CONSIDERATION. THIRD READING. (Hansard, 31 March 1868)

§ MR. BOUVERIE
said, of course he had no desire to question the accuracy of so high an authority as Mr. Speaker upon the point to which he had just referred or to enter into any controversy with him; but he should like to know from the right hon. Gentleman the Secretary for War his 574 reason for taking these Bills out of the ordinary course.

§ SIR JOHN PAKINGTON
said, he had no difficulty in replying to the Question of the hon. Member. In consequence of these Bills having been brought forward at a later period than usual, it became necessary to send them up to the other House of Parliament as soon as possible. It having been intimated to him last night that there would be nothing irregular in reading the Bills a third time at an early hour, he had adopted that course with the sanction of the House.

MR. OTWAY
said, he wished to say one word with reference to what foil from the right hon. Gentleman the Secretary of State for War. He had had occasion to notice what seemed to be a considerable irregularity. Three Amendments had been moved in Committee, and in the records of their proceedings only one of those Amendments was taken notice of. Having made inquiries upon the subject, he was informed that it was not usual to put upon the record of their proceedings any Amendment upon which divisions had not been taken. The very next day, however, after he had received that information, he discovered that an Amendment upon which a division had not been taken was recorded, while two other Amendments which had been moved under precisely similar circumstances had been altogether omitted. This was an irregularity of no unimportant character. For instance, the noble Lord the Member for Kildare (Lord Otho Fitzgerald) moved an Amendment in Committee upon the Mutiny Bill; but of that Amendment no notice was taken, and yet last-night that very Amendment was rescinded, and the words which originally stood in the Mutiny Bill were re-inserted.

§ MR. SPEAKER
My answer to the Question of the hon. Member is, that those Amendments only upon which divisions take place are entered on the Votes. If every verbal Amendment, and everything which occurs, were ordered to be entered on the Votes, it would be almost impossible to print them.

LORD HENRY LENNOX
desired to move, with the permission of the House, the third reading of the Marine Mutiny Bill, so that it might at once be sent to the House of Lords.