§ As amended considered.
§ MR. CALDWELL (Lanarkshire, Mid.), on behalf of the Chairman of Ways and Means, moved that the Standing Orders be suspended and that the Bill be now read a third time.
Motion made, and Question proposed, "That Standing Orders 223 and 243 be suspended and that the Bill be now read the third time."—(Mr. Caldwell.)
§ SIR ALBERT ROLLIT (Islington, S.)said that some of his constituents, being both the largest and smallest tradesmen in Islington, felt that their interests would be very much affected by what they regarded as the very drastic methods adopted in the Bill for the prevention of the consequences of fire. The London Chamber of Commerce had represented the feeling that existed to the Committee which dealt with the Bill, with the result that very material modifications had been made in the measure which went far, but by no means entirely, to remove what were regarded as its more objectionable features. He submitted that the class for whom he spoke deserved, owing to competition and other public burdens upon them, every consideration, and that the promoters of the Bill should recognise the duty of not asking for more than was absolutely necessary for the protection of life and property. One or two points of difference which had been discussed still remained, and he hoped that opportunities of negotiating them would be afforded when the Bill was dealt with in another place, otherwise the only other course would be for his constituents and the chamber of commerce, as they said, to present a petition and go to further expense in opposing the measure. On the present occasion he could only content himself with making this protest on behalf of his constituents.
§ (King's Consent and Prince of Wales' Consent signified).