§ SIR ANDREW AGNEW (Edinburgh, S.)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether he is aware that the leading musical publishers have been compelled to give up publishing any new music as they can obtain no protection for their property from the law as it stands; and whether, under the circumstances, he is prepared to give facilities for introducing and passing legislation dealing with the question of musical piracy.
§ THE PRIME MINISTER AND FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR,) Manchester, E.I have seen the statement, to which my hon. friend refers, made by the musical publishers, and I do think the case is one of hardship upon them and of injury to the public, who are, after all, themselves concerned in the prosperity or freedom of musical publications. But when my hon. friend asks me to take up a private Bill I see great difficulty in doing that. I should much prefer to bring forward a Government measure, but I cannot do that if that is supposed to carry with it anything in the nature of a pledge that time will be found for carrying that Government Bill. As everybody who has had to deal with the business of this House knows, there has never been a Government yet who did not desire to pass more Bills than they could find time for in the session, and that especially refers to what I may call Bills which do 1408 not deeply touch any great interest or Party controversy Those are Bills which very often it is most desirable to pass, but which it is most difficult to find time to pass, and therefore I can make no pledge on the-subject at all.
§ SIR ANDREW AGNEWMay I ask my right hon. friend whether this is not a very exceptional case, considering the large number of men who will be thrown out of work simply because Parliament does not provide a remedy for an admitted wrong, and whether, under the circumstances, he could not undertake to find time to pass a Bill.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI think it is an exceptional case. I think it is a hard case; but when my hon. friend asks me to find time I think the question ought to be, "Will I make time?" With the best will in the world I cannot pledge myself to do that; but anything I can do I will do.
§ MR. BOULNOIS (Marylebone, E.)Will my right hon. friend introduce a Bill in order that we may test the House as to whether it would be regarded as non-contentious or not.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI am afraid a Bill which might be non-contentious in private hands is very apt, through some mysterious law which I will not endeavour to attempt to explain, to become contentious as soon as the Government takes it up; but I will consider whether there is any advantage in introducing a Bill.