§ The Amendments made by the Commons to the Bill considered.
The EARL of MTNTOmoved, that their Lordships do agree to the Amendments. He allowed that many alterations had been made in the Bill, and there were large omissions from it, which he, for one, very much regretted. At this period of the Session it did seem almost too much to ask their Lordships to assent to these alterations; but as the Bill was of much importance, and affected the interests of a large and industrious body of men, he hoped their Lordships might be induced to overlook the difficulty which had been occasioned by the lateness of the period at which it was remitted to them.
§ LORD MONTEAGLEobserved, that their Lordships had no means of judging whether the Amendments were right or wrong, for they were not even printed; and if their Lordships agreed to consider them now, they would establish a principle which was capable of unbounded application. This Bill, after having been maturely considered by a Committee of their Lordships' House which sat for sixteen days, and examined no less than thirty witnesses, was sent to the House of Commons a month ago. This day the Bill had been reported and read a third time in the House of Commons; so that the House of Commons itself could hardly know what it had done, and their Lordships must be nearly 1934 in the same state of ignorance. He was aware, however, that certain alterations had been made, which were very material; for instance, the alteration with respect to the colonies, and the alteration with respect to the law of user, were very material. Under these circumstances, a postponement was a matter of course; and if the alterations made by the Commons had the effect of restoring the existing law, the inconvenience of the postponement would be less felt. The Bill made an alteration in the very office of the Lord Chancellor' himself; and he doubted whether the noble Lord had been consulted on the subject. [The LORD CHANCELLOR: I have not.] That disposed of the whole question. Here was a Bill which made an alteration in the office of the Lord Chancellor, and the Lord Chancellor himself was good enough to tell their Lordships—what he (Lord Monteagle) had fully anticipated—that he knew nothing about it. It must be recollected that they had passed a Bill during this Session to extend a certain degree of protection to persons who had exhibited their inventions in the Crystal Palace; and less inconvenience would consequently follow the postponement of the present measure. But whatever inconvenience might be felt, their Lordships were not responsible for it, and the responsibility must rest with those who had passed the Bill through two stages in one day, and had sent it up to their Lordships on the day before the conclusion of the Session.
§ The MARQUESS of LANSDOWNEthought that the alterations which had been made by the Commons were, on the whole, expedient; but he allowed that some time must be given for their consideration.
The EARL of MINTOsaid, that, seeing the sense of the House was against the Motion, he would not press it.
§ LORD MONTEAGLEthen moved that the Amendments of the Commons be considered that day month.
§ Motion, by leave of the House, withdrawn; the said Amendments to be considered on this day month.