§ *SIR C. W. DILKE (Gloucester, Forest of Dean)I beg to ask the hon. Member for the Uxbridge Division, whether it is his intention to proceed with the London Municipalities Bill?
§ SIR F. D. DIXON-HARTLAND (Middlesex, Uxbridge)Mr. Speaker, in reply to the right hon. Baronet, I wish to say that as a private Member I could only have hoped to get the principle of London divided into Municipalities, as contained in my Bill, affirmed, which, whilst preserving one central Council for matters of really common concern, would confer upon local areas full municipal rights the liberty of conducting their own local affairs. As the Government had given notice in the Queen's Speech to bring in a Bill in a contrary direction, I had considered it right to give the House an opportunity of having before it an alternative scheme, but as the principle embodied in my Bill, which is ready after some weeks of labour, has so recently been clearly approved by the electors of London themselves, it seemed to me idle to take up the time of a dying Parliament in re-affirming a question in which London itself has spoken with no 42 uncertain sound, and I shall, therefore, not proceed with my Bill.
§ *SIR C. W. DILKEWill the hon. Member move, on Wednesday, that the Order be discharged?
§ SIR F. DIXON-HARTLANDYes, I will.