§ Order read, for resuming adjourned debate on Question [June 19th], "That the Bill, as amended, be now considered."
§ Question again proposed.
§ MR. MORTON (Sutherland)rose to move, "That the Bill be considered that day three months." He maintained that the railway ought to provide third-class as well as first-class sleeping carriages upon trains going north and west and travelling all night. It was said that this change would not pay, but it was a well-known and admitted fact that the profits of the railway company come from third-class passenger traffic. The third-class passengers were surely entitled to the same accommodation as the first class. They were not going to ask too much, because they knew the railway companies only had limited accommodation, but he thought the railway companies should on notice supply to the third-class passengers the same accommodation they supplied to the first class. Nor did they ask that all railways should supply this accommodation, but only the five railways travelling north and west, and those other railways connected therewith. They were obliged to deal with the matter in this way because they could not put a clause in the Bill, and therefore the only course to adopt was to move to reject the Bill. They did not want to throw 738 it out, but he warned the railway companies and their supporters that they meant business and were determined, so far as lay in their power, to insist that all classes of His Majesty's subjects should be treated alike in both railway and other matters. And unless the company met them they would do their best to throw out the Bill whatever the consequences might be. The railway company must remember that all these concessions granted to railway companies by Parliament were not granted to them for the purpose of making money, but for the convenience of the public. He felt that the time had now arrived when Parliament ought to say that the: people should be considered first and the railway shareholders afterwards. He moved the Motion standing in his name upon the Paper.
§ MR. CLAUDE HAY (Shoreditch, Hoxton)formally seconded the Motion.
§
Amendment proposed.
To leave out the word "now," and at the end of the Question to add the words "upon, this day three months."—(Mr. Morton.)
§ Question proposed, "That the word 'now' stand part of the Question."
§ MR. WEIR (ROSS and Cromarty)said he was amazed that not a single member of the Treasury Bench had risen to reply to his hon. friend. The right hon. Gentleman the Member for West Essex whom he saw sitting opposite had promised to give some information at the earliest opportunity; he promised to consult the railway companies, but neither the right hon. Gentleman nor the representative of the Board of Trade had thought fit to reply to his hon. friend the Member for Sutherland. The commercial traveller was greatly interested in this question. Resolutions; from all parts of the country had been passed, and it was only right that the railway companies should redress a grievance which was felt by so many. If hon. Members wanted anything done they 739 must avail themselves of every opportunity to place their desires before the House, notwithstanding the blandishments and fair promises of the Front Bench. He waited with anxiety for some statement from the hon. Gentleman representing the Board of Trade, and unless he had something to say of a satisfactory nature he should join his hon. friend the Member for Sutherland in the stand he was taking in regard to this railway and other railways.
§ THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY TO THE BOARD OF TRADE (Mr. KEARLEY,) Devonportsaid that when this matter was under discussion about a month ago he gave an undertaking that he would place himself in communication with the railway companies and represent to them what he believed to be the growing feeling in this House that some facilities should be afforded in the direction desired by his hon. friends. In pursuance of his
§ undertaking he suggested a conference at the Board of Trade. The Great Northern Railway Company sent its general manager, who was accompanied by other representative railway men. They gave an undertaking that the general managers of all the long-distance railway companies should meet to consider the question. The consultation was now going on, not in any spirit of trying to burke the issue, but with the firm determination of arriving at some decision which would be communicated to the House. A matter of this kind could not be decided off-hand. There were many practical questions to be considered, such as the increased length of trains, the extension of platforms, and so on. It was only fair, therefore, that the railway companies should have the opportunity of fully considering the matter.
§ Question put.
§ The House divided:—Ayes, 165; Noes, 114. (Division List, No. 150.)
741| AYES. | ||
| Acland, Francis Dyke | Carlile, E. Hildred | Gill, A. H. |
| Acland-Hood, Rt. Hn. Sir Alex F. | Causton, Rt. Hn. Richard Knight | Gladstone, Rt. Hn. Herbert John |
| Agnew, George William | Cave, George | Glover, Thomas |
| Ainsworth, John Stirling | Cavendish, Rt. Hn. Victor C.W. | Gordon, Sir W. Evans-(T'rHam. |
| Allen, A. Acland (Christchurch) | Cecil, Evelyn (Aston Manor) | Gurdon, Sir W. Brampton |
| Anson, Sir William Reynell | Cecil, Lord John P. Joicey- | Hardy, Laurence(Kent, Ashford |
| Anstruther-Gray, Major | Cecil, Lord R. (Marylebone, E.) | Hart-Davies, T. |
| Armstrong, W. C. Heaton | Channing, Francis Allston | Harvey, A. G. C. (Rochdale) |
| Asquith, Rt. Hn. Herbert Henry | Cherry, Rt. Hon. R. R. | Haworth, Arthur A. |
| Astbury, John Meir | Churchill, Winston Spencer | Helmsley, Viscount |
| Balcarres, Lord | Clough, W. | Henderson, Arthur (Durham) |
| Balfour, Rt. Hn. A. J.(City Lond. | Collins, Stephen (Lambeth) | Herbert, Col. Ivor (Mon. S.,) |
| Balfour, Robert (Lanark) | Collins. Sir Wm. J. (S. Pancras, W. | Hervey, F. W. F.(Bury S. Edm'ds |
| Banbury, Sir Frederick George | Corbett, A. Cameron (Glasgow) | Higham, John Sharp |
| Banner, John S. Harmood- | Corbett, CH.(Sussex, E. Grinst'd | Hill, Henry Staveley (Staffs'h.) |
| Barker, John | Corbett, T. L. (Down, North) | Hobart, Sir Robert |
| Barlow, Percy (Bedford) | Courthope, G. Loyd | Holland, Sir William Henry |
| Barran, Rowland Hirst | Craik, Sir Henry | Horniman, Emslie John |
| Barrie, H. T. (Londonderry, N.) | Douglas, Rt. Hon. A. Akers- | Howard, Hon. Geoffrey |
| Beach, Hn. Michael HughHicks | Duckworth, James | Hyde, Clarendon |
| Beale, W. P. | Duncan, C. (Barrow-in-Furness | Jones, Leif (Appleby) |
| Beauchamp, E. | Duncan, Robert(Lanark, Govan | Kearley, Hudson E. |
| Beaumont, W. C. B. (Hexham) | Dunne, Major E. Martin(Walsall) | Kelley, George D. |
| Beckett, Hon. Gervase | Edwards, Enoch (Hanley) | Keswick, William |
| Bennett, E. N. | Ellis, Rt. Hon. John Edward | Kincaid-Smith, Captain |
| Bowles, G. Stewart | Emmott, Alfred | Kitson, Sir James |
| Boyle, Sir Edward | Evans, Samuel T. | Lamont, Norman |
| Bridgeman, W. Clive | Everett, R. Lacey | Lawson, Sir Wilfrid |
| Brigg, John | Fell, Arthur | Lever, A. Levy(Essex, Harwich) |
| Bright, J. A. | Finch, Rt. Hon. George H, | Levy, Maurice |
| Burdett-Coutts, W. | Findlay, Alexander | Lewis, John Herbert |
| Burns, Rt. Hon. John | Forster, Henry William | Lockwood, Rt. Hn. Lt.-Col. A.R. |
| Butcher, Samuel Henry | Fullerton, Hugh | Long, Rt. Hn. Walter(Dublin, S. |
| Cairns, Thomas | Gibbs, G. A. (Bristol, West) | Lonsdale, John Brownlee |
| Lupton, Arnold | Roberts, Charles H. (Lincoln) | Valentia, Viscount |
| M'Crae, George | Roberts, G. H. (Norwich) | Verney, F. W. |
| M'Kenna, Reginald | Roberts, John H. (Denbighs.) | Walsh, Stephen |
| Maddison, Frederick | Robertson, Sir G-.Scott(Bradf'd. | Walton, Sir John L.(Leeds, S.) |
| Manfield, Harry (Northants) | Robinson, S. | Ward, W. Dudley(Southampton |
| Marks, G. Croydon(Launceston) | Robson, Sir William Snowdon | Whitbread, Howard |
| Marnham, F. J. | Runicman, Walter | White, J. D. (Dumbartonshire) |
| Mildmay, Francis Bingham | Rutherford, W. W. (Liverpool) | White, Luke (York, E. R.) |
| Montagu, E. S. | Samuel, Herbert L. (Cleveland) | Whitehead, Rowland |
| Murray, James | Saunderson, Rt. Hn. Col. Edw. J. | Whiteley, Geo. (York, W.R.) |
| Newnes, F. (Notts., Bassetlaw) | Scott, Sir S. (Marylebone, W.) | Whitley, J. H. (Halifax) |
| Nicholls, George | Shackleton, David James | Williamson, A. |
| Norman, Henry | Shaw, Rt. Hon. T. (Hawick B. | Willoughby De Eresby, Lord |
| Nuttall, Harry | Simon, John Allse brook | Wilson, A. Stanley(York, E.R.) |
| Paul, Herbert | Smith, F.E.(Liverpool, Walton) | Wilson, J.W.(Worcestersh., N.) |
| Paulton, James Mellor | Soames, Arthur Wellesley) | Woodhouse, Sir J. T.(Huddersf'd |
| Pease, Herbert Pike(Darlington | Soares, Ernest J. | Wortley, Rt. Hon. C. B. Staurt- |
| Pease, J. A. (Saffron Walden) | Stanley, Hn. A. Lyulph(Chesh.) | |
| Powell, Sir Francis Sharp | Starkey, John R. | TELLERS FOR THE AYES—Mr. |
| Priestley. W. E. B. (Bradford, E.) | Stewart, Halley (Greenock) | Abel Smith and Viscount |
| Rainy, A. Rolland | Stewart-Smith, D. (Kendal) | Turnour. |
| Remnant, James Farquharson | Thompson, J. W. H.(Somerset, E | |
| Renton, Major Leslie | Thomson, W. Mitcliell-(Lanark) | |
| NOES. | ||
| Abraham, William (Cork, N.E. | Hardy, George A. (Suffolk) | Parker, James (Halifax) |
| Allen, Charles P. (Stroud) | Harmsworth, Cecil B. (Worc'r) | Power, Patrick Joseph |
| Baring, Godfrey (Isle of Wight) | Hayden, John Patrick | Price, C. E. (Edinb'gh, Central) |
| Barnes, G. N. | Hazelton, Richard | Radford, G. H. |
| Barry, E. (Cork, S.) | Helme, Norval Watson | Reddy, M. |
| Billson, Alfred | Hogan, Michael | Redmond, John E. (Waterford |
| Black, Arthur W.(Bedfordshire) | Hudson, Walter | Redmond, William (Clare) |
| Boland, John | Johnson, W. (Nuneaton) | Richards, Thos. (W. Monm'th.) |
| Bottomley, Horatio | Joyce, Michael | Richardson, A. |
| Brocklehurst, W. D. | Kennedy, Vincent Paul | Roche, Augustine (Cork) |
| Bryce, J.A.(Inverness Burghs) | Kilbride, Denis | Roche, John (Galway, East) |
| Byles, William Pollard | Lamb, Ernest H. (Rochester) | Russell, T. W. |
| Clancy. John Joseph | Lambert, George | Scott, A.H.(Ashton under Lyne) |
| Clarke, Cs. Goddard | Law, Hugh A. (Donegal, W.) | Seaverns, J. H. |
| Condon, Thomas Joseph | Lundon, W. | Seddon. J. |
| Cooper, G. J. | Macdonald, J. R. (Leicester) | Seely, Major J. B. |
| Cornwall, Sir Edwin A. | Macnamara, Dr. Thomas J. | Silcock. Thomas Ball |
| Cremer, William Randal | MacNeill, John Gordon Swift | Sloan, Thomas Henry |
| Crooks, William | MacVeagh, Jeremiah (Down. S.) | Smeaton, Donald Mackenzie |
| Davies, Timothy (Fulham) | Mac Veigh, Chas. (Donegal, E.) | Smyth, Thos. S. (Leitrim, S.) |
| Delany, William | M'Hugh, Patrick A. | Sullivan, Donal |
| Devlin, Chas. Ramsay (Galway | M'Killop, W. | Summerbell, T. |
| Dillon, John | Meagher, Michael | Sutherland, J. E. |
| Dolan, Charles Joseph | Mooney, J. J. | Taylor, John W. (Durham) |
| Duffy, William J. | Murnaghan, George | Ward, John (Stoke upon Trent) |
| Dunn, A. Edward (Camborne) | Nolan, Joseph | Wardle, George J. |
| Edwards, Clement (Denbigh) | O'Brien, Kendal(Tipperary Mid | Watt, H. Anderson |
| Esmonde, Sir Thomas | O'Brien, Patrick (Kilkenny) | Weir, James Galloway |
| Farrell, James Patrick | O'Connor, John (Kildare, N.) | White, Patrick (Meath, North) |
| Ffrench, Peter | O'Connor, T. P. (Liverpool) | Wiles, Thomas |
| Field, William | O'Doherty, Philip | Wilkie, Alexander |
| Fiennes, Hon. Eustace | O'Donnell, T. (Kerry, W.) | Williams, J. (Glamorgan) |
| Flavin, Michael Joseph | O'Dowd, John | Williams, Llewelyn(Carmarthen |
| Flynn, James Christopher | O'Grady, J. | Wilson, W. T. (Westhoughton) |
| Foster, Rt. Hon. Sir Walter | O'Hare, Patrick | Winfrey, R. |
| Ginnell, L. | O'Kelly, James(Roscommon,N | Young, Samuel |
| Gulland, John W. | O'Malley, William | |
| Halpin, J. | O'Mara, James | TELLERS FOR THE NOES—Mr |
| Hammond, John | O'Shee, James John | Morton and Mr. Claude Hay |
Question put, and agreed to.
§ Main Question put, and agreed to. Bill, as amended, considered.
§ Amendments made.
742§ Motion made, and Question proposed, "That Standing Orders 223 and 243 be suspended, and that the Bill be now read a third time."—(Chairman of Ways and Means.)
743§ MR. MOONEY (Newry)asked an explanation why this extraordinary procedure was proposed in favour of this Bill. The Standing Orders laid down that no private Bill should get through two stages at one sitting of the House.
§ MR. SPEAKERIf the hon. Gentleman objects to this Motion being taken now, it must stand over.
§ MR. MOONEYI do not object if there is any explanation.
§ MR. EMMOTTstated that this Bill had passed through all its stages in the House of Lords. The Bill had been several times postponed in this House, and it was quite usual for such facilities as he was now asking to be granted in the case of Bills which had been delayed owing to the action of the House, and through no fault of the promoters. He therefore asked the House to pass this Motion.
§ MR. MORTONI object to this being taken. I do so on the ground that we have had no explanation from the railway company.
§ Motion accordingly opposed.