HC Deb 18 April 1899 vol 69 cc1463-6

Question proposed — That the proceedings on the Metropolitan Water Companies (Government) Bill have precedence this day of the Notices of Motions and the other Orders of the Day."—(The First Lord of the Treasury.)

THE FIRST LOUD OF THE TREASURY

I justify this Motion by stating that if the Measure was to have its full utility it ought to pass immediately in order that the works which it authorises should be at once put in hand and carried out before the possibility of any want of water should be felt in any part of the Metropolis. Remembering that this Bill has already passed the ordeal of the First and Second Reading, as well as through the Select Committee and a Committee of the whole House, I think that whatever differences of opinion there may be must necessarily now refer more to the details of the Measure than to the principle of the Bill itself. Therefore I hope that the amount of time that will be withdrawn from Private Members "Motions by the discussion will be of a trifling character.

MR. LOUGH

I think one word must be said on the statement which the right honourable Gentleman has just made,

and which he made to the House last night. Now, this Bill has never passed through any ordeal, and there was not a word of discussion on the Second Reading, for it was hustled through the Committee, and the Report of the Committee was published in such a way during the holidays that we had no opportunity afforded us of putting down any Amendments. We find that, contrary to arrangement, that contentious business would not be taken immediately after the holidays, that on the very first day after the Easter holidays this contentious Bill is put first on the Paper. The result was that the Report stage was taken in about two minutes after the dinner hour on the first night after the recess, and consequently the House had no opportunity of examining it. I think it is rather unfortunate that the right honourable Gentleman should make this Motion, for. I think the Measure should be dealt with in Government time.

Question put — That the proceedings on the Metropolitan Water Companies (Government) Bill have precedence this day of the Notices of Motions and the other Orders of the Day."—(The First Lord of the Treasury.)

The House divided:—Ayes 170; Noes 102.—(Division List No. 84.)

AYES.
Acland-Hood, Capt. Sir A. F. Bowles, T. G. (King's Lynn) Duncombe, Hon. Hubert V.
Arnold-Forster, Hugh O. Brassey, Albert Fardell, Sir T. George
Arrol, Sir William Brodrick, Rt. Hn. St. John Fellowes, Hon. Ailwyn E.
Ashmead-Bartlett, Sir Ellis Cayzer, Sir Charles William Fergusson, Rt Hn Sir J (Manc'r)
Atkinson, Rt. Hon. John Cecil, Evelyn (Hertford, East) Finlay, Sir Robt. Bannatyne
Bagot, Capt. J. FitzRoy Chaloner, Capt. R. G. W. Firbank, Joseph Thomas
Baillie, Jas. E. B. (Inverness) Chamberlain, Rt. Hn J.(Birm.) Fisher, William Hayes
Balcarres, Lord Chamberlain, J. A. (Worc'r) Fison, Fredk. William
Balfour, Rt. Hon A. J. (Manch'r) Chaplin, Rt. Hon. Henry FitzGerald, Sir R. Penrose-
Balfour, Rt. Hn. G. W. (Leeds) Cochrane, Hon. T. H. A. E. Flower, Ernest
Banbury, Fredk. George Coddington, Sir William Folkestone, Viscount
Barnes, Frederic Gorell Coghill, Douglas Harry Garfit, William
Barry, Sir F. T. (Windsor) Cohen, Benjamin Louis Giles, Charles Tyrrell
Bartley, George C. T. Collings, Rt. Hon. Jesse Godson, Sir Augustus Fredk.
Barton, Dunbar Plunket Cornwallis, F. Stanley W. Golds Worthy, Major-General
Bathurst, Hon. Allen Benj. Courtney, Rt. Hn. Leonard H. Goschen, Rt. Hn G J (S. George's)
Beaumont, Wentworth C. B. Cruddas, William Donaldson Goschen, Geo. J. (Sussex)
Beresford, Lord Charles Dalbiac, Col. Philip Hugh Gray, Ernest (West Ham)
Bhownaggree, Sir M. M. Dalrymple, Sir Charles Green, W. D. (Wednesbury)
Bill, Charles Denny, Colonel Greene, W. Raymond- (Cambs).
Blakiston-Houston, John Dixon-Hartland, Sir F. D. Gull, Sir Cameron
Bolitho, Thos. Bedford Dorington, Sir John Edward Gunter, Colonel
Bonsor, Hy. Cosmo Orme Douglas, Rt. Hn. A. Akers- Halsey, Thos. Frederick
Boscawen, Arthur Griffith- Doxford, William Theodore Hamilton, Rt. Hn. Lord G,.
Boulnois, Edmund Drage, Geoffrey Hardy, Laurence
Hare, Thomas Leigh Middlemore, J. Throgmorton Seely, Charles Hilton
Haslett, Sir James Horner Milward, Col. Victor Sharpe, William Edwd. T.
Heath, James Monckton, Edward Philip Sidebotham, J. W. (Cheshire)
Hickman, Sir Alfred Monk, Charles James Simeon, Sir Barrington
Hoare, E. Brodie (Hampstead) More, Robt. J. (Shropshire) Smith, A. H. (Christchurch)
Howard, Joseph Morton, A. H. A. (Deptford) Smith, J. Parker (Lanarksh.)
Howorth, Sir Henry Hoyle Mount, William George Smith, Hon. W.F.D. (Strand)
Hozier, Hon. J. Henry Cecil Muntz, Philip A. Stanley, Hy. M. (Lambeth)
Hudson, George Bickersteth Murray, Rt. Hn. A. G. (Bute) Stanley, Lord (Lanes.)
Hutton, John (Yorks, N.R.) Murray, Chas. J. (Coventry) Stewart, Sir M. J. M'Taagart
Jeffreys, Arthur Fredk. Murray, Col. Wyndham(Bath) Stirling-Maxwell, Sir J. M.
Johnston, William (Belfast) Myers, William Henry Stone, Sir Benjamin
Kenyon-Slaney, Col. William Newdigate, Francis Alex. Talbot, Lord E. (Chichester)
Lafone, Alfred Nicol, Donald Ninian Thorburn, Walter
Laurie, Lieut.-General Northcote, Hn. Sir H. Stafford Thornton, Percy M.
Lawson, John Grant (Yorks) Orr-Ewing, Charles Lindsay Tomlinson, Wm. E. Murray
Lea, Sir Thos. (Londonderry) Pease, Herbt. P. (Darlington) Valentia, Viscount
Leighton, Stanley Percy, Earl Vincent, Col. Sir C. E. H.
Loder, Gerald W. Erskine Pilkington, Richard Warde, Lt.-Col. C. E. (Kent)
Long, Col. C. W. (Evesham) Pretyman, Ernest George Webster, Sir R.E.D. of Wight)
Long, Rt. Hon. W. (Livrpool) Priestley, Sir W. O. (Edin.) Welby, Lieut.-Col. A. C. E.
Lopes, Hy. Yarde Buller Pryce-Jones, Lt.-Col. Edwd. Whitmore, Chas. Algernon
Lowe, Francis William Purvis, Robert Williams, J. Powell (Birm.)
Loyd, Archie Kirkman Rasch, Major F. Came Wilson, John (Falkirk)
Lucas-Shadwell, William Renshaw, Charles Bine Wodehouse, Rt. Hn. E. R. (Bath)
Macartney, W. G. Ellison Rentoul, James Alexander Wolff, Gustav Wilhelm
Macdona, John Cumming Richardson. Sir T. (Hartlepool Wortley, Rt. Hn. C. B. Stuart-
Maclure, Sir John William Ritchie, Rt.Hn.C.Thomson Wyvill, Marmaduke D'Arcy
M'Killop, James Royds, Clement Molyneux Younger William
Marks, Henry Hananel Russell, T. W. (Tyrone)
Mellor, Col. (Lancashire) Samuel, H. S. (Limehouse) TELLERS, FOR THE AYES—Sir William Walrond and Mr. Anstruther.
Mellor, Rt. Hn. J. W. (Yorks) Sandys, Lieut.-Col. T. Myles
Mersey-Thompson, Sir H. M. Savory, Sir Joseph
NOES.
Abraham, Wm. (Cork, N.E.) Gold, Charles Pickersgill, Edward Hare
Allan, William (Gateshead) Gourley, Sir Edward T. Power, Patrick Joseph
Allen, W. (Newc. under Lyme) Harwood, George Reckitt, Harold James
Austin, M. (Limerick, W.) Hayne, Rt. Hn. C. Seale- Richardson, J. (Durham)
Bainbridge, Emerson Hedderwick, Thomas C. H. Roberts, John Bryn (Eifion)
Baker, Sir John Hogan, James Francis Roberts, John H. (Denbighsh.)
Balfour, Rt. Hn. J. B. (Clackm.) Holland, W. H. (York, W.R.) Robertson, Edmund (Dundee)
Barlow, John Emmott Horniman, Frederick John Samuel, J. (Stockton on Tees)
Bayley, Thos. (Derbyshire) Humphreys-Owen, A. C. Shaw, Chas. E. (Stafford)
Billson, Alfred Johnson-Ferguson, Jabez E. Sinclair, Capt. J. (Forfarshire)
Blake, Edward Jones, David B. (Swansea) Smith, Samuel (Flint)
Broadhurst, Henry Jones, Wm. (Carnarvonshire) Souttar, Robinson
Brunner, Sir J. Tomlinson Kinloch, Sir John George S. Spicer, Albert
Buchanan, Thos. Ryburn Labouchere, Henry Steadman, William Charles
Burns, John Leese, Sir J. F. (Accrington) Stevenson, Francis S.
Burt, Thomas Leng, Sir John Strachey, Edward
Buxton, Sydney Charles Lewis, John Herbert Stuart, James (Shoreditch)
Caldwell, James Logan, John William Sullivan, Donal (Westmeath)
Cameron, Sir C. (Glasgow) Lowther, Rt. Hon. Jas. (Kent) Thomas, Alf. (Glamorgan, E)
Campbell-Bannerman, Sir H. Macaleese, Daniel Thomas, David A. (Merthyr)
Causton, Richard Knight M'Arthur, Wm. (Cornwall) Trevelyan, Charles Philips
Cawley, Frederick M'Ghee, Richard Wallace, Robert (Perth)
Clark, Dr. G. B. (Caithness-sh) M'Kenna, Reginald Walton, Joseph (Barnsley)
Curran, Thos. (Sligo, S.) M'Laren, Charles Benj. Warner, Thomas C. T.
Davies, M. Vaughan-(Cardigan) M'Leod, John Weir, James Galloway
Davitt, Michael Maddison, Fred. Whittaker, Thomas Palmer
Dilke, Rt. Hon. Sir Charles Maden, John Henry Wilson, H.J. (York, W.R.)
Dillon, John Moore, A. (Londonderry) Wilson, John (Durham, Mid.)
Donelan, Captain A. Norton, Capt. Cecil Wm. Wilson, John (Goran)
Ellis, John Edwd. (Notts.) O'Connor, J. (Wicklow, W.) Woods, Samuel
Farquharson, Dr. Robert Oldroyd, Mark Young, Samuel (Cavan, East)
Ferguson, R. C. M. (Leith) Paulton, James Mellor Yoxall, James-Heury
Foster, Sir W. (Derby Co.) Pease, Alfred E. (Cleveland)
Gladstone, Rt. Hn. Herbt. J. Pease, Jos. A. (Northumb.) TELLERS FOR THE NOESߞMr. Lough and Mr. Pirie.
Goddard, Daniel Ford Pease, Sir J. W. (Durham)

Bill read the third time, and passed.