SECOND READING. (Hansard, 22 April 1885)

MR. PRESTON BRUCE

said, he did not think there would be any opposition in Scotland to this Bill, although there might be some disappointment on finding that it did not deal with certain questions connected with registration, 397 which, he supposed, were considered to be of too contentious a nature. He only rose at present to remark that this Bill had only been circulated to Members this morning, and that, therefore, although he did not propose to take any objection to the second reading being passed to-day, he would like to suggest to his right hon. and learned Friend (the Lord Advocate) that there ought to be allowed an interval before taking the clauses in detail, in order that the various persons interested in the subject in Scotland might have an opportunity of examining the Bill and making suggestions upon it.

THE LORD ADVOCATE (Mr. J. B. BALFOUR)

My hon. Friend the Member for Fife has touched on the reasons for which the Government do not propose to enter into the larger questions of registration to which he has referred. I think it was explained by the Prime Minister, and it has been more than once explained, that these Registration Bills were not intended to cover the whole ground of the questions bearing on that most important subject, but merely such parts of them as are essential to bring into speedy and effectual operation the Act for the Representation of the People, and accordingly this Bill has been limited to that. In regard to what my hon. Friend further stated, as to the Bill being only circulated to-day, I may repeat the explanation I gave before, that we thought it right, in a matter of so highly technical a kind, in regard to which it was very important to have the views of those who have practical experience of the framing of the Register, to communicate with the assessors in the largest and most populous counties in Scotland while the Bill was in draft. Accordingly, some delay has arisen in that respect; but I may state that, while I propose to put down the Bill for Committee to-morrow, and if an opportunity is offered to ask that you, Mr. Speaker, should leave the Chair, I shall postpone the taking of the clauses till next week, so that there will be time to have the Bill sent down to Scotland, and to have the views of those interested in it obtained. I hope the hon. Member will be satisfied with this explanation.