§ Order of the Day for the House to be put into Committee read.
THE SECRETARY FOR SCOTLAND (The Earl of DALHOUSIE)said he hoped 1248 the House would agree to the Motion standing in his name—namely, to suspend the Standing Orders, so as to pass the Bill through its remaining stages. He was aware that that was a very unusual course; but the circumstances were very unusual. He was not referring to what took place in the other House early in the morning, but he was referring entirely to the Crofters Bill, which had just passed their Lordships' House. Their Lordships would remember that that Bill contained a provision for the Fishery Board to advance money to fishermen in the crofting parishes on the security of their boats. The Government had been in constant communication with the Fishery Board in Edinburgh, with reference to the matter, and it appeared on examination that, as the law at present stood, there would be very great difficulty in the way of carrying out that provision as their Lordships intended it should be carried out. It therefore became necessary to pass a measure to facilitate the operation of registering and mortgaging fishing boats. The effect, if this Bill were not passed, would be to render inoperative one of the most valuable provisions of the Crofters Bill. There was also to be considered the uncertainty of Public Business; and he was, therefore, extremely anxious that the Standing Orders should be suspended, and that the Bill should pass through its remaining stages without delay.
§ Moved, "That the House do now resolve itself into Committee on the said Bill."—(The Earl of Dalhousie.)
LORD BALFOURasked, whether it was not the fact that this Bill applied to other fishing boats than those used by the crofting population; whether this Bill gave the same powers as to mortgaging to the owners of these fishing boats as were given by the Act of Parliament to owners of ships of a larger size in return for compliance with certain requirements of the Board of Trade as to security and safety; whether it was not the fact that in this Bill no such corresponding obligations were proposed; and whether it was desirable to extend the privileges conferred on owners of these vessels to owners of fishing boats without getting a corresponding return?
THE EARL OF DALHOUSIEwas understood to say that the Bill did apply 1249 to boats other than those belonging to crofters. The Board of Trade had put no obstacle in the way of the Bill, and the same conditions as to manning and security would be applied to these boats as were applied in the case of other vessels.
§ Motion agreed to: House in Committee; Bill reported without Amendment: Then Standing Order No. XXXV. considered (according to order), and dispensed with: Bill read 3a, and passed, and sent to the Commons.