§ SIR JOHN OGILVYI desire to ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Whether it is the intention of Her Majesty's Government to proceed with the Scotch Reform Bill this evening; and, whether he will make any statement to the House respecting that Bill, and the alterations which are proposed to be made in it? Great interest prevails in Scotland respecting what it is intended to do regarding this Bill.
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERSir, in answer to the hon. Gentleman, I have to say that it is not the intention of Her Majesty's Government 332 to proceed with the Scotch Reform Bill, either this evening, or any other evening this Session. An hon. Gentleman the other evening expressed a wish that the Bill might be reprinted, in order that the alteration agreed to be made in it should be shown. I see no difficulty on that head, and what I intend to propose is, that the House should go into Committee on the Bill pro formâ, in order that it may be reprinted. But it would be clearly premature to go into Committee pro formâ to-night, because we do not as yet know what alterations may be effected in the English Bill in another place, and we could not, therefore, adapt the Scotch Bill to those alterations. What I intend is, that the Committee on the Bill should be fixed for this day week.
§ COLONEL FRENCHI should like to ask, Whether it is intended that there should be any discussion on the Scotch Reform Bill?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERI do not contemplate any discussion on the Bill, as we are merely going into Committee upon it pro formâ.
§ MR. M'LARENOn Friday night an answer was given on behalf of the Government that an opportunity would be given for discussion of the Scotch Reform Bill, and I should now like the Chancellor of the Exchequer to state when that opportunity will be offered?
§ COLONEL FRENCHNext Session.
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERI am not aware of the answer to which the hon. Gentleman refers. I thought I had expressed in the most distinct manner that it was not the intention of Her Majesty's Government to proceed with the Scotch Reform Bill this Session; and, further, I understood that that was an arrangement which was agreeable, if not to the whole, at least to a large majority of the Scotch Members. They will, therefore, make their arrangements accordingly. What I subsequently promised, and what I have already referred to, is, that the Bill should go into Committee pro formâ, for the purpose of being reprinted, and to show the alterations proposed in it.
§ MR. M'LARENI beg to inform the Chancellor of the Exchequer that it was the hon Baronet the Member for Ayrshire (Sir James Fergusson) who gave the answer on Friday night to which I referred. He distinctly said that an opportunity would be given to the Scotch Members for discussing the Bill.
§ SIR JAMES FERGUSSONI may, perhaps, be allowed to say that what I said on Friday night, with the sanction of my Colleagues, was, that no progress would be made with the Scotch Reform Bill without an opportunity being given to discuss it. But I never understood, or was authorized to say, that any progress would be made.