[BILL 175.] SECOND READING. (Hansard, 21 April 1884)

§ MR. WARTON
rose to a point of Order. The Motion before the House was that the Bill be now read a second time; but he had given Notice that on that Motion he should move that the Bill be adjourned till to-morrow. It was a question arising from peculiar circumstances.

§ MR. SPEAKER
That will not be in Order. There is no Question before the House.

MR. GEORGE RUSSELL
said, he had moved the second reading.

§ MR. WARTON
said, his point of Order was this. At the moment before the adjournment of the House was moved, on the last Sitting before the Vacation, it was understood that the second reading of this Bill would be taken to-day. That was of some importance in regard to what took place last year. Without any such arrangement last year the Bill was put down for the first day after the Easter Vacation; and his point was that there had not been a single day on which Amendments could be put down in opposition to this Bill. By the courtesy of the House a Bill was always read a first time; but if such a Bill was put down for second reading on the first day after a Recess, there was no time for putting down Amendments. When he had a Motion on this subject on the 1st of April last, and the noble Marquess (the Marquess of Hartington) wanted to have a debate on the Reform Bill, he only asked that one day should be given upon which Amendments in opposition might be put down; and as, if this plan was not adopted, any Bill might be forced through a second reading, he should now move that the second reading be adjourned till to-morrow.

§ MR. SPEAKER
It is only competent to the hon. and learned Member to move the adjournment of the debate.

§ THE ATTORNEY GENERAL (SIR HENRY JAMES)
said, this Bill was first brought before the House of Lords; but if there was any feeling that further opportunity for considering it should be given, he would not raise any objection, to that; but he would appeal to the hon. and learned Member for Bridport to consider its provisions, and not block 249 it simply because it was a Bill on the Paper.