HC Deb 30 June 1879 vol 247 cc1044-6

Clause 122 (Royal warrant required for convening and confirming general courts martial).

MR. PARNELL

trusted that the right hon. and gallant Gentleman would now agree to report Progress, as the Committee had made very satisfactory pro- gress with the Bill that evening. They had now entered upon a part of the Bill which would necessitate considerable discussion; and as they had arrived at a very late hour, he hoped that the right hon. and gallant Gentleman would not refuse his request.

Motion made, and Question proposed, "That the Chairman do report Progress, and asked leave to sit again."—(Mr. Parnell.)

COLONEL STANLEY

said, that he was quite in the hands of the Committee; but ho would remind hon. Members that the Bill had already been four months upon the Table of the House. There did not seem to be many Amendments to the next few clauses—he only saw one Amendment of the hon. and gallant Member for East Aberdeenshire (Sir Alexander Gordon), who proposed to leave out "fourpence" and insert "twopence"—and he, therefore, thought that the Committee might proceed a little further that night.

MR. RYLANDS

did not think that the Government ought to refuse the very reasonable request that had been made to report Progress. It should be remembered that many Amendments, which it was proposed to make, were not down upon the Paper.

SIR WILLIAM HARCOURT

thought that the Government ought to be well satisfied with the progress that had been made that evening. Personally, he would be willing to go on; but, still, as there was a disinclination on the part of some hon. Members to proceed, he thought the Government should be satisfied with what had been already done. It would be unwise on the part of the Government not to show its appreciation of the manner in which the Bill had been treated that evening.

THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER

was conscious that the Committee had been allowed to make a good deal of progress with the Bill that evening. The only thing that weighed with him was a consideration of the state of Public Business; and he thought, in view of that, they might be allowed to make some slight further progress. He did not think there was any reason why they should not do a little extra work that evening.

MR. BIGGAR

supported the Motion to report Progress.

MR. PARNELL

hoped that the Chancellor of the Exchequer would not continue to resist the Motion to report Progress. There was a good deal of contentious matter in the clause at which they had arrived; and it ought not to be supposed that because Amendments were not down upon the Paper that nothing was to be said. It was true that the lion. Member for Dundee (Mr. E. Jenkins), who had a Motion on the Paper, was away; but there were others besides him who were interested in this question of courts martial. He was sure the right hon. Gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer did not desire to press them to go on when they had passed 34 clauses—only fancy, 34 clauses of a Bill of that magnitude!

THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER

would not further resist the Motion; but he must remind the Committee that at the time of the Session at which they had arrived it would make it necessary, unless they were allowed to make reasonable progress with this Bill, for him to propose that the House should sit on an unusual day at this period of the Session—namely, on Saturday. He trusted that the progress that had been made that night would be an augury as to the manner in which they would proceed hereafter with the Bill. Under the circumstances, he would consent to the Motion that Progress should be reported.

Motion agreed to.

House resumed.

Committee report Progress; to sit again upon Thursday.