COMMITTEE. (Hansard, 4 March 1880)

§ MR. DODDS
said, that he objected to this Bill proceeding. He had given Notice of opposition to it, but that Notice had not been put upon the Paper.

§ MR. MONK
said, that the Bill was read a second time yesterday, and he then asked the hon. and learned Member for Leeds (Mr. Wheelhouse) whether he intended or was willing to accept the Amendments which were inserted in a similar Bill last Session? The hon. and learned Member, he considered, might have condescended to make some reply; at all events, when he made the Motion "That Mr. Speaker do now leave the Chair." He had, however, heard nothing from the hon. and learned Member; nor did he know whether he intended to accept the Amendments. It was impossible for the House properly to consider the Amendments until they were on the Notice Paper. He believed that it was a Rule of the House that Amendments should not be printed until a Bill had been read a second time. This Bill was read a second time yesterday, and, as the House adjourned at 4 o'clock in the afternoon, there was no time for the Amendments to be printed. The Bill was only read about five minutes before the House adjourned. His Amendments were now lying on the Table; and even if they were placed in the hands of the Chairman of Committees, it would be impossible for hon. Members to understand them properly until they were printed. He did not think there was any absolute Rule against the Amendments being then considered; but he 410 thought it would be a very unusual course for the hon. Member to press the Bill before the Amendments were printed. He begged to move "That the Debate be now adjourned."

§ MR. RYLANDS
said, that he objected to the Bill when it was read a second time. It was quite clear that they could not consider the Amendments of his hon. Friend with any advantage until they were printed. There had been no opportunity as yet of printing the Amendments, and he thought it would be most unreasonable, at that time of the morning, to ask the House to proceed with the Bill.

§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER
said, that the best course to be adopted would be that the Chairman should take the Chair, and that they should then report Progress in order that the Amendment might be put upon the Paper.

§ MR. DODDS
said, that he should object to that course being pursued, because he thought the Amendments ought to be circulated before Mr. Speaker left the Chair.

§ MR. DODDS
I beg to move that the House do now adjourn.

§ MR. SPEAKER
said, that he must remind the hon. Member that he had already spoken upon the Main Question.

§ MR. DODDS
said, that his reason for wishing to move the adjournment of the House was in order to make an appeal to Her Majesty's Government not to force the House to consider, at that hour, a Bill which was very much opposed. It was then nearly half-past 2, and about half-an-hour before an appeal was made to them to allow the Supplementary Estimates to be got through. To that appeal the House yielded, and the Government ought not to assist a private Member in forcing on a Bill of 411 that kind at such an hour. He believed, moreover, that Her Majesty's Government entertained as strong an objection to the measure as any Member upon that side of the House.

§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER
said, that although he had not looked at the Bill, he believed it was substantially the same as that which had passed through the House last year; and he thought it was only fair that his hon. and learned Friend should get a stage from Progress. He proposed, therefore, to proceed as far as that, and he would then agree to the Motion for the adjournment of the House.

§ MR. MONK
said, he was perfectly ready to accept the offer of the right hon. Gentleman.

§ MR. BROGDEN
begged leave to withdraw his Motion for adjournment.