HC Deb 12 April 1892 vol 3 cc1275-7

Considered in Committee.

(In the Committee.)

Clause 1.

MR. T. M. HEALY (Longford, N.)

I would ask the hon. and learned Gentleman the Attorney General to strike out all the repealing clauses.

*(5.24.) THE ATTORNEY GENERAL (Sir R. WEBSTER,) Isle of Wight

I may explain to the hon. and learned Member for Longford, I propose to strike out all the repealing clauses. The result will be to make the Bill simply permissive, enabling people to use the short title, and not preventing those who prefer to do so from employing the long title. As the hon. and learned Member is well aware, there are many Acts of Parliament which cannot be cited except by very long titles.

MR. T. M. HEALY

I am altogether opposed to the idea of altering the historic titles of certain Acts of Parliament. Take the Act of Union of Scotland. It is to be called Union of Scotland Act? Union of what? Then there is the Act for the Union of England and Scotland, and that of the union with Ireland—our little country over the way. I shall object to any tinkering with these historic titles.

(5.27.) SIR C. RUSSELL (Hackney, S.)

I would point out to my hon. and learned Friend the Member for Longford that people will still be at liberty, notwithstanding this Act, to use the longest titles that exist.

DR. TANNER

I think that the Government should be fair all round, and allow the Criminal Law Amendment (Ireland) Act to be cited by the simple, common, and true title of the Tory Coercion Act. It is as well to call a spade a spade while we are at it.

(5.28.) SIR R. WEBSTER

I can satisfy the scruples of the hon. Member. The words are without prejudice to any other mode of recital.

Clause agreed to.

Clause 2 negatived.

Clause 3 agreed to.

Motion made, and Question proposed, "That Schedule 1 be added to the Bill."

(5.33.) MR. T. M. HEALY

The Government proposed at 5.30 to report Progress, and I really think it is not fair to go on.

SIR R. WEBSTER

There are only three Schedules, and these we might be allowed to take.

MR. T. M. HEALY

I withdraw my opposition.

Schedule 1 agreed to.

Motion made, and Question proposed, "That Schedule 2 be added to the Bill."

(5.38.) MR. T. M. HEALY

I beg now, Sir, to move that you report Progress, and ask leave to sit again. It is now more than half-past five o'clock, and, moreover, it is desirable that we should have this Bill in reserve.

Motion made, and Question proposed, "That the Chairman do report Progress, and ask leave to sit again."—(Mr. T. M. Healy.)

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

The hon. and learned Member admits that his object in making this Motion is to have a Bill in reserve that he may operate more successfully upon the Attorney General at a later stage. That is hardly a reason for not going on with this Bill. I said that 5.30 was a desirable hour to begin the discussion upon the Motion for Adjournment, but the hon. Member can hardly complain if the hour is a little overstepped. The Bill now before the Committee can be disposed of in a few minutes, as there is no contentious matter in the Schedules. I hope the Motion for Progress will not be persevered with.

DR. TANNER

As one of the late guests of the right hon. Gentleman, I would like to put this matter in proper form. I wish to move an Amendment on the Schedules with reference to the Criminal Law Procedure (Ireland) Bill. That Bill is known as the Coercion Act, and sometimes it is spoken of as Balfour's Coercion Act, thereby reminding us of the immortal services of the right hon. Gentleman. I shall feel it necessary to divide the Committee on this point, as the right hon. Gentleman has impressed me with a sense of responsibility in respect of this matter.

Motion agreed to.

Committee report Progress; to again upon Monday 25th April.

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