§ Order for Committee read.
§ Motion made, and Question proposed, "That this House will, this day, resolve itself into the said Committee. — (Mr. Wheelhouse.)
§ Amendment proposed, to leave out the words "this day," in order to insert the words "upon Tuesday next," — (Sir Charles W. Dilke,)—instead thereof.
§ MR. H. SAMUELSONsaid, his vote on this question would depend very much upon the answer he received from the hon. and learned Gentleman who had charge of the Bill (Mr. Wheelhouse). He thought the Bill might be made a very good one with certain Amendments, and he had himself placed several upon the Notice Paper. If the hon. and learned Gentleman was prepared to receive his proposals with favour, he would support the Motion to take the next stage at the earliest possible moment. He knew that the Amendments he proposed to introduce were regarded with favour by other hon. Members whose names appeared on the back of the Bill.
§ MR. WHEELHOUSE,in reply, said, he could not accept the Amendments which had been put upon the Paper by the hon. Member for Frome (Mr. Samuelson).
§ MR. DILLWYNsupported the Amendment of his hon. Friend the Member for Chelsea (Sir Charles W. Dilke), on the ground that it would be unfair to put upon the Paper for a Saturday Sitting a Bill which had been set down for almost every night since the commencement of the Session.
§ Question put, "That the words 'this day' stand part of the Question."
§ The House divided:—Ayes 40; Noes 40.
§ And the numbers being equal, Mr. Speaker stated that the House seemed to be in doubt regarding the day on which this Bill should be proceeded with; but as, in the case of the prior Order of the Day, the House decided upon its postponement to Tuesday next, 1713 he should follow a similar course, and accordingly declared his vote with the Noes.—(Div. List, No. 266.)
§ Words inserted.
§ Main Question, as amended, put.
§ Resolved, That this House will, upon Tuesday next, resolve itself into the said Committee.