HC Deb 11 December 1919 vol 122 cc1780-1

  1. (1) council of a county by whom a resolution has been passed under this Act adopting the Public Libraries Acts may, if they think it advisable so to do with a view to the better carrying into effect of those Acts in any district, apply to the Board for an Order rescinding the resolution as respects that district, and the Board may on any such application, if they think fit, make an Order accordingly, and thereupon the Public Libraries Acts shall as respects that district have effect as from the date specified in that behalf in the Order as though the resolution had not been passed.
  2. (2) Any Order made under this Section may contain such consequential and supplemental provisions with respect to the transfer of any property or rights acquired or liabilities incurred under the Public Libraries Acts from the council of the county to the library authority of the district concerned as the Board think fit.
    3. 1781
  3. (3) In this Section the expression "district" means, as the case requires, either a library district or a district which would have been a library district if a resolution adopting the Public Libraries Acts had not been passed under this Act by the council of the county.

Major BARNES

I beg to move, at the end of Sub-section (2), to insert the words No such liability shall be transferred to such last-mentioned library authority without their consent.

Mr. LEWIS

I am quite ready to accept the Amendment on the understanding that those in charge of the Bill are at liberty to put it, perhaps, in a slightly altered form.

Amendment agreed to.

Clause, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clauses 6 to 11 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Schedule agreed to.

Bill reported.

As amended, considered.

Sir F. BANBURY

I must protest against taking all stages of Bills at this late hour. It is now a quarter to twelve, and I submit it is intolerable this kind of thing should go on. The House of Commons sat all through last night until six this morning, and now, in this small House, after considerable discussion on a very important Bill, the Government are forcing a number of measures through. A large number of hon. Members did not expect what occurred at six or seven this evening, and under the circumstances I hope this Bill will not be proceeded with further. If it is, I shall be forced to move to amend Clause 4. I do appeal to the Government representatives—I do not see a Cabinet Minister on the Front Bench—not to persist in a policy which, while it may have been justifiable in time of war, is certainly perfectly unjustifiable now.