§ [Lords]. (By Order).
§ Order for Second Reading read.
§ The following Motion stood on the Order Paper in the name of Mr. H. WILLIAMS:
§ That it be an Instruction to the Committee on the Bill to incorporate in 1530 Clause 55 of the Bill the following, proviso:
§ (2) Provided that if the corporation themselves provide or arrange for the provision or carrying on of stage plays or cinematograph performances under the provisions of this Section they shall (unless otherwise authorised by Act of Parliament) either—
- (a) Let the public hall, pavilion, assembly room, or other building in consideration of the payment to them of a sum or sums of money; or
- (b) Enter into an arrangement under which a share in the gross or net receipts in respect of the production of such stage plays or cinematograph performances shall be credited to them.
§ And the corporation shall not, under the provisions of this Section, undertake any liability for any loss that may be occasioned in the production of any such stage plays or cinematograph performances."
§ Mr. SPEAKERBefore I put the Question, "That the Bill be read a Second time," I ought to inform the House that the Instruction is out of order. Hon. Members will find, if they refer to Erskine May's Parliamentary Practice, page 712, that in 1909 my predecessor ruled an Instruction out of order, just like this one, on the ground that it dictated to a Committee the express terms of a Clause to be inserted in the Bill before the Committee had had an opportunity of considering the Bill. There are other Rulings on the subject, but I need only quote that one.
§ Motion made, and Question proposed, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."
§ Mr. H. WILLIAMSThe decision you, Sir, have just announced, of which those concerned had a previous intimation, put us naturally rather in a difficulty. because we have no objection to the Bill as a whole, but only to one Clause. It was to deal with that Clause only that the Instruction was put down. With profound respect, we feel it to be a little grievance that we did not have an earlier intimation, so that we might have put down an Instruction in a form which Would have been in order, similar to Instructions moved on other Bills dealing with the point. As we do not desire to hamper the general progress of the Bill, and as I understand it is not in order to give manuscript notice of an alternative form of Instruction, we are not going to oppose the Second Reading. 1531 I am only going to express the hope that the Committee upstairs may take full account of the special circumstances affecting the class to which the Instruction related.