§ MR. E. STANHOPEasked the President of the Board of Trade, Whether there is any truth in the reported "arrangement" between the Board of Trade and certain shipowners with respect to the Merchant Shipping Bill; if so, whether its terms have been correctly stated in the newspapers, and what course he proposes to take with regard to the Bill?
§ MR. CHAMBERLAIN, in reply, said, he had already answered the first part of this Question in the reply he gave the 1504 other day to the hon. and learned Member for Chatham (Mr. Gorst); but he might repeat that no "arrangement" had been made between the Board of Trade and the shipowners. Certain suggestions for the amendment of the Bill, which had been correctly reported in the newspapers, had been made to the Board of Trade, and communicated through the Solicitor General to the hon. Member for North Durham (Mr. Palmer), with an intimation that the Board of Trade had no objection to these proposed Amendments in principle, as they were not inconsistent with the objects of the Bill. At the same time the Amendment appeared likely to remove some of the chief objections taken to the Bill in its present shape. In answer to the second part of the Question, he could say he should endeavour to obtain the earliest possible day after Easter for the second reading of the Bill.