§ Order for Committee read.
§ Motion made, and Question proposed, "That this House will To-morrow, at Two of the clock, resolve itself into the said Committee."—(Mr. Wheelhouse.)
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKEsaid, that when the Government took Morning 1358 Sittings for their work, it was most improper for private Members to put down their Bills, and thus necessitate hon. Members who might oppose them coming down to the House to watch whether they were reached or not. He moved, as an Amendment, that the Bill be deferred to Monday, the 6th of May.
§ Amendment proposed, to leave out the words ''this day, at Two of the clock," in order to insert the words "upon Monday 6th May,"—(Sir Charles W. Dilke,)—instead thereof.
§ Question proposed, "That the words 'this day, at Two of the clock,' stand part of the Question."
§ MR. WHEELHOUSEsaid, this was his Bill, and he was entirely at a loss to understand why he should not be allowed to fix its being proceeded with for any day he thought proper.
§ MR. MONKsaid, ever since the Bill had been read a second time, it had been on the Orders every day, and that he looked upon as most unfair to those hon. Gentlemen who opposed it.
§ MR. SCLATER-BOOTHsaid, the hon. and learned Member for Leeds (Mr. Wheelhouse) was put to great inconvenience in consequence of the half-past 12 o'clock Rule, and he did not see what was open to him to do more than he proposed to do. A private Member had a perfect right to put down his Bill, on any day he thought proper, in the hope that it might be reached and proceeded with.
§ Question put.
§ The House divided:—Ayes 44; Noes 15: Majority 29.—(Div. List, No. 107.)
§ Main Question put, and agreed to.
§ Committee deferred till To-morrow, at Two of the clock.