HC Deb 28 July 1914 vol 65 cc1302-4

Whereupon Mr. SPEAKER, pursuant to the Order of the House of 17th July, proposed the Question, "That this House do now adjourn."

Mr. BOOTH

May I ask the Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury about a Bill which is down for to-morrow night, after eleven? I think it is called the Inebriates Bill. It has not yet had a Second Reading, it has 55 Clauses, and a controversial schedule, and I do ask whether, at this late period of the Session, this Bill ought to be presented to us, late tomorrow night, for Second Reading? Surely there can be no hope of passing it this Session, it is opposed on both sides of the House.

The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the TREASURY (Mr. Percy llling-worth)

As the hon. Member knows, there has been some debate on this Bill. Of course, if the Bill is warmly opposed, it disappears this Session, and we cannot get it through I understand, though that is not the case, and I hope we may be allowed to get the Second Beading, in order to enable the Committee upstairs to consider its provisions.

Mr. BOOTH

My point is that there has been no debate on the Bill.

Mr. GOLDSMITH

I should like to join with the hon. Member opposite (Mr. Booth) in pointing out that there has been no debate whatever on the Bill this Session. There are several hon. Members who want to discuss the Second Reading, yet the Bill has been put down to-morrow night, I think, after eleven o'clock, as the Third Order. That is to say, two other Bills are going to be discussed before the Second Reading of this Bill comes on. I do appeal to the Patronage Secretary to take it at some other time—after eleven o'clock, if he likes—but some other time, and not to put it down after two other Bills, both of which will entail considerable discussion.

Mr. ILLINGWORTH

I may say that the Bill was only put down on the understanding that it was to be taken if time permitted. There has been—I think I am within the recollection of the House—some debate on the Second Reading.

Mr. GOLDSMITH

Not this year.

Mr. ILLINGWORTH

This is the adjourned Debate.

Mr. BOOTH

It was only about a minute and a half. There was no debate. Nobody moved it, nobody explained it.

Adjourned accordingly at Twenty-four minutes before Two o'clock a.m., Wednesday, 29th July.