EAST HAM CORPORATION (RECOMMITTED) BILL.

HC Deb 30 July 1913 vol 56 cc626-9

The following notices of Motion stood on the Paper in the name of the Chairman of Ways and Means:— That, in the case of the East. Ham. Corporation (Recommitted) Bill, Standing Orders 84, 214, 215, and 239 be suspended, and that the Bill be now taken into consideration provided amended prints shall have been previously deposited." (By Order.) That Standing Orders 223 and 243 be suspended, and that the Bill be now read the third time.''

The CHAIRMAN of WAYS and MEANS (Mr. Whitley)

There are two Motions on the Paper relating to the East Ham Cor- poration Bill, which was under the consideration of the House only a few days ago. The House will recollect that this Bill had the misfortune, on the two occasions when it was sent down for consideration, to be delayed by the course of public business, which prevented it from going on. When it did come on the House sent it back again to the Committee with an Instruction, and I have thought it, therefore, only justice to the promoters of the Bill that I should put down a Motion in order to some little extent to make up to them the time which has been lost by the delay. I hope the House will be ready to agree to those two Motions.

Motion made, and Question proposed, That, in the case of the East Ham Corporation (Recommitted) Bill, Standing Orders 84, 214, 215, and 239 be suspended, and that the Bill be now taken into consideration provided amended prints shall have been previously deposited." (By Order.)—[Mr. Whitley.]

Mr. BECK

I have no desire in any way to delay the business of this House, but as hon. Members know there was a very strenuous fight on this Bill, and many of us think that had the House been possessed of fuller knowledge at the time of the discussion the result of the Motion to recommit might have been very different. I would ask my right hon. Friend, the Chairman of Ways and Means, to give us some guidance as to the future course of this Bill if we consent to the very unusual course—I do not think it is unusual, but very drastic—to set aside a number of Standing Orders, and are asked to forego the three clear days' notice. We are also asked, in the second Motion, to allow two stages of the Bill to be taken. I understand that my right hon. Friend has an intimation to make to the House, and I merely content myself by asking him to give us some little guidance on this matter.

Sir RYLAND ADKINS

I also wish to ask a question in reference to the business before the House. Some of the opposition to this Bill was from the point of view of Members who thought that a Bill like this, and also another Bill in regard to the borough of Cambridge, both of which raise a problem of local government, ought to be considered by a Royal Commission or by a Joint Committee. I was one of the Members who saw it from that point of view, and I was unable to vote on this Bill before, and, therefore, I am very interested to know the procedure my right hon. Friend is going to recommend. If I am not asking too much, I should also like to know if he can state what procedure he is going to recommend in the case of the Cambridge Bill, which we know has been approved by the casting vote of the Chairman of the Committee upstairs? Our action on these proposals now appears to depend a great deal on what one knew would become of this Bill, and what stage the other Bill would be allowed to go through or stay at at the present time. As both Bills involve, in the opinion of some of us, general considerations of great importance, we should very much value the courtesy of my right hon. Friend if he will, in answer to the hon. Member, also give some idea of what his plan is with regard to the other Bill.

The CHAIRMAN of WAYS and MEANS

In the case of the East Ham Corporation Bill, which is the subject of the Motion which I have to move, I anticipated that some such question as that put to me might be raised; therefore, I made it in my way to attempt to find out from the other House what the procedure would be likely to be if the Third Reading was given to the Bill here. I have it on the best authority from the other House that they do not think they would be able to provide a Committee to take a contested Bill -of this magnitude at this period of the Session, and that in that case they would propose to suspend its further consideration until next Session. I think that answers the point of my hon. Friend. In regard to the second question put by the hon. and learned Member for the Middleton Division (Sir Ryland Adkins), that Bill is at present outside my control and in Committee upstairs. How much longer it may be there I do not know, and, therefore, T must be cautious in anything I say on this matter. I can, however, give him this assurance, that I have doubt, in view of the substantial provisions of the Bill, of its being completed in the dying days of the Session.

Mr. NEWTON

In view of what the right hon. Gentleman has said, I am quite prepared to join my hon. Friend opposite in withdrawing opposition to any further proceedings in this House.

Question put, and agreed to.

Motion made, and Question, "That Standing Orders 223 and 243 be suspended, and that the Bill be now read the third time," put, and agreed to."—[Mr. Whitley.]