SECOND READING. (Hansard, 28 June 1880)

§ LORD FREDERICK CAVENDISH,
in moving that the Bill be now read a second time, said, it was merely a measure of consolidation, brought in in consequence of the recommendation of the Statute Law Consolidation Commission, and its object was fully described in the Memorandum attached. He could not understand that there could be any objection to it; but, if there were any, it had much better be considered in Committee. There could not possibly be any objection to the principle of the Bill, which was to embody in one measure all the provisions of the law relating to taxes.

§ LORD RANDOLPH CHURCHILL
said, they had a Bill of a similar kind before them the other evening, and the noble Lord the Secretary to the Treasury then told them it was merely a measure of consolidation; but, on examination, it was found that if it had been passed some of its clauses would have been directly opposed to the spirit of the Budget of the Prime Minister. Now the noble Lord brought in another Bill containing 120 clauses, which, he ventured to say, 'no single Member in that House had any knowledge of. ["Oh, oh!"] Well, he doubted very much whether the hon. Member who said that had ever seen the Bill before. It consolidated an enormous number of Acts, and he would like to ask whether this was a Bill for which the noble Lord was himself responsible, or whether he found it in the office when he came there? If the Bill had been brought up in the short time during which the present Government had been in Office, he should not like to take the noble Lord's assurance that it was merely a consolidation measure.

§ LORD FREDERICK CAVENDISH
denied that he in any way misled the House in reference to the Spirits Bill. Certain provisions were inserted into it which were in accordance with the existing law, although they would be modified if a measure since introduced were carried. But it would have deceived the House had not those clauses been produced, because the Malt Tax was in existence at the time, and his measure only professed to be a consolidation of the existing law. He should state most positively that this was simply a consolidation Bill, with the exception of the alterations mentioned.

MR. GORST
said, no answer had been given to the question whether the Bill was prepared by the present Government—[Lord FREDERICK CAVENDISH: Certainly not.]—or whether they found it in the office when they went there? If the Bill was prepared by the late Government, he thought they might have sufficient confidence in the measure to allow it to pass.