§ Motion made, and Question proposed, "That if, on an Amendment to the Question that a Bill be now read a second or a third time, it is decided that the word or words proposed to be left out stand part of the Question, the Speaker shall forthwith declare the Bill to be read a second or third time, as the case may be."—(Mr.A.J.Balfour.)
302§ (11.46.) MR.JOHN REDMONDsaid he thought the claim of the right hon. Gentleman was thoroughly unreasonable. The point taken by the hon. Member for Kings Lynn was of sufficient importance to show how ridiculous it was that the proposed Rule should be passed without any discussion whatever. He quite understood a Rule which would provide that on a Second Reading debate the Question put should be simply Aye or No; but this Rule proposed when an Amendment was moved "That the Bill be read a second time this day six months," that then the Second Reading was to be passed without any decision of the House being taken on it. That was an absurdity. The least the House ought to insist upon was that the Question should be put to it in the ordinary way, and while he could understand a proposal to abolish altogether the Amendment "That the Bill be 303 read this day six months," and to substitute simply Aye or No, he thought the present proposal an absurd one. The right hon. Gentleman ought to be very well satisfied with what had been done. They had postponed the new Rule he had proposed earlier in the evening, and then the House considered a number of subsequent Rules up and down the Paper on which many hon. Members had intended to speak, but had found themselves unprepared owing to the course adopted. He begged to move the adjournment of the debate.
§ MR. DILLONsaid he desired to support that Motion. Ho did not know if hon. Members had observed a very important change in the Rule from the statement made by the First Lord of the Treasury in introducing the Rules. The right hon. Gentleman then stated specifically that when a reasoned Amendment was moved in contradistinction to a time Amendment, he recognised the necessity of allowing a second division; but as the Rule now stood it took away a right which the right hon. Gentleman said ought to be preserved to the House, and he asked the House to pass the Rule without having drawn attention to that important change. Although he recognised that the Rule would not require as prolonged a debate as the previous Rule, he, nevertheless, thought it ludicrous, in face of the fact he had mentioned, that they should be asked to pass it sub silentio.
§ Question, "That the debate be now adjourned," put and agreed to.
§ Debate adjourned till Tomorrow.