§ Order for Third Reading read.
§ SIR JOHN LUBBOCKin moving that the Bill be now read the third time, said, he trusted that he should be allowed to thank hon. Members who had come down so often and stayed so late to support the measure. His thanks were also due to hon. Members who were opposed to the Bill for their courtesy in waiving their individual objections and allowing the third readimg of the Bill to be taken without opposition. More particularly he wished to thank his hon. Friends the Members for North Northumberland (Earl Percy) and Tyrone (Mr. Macartney).
§ Motion made, and Question proposed, "That the Bill be now read the third time."—(Sir John Lubbock.)
§ EARL PERCYwas obliged to the hon. Baronet the Member for Maidstone for the compliment he had paid him; but he could not allow the third reading of the Bill to take place without one or two remarks. The hon. Member for the University of Cambridge (Mr. Beresford Hope) had made some very hard remarks at the end of last Session with regard to what he had termed his (Earl Percy's) obstruction of this Bill. He could only point out that the course they had taken had resulted in a considerable modification of the original measure, and in the adoption by the hon. Baronet the Member for Maidstone of various Amendments. Those Amendments having been accepted, they had been enabled to waive their objections to the Bill. But 1384 even now he was not entirely convinced of the utility of the measure, or reconciled to its provisions. Having regard, however, to the large modifications which the hon. Baronet had made in it, he thought it was more respectful to the House, which had passed the Bill by large majorities on several occasions, that they should withdraw their objections and allow the Bill to pass.
§ Question put, andagreed to.
§ Bill read the third time, andpassed.