§ Order for Committee read.
§ The CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERsaid, he felt some difficulty in respect to the course of proceeding in this measure. In the present position of public business it might be some time before it would be in the power of the Government to enter upon the discussion of any of those controverted matters involved in this Bill, such as that they were discussing on Friday last, or that which had been brought forward by his noble Friend the Member for Middlesex (Lord R. Grosvenor) in reference to attornies' certificates. He proposed, under these circumstancs, to put the Bill in Committee now, and drop from it all those matters that were of a character to excite difference of opinion: he meant the matters relating to the newspaper stamp duty and the attornies' certificates. It was desirable that they should get forward as rapidly as possible with the other parts of the Bill, in order to facilitate the introduction of the penny (receipt) stamp duty, as they could not take any proceedings towards preparing the dies and for the prevention of forgery until they could carry the Bill into law. He proposed, therefore, to proceed merely with the uncontested parts of the measure, reserving the votes as to those matters which were in controversy for future discussion.
§ House in Committee.
§ Instruction to the Committee, that they have power to divide the Bill into two Hills.
§ Bill considered in Committee.
§ House resumed.
§ Bill reported.