§ SIR JOHN LUBBOCKI beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether Her Majesty's Government, having brought in a Bill to equalise London rates in order to carry out the unanimous Resolution passed by the House on 24th February, propose to adopt a similar course with reference to the almost unanimous Resolution passed on 21st March in favour of reducing the excessive length of the hours of labour in shops?
§ MR. W. E. GLADSTONEI have nothing to add on this subject to the answer which was given by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary. He 77 acknowledged the force and weight of the Resolution unanimously passed by the House of Commons, to which, I think, the Government was a party. But he also stated that it was not in our power, at the present time, to make any addition to the engagements which we have already entered into for the purpose of bringing in a Bill on this subject of shop hours.
§ MR. BARTLEY (Islington, N.)Are we to understand that this social legislation, which so materially affects so large a number of people in the United Kingdom, is to be postponed until the Irish Home Rule Question is finally disposed of?
§ [No answer was given.]