§ MR. KNATCHBULL - HUGESSENasked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Whether, after the decided expression of the opinion of the House upon the Second Reading of the Colonial Marriages Bill, he will afford facilities for its further discussion? His only justification for this Question was in the fact that the adoption of the Rule which prevented Opposed Business from being started after half-past 12 o'clock precluded the possibility of private Members bringing forward their measures without the assistance of the Government.
§ MR. HEYGATEwished to ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer a Question, of which he had given him private Notice—namely, Whether after the expression of opinion in the House in favour of the legality of these colonial marriages in England he would afford facilities for discussing the question of making valid in England Scotch marriages?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERpointed out that the effect and operation of the Rule to which the right hon. Gentleman had referred was not confined to measures in the hands of private Members, but also affected the conduct of Government Business; and he was afraid that even if this had been a Bill which Her Majesty's Government were prepared to recommend to the House, he would have found very great difficulty in granting a day or giving other facilities for bringing it forward. As it was a Bill which they did not altogether desire to recommend, it seemed to him the reasons for not acceding to the request of the right hon. Gentleman were peculiarly strong. If the measure came before the House again, he would probably feel it necessary to make some observations on cer- 1216 tain of its bearings which he thought had not been yet fully considered. With reference to the Question of his hon. Friend (Mr. Heygate), he must reply to him also that he could not undertake to grant him the facilities he desired.