§ MR. ARTHUR ARNOLD (for Mr. JAMES HOWARD)asked the First Lord of the Treasury, When the Tenants' Compensation Bill is likely to be in the hands of Members; and, whether it will be introduced upon the re-assembling of Parliament or soon after?
MR. GLADSTONE, in reply, said, the Bill was still under the careful consideration of the Government, and was in a very advanced stage. With regard to the date of its introduction, and to what he supposed he might call the effect of introducing the measure on the re-assembling of Parliament, he would venture to say one or two words, especially to those hon. Members who had not seen as much of the introduction of Bills, and who had not had as much occasion to watch their subsequent fate, perhaps, as he had. There seemed to be an opinion among certain hon. Members in the House that a real progress was made towards the settlement of a measure by the simple fact of the intro- 933 duction of a Bill. It was thought that after a Bill had been introduced it was in a more hopeful condition for passing. In some cases, that might be so; but he did not hesitate to say that, in regard to Bills of great importance, Bills involving questions of great difficulty and liable to excite differences of opinion, it was not wise to introduce them, unless they were prepared to go forward with them without delay. He was acquainted with cases in which, in his opinion, the introduction of Bills of great importance had been positively disadvantageous and injurious to the progress of the question. He wished to say, however, that he had not the least intention to convey, in this case, that he anticipated a long delay before the introduction of this Bill, for he did not; but he ventured to give that opinion, because he often saw that the belief was entertained that the introduction of a Bill upon any subject was a step of very great value and importance.