§ MR. GREGORYasked the President of the Board of Trade, What were his intentions with regard to the Bankruptcy Bill, which was set down for Saturday? If the clauses relating to Ireland were not added the course of the Bill would be perfectly simple; but if they were introduced they would unquestionably lead to controversy. They would hardly get through it at the Saturday Sitting, and a day next week—perhaps more than one—would have to be devoted to it. He expressed a hope that the Bill would be relieved from the incubus now placed upon it.
§ MR. GIBSONsaid, he had heard a rumour that it was under the consideration of the President of the Board of Trade to make some modification in the Irish clauses to the extent of applying the local bankruptcy system to Ireland, and of not going on with the other Irish clauses. He mentioned the matter in case the right hon. Gentleman might wish to say something about it.
§ MR. CHAMBERLAINIt will be in the recollection of the House that originally we proposed that the clauses relating to Ireland should be taken on the Report stage. But objection, deserving of weight, was taken to that, on the ground that it would be a strong measure to ask the House to extend the scope of the Bill in an important respect without having those clauses considered in Committee. Yielding to that objection, what I propose to do is, when the Bill is called on to-morrow, immediately to move that it be re-committed for the purpose of receiving the Irish clauses; and, no doubt, upon that Motion it would be perfectly legitimate for any Gentleman who objects to the extension of the Bill to Ireland to discuss that as a question of principle. I would venture, with the permission of the House, to go a step further, and to make an appeal to hon. Members who take that view, while they should state fully, as they are entitled to do, their objections to the principle, yet, if the decision of the House is against them, and if it should appear, as I think it will, that there is an almost universal concurrence of opinion amongst the representatives of commercial classes in Ireland that this Bill should be extended as proposed, that, at all events, their subsequent opposition on the stage of Committee will be confined to as narrow statement as is consistent with anything like fair discussion. [Mr. HEALY: Hear, hear!] I find to-day that there are 30 pages of Amendments on the Paper, and that 255 of these Amendments stand in the names of six Members from Ireland. Now, there is no doubt, if these Amendments are to be pressed with all the pertinacity of which hon. Members from Ireland are capable, at this stage of the Session, it clearly will be almost impossible for the Government to do what they are anxious to do—namely, to give effect to what they believe to be the wishes of the people of Ireland. If so, the whole responsibility must rest 72 with the hon. Members who bring about that result. I hope there is no such intention; and that, the principle having once been decided, the discussion of the details will be confined within very moderate limits.