In the House of Lords on Tuesday Lord Lansdowne called
attention to the state of business, and asked Lord Crewe for information as to the further work of the Session. In days when first-rate Bills were passed through the House of Commons with not even a pretence of discussion, it became of greater importance than ever that the Lords should have full opportunity of considering exactly what they were doing. Lord Crewe in reply stated that there was no reason to suppose that they would not receive the Housing and Town Planning Bill by September 10th, and the Irish Land Bill by the 17th, and the second reading would be put down for the succeeding week. There ought, he thought, to be plenty of time after the middle of September for them to give important Bills that consideration which they all agreed was due to them. It cannot be said that any very great amount of enlightenment is to be drawn from this discussion. All, of course, depends upon what answer is given to the question which we discuss in our first leading article,—the question whether the Lords will or will not throw out the Budget. If the decision arrived at is against throwing out the Budget' in all probability the Session will be wound up by the end of the first week in October. If the decision goes in favour of rejection, then the determination of the Lords to justify their conduct by's reasoned amendment and by full debate may prevent the crisis being reached till the end of October.
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