§ LORD ROBERT MONTAGUasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether, as he proposes to let "The Master and Servant Act, 1867," expire, he will repeal the Acts suspended by the first Schedule of that Act; and, whether he proposes to repeal the whole, or any part of "The Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1871," as also Clause 4 of "The Trades Union Act of 1871," in so far as it forbids the enforcing of certain contracts made between workmen who have associated themselves, and between the societies they have formed?
MR. ASSHETON CROSS, in reply, said, he thought he had already made clear his intention to repeal such parts of those Acts as were contained in the Schedule of "The Master and Servant Act "as were affected by the Employers and Workmen Bill. There were one or two provisions not relating to the special subject of the Bill which might have to be retained, but all the rest would be repealed. The Government thought "The Criminal Law Amendment Act" ought to remain in force, and he had no intention of touching "the Trades Union Act" in any way. The object of the Government was to carry out what they believed was the intention of the Act of 1871, and do away with the effect of the judicial interpretation which had been put upon Section 4 of "The Trades Union Act." The statutable Law of Conspiracy in Clause 3 of "The Conspiracy and Protection of Property Bill" simply related to those conspiracies which were distinctly made crimes, and recognized by Acts of Parliament as conspiracies.