HC Deb 11 July 1904 vol 137 cc1220-1
MR. FORDE RIDLEY (Bethnal Green, S.W.)

I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury if his attention has been called to the Report of the Standing Committee on the Aliens Bill, and to the decision of the Committee that it is useless in view of the large number of Amendments put down against the Bill, to proceed further with its consideration during the present session; and if he will undertake to reintroduce it early next session.

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

From what I can hear of the proceedings in Committee upon this Bill, it received treatment which would make it absolutely impossible to carry it into law during the course of the present session. I understand that the average rate of progress was two lines in a day. [MINISTERIAL cries of "Three lines in six days;"] I beg pardon: three lines in six days, or half a line a day. I have not made the arithmetical calculation as to the length of time it would have taken in Grand Committee had the same rate of progress been maintained on all the clauses of the Bill; but I think it will be obvious that the Committee had absolutely no choice, in the face of the treatment which the Bill received, but to take the course they actually did take. My hon. friend asks me for a pledge that the Government will reintroduce the Bill early next session. We shall certainly attempt to deal with this subject early next session; but of course it would be quite impossible for me to go beyond the general terms of that pledge and to give any detailed pledge on the subject.

* MAJOR EVANS-GORDON (Tower Hamlets, Stepney)

asked if they might take it that it was the definite intention of the Government to reintroduce the Bill next session.

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

I am sorry I was not clearly heard by my hon. friend. The Government do propose to introduce a Bill on this subject early next session.

* MR. PEEL (Manchester, S.)

asked the right hon. Gentleman a Question of which he had given private notice, whether, in view of the fact that a small body of obstructives [Cries of "Order"]—

* MR. SPEAKER

Order, order! A Question of that sort should be brought to the Table, so that it may be seen whether its terms are in order before it is put on the Paper.

MR. PEEL

With your permission," Sir, I will put it in other terms, and ask whether, in view of the fact that a small number of hon. Members ["Oh"], by repeating each other's arguments at continually increasing length ["Order"]—

* MR. SPEAKER

Order, order! Those terms would not be permitted, and the Question does not arise.