§ MR. BASSsaid, he would also beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade, Whether he will be prepared to bring in a measure to check the Forging of Trade Marks early next Session?
§ MR. MILNER GIBSONsaid, that in answer to the question of the hon. Gentleman (Mr. Bass), he bad to say that Government had a Bill prepared on the subject of trade marks, and that if there had been any probability of passing it through during the present Session be would have laid it upon the table. It was a somewhat difficult subject—somewhat of the nature of a law reform, which was perhaps not very appropriate for the Board of Trade to undertake; they had, however, given their best attention to the subject, and had prepared a Bill which, to a certain degree, met the evils that were complained of.
With regard to the Companies Bill lie could assure the hon. and learned Gentleman (Mr. Malins) that they had been sincere in their intentions of proceeding with it; but it was not in his power to bring it on when he desired, owing to the very important business which occupied the House. The utmost labour had been bestowed on the Bill, and those whose time and labour had been employed upon it would be disappointed when they should hear that it was not the intention of the Government to proceed with it this Session. It had been suggested that parts might be left out, and that the rest might be proceeded with; but it was thought better, it being a consolidation Bill, to abandon it altogether during the present Session, and bring it in in the next. He hoped when they did so that they should have the assistance of the hon. and learned Gentleman and of the other Members of the legal 1583 profession in the House, who, however, he must say, had not been as a body always active in promoting legal reform. The Lien on Freight Bill was unfortunately not sent up to the House of Lords until after they had resolved not to read any Bill a second time, except in a case of urgent necessity, and it could hardly be said that this was a very urgent measure. The hon. Member for Sunderland had complained that no steps had been taken to carry out the Resolutions of the House in regard to harbours of refuge, but the Government would have been to blame if they had attempted hastily to legislate on so large and important a subject. When the hon. Member for Sunderland proposed, against the wish of the Government, that a further expenditure of some £4,000,000 should be incurred in the construction of harbours of refuge, he was not actuated by those strong feelings of economy which he now displayed. With regard to the Lien on Freight Bill, he hoped they would have an opportunity of proceeding with that measure at some other time, and he had no doubt that the Resolution to which the House had agreed in reference to the recommendations of the Commissioners on Harbours of Refuge would lead to legislation of some kind or other on the subject.