HC Deb 12 January 1894 vol 20 cc1468-70
DR. FARQUHARSON (Aberdeenshire, W.)

I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether, to suit the convenience of Scotch Members, he can arrange to resume the adjourned Debate on the Scotch Fisheries Bill on Tuesday 13th of February, instead of Monday 12th February?

MR. W. E. GLADSTONE

I am afraid it is not possible to comply with the wish of my hon. Friend. As I understand the matter, the position now stands thus:—We are about, as we hope, according to a widespread understanding in the House, to dispose of the Local Government Bill. We have disposed of another very important Bill, which is now before the House of Lords awaiting treatment there, relating to the liability of employers. We have remaining, as an important item of our Business, the Amendments of the Lords to the Sea Fisheries Regulation (Scotland) Bill. I think my hon. Friend will see that we could not very well displace that Business, which is our own Business, and leave that period a blank upon speculation as to what may be done by the House of Lords. I am afraid that we must keep this Bill where it is, and if inconvenience is felt, which we regret, I hope it will be possible that the Sea Fisheries Bill may not take much of the time of the House. I suppose it will be possible that Amendments may come from the House of Lords to the Employers' Liability Bill of such a character that they may be disposed of at once, but it is impossible to speak positively on that subject until we know what Amendments are made.

DR. FARQUHARSON

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that Scotch Members are exposed to great inconvenience from the fact that on the local railways in Scotland the trains do not run on Sundays?

MR. W. E. GLADSTONE

I am under the impression that the communication from the main points of traffic in Scotland late on Sunday night is pretty good.

MR. ANSTRUTHER&c.) (St. Andrews,

I do not wish to pursue the subject of Sunday travelling by Scotch Members, but I desire to ask the right hon. Gentleman whether, if it should appear to him probable between this and February 12 that no other business is likely to come before the House other than the Sea Fisheries Bill on the latter date, he will consent to make the Sitting a formal Sitting, in order to take the Order to which reference has been made upon the following day, and when the House will have notice of the Amendments which the right hon. Gentleman (Sir G. Trevelyan) proposes to move to his own clause as an alternative to the one under discussion when the Debate on the Bill was adjourned?

SIR G. TREVELYAN

That Amendment will be printed in the Paper to-morrow morning.

* SIR F. S. POWELL (Wigan)

Is it proposed to take the Sea Fisheries and also the Employers' Liability Bill?

MR. W. E. GLADSTONE

The Sea Fisheries Bill will stand first on the Order Paper when we meet in February. In the contingency hinted at by the hon. Member it might be possible to have a formal Sitting on the first day, but I fancy that contingency is founded much more upon hope than upon expectation.

MR. J. LOWTHER (Kent, Thanet)

Will the right hon. Gentleman say precisely what Bills will be taken on Monday, February 12?

MR. W. E. GLADSTONE

The Sea Fisheries Bill certainly; and, with regard to the Employers' Liability Bill, if the business to be done upon it should be of a character with respect to which we feel certain that there would be a general concurrence of opinion in the House as to the desirableness of at once going forward, we should go forward with that Bill, but in other circumstances it would have to stand over until the next day.