§ MR. JOHN ELLISI beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether, having regard to the magnitude of the public and private interests involved and of the grave injury arising from uncertainty and delay, he will now say definitely whether the Port of London Bill will be proceeded with or whether it may be considered as abandoned, and in that case when its discharge from the Order-book will be moved.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI have already told the hon. Gentleman that the prospects of this particular Bill seem to me exceedingly gloomy, but I cannot give him the date when we shall remove it from the Order Paper.
§ MR. JOHN ELLISCannot the right hon. Gentleman say something more definite in view of the fact that the uncertainty is a very grave matter from a commercial point of view?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURNo, I do not think the uncertainty has any ill effects. I think the non-passage of the Bill may 289 have ill effects, but not the uncertainty, which does no harm whatever.