§ MR. T. M. HEALY (Longford, N.)I notice at the end of the Orders of the Day that No. 18 is the Occupiers' Disqualification Removal Bill. This Bill was on the Paper yesterday, and if Notice had been given that it would be taken to-day I should certainly have put down Amendments to enlarge the scope of the Bill. When the Motion for a Saturday Sitting was before the House yesterday I asked for a definition of what was to be regarded as Government business, but I received no satisfactory assurance. I wish to submit to you, Mr. Speaker, that Government business "can only apply to the Bills of the Government which were before the House at the time the Resolution was passed." With your concurrence, Sir, I will move that the Bill to which I have called attention, although it has an asterisk placed against it denoting that it is a Government measure, does not strictly come within the Resolution which was passed yesterday.
§ MR. SPEAKERNo doubt it was within the competence of the Government to put down the Bill as a Government measure; but I must confess that very short notice indeed has been given of the intention to take up and proceed with the Bill in that character. I certainly think that some explanation is necessary.
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Mr. W. H. SMITH,) Strand, WestminsterI have not the slightest hesitation in saying that if the Bill is objected to it will not be proceeded with. It was, however, put down in perfectly good faith.
§ MR. T. M. HEALYI make no imputation whatever upon the good faith of the Government. I only wish to guard againt the repetition of a similar proceeding in future. So far as this particular Bill is concerned I propose to move a series of Amendments to it, and I have had no opportunity of putting them on the Paper.