HC Deb 22 July 1845 vol 82 cc890-1

On the Motion of the Solicitor General the House went into Committee on this Bill.

On the 1st Clause,

Mr. Wakley

said, he must enter his protest against proceeding with the Bill, because since the Bill was brought down from the other House, thirteen new clauses had been introduced, and three schedules had been added, which hon. Members had never before seen. He should feel it his duty to move that the chairman do report progress, and obtain leave to sit again. He would only ask for one day, in order to consider these new clauses.

Sir James Graham

said, he was very sorry that, owing to a mistake of the printer, the Bill had not been put into the hands of hon. Members at an earlier period. If the hon. Member pressed his Motion, he (Sir J. Graham) should not think he was doing his duty if he did not at once accede to it. He did not think, however, that there was anything in the new clauses that would be found objectionable, and he would postpone the Bill till Thursday.

Mr. T. Duncombe

objected very strongly to that part of the Bill providing that the wages of workmen should be arrested in the hands of their masters for the payment of their debts. He objected to that clause operating in any case, except that of yearly salaries. Weekly wages were very uncertain, sometimes more, sometimes less. If that part of the Bill were persisted in, he thought that it would be found to operate to the extreme dissatisfaction of all parties.

The Solicitor General

said, he thought that the effect of that part of the Bill had been misapprehended by the hon. Member. The clause objected to contained no power for the attachment of wages on their passage from the hands of the master to the workman. It would only operate in cases where the wages were more than sufficient to supply the means of life, in which case the surplus would be attached, and that only on the order of a Judge.

Sir J. Graham

said, he had collected from the hon. Gentleman that it would be agreeable to all parties to postpone the Bill till to-morrow.

House resumed. Committee to sit again.

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