Return respecting Application of Standing Order No. 26 (Closure of Debate) during Session 1907—continued.

Mr. Secretary Haldane.

Clause 4:

" That the Clause stand part of the Bill."

" That the Chairman do report Progress, and ask leave to sit again."

In Committee

The Chairman's assent given

Closure carried on Division :

Ayes, 197; Voes, 37.

“That the Chairman do report Progress, and ask leave to sit again.”

Mr. Secretary Haldane.

“ That the Question . That the words of the Clause to the end of page 6, line 7, stand part of the Clause," be now put.'

Mr. Secretary Haldane.

" That the QuestionThat the Clause, as amended, stand part of the Bill," be now put."

Assent withheld because,

in the opinion of the Chair, a decision would

shortly be arrived at without that Motion.

Result of Motion, and,

if a Division, Numbers For and Against.

Business of the House (Procedure)

In House

The Speaker's assent given

Closure carried on Division :

Ayes, 313 ; Noes, 81

Sir Henry Campbell.

“(1) When a Bill has been read a second time it shall stand committed to one of the Standing Committees, unless the House, on Motion to be decided without amendment or debate, otherwise order, and such a Motion shall not require notice, must be made immediately after the Bill is read a second time, may be made by any Member, and may, though opposed, be decided after the expiration of the time for opposed business. But this Order shall not apply to

(a) Bills for imposing taxes, or Consolidated Fund or Appropriation

Bills; or

(2) The House may, on Motion made by the Member in charge of a Bill, commit the Bill to a Standing Committee in respect of some of its provisions, and to a Committee of the Whole House in respect of other provisions. If such a Motion is opposed, the Speaker, after permitting, if he thinks fit, a brief explanatory statement from the Member who makes and from the Member who opposes the Motion, shall without further Debate put the Question ihereon.”

Amendment proposed, in line 9, after the word “ Bills,” to insert the words “or Bills involving any aid, grant, or charge upon the public revenue, whether payable out of the Consolidated Fund or out of money to be provided by Parliament, or involving any charge upon the pcople.”

" That the position of Vice-President of the Board of Agriculture in
Ireland was intended by Parliament to be and in fact is a Ministerial
and Parliamentary office, properly vacated upon a change of Government,
and that the retention of that office by a political opponent of the
Government of the day is undesirable as a permanent arrangement.”

Amendment proposed, to leave out from the word “That," to the end
of the Question, and add the words "in view of the continued confidence
expressed in the policy of Sir Horace Plunkett by the Council of Agri-
culture, two-thirds of whose Members are directly appointed by the
county councils of Ireland, it is inadvisable, before the Honge has had
an opportunity of considering carefully the Report of the Committee of
Inquiry into the organisation and working of the Department of Agri-
culture and Technical Instruction, to make any change in Sir Horace
Plunkett's tenure of the Vice-Presidency.'