§ Order for Second Reading read.
§ MR. BURTsaid, he wished to move the second reading of this Bill. The hon. Member for Wigan (Mr. A. F. Egerton) had a Motion on the Paper to refer the Bill to a Select Committee. Under the circumstances, he (Mr. Burt) was prepared to accept that Motion, and he proposed that the House should allow the measure to be read a second time, in order that it might be referred to a Select Committee.
§ Motion made, and Question proposed, "That the Bill be now read a second time."—(Mr. Burt.)
MR. A. F. EGERTONsaid, that, for his part, he should be willing to assent to the proposed reference, on the understanding that this principle was approved by the Government.
MR. HEALTsaid, he did not oppose the Bill, and trusted that it would pass; but, as a point of Order, he wished to know whether the hon. Member (Mr. A. F. Egerton) was right in putting down—"After the Second Reading of the Canal Boats Act (1877) Amendment Bill, to refer the Bill to a Select Committee?" It did not seem to him to be in Order for an hon. Member to put down such an Amendment—"After the Second Reading." If it was in Order for the hon. Member to do that, that was to say, to propose an Amendment which would only take effect in a hypothetical case, such a proceeding would surely also be in Order with regard to Amendments in Committee.
§ MR. SPEAKERIt is not a Notice in the nature of an Amendment, and, therefore, it was perfectly in Order.
§ MR. HEALYsaid, his point was that the Motion should not be allowed to appear on the Paper. He had always thought, that no Amendment could appear on the Paper relating to a particular stage, until that stage had been ob- 794 tained. How did the hon. Member for Wigan know that the second reading stage would be taken? On the Committee stage of Bills hon. Members could not put down Amendments until the House was in Committee. He had seen Amendments put down to refer Bills to Select Committees, but it had always been after the second reading; but on the present occasion the hon. Member proposed that after the second reading the Bill should be referred to a Select Committee. He challenged any hon. Member to say that he had seen any such thing before.
§ MR. COURTNEYIf the hon. Member will refer to Orders Nos. 17 and 18, he will find his own name put down to similar Motions.
§ MR. SPEAKERIt is perfectly in Order. It is the usual practice for the Motion to be put down in this way.
MR. A. F. EGERTONThat is not the Notice I originally gave. I have no doubt it was altered, and put in that form, by the Clerk at the Table, in accordance with the ordinary practice.
§ Question put, and agreed to.
§ Bill read a second time, and committed to a Select Committee.