§ MR. GRETTON (Derbyshire, S.)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether his attention has been called to the Out-Door Relief (Friendly Societies) Bill now on the Paper; and whether, in the event of the progress of the Bill being impeded, he will later on in the session give facilities for its various stages.
§ *SIR EDWARD STRACHEY (Somersetshire, S.)Before the right hon. Gentleman answers may I ask whether the blocking has not arisen from the action of the hon. Member in appropriating another Member's Bill against the general practice on both sides.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI do not feel at all qualified to enter into any con troversy which may have arisen as between the hon. Gentleman and my hon. friend, or as to the patent right which may exist in regard to their measures; 1410 but with regard to the Bill in itself and on its merits, the President of the Local Government Board has already in a previous session explicitly announced an approval of the measure. It passed last session, I believe after midnight, without opposition, and I do not see any reason why it should have a more troubled course in the present session. I can hardly be expected to answer the last part of the Question, though I would remind my hon. I friend of the difficulties—I have often had i occasion to point them out to the House—of giving special privileges to private Bills.
§ *SIR EDWARD STRACHEYWill I the Government be prepared to introduce the Bill into the House of Lords as a Government measure, as that is the only chance it can have of passing.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI have no right to speak for what the House of Lords is likely to do with this or any other measure, but I should have thought that if it passed in this House it might have a happier fate than last year.
§ *SIR EDWARD STRACHEYIt has been twice thrown out by the House of Lords.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThe Bill might have as much chance of being thrown out if introduced there as if introduced here.
§ SIR EDWARD STRACHEYNot if it were a Government measure.