§ EARL GRANVILLEMy Lords, I beg leave to make a short statement on behalf of Her Majesty's Government. I presume that we are all agreed that the action to be taken this week by your Lordships' House is of vast importance, affecting not merely Party issues, but interests of a national character. There is no question as to the principle of the Franchise Bill. It is understood, and, I believe, not without reason, that your Lordships intend to give a second reading to that Bill. But I am not entitled to assume that this step will terminate the difference between your Lordships and Her Majesty's Government. I do 1807 not propose to enter into the merits of this difference. It is sufficient for my present purpose to remind your Lordships that while the procedure adopted by Her Majesty's Government has been supported last Summer, and again this Autumn, by unusually large majorities in the House of Commons, it has been condemned by a majority of your Lordships in this House. I will not now refer to offers which at different times have been made by Her Majesty's Government, and which are generally known as having been rejected. I am not aware of any intimation having come from the Opposition, apart from an intention to reverse in some shape or other the procedure adopted by Her Majesty's Government, and supported by the House of Commons, in order to adopt that which has been favoured by your Lordships. The result is a state of things which, although it may be far from disagreeable to extreme politicians on both sides, is deplored by all moderate men, and, I sincerely believe, by a majority of your Lordships. Under these critical circumstances, I am authorized by my Colleagues to state how we would propose to meet the objections which have been raised by some of your Lordships. To those, if there are such, who may desire to force on an immediate Dissolution I have little to offer. But the case is different with those who desire a settlement—a desire which we claim ourselves, and with which we are quite willing to credit noble Lords opposite, whose objections we honestly desire to meet. I understand that the objections are principally these. Your Lordships think that, although you are ready to support a Franchise Bill, it is dangerous to do so unless you are acquainted with the character of the Redistribution Bill which is promised, and which will affect its working. You are afraid that it may be of a revolutionary character, or, as some have put it, dangerous to the prospects of the Conservative Party. You also fear that there may be no Bill at all, or, at all events, that there may be none till the 2,000,000 new voters have acquired the right of voting. My Lords, I will now proceed to state how, in my opinion and in the opinion of the Government, without sacrificing our own object, we may best meet these objections. Our object is to secure the passing of the Franchise Bill without delay. 1808 We cannot jeopardize it. Your Lordships must be aware that we could enter into no understanding or take any steps as to the immediate introduction or prosecution of a Redistribution Bill, or as to anything connected with it, unless we have a sufficient assurance that we should thus secure our principal object—namely, the passing of the Franchise Bill without delay—that is to say, during the Autumn Session. In that case, I may tell your Lordships that the Bill will come into effect on January the 1st, 1886. If we were sufficiently assured in the manner I have stated, I am not aware of any demand or suggestion that will be made with regard to the procedure affecting a Redistribution Bill to which Her Majesty's Government will not be ready to accede. If we get that sufficient assurance we should be ready to submit the main provisions of the Redistribution Bill — we should be ready to make even the draft Bill a subject of immediate friendly communication before its introduction, and to make every reasonable effort for the purpose of accommodation, and any difficulties in the way of accommodation I think I may say would not come from Her Majesty's Government. We should be ready, if it is possible, and I do not see any impossibility in it, to present a Bill framed in the spirit of that sketch given by Mr. Gladstone in the House of Commons, and which, on the 7th of November, seemed to be received as satisfactory by Sir Stafford Northcote. Her Majesty's Government will be prepared to push that Bill on with all legitimate speed. Mr. Gladstone has informed me that he will be willing to undertake to move the second reading of that Bill simultaneously with the Franchise Bill going into Committee of your Lordships' House. I am afraid that there may be a difficulty about this, because there is an understanding that if the second reading of this Bill is taken on Tuesday, the Committee is to stand for Thursday. Be that as it may, Mr. Gladstone would be ready to move the second reading of the Redistribution Bill in the House of Commons simultaneously with any future stage of the Franchise Bill in your Lordships' House. Her Majesty's Government are prepared to use their utmost efforts to pass their Bill through the House of Commons in the early period of next year. And I 1809 am further authorized by them to state that they would consider the passing of their Bill through the House of Commons a question vital to themselves. My Lords, I submit this proposal to the favourable consideration of both sides of the House. I trust that those who so cordially supported us last Session will not think we have retired too much from the exact course of procedure which we had drawn for ourselves. And I do with considerable confidence appeal to the noble Lords opposite to receive this proposition in the spirit in which we have made it. We have made it in a spirit of earnestness and of conciliation, and as tending to settle a difference which every dictate of statesmanship, and, indeed, I may say of common sense, makes it desirable, in the interest of all concerned, should be brought to a final and satisfactory close.
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYMy Lords, it would not be in accordance with usage that I should express, at the present moment, any opinion upon the proposals made by the noble Earl. I shall confine myself to questions designed to elucidate his statement. I wish to know whether I am to understand that the passing of the Franchise Bill during the Autumn Session is a condition precedent to the proceedings with respect to the Redistribution Bill of which the noble Earl has spoken; and, further, I wish to know whether the agreement between the two sides of the House on the question of Redistribution is a condition precedent to the introduction of the Redistribution Bill in the other House, and within what time he contemplates it possible for such procedure to take place?
§ EARL GRANVILLEMy Lords, my answer to the first Question is in the affirmative; my answer to the second is in the negative.
THE LORD CHANCELLORMy Lords, I hope I shall be excused if I add a word for the purpose of endeavouring to supplement the answer of the noble Earl. As I understand it, if in any satisfactory way we have the assurance which we think indispensable, the Redistribution Bill may be laid on the Table of the House of Commons and read a first time as early as anyone can desire. If those communications which we invite, desire, and are willing to enter into, in order to arrive, if pos 1810 sible, at a common understanding as to the material substance of the Redistribution Bill, take place, of course, a reasonable time must be allowed for those communications. If it is thought inexpedient that such communications should take place, and if those who have determined that matter desire us to produce on our own responsibility the Bill which, without assistance, we should produce, that can be done at the earliest possible moment after we have that assurance which is the necessary condition of our proposals.