MEANING OF CABS. (Hansard, 15 May 1896)

§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. JESSE COLLINGS,) Birmingham, Bordesley
hoped that the hon. Gentleman would not press his Motion to report progress. This was a Measure that affected some 12,000 of the most respectable and hard working men in London, and they much regretted the opposition that had been made to this Bill. The only anxiety on the part of the Government in this matter was to any out their pledges and to relieve these 12,000 working men from unjust disabilities under which they lay. As there was no objection on the part of any section of the House to the principle of the Bill, he hoped that the opposition to the Measure would not be continued.

§ DR. TANNER (Cork Co., Mid)
asked, whether it was not the fact that this Bill was really originated by the Liberal Party, and that it had only been taken up by the Government in order 1506 to make a bid for the vote of the working classes. This Bill having been originally conceived by the Liberal Party, has been taken under the wing of the Government, who had so often committed themselves to pledges and had then broken them. The right hon. Gentleman had put forward a plea admisericordiam, in favour of a large class of the working classes of London, and he had appealed to hon. Members to withdraw their opposition to this Bill on the ground that the Measure affected that large class of working men. Of course, they must take the sympathy which the right hon. Gentleman had expressed for the working man cum grano salis.

§ MR. P. A. M'HUGH
said, that he must decline to withdraw his Motion for reporting progress. If the Government really believed that this Bill would be such a boon to a large class of working men, why did not they bring forward this stage of the Bill at a time when it could be properly discussed?