PUBLIC BUSINESS—ORDERS OF THE DAY—THE LABOUR LAWS. (Hansard, 10 June 1875)

§ MR. GOSCHEN
asked after what hour the Offences against the Person Bill would not be brought on?

§ MR. DISRAELI
It is impossible to arrange all these matters. Our object is not only to advance the Public Business, but to take into consideration the convenience of the House. I see the hon. Member for Stafford is about to rise to ask another Question on a matter full of interest, and I assure him that I shall do the best I can to afford him an opportunity of declaring his views on the Labour Laws.

§ MR. MACDONALD
felt reluctantly compelled to move an Amendment to the Motion of the right hon. Gentleman at the head of the Government to the effect that the Motion to bring in a Bill to amend the Labour Laws should be made after the First Order of the Day instead of after the Third. His reason for so doing was that the Report of the Royal Commission appointed last Session had been in the hands of Members for some considerable time. The matter was of very great importance, and it was desirable that legislation on the subject should not be postponed. He raised the question for the purpose of giving the Government an opportunity of showing there was no desire to postpone legislation on the subject. He knew it had been said that the Government was not sincere. He had spoken for the Home Secretary. He knew the right hon. Gentleman was desirous the question should be dealt with. He hoped the head of Her Majesty's Government would now make it clear he was.

§ SIR HENRY HAVELOCK
seconded the Motion.

§ MR. W. E. FORSTER
said, he hoped the Amendment would not be pressed, remarking that as the legal Members of 1630 the House took particular interest in the Order of the Day which stood first on the Paper, there was a probability of its occupying the whole, or nearly the whole, of the evening. With regard to the general question of the mode in which the Public Business was conducted, he objected to the practice which had recently grown up of putting a great number of Bills upon the Orders of the Day for each Sitting of the House. The effect of this was that the stages of Bills were not unfrequently passed without discussion. The Notice of Motion with reference to the Labour Laws had been on the Paper for some time, and, as it was most important, he hoped the Motion would be brought forward at the earliest possible moment.

§ MR. DISRAELI
said, that in conducting the Public Business he had followed the example of every person who, previous to himself, had been responsible for the general management of the House. The right hon. Gentleman, in urging that the present mode was faulty, had used a most singularly infelicitous illustration. If, by putting a large number of Bills upon the Orders of the Day for each Sitting, a considerable number of them were passed without remark, that surely was a reason for continuing rather than for departing from the rule. As regarded the Labour Laws Bill, he thought from what had reached him, that in the arrangements he had proposed he was meeting the wishes of the hon. Member for Stafford (Mr. Macdonald). However, he would now say that upon the fate of the Supreme Court of Judicature Bill would depend whether they should have the opportunity of introducing the Labour Laws Bill that night. He hoped the House would now proceed to the Business of the evening, which had certainly not been advanced by what had passed.

§ MR. MUNDELLA
considered that it would have been much more respectful both to the employers and employed if the Bill had been introduced 10 days ago.

§ MR. MACDONALD
expressed his willingness, after the statement of the Prime Minister, to withdraw his Amendment.