§ SIR CHARLES ADDERLEYasked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether the Public Health Bill, relating to a subject which the Government pressed on the diligent attention of a Commission three years ago, and have twice advised Her Majesty to recommend to Parliament for immediate legislation, and which is now being postponed to other Government measures, might not 839 have a morning devoted to its consideration in Committee?
MR. GLADSTONESir, I can so far comfort the mind of my right hon. Friend, with whom we are quite agreed as to the importance of this measure, as to assure him that it would be a mistake to suppose that the Public Health Bill is postponed to the other principal measures of the Government. That is by no means the case; and we are very anxious to arrive at the time when we may deal with the Public Health Bill in the same way as with other principal measures of the Ministry—by devoting to it the whole available time of the House, so far as that time is under our direction and control. We hope to-night to dispose finally of one of the chief Government measures. We shall then proceed with the Scotch Education Bill in the same manner as with the Ballot Bill—that is, by inviting the House to give to it the whole of its available time. In our opinion that is the best way of disposing of all these measures, and we should not confer any real advantage on the Public Health Bill by devoting to it a mere fragment of time. It is for the sake of getting forward with that Bill that we wish to get rid of the measures which at present obstruct its progress.