§ Order for consideration of Lords Reasons for disagreeing with Commons Amendments read.
§ MR. BARTLEY (Islington, N.)I object.
§ MR. BOULNOIS (Marylebone, W.)I hope my hon. Friend will not press his objection. The Bill is one over which a good deal of trouble was taken in Committee. The Lord Chancellor has since been consulted about the Amendments, and there is now absolutely nothing contentious about the measure, which represents a compromise.
§ THE ATTORNEY GENERAL (Sir C. RUSSELL,) HackneyI may add that this Bill comes into operation on the 1st of January, and it is a matter of public concern that it should receive the Royal Assent without delay.
§ MR. BARTLEYWe have been subjected to the Closure to-day. The Bill can very easily be put down as the first Order for to-morrow. We have not been allowed to discuss it, and we know nothing about it. It is not even on the Paper.
§ SIR R. WEBSTER (Isle of Wight)I should like to join in the appeal which has been made to my hon. Friend to withdraw his objection. The hon. Member is suffering under a just sense of grievance, and naturally resents the treatment which the Opposition has received this day. At the same time, I hope that the hon. Member will not persist in objecting on the present occasion, as the Bill to be considered would effect a useful modification of the law, and the Amendments introduced in another place are not of great importance, and do not touch the principle of the measure.
MR. J. LOWTHER (Kent, Thanet)I may point out that no explanation of the Bill has been given; I do not even know what Bill this is.
§ Order postponed until To-morrow.