HC Deb 22 March 1900 vol 81 cc145-7

Considered in Committee.

(In the Committee.)

[Mr. GRANT LAWSON, Yorkshire, N. R., Thirsk, in the Chair.]

Motion made, and Question proposed, "That it is expedient to authorise the payment, out of moneys to be provided by Parliament, of such expenses as the Treasury may certify to have been necessarily incurred by the General Medical Council under any Act of the present session, to secure the better training of midwives, and to regulate their practice."

(Sir John Gorst.)

MR. T. M. HEALY

said that this was the first occasion on which a Private Member's Bill had been starred for Committee. The Bill had to go before the Committee on Law. On the London University Bill he took the point that it could not go to the Grand Committee until the Committee stage was obtained in the House, but he was overruled by the then Chairman, the right hon. Gentleman the Member for North East Manchester, who said that it was possible for the Bill to go to the Grand Committee, although the Committee stage had not been taken in the House. That being so, it was a strange alteration in procedure to star a Private Member's Bill and to assume that the Grand Committee on Law would pass it in a shape which would require the money the Committee was asked to vote. That appeared to him to be an extremely novel procedure, and he knew of no precedent for it. He was loath in any way to prevent the passage of the Bill, but in view of the ruling to which he had referred he would respectfully ask that the stage they were now asked to take should, be postponed until the Bill had passed the Grand Committee on Law. He would, if necessary, move to report progress.

THE VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL ON EDUCATION (Sir JOHN GORST,) Cambridge University

I hope the hon. and learned Member will not move to report progress, as this is merely a formal stage. Certain small, trifling expenses may be incurred in connection with the Bill, and the private Members who are in charge of it cannot, as the hon. and learned Member knows, move such a clause, and I merely move it now in pursuance of an agreement which has been come to. The propriety of this particular clause nor be discussed in the Grand Committee and again in this House.

MR. T. M. HEALY

said if there was a general agreement he certainly would not, offer any needless opposition, but he thought the explanation of the right hon. Gentleman was not valid. If the course proposed were necessary now, the ruling given in the case of the London University Bill was entirely wrong. The Grand Committee had not yet met, and the argument, might be used when the Bill came up for consideration that the Committee of the whole House had already cheerfully voted the expenses connected with it. He thought the Committee was prejudging the matter.

MR. DALY (Monaghan, S.)

said he thought that it would be a very bad precedent—

THE CHAIRMAN

Order, order! Do I understand that the hon. Gentleman objects to time proceedings of this Committee?

MR. DALY

Yes, Sir.

Committee report progress; to sit again to-morrow.