§ Order for Second Reading read.
§ Motion made, and Question proposed, "That the Bill be now read a second time."
§ Mr. KINGI do not at this stage propose to oppose the Bill, but I must call 2467 attention to one or two facts. On the Paper there are notices of opposition to this Bill from no less than seven Members from both sides of the House, therefore it cannot be considered an agreed Bill by any means. In the second place, when the Prime Minister this afternoon indicated what Bills would be taken to-night he did not mention this one. Besides that, no notice of it was placed on the board outside showing the Bills that are to be taken in the current sitting. Shortly after midnight I spoke to the hon. Member for the West Derby Division of Liverpool in the Lobby as he was leaving the House. I called his attention to the fact that a Bill to which he had given notice of opposition was going to be taken. He took me to the notice-board and showed me that it was not down there. He commissioned me to say that if the Second Reading were granted to the Bill the remaining stages would certainly be opposed. I do not intend to oppose the Second Reading, but I cannot hold out to the promoters of the Bill any hope that they will get the Report and Third Reading stages with the same ease that they will get the Second Reading now.
§ Mr. BOOTHThis Bill affects my Constituents. While we may have our views with regard to ultimate legislation on this subject we ought to be reasonable. This is the only way by which the case of the Diocese of York can be met. My own Constituency and also the parish in which I reside are in the Diocese of York. I do make an appeal to those who have given notice of opposition, and I hope my hon.
§ Friend will not stir up the hon. Member for the West Derby Division.
§ Colonel CHALONERI beg to move, as an Amendment, to leave out from the word "That" to the end of the Question and to add the words, "this House declines to assent to any measure for the creation of new bishoprics until the archbishops and bishops of the Church of England have satisfied Parliament of their intention to restore and maintain order in accordance with the King's Ecclesiastical Law."
I make my protest against a Bill of this importance being brought on at this time of the day, and I do not think any justification has been shown for pressing the Bill. It is a well-known fact that throughout the country people are seething with discontent at the manner in which the clergy are carrying out their duties. There is no honest attempt on the part of the bishops to deal with and put down disorders. It is known that the majority of the bishops were carrying on the same lawlessness and disorder when they were in charge of parishes. It is not to be wondered at therefore that they should not have the courage now to stand up against such practices. This Bill ought never to have been brought up at this time of the day, and as it has been brought up it ought to be opposed. I beg to move my Amendment.
§ Amendment not seconded.
§ Question put, "That the Bill be now read a second time."
§ The House divided, Ayes, 64; Noes, 16.
2469| Division No. 278.] | AYES | [3.5 a.m. |
| Allen, Rt. Hon. Charles P. (Stroud) | Howard, Hon. Geoffrey W. A. | O'Doherty, Philip |
| Benn, W. W. (T. Hamlets, St. George) | Hughes, Spencer Leigh | O'Malley, William |
| Boland. John Pius | Illingworth, Percy H. | O'Shee, James John |
| Burke, E. Haviland- | John, Edward Thomas | O'Sullivan, Timothy |
| Cecil. Lord Hugh (Oxford University) | Jones, J. Towyn (Carmarthen, East) | Parry, Thomas H. |
| Clough, William | Jones, William (Carnarvonshire) | Ponsonby. Arthur A. W. H. |
| Crumley, Patrick | Keating, Matthew | Rea, Walter Russell (Scarborough) |
| Delany, William | Kelly, Edward | Redmond, John E. (Waterford) |
| Doris, William | Lambert, Richard (Wilts, Cricklade) | Redmond, William Archer (Tyrone, E.) |
| Duffy, William J. | Lardner, James C. R. | Roberts, Charles H. (Lincoln) |
| Eyres-Monsell, Bolton M. | Lawson, Sir W. (Cumb'rld, Cockerm'th) | Sanders, Robert Arthur |
| Gilmour, Captain John | Lewis, Rt. Hon. John Herbert | Smyth, Thomas F. (Leitrim, S.) |
| Gladstone, William G. C. | Maclean, Donald | Talbot, Lord Edmund |
| Goldsmith, Frank | MacVeagh, Jeremiah | Taylor, Thomas (Bolton) |
| Guest, Hon. Frederick E. (Dorset, E.) | Marshall, Arthur Harold | Toulmin, Sir George |
| Gulland, John William | Meagher, Michael | Waring, Walter |
| Gwynn, Stephen Lucius (Galway) | Meehan, Francis E. (Leitrim, N.) | Webb, Henry |
| Hackett, John | Molloy, Michael | White, Patrick (Meath, North) |
| Hardie, J. Keir | Munro, Robert | Wolmer, Viscount |
| Harmsworth, Cecil B. (Luton, Beds) | Nolan, Joseph | |
| Harvey, T. E. (Leeds, West) | O'Brien, Patrick (Kilkenny) | TELLERS FOR THE AYES.—Sir William Anson and Mr. Booth. |
| Hayden, John Patrick | O'Connor, John (Kildare, N.) | |
| Henderson, Major H. (Berks, Abingdon) | ||
| NOES. | ||
| Adamson, William | King, Joseph | Smith, Albert (Lancs., Clitheroe) |
| Bowerman, Charles W. | Lynch, Arthur Alfred | Stanley, Major Hon. G. F. (Preston) |
| Davies, Sir W. Howell (Bristol, S.) | Price, C. E. (Edinburgh, Central) | Thorne, G. R. (Wolverhampton) |
| Gill, Alfred Henry | Rattan, Peter Wilson | |
| Greig, Colonel James William | Robinson, Sidney | TELLERS FOR THE NOES.—Colonel Chaloner and Colonel Pryce-Jones. |
| Higham, John Sharp | Sheehy, David | |
| Hogge, James Myles |
Question put, and agreed to.
§ The remaining Government Order was read, and postponed.
2470§ Whereupon Mr. DEPUTY-SPEAKER, pursuant to the Order of the House of 22nd July, proposed the Question, "That this House do now adjourn."
§ Adjourned accordingly at thirteen minutes after Three o'clock a.m., Wednesday, 13th August, 1913.