§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERmoved—
That the Orders of the Day subsequent to the Factories and Workshops Bill be postponed until after the Notice of Motion relating to the Amendment of the Grand Jury Law in Ireland.
§ MR. KNATCHBULL-HUGESSENsaid, he had an appeal to make to the Chancellor of the Exchequer with regard to one of the Orders which were to be postponed, of which he had given previous Notice to his right hon. Friend. He was the last person who would desire to offer any obstruction to Public Business, or to presume to interfere with the manner in which the right hon. Gentleman proposed to arrange that Business. But, as one of the Orders of the Day which it was proposed to postpone was a Bill under his (Mr. Knatchbull-Hugessen's) charge, a legitimate opportunity was afforded for his appeal. The Colonial Marriages Bill had been read a second time on the previous day by a 454 majority in a tolerably full House; but since the adoption by the House of what was called "the half-past 12" Rule, and the unsparing use made of that Rule by the opponents of any measure in the hands of a private Member, there was no chance of his measure being again discussed except by the assistance of the Government. He hoped the right hon. Gentleman would not answer his appeal by stating that the majority had been reduced from that of last year; for the Division Lists showed that so many had voted this year who had not voted last year, that it made a total of 485 Members of the present Parliament who had voted or paired upon the question, of whom 255 had voted for, and 205 against, it. Therefore, the majority of votes obtained in that House in favour of the Bill was 50. There was nothing of a Party character about the measure, yet the Government had upon each occasion earnestly opposed it; and he knew, as a fact, that a certain number of Members who would otherwise have supported it had abstained from voting in order that the Government might not be put in a minority, even upon a non-Party and non-political question. Moreover, in spite of this consideration, and the strong pressure brought to bear upon them, 50 of the habitual supporters of the Government had in that, and the previous year, recorded their votes in favour of the Bill. Now, when a measure which was regarded with considerable interest in the Colonies had twice passed its second reading by a large majority taken from both sides of the House, it was not respectful either to the House or the Colonies that there should be no opportunity given for its further discussion. Most of the objections to it really referred to Amendments which might be made in Committee; and, as owing to the way in which the Business of the House was conducted, it was almost impossible to make real progress with a Bill unless the Government afforded some facilities for it, he appealed to the Chancellor of the Exchequer to endeavour to give, at some early period, an opportunity for the further discussion of this measure. He would bow with submission to an adverse decision of the House, if upon further consideration such decision should be given: but he 455 protested against the message being allowed again to go out to the Colonies, that whilst the British House of Commons admitted by a majority that their grievance was a real one, they could not find time even to discuss the proposed remedy.
§ MR. PARNELLwished to know whether the discussion on the Factories and Workshops Bill would be discontinued about 11 o'clock, so as to enable the Chief Secretary for Ireland to make his statement?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERsaid, his object in making the Motion was that his right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary might make his statement at an hour when his remarks could be fully reported. He hoped, therefore, it would be commenced about 11 o'clock. With regard to the appeal of the right hon. Member for Sandwich (Mr. Knatchbull-Hugessen), he must say he admired the ingenuity of the right hon. Gentleman's calculations, which he hoped might stand him in good stead in finding another day for his Bill. The right hon. Gentleman, however, made rather a bold demand when he based his request on the fact that they were asking on a Government night to postpone other Orders in order that a Government Motion might be brought forward. As the Colonial Marriages Bill was the 10th Order on the Paper, with five or six Government Bills before it, it would have had a small chance of being reached tonight. In the present state of Public Business he could not undertake to find an opportunity for its further discussion.
§ SIR GEORGE CAMPBELLWith regard to the majority on which the right hon. Gentleman (Mr. Knatchbull-Hugessen) prides himself, his Bill stands in a very peculiar position—namely, that it has been made the subject of a most abominable system of private canvassing of Members of Parliament by paid agents. Pressure of that kind was brought to bear on me; and I told the gentleman who canvassed me that, if I were doubtful about the matter before, his pressure would make me vote against the Bill, and I did vote against it.
§ Motion agreed to.