HC Deb 21 March 1887 vol 312 cc857-8
THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR IRELAND (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR) (Manchester, E.)

I beg to give Notice that I shall to-morrow ask leave to bring in a Bill to make better provision for the prevention and punishment of crime in Ireland, and for other purposes.

THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Mr. W. H. SMITH) (Strand, Westminster)

I wish, Sir, to say that, under the special circumstances of the Notice just given by my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary for Ireland, I shall to-morrow, at half-past 1, move that the introduction and several stages of the Criminal Law and Procedure (Ireland) Bill have precedence of all Orders of the Day and Notices of Motion, including the Rules of Procedure, whenever it shall be sot down by the Government as the first Business of the day. And, Sir, with reference to the inquiry addressed to me on Thursday night last by the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Derby (Sir William Harcourt), I beg to say that it is the intention of the Government to proceed with this Motion to-morrow, and, I hope, with the consequent Motion of which my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant has given Notice. In the event of the Bill being brought in to-morrow, or Wednesday, it will be printed at once, and the second reading will be taken on Monday next. We hope to proceed with the Rules of Procedure on Thursday and Friday.

MR. JOHN MORLEY (Newcastle-upon-Tyne)

Sir, I beg to give Notice that tomorrow, when the right hon. Gentleman the First Lord of the Treasury (Mr. W. H. Smith) makes the Motion that he has just announced, I shall move the following Amendment:— That this House declines to set aside the Business of the Nation in favour of a measure for increasing the stringency of the Criminal Law in Ireland, while no effectual security has been taken against the abuse of the law by the exaction of excessive rents.