§ MR. BRADLAUGH (Northampton)asked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether, at Liverpool City Sessions on Saturday last, the Recorder refused the oath and affirmation of W. A. Newcomb as a juror, Mr. Newcomb having applied to affirm on the ground that he was a 250 person without religious belief; whether on Monday, at an inquest at Wood Green, Mr. Wynne Baxter, the Coroner, accepted the affirmation of Mr. Oates as a juror, although Mr. Oates had stated that he was without religious belief; whether he is aware that similar instances of conflict, as to acceptance and rejection of affirmation by jurors without religious belief, are constantly occurring in the Queen's Bench Division of the High Court of Justice, and before Coroners; and, whether, under these circumstances, the Government can afford any facilities for taking the opinion of the House on the Second Reading of the Oaths Bill, which, during the whole of the present Session, has been persistently blocked?
§ THE FIRST LORD (Mr. W. H. SMITH) (Strand, Westminster)I have no personal knowledge of the cases quoted, nor am I aware that similar cases of conflict are of constant occurrence. In the present state of Public Business, it is not possible for me to give facilities for any measure that is not a Government Bill.
§ MR. BRADLAUGHCan the right hon. Gentleman influence Gentlemen who sit behind him to withdraw their block to the Bill?
§ MR. W. H. SMITHI have no power to do that.