§ Bill considered in Committee.
§ (In the Committee.)
§ MR. P. A. TAYLORsaid, he would move that the Chairman do leave the Chair, for it was a pity time should be wasted in discussing a Bill which possessed no merit, and which had no friends.
§ MR. CHARLEYopposed the Motion, on the ground that it was a most unfair method of attempting to destroy the Bill, when a substantial majority of the House had decided to go into Committee upon it. The Bill was a most salutary measure, and rested on the unanimous recommendations of most distinguished men on both sides of the House.
§ Motion made, and Question put, "That the Chairman do now leave the Chair."—(Mr. P. A. Taylor.)
§ The Committee divided:—Ayes 43; Noes 62: Majority 19.
§ MR. DODDSsaid, that in the absence of the hon. Member for Hythe (Sir Edward Watkin), who had given Notice of important Amendments, he would move to report Progress.
§ Motion made, and Question proposed, "That the Chairman report Progress, and ask leave to sit again."—(Mr. Dodds.)
§ SIR WILLIAM HARCOURTsaid, that the subject was a most important one, dealing as it did with an important alteration of the criminal law, and ought to be taken up by the Attorney General, on the responsibility of the Government itself, instead of being left to the chance of being smuggled through the House.
THE ATTORNEY GENERALsaid, it was not likely, according to all appearance, that the Bill would be smuggled through the House. An admitted defect existed in the law relating to infanticide which would be remedied by the Bill if it were passed with certain Amendments which he had placed upon the Paper, and he did not think it was of much importance whether it was introduced by himself or by the hon. and learned Member for Salford. He thought the House would do well to entertain it.
§ MR. CHARLEYdefended the Bill, ridiculing the Amendments of the hon. Baronet (Sir Edward Watkin), which proposed to deal with the bastardy law, the law of husband and wife, the Poor Law, and the law of seduction.
§ MR. MONKadvised that the Bill should be accepted, together with Amendments to be introduced by the Government.
§ MR. DODDSthought it his duty to persist in his Motion in the absence of many hon. Gentlemen who had given Notice of Amendments.
§ MR. P. A. TAYLORsaid, that the observations of the hon. and learned Gentleman the Attorney General showed that the Bill ought not to be allowed to pass, as the point he referred to was not in the Bill at all.
§ MR. CHARLEYshowed that the words in the Bill—"during its birth"—dealt with the point.
§ Question put, and agreed to.
§ House resumed.
§ Committee report Progress; to sit again upon Friday.