§ [Lords].
§ Order for Second Reading read.
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for the COLONIES (Sir Philip Cunliffe-Lister)I beg to move, "That the Bill he now read a Second time."
We are now passing to something on which the whole House is in complete agreement. This Bill, which comes from another place, is to give effect to the recommendations of the Royal Commission. The whole language question is, of course, entirely disposed of, and this Bill merely deals with the judges, the police, and certain amendments as to the Trades Union Council. It follows in all respects the recommendations of the Royal Commission. First, as regards the judges, they remain a reserved service as regards appointment and remuneration, and they are given that security of tenure which all colonial judges hold. With regard to the police, the proposal that there should be power at any time to make them a reserved service is embodied in the Bill. Then there is a proposal with regard to the Trades Union Council, which follows the suggestion made by the Labour party 410 in Malta to the Royal Commission and is fully carried out in this Bill. Clause 4 gives to criminals the right to vote when they come out of prison. It does not exactly follow the recommendations of the Royal Commission, but it puts criminals in the same position as they are in this country. Clause 5 deals with the validity of Letters Patent, Orders-in-Council, Ordinances, and Acts. Clause 6 and the Schedules, which look very long, merely write this Bill into the Letters Patent, so that the whole of the Constitution may be comprehensively in the Letters Patent. That is the whole of the Bill.
§ Mr. LANSBURYI do not want to detain the House, except to say that my friends in the other place and ourselves here only hope that the passing of this Bill will bring peace.
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERI entirely agree.
§ Bill committed to a Committee of the Whole House for To-morrow.—[Sir P. Cunliffe-Lister.]