HC Deb 05 June 1884 vol 288 cc1541-2
MR. MAC IVER

I wish to put a Question to you, Sir, on a point of Order relating to the Motion for the Adjourned Debate on the Merchant Shipping Bill. I have received this morning, from the Board of Trade, a Paper with the name of the President of the Board attached to it, containing certain alternative proposals to those which appear in the Bill. Upon examining the Paper I found that it contained 42 clauses, and that it involves the withdrawal of almost the whole of the remainder of the Bill. What I wish to ask you, Sir, is, whether the President of the Board of Trade is in Order in introducing what is substantially a new Bill; or whether the right course would not be to move that the Order for the Second Reading of the present Bill be discharged, in order that a new Bill may be reintroduced? The alternative proposals virtually constitute a new Bill, and are in substitution for those contained in the Bill now before the House.

MR. CHAMBERLAIN

Before Mr. Speaker replies to the hon. Member, may I be allowed to state what the Paper is to which the hon. Member has somewhat inaccurately referred? It is a Parliamentary Paper, containing a correspondence between myself and certain gentlemen who have assisted me with their advice in reference to the Merchant Shipping Bill, and it includes a copy of draft clauses which were drawn up partly for and partly in consequence of the discussion which took place the other day. The Paper has been issued in consequence of the representations of certain hon. Members who have thought that it would be extremely convenient to see the Amendments which it is proposed to introduce, and also the form which the Bill will assume if those Amendments are adopted.

MR. MAC IVER

Perhaps I may be allowed to repeat the words of the President of the Board of Trade. In this Paper he says— The accompanying draft clauses are to be substituted for those on the same subject in the Bill now before the House. There are 42 new clauses contained in-this Paper.

MR. SPEAKER

No formal Notice has been given, and there has been no irregularity, hitherto, in the action of the President of the Board of Trade.