committee will consider, and because we have no provision or arrangement in reference to a matter of this kind it becomes essential we should make such provision. I may say it is not the case with regard to all our Colonial Parliaments that they follow the practice in the form suggested by Senator the Earl of Wicklow of moving an Address in reply to the Speech. It is the practice in some of the Colonial Parliaments, but not in all of them. That will be one of the matters for this House itself to determine. As a preliminary they would like to have the views of the Standing Committee on Standing Orders. I hope that Committee will meet to-morrow, and this will be one of the matters we will take up, although it is not now pressing, for we will not have a similar opportunity for some months, and therefore it is not such a pressing matter as others to be dealt with in our Standing Orders. I think we should also consider and determine what the exact procedure will be in the future in regard to this House in its relation to the other in the matter of hearing and receiving the Address, because the practice adopted to-day is not one that prevails in other Parliaments. It may be a very desirable practice; I am not suggesting for a moment that it is not, but I think that also is an important matter for your Standing Orders Committee to consider, and if it is not inconvenient for the members of that Committee I should like them to meet to-morrow. The members of the Committee I think, in addition to myself and Senator Douglas, are Senator Jameson, Senator O'Farrell, Senator Kenny, and Senator Sir John Keane.

It is suggested that 2.30 to-morrow would suit most of the members of the Committee.

AN CATHAOIRLEACH

I hope the Standing Orders Committee will accept that as a notice, and that I shall have the pleasure of seeing them to-morrow at 2.30, when we will at once deal with these matters, but meanwhile there is a motion now before the Seanad, that the Session be adjourned until this day week to the usual hour of 3 o'clock, and that at that adjourned Session the business should be the discussion of the Address of the Governor-General.

Question put and agreed to.

AN CATHAOIRLEACH

The House will now understand what the business will be for this day week. I think it is not desirable until we have this matter of the Address disposed of that any other business should be taken up, so that no other business will appear on the Agenda for this day week except the discussion of the Address.

May I point out that there may be one or two Committee motions from the other House?

AN CATHAOIRLEACH

Yes. I was talking of formal matters.

The Seanad adjourned at 3.10 p.m. until Wednesday, October 10th, at 3 o'clock.

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