§ SIR HENRY WILLOUGHBYsaid, that the Pensions (British Forces, India) Bill, which stood for a second reading that night, had only been delivered that morning, and he did not believe that ten Gentlemen in the House had read it. He, therefore, trusted he would receive an assurance from the Government that the Bill would not be brought on that night, and that fair notice would be given with regard to when it should be brought on.
§ COLONEL WILSON PATTENsaid, that the noble Viscount at the head of the Government had promised to announce on that day what measures would be pro- 881 ceeded with and what measures would be abandoned during the present Session.
§ SIR FITZROY KELLYhoped the noble Lord would state at the same time what course the Government intended to take with reference to the Bankruptey Bill.
§ VISCOUNT PALMERSTONsaid, he had stated that on that day or the next he would make the announcement to which his hon. Friend had referred. The Bankruptcy Bill would come on on Thursday, and to-morrow he would be able to state more distinctly what course the Government intended to pursue upon it.
§ COLONEL WILSON PATTENsaid, his question had reference to the business generally of the House, and what particular measures the Government intended to abandon.
SIR GEORGE LEWISsaid, there were not many measures about which there was any doubt. The two most important were the Elections Bill and the Highways Bill. If possible, he would bring on the Highways Bill on Friday morning, but that would depend on the progress made with the Bill of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, which stood on the paper for that day. There would then remain only the Elections Bill, and he would state on a future day what course the Government intended to take upon that measure.
§ SIR JOHN PAKINGTONsaid, that he hoped to receive from the Government a decided answer with respect to the course the Government intended to take with regard to the Greenwich Hospital Bill. The Bill was likely to excite a great deal of discussion, and unless he received satisfactory assurances he should give it his warm opposition. It was too late in the Session to discuss the Bill, and it would be for the Government to say whether it would not be better to give it up, to deliberate upon it during the recess, and to introduce another Bill at a certain period next Session.
§ MR. MALINSsaid, he thought it rater too early to take the Bankruptcy Bill on Thursday, if the noble Viscount only intended to give notice on the next day of the course which the Government intended to take. If he told the House that night what he intended to do, the country would know on Tuesday morning; but if he postponed his statement until the next day the country would not know until Wednesday, and there would not be time to communicate the views entertained as to the proposed Amendments before the 882 Bill came on. He was surprised to find that the Government had not by that time made up their minds on the Bill. The Session, as they all hoped, was so nearly drawing to a close that there was no time to be lost.
§ VISCOUNT PALMERSTONIt is the intention of the Government to go on with the Greenwich Hospital Bill.
MR. PEELsaid, the Pensions (British Forces, India) Bill was brought in jointly by the India Office, War Office, and the Treasury. It was simply to increase the contribution of the Indian Government to the non-effective charges for the army in consequence of the employment of British troops in India. There would be no objection to postpone the Bill till the next night.
§ LORD JOHN MANNERSsaid, he wished to ask whether it was intended to proceed that night with the Lace Factories Bill, and the Windsor Suspended Canonries Bill? He also wished to call attention to the circumstance that since it had been settled that public business should commence at a quarter past four o'clock, hardly any of the Ministers had been in their places at that time. He thought that if it was impossible for the Members of the Government to attend at a quarter past four o'clock, it would be better to fix the commencement of public business for half-past four o'clock.
SIR GEORGE LEWISstated that all those Members of the Government to whom notice had been given that questions would be addressed to them were in their places at the proper time. In reply to the question of the noble Lord, he had to observe that the Committee of Supply would not probably sit that night until 12 o'clock, and he would bring on the Lace Factories Bill as early as he could.
§ SIR JAMES FERGUSSONsaid, it would be convenient to the House to know when the Election Law Amendment Bill would come on.
§ MR. NEWDEGATEasked whether the Government intended to go on with the Municipal Corporations Act Amendment Bill? It was his intention to move the clause which stood in his name on the paper.
§ MR. LONGFIELDasked if it was the intention of the Secretary for Ireland to go on with the Registration of Births and Deaths (Ireland) Bill, and the Fairs and Markets (Ireland) Bill?
§ MR. CARDWELLsaid, that both these Bills had received attention from a Select Committee, but they had only recently been printed and circulated. If he found they were still likely to give rise to much discussion he would not attempt to make progress with them; but, if he found they were likely to pass without much discussion he should proceed with them.
§ SIR JAMES ELPHINSTONEsaid, he also wished to ask what was to be done with the Greenwich Hospital Bill? He did not think there was much chance of carrying it, and he should like to know whether it was indended to bring it on the next night.
§ MR. HADFIELDsaid, he wished to know what was to be done with the Trade Marks Bill?
§ MR. SOTHERON ESTCOURTsaid, he must press for an answer with regard to the Greenwich Hospital Bill.
§ SIR GEORGE GREYsaid, he understood that the noble Lord, the Secretary of the Admiralty, had put the Greenwich Hospital Bill on the paper for the next evening (Tuesday) by arrangement, to meet the convenience of the right hon. Member for Droitwich (Sir John Pakington). He believed it was the intention of the noble Lord to go on with the Bill the next evening, if it came on at a reasonable hour.
§ MR. T. DUNCOMBEwas understood to say that since the tarring of the British captain, to which he had referred, and which occurred before May, other tarrings had taken place in May.