FIRST READING. (Hansard, 26 February 1866)

§ EARL GRANVILLE
said, this would be a convenient time to make some arrangement with respect to the Cattle Plague Bill, which would be formally brought under the notice of the House that evening. In consequence of the suggestion of the noble Earl opposite (the Earl of Derby), that the Government should take charge of the Bill, he had consulted with the Prime Minister and his other Colleagues, who were of opinion that Her Majesty's Government could not take charge of the Bill in its present shape. He hoped, however, that some independent Member of the House would take charge of it; in which event he should give notice of considerable Amendments which would be proposed on the part of the Government. Notice of these Amendments would be given at the earliest moment, in order that they might be printed and placed in the hands of their Lordships without delay. If any other noble Lord should wish to move Amendments, he hoped early notice would be given of them. If, however, a Motion should be made to refer the Bill to a Select Committee, he would support that Motion; because he believed that by adopting that course there 1061 would be very little delay, and lie thought it could be dealt within a more satisfactory manner by such a Committee than by a Committee of the whole House.

§ THE EARL OF DERBY
said, he much regretted the determination which had been communicated by the noble Earl, because he could not help thinking that a Bill of this importance and character, however it might have originated, ought to be in the hands of the Government. Indeed, originally the whole subject, so far as regarded the movement of cattle by railway and on high roads, was taken up in the Bill introduced by the Government. So many difficulties, however, were raised with regard to part of the question, and so many Amendments were moved in the other House, that it was thought better that one portion of the Bill should be agreed to and sent up to their Lordships without delay, and that the other portions should be taken into consideration in conjunction with the rival Bill which had been introduced by an independent Member of that House. In what shape that Bill had or might come out of that House he could not say. for, though nominally it had been introduced by the hon. Member for Northamptonshire (Mr. Hunt), it had undergone at the hands of Her Majesty's Government so much alteration and so many changes, that it was doubtful whether the hon. Gentleman himself could now recognize his own measure. Now, seeing that this Bill formed part of a very important Government arrangement, and was supplementary to, and, indeed, formed part of a Bill which the Government originally introduced, whatever alterations the Government might desire to make in it, he could not help thinking that it should not be left to the chance of being taken up by some independent Member of their Lordships' House, but that it ought to be dealt with by Her Majesty's Government. He thought that when it did come before their Lordships it would require a good deal of consideration, and would be difficult to understand, as he was told that Amendments had been introduced to such an extent that the original scope and tendency of the Bill had been entirely altered. He hoped the Government would take into consideration how far they could consent to the principle of the Bill, what Amendments they desired to introduce, and that they would then bring in the Bill with such alterations as might be deemed desirable. He thought that very great delay and confusion would be sure to take place if the 1062 Bill were thrown loosely before them, leaving it for all the Members of their Lordships' House to advocate it or make such objections to it as might occur to them. He believed that if the Bill should pass under such circumstances, it would be a very unsatisfactory one. He must repeat that he thought the Government ought to take up the Bill; but rather than that it should be dealt with in the way to which he had just referred, he would prefer to accede to the noble Earl's suggestion, and have it referred to a Select Committee, as he thought less time would be lost in this way.

§ EARL GRANVILLE
agreed that it would be difficult to say precisely in what shape the Bill would come up to their Lordships; but the Government would prefer that it should not pass rather than it should pass in its present form. The principle of the Bill was to prevent the removal of boasts by highways, railway, canal, or river; but he understood there were no less than fifteen exceptions to that Bill, independently of other exceptions arising from powers given to the Privy Council to issue Orders for the local authorities to curry out; and, moreover, the Bill was not to last more than three weeks. The Government were of opinion that it would be difficult to have the provisions of the Bill sufficiently understood in a short time, so that the appointment of officers and other preliminaries might be completed within three weeks. But, as the noble Earl opposite had remarked, added to the Bill were several clauses which would be supplemental to provisions contained in the Bill passed the other day, and he therefore thought it would be a pity and a loss not to have an opportunity of considering those clauses, whatever might he their opinion of the Bill as a whole. In reference to an observation which had fallen from the noble Earl, he must say that the Bill had been altered in the House of Commons, not only in consequence of objections made by Her Majesty's Government, but also in consequence of differences of opinion between the hon Member who had charge of the Bill and eminent agriculturists on both sides of the House. He hoped that the noble Earl would understand that the course he proposed to take was one entirely consistent with usage. If, however, no independent Peer was willing to take up the Bill, he, as a Member of the Government, was ready to do so; but on this clear understanding, that the Go- 1063 vernment would only adopt such parts of it as they approved, and as they thought would be useful by way of supplement to their own Bill.

§ THE EARL OF DERBY
said, he was glad he had induced the President of the Council to rise a second time, because the noble Earl was now about to take a course in which, under the circumstances of the case, he entirely concurred.

§ EARL GRANVILLE
then moved that the Bill be now read the first time.