HC Deb 07 July 1873 vol 216 cc1889-90
MR. VERNON HARCOURT,

in moving, according to Order, that the Bill be now read the second time, said, that it did not deal either with the vexed question of the Master and Servant Act, or the question of contract. The measure dealt simply with the question of conspiracy, and that only in the case of master and servant; and it provided that no prosecution for conspiracy should be instituted unless the offence was indictable by statute or was punishable under the provisions of some statute with reference to violent threats, intimidation, or molestation; that no prosecution should be instituted except with the consent of the Attorney or Solicitor General; and that persons convicted upon such prosecution should not be liable to any greater punishment than that provided by law for such cases as aforesaid. With regard to the magistrates, many of whom were employers of labour, it was particularly necessary in their case, that no prosecution should be instituted without the sanction of the Attorney General and Solicitor General, and with regard to the maximum penalty, he deemed it necessary that a change should be made in that provision of the law. The hon. and learned Member concluded by hoping that the House would consent to the second reading of the Bill, the object of which was to bring the law down to the legislation of 1871.

MR. BRUCE

said, he did not rise to offer any opposition to the second reading, but he could have wished that his hon. and learned Friend had accepted the challenge thrown down to him from the Treasury bench, and had brought in a Bill dealing with the general law of conspiracy. In assenting to the second reading, the Government must not be understood as entertaining no objection to the Bill. They would, when the proper time arrived, object to making these prosecutions subject to the approval of the Law Officers; but they would not object to fixing more definitely than had hitherto been the case the punishment applicable to offences of this nature.

Motion agreed to.

Bill read a second time, and committed for Thursday.