§ MR. T. COLLINSasked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether it is the intention of the Government, before proposing the adjournment of the House from August to October, to move the discharge of the Orders for all Government Bills which they do not intend to proceed with before such adjournment; whether, before the adjournment in August, it is the intention of the Government to place in a Continuance Bill all Acts which would naturally expire at the end of this Session; and, whether it is the intention of the Government, before proceeding further with the Bill dealing with Corrupt Practices in the future, to ask the House to read a second time the Bill dealing with Corrupt Practices in the past in the Cities of Canterbury, Chester, Gloucester, and Oxford, and the Boroughs of Boston, Macclesfield, and Sandwich?
MR. GLADSTONEIn the first place, we should propose to move the discharge of such Government Bills as we do not intend to proceed with before the Adjournment. As to whether we should, before the Adjournment, propose to place in a Continuance Bill the Acts which would naturally expire at the end of the Session, I do not wish to be absolutely bound at present to the full extent of the Question; but I may say generally that the hon. Member seems to indicate the reasonable and proper course which would naturally be taken in the prosecution of the plan I have generally sketched to the House. With regard to the third Question of the hon. Member, it would be most desirable, if possible, to deal 282 with the question of corrupt practices as affecting certain cities; but I am bound to say that we do not contemplate attempting reading that Bill a second time before we proceed with the Bill dealing with corrupt practices in the future.
§ MR. T. COLLINSgave Notice that he would oppose the further progress of the Corrupt Practices Bill.