INFANT LIFE PROTECTION BILL. (Hansard, 28 July 1897)

§ MR. J. SAMUEL (Stockton)
said that several Members representing non-county boroughs, who were interested in this Bill had paired for the rest of the Session and gone away on the understanding that the Bill which was a private Member's Bill would not be procceded with. The Government had now suddenly decided to take it up, and private. Members had a right to an explanation for their action.

MR. T. M. HEALY
pointed out to Mr. Speaker that the Bill was not Starred on the Order Paper as a Government Bill in accordance with the Rules.

§ *MR. SPEAKER
No doubt it is usual to put a star against Government Bills. But as the Government have put this Bill down it becomes Government business. The First Lord of the Treasury stated that the Government intended to put this Bill down. The Government have done so, and I cannot say it is not Government business.

MR. T. M. MEALY
said the Government should let the House know what 1382 was Government business and what was not. If there was any further attempt to take Government business which was not starred he should object.

§ *MR. SPEAKER
The hon. and learned Member could not take objection in point of form. The practice has invariably been to star Government Bills, but business put down by the Government becomes Government business.

MR, T. M. HEALY
Quite true, Sir, but that would depend on the construction of the particular Order the House might be on.

§ *MR. SPEAKER
It was ordered the other day that the Standing Order as to the sittings of the House should not affect Government business The Government have put down this Bill and, therefore, it becomes Government business, within the meaning of the recent Order.

§ MR. J. SAMUEL
thought the House ought to know on what ground the Government had taken up this Bill.

§ *MR. SPEAKER
Order, order! The only question before the House is that the Bill as amended be now considered.

§ MR. J. SAMUEL
said that if he was in order he would move the adjournment of the Debate, that a matter so important to a huge number of private Members might be discussed.

§ MR. SPEAKER
The question is that this Bill be now considered. The hon. Member cannot enter into the policy of the Government in taking up private Member Bills.

§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY
said that, after Mr. Speaker's ruling, it was only by leave of the House that he could Say anything on the general question. The hon. Member could not have been in the House yesterday or he must have had a very imperfect report of what he had said, because he pointed out that at the time he asked for special privileges for Government business, he stated that there were a certain number of private Bills which he believed to be really unopposed, that he would do his best to consult, with hon. Members in various park of the House as to these Bills, and he would put them down, not as Government Bills, but as Government, business, in order that the Motion taking the Whole time of the House for Government business should not act oppressively towards hon. Members 1383 who had really unopposed business. The hon. Gentleman, he knew, felt strongly about the Highways Bill, but that was a Bill to which he made special reference in his statement; the previous night, pointing out that it stood in a different position to almost all the other Bills which ad made progress after Twelve o'clock at night, that fact affording a good indication that they were really unopposed. He expressly told the House that one of the Bills he proposed to put down as Government business—namely, the Highways Bill—still stood for second reacting, and that he was in it sure whether it was an unopposed measure or not. He had endeavoured to the best of his ability to find out exactly how the matter stood, and he learned that the hon. Gentleman had a strong objection to the measure founded on the interest of the non-county boroughs, winch he thought were prejudiced by it. He should wish to consult the hon. Al ember with regard to the Bill, and he should not press to take it that day. ["Hear, hear!"] He might, add that there was no intention, under the guise of Government business, of forcing down the throats of a reluctant minority Bills of this character, and he hoped, therefore, the hon. Gentleman would withdraw his motion.

§ MR. J. SAMUEL,
by leave, withdrew his Motion for the adjournment of Debate.