SECOND READING. (Hansard, 13 March 1883)

§ MR. HENEAGE
said, the principle of this Bill was similar to that of the Bill on the same subject read a second time last year and the previous year. He asked the House to allow it to pass the stage of second reading, and then if any misadventure were to happen to the measure which the Government intended to introduce, this Bill could be referred to a Select Committee.

§ MR. SIDNEY HERBERT
said, he had no wish to interfere with the proposal of the hon. Member to introduce a 447 Bill in the interest of the agricultural community; but he thought it would be of advantage to the House that at some early date, if not that evening, they should have some information as to what were the views of the Government on the subject dealt with in the Bill of the hon. Member. The subject of compensation to tenants was mentioned in the Queen's Speech; but, from that day to this, the House had not been made acquainted with the views of the Government. There were, however, two or three Bills before the House introduced by private Members; and, under those circumstances, he thought it would be of advantage to the country if some indication of the Government intentions were given before the present Bill was read a second time.

§ MR. PELL
said, he gathered from the remarks of the hon. Member opposite that the present Bill did not differ materially in principle from the Bills introduced in former Sessions. Having read through the Bill, however, he was of opinion that its provisions were extremely unpractical; and, moreover, they did appear to him to differ considerably from those of the Bills formerly introduced. As there was a Government Bill looming in the distance, he hoped the hon. Gentleman would not then press the second reading, but give the House and the country further time to consider the question. He did not think the hon. Member would lose anything by following his suggestion; because although, no doubt, the question was of great importance, more information should, in his opinion, be afforded than they were then in possession of. A mere reference to what had been done or attempted before in this matter could not be a sufficient explanation to the House of what was contained within the four corners of this Bill; and he, therefore, renewed his appeal to the hon. Member not to press his Motion for the second reading.

THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTON
said, he agreed with the hon. Member for Wilton (Mr. Sidney Herbert), that the opinions of the Government on this question should be made known as soon as possible; but he thought if the hon. Member would consider a little, he would see that it had not been in their power to take any opportunity for doing so. However anxious they might be to make known their views, there had not 448 been a single opportunity on which they could have introduced the Bill on this subject which they were extremely anxious to lay before the House. It would be an extremely inconvenient course, when the Government themselves were attempting to legislate, that they should express their opinion upon Bills dealing with the same subject introduced by private Members. With regard to the Motion of the hon. Member for Great Grimsby (Mr. Heneage), he was not conversant with the contents of the proposed Bill; but he gathered from what had taken place, that in no part of the House was there so strong an opposition to the principle of the Bill as would justify the Government in opposing the second reading. He was, therefore, willing that this stage should be taken, on the distinct understanding that no further stage should be taken until the Government had been able to announce their own intentions upon the subject which the Bill proposed to deal with. On that understanding he hoped the House, if they were so disposed, would allow the Bill to be read a second time.

§ VISCOUNT EMLYN
said, the noble Lord had given a very good reason why the Bill should not be read a second time, when he informed the House that he did not know what the contents of the Bill were. It was, however, under those circumstances that the noble Lord thought that this Bill, which so greatly affected the interests of the agricultural community, should be read a second time. For his own part, he did not think it possible at that hour (12.45) to go into the merits of the Bill. The hon. Member who introduced the Bill said it did not differ from other Bills which had been introduced in former Sessions upon the same subject. Now, as those Bills differed materially from each other, he was quite unable to understand to which of them the hon. Member referred. Under the circumstances, he thought it unnecessary to take the second reading that evening; and, with the object of allowing further time to those interested in the question to consider the hon. Member's proposal, he begged to move the adjournment of the debate.

§ MR. WARTON
seconded the Motion for adjournment. The Government seemed to think it was a good thing to get a Bill read the recond time, although they had not the slighest idea of what it 449 contained. He thought that was one of the worst reasons that could be put forward in favour of the second reading of the present measure.