§ Bill considered in Committee.
§ (In the Committee.)
§ Clause 1 (Plaintiff to recover such damages (less than 40s.) as the court or judge may deem just).
§ On the Motion of Mr. ATTORNEY GENERAL, the following Amendments made:—In page 1, line 9, leave out "passed," and insert "of the Session held;" and in line 11, leave out "law," and insert "laws."
§ Clause, as amended, agreed to.
§ Clause 2 (Costs to be in the discretion of the judge).
§ On the Motion of Mr. ATTORNEY GENERAL, the following Amendment made:—In page 1, line 25, after "tried," insert "and section four of 'The Copyright (Musical Compositions) Act, 1882,' is hereby repealed."
§ Clause, as amended, agreed to.
§ Clause 3 (Proprietor not wilfully permitting such performance to be exempt).
593§ On the Motion of Mr. ATTORNEY GENERAL, the following Amendments made:—In page 1, line 26, leave out, "or places;" in line 27, leave out, "or places;" and in page 2, line 6, after "performance," insert "knowing it to be unauthorised."
§ Clause, as amended, agreed to.
§ Clause 4 (Definition).
§ On the Motion of Mr. ATTORNEY GENERAL, Clause struck out.
§ Clause 5 agreed to.
§ Clause 6 (Extent of Act).
§ Amendment proposed, in page 2, line 13, leave out "extend only to England and Wales," and insert "not extend to Scotland or Ireland."—(Mr. Attorney General.)
§ Question proposed, "That the words proposed to be left out stand part of the Clause."
§ MR. ARTHUR O'CONNOR (Donegal, E.)asked, why this limitation was introduced.
§ MR. ADDISON (Ashton-under-Lyne)said, personally he should prefer that the Bill should extend to Ireland and Scotland, for he believed it would in both countries prove a very useful measure. He did not wish to introduce controversial matter, and therefore had not included Ireland, but would be quite ready to meet the wishes of Irish Members. He might say that among his correspondence on the subject he had had complaints from persons who in Ireland had been victims of the system of blackmail the Bill would stop.
§ THE ATTORNEY GENERAL (Sir RICHARD WEBSTER) (Isle of Wight)said, he had no objection to the words "or Ireland" being struck out, his only object in proposing the Amendment was to carry out the intention of the promoters in the usual Parliamentary form. He expressed no opinion whatever as to the desirability of extending the Bill to Ireland or Scotland. As a matter of drafting, if that policy were adopted the clause should be struck out altogether.
§ MR. ARTHUR O'CONNORsaid, the object of the Bill, as he understood it, was to prevent a system of fraud and blackmail pursued by a limited number of persons, and he could see no reason why the Bill should not apply to Ireland.
§ MR. ADDISONsaid, he should be very glad to omit the clause.
§ DR. FARQUHARSON (Aberdeenshire, W.)said, if there was any advantage in the Bill, Scotland had a fair claim to share in it.
§ Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.
§ On the Motion of Mr. ADDISON, Clause struck out of the Bill.
§ Preamble agreed to.
§ Bill reported; as amended, to be considered To-morrow.
§ House adjourned at twenty minutes after Twelve o'clock.