§ THE DUKE OF RICHMONDasked the Secretary of State for India, On what day he proposes to lay upon the Table the Amendments he purposes to make in Committee on Parochial Schools (Scotland) Bill? It was desirable that the House should see those Amendments with as little delay as possible.
THE DUKE OF ARGYLLsaid, he wished the Bill, as it stood, to be taken as the basis of discussion; but the Amendments to which the noble Duke referred would be placed on the table of the House in time to allow of ample consideration before the discussion on the measure—within a week of the time appointed for proceeding with the Bill
§ LORD CAIRNSsaid, he had always understood that when the Government prepared Amendments to a measure, they placed them as soon as possible on the Notice Paper of the House, so that those who considered the Bill might understand how far it was modified by the Amendments. It was quite obvious that the Bill was not in the shape in which 1575 the Government were prepared to pass it; and, in order to facilitate discussion, he suggested that the Amendments should be laid on the table, or otherwise the people of Scotland would ask for further delay, on the plea that, though they had had time to consider the Bill, they had had no opportunity of considering the Amendments to it.
THE DUKE OF ARGYLLsaid, he had never admitted that the Amendments he was prepared to adopt were so extensive as to make the Bill practically a new Bill: on the contrary, it would be substantially the same Bill; and if it was to be discussed by parties out-of-doors he wished that the Bill, as now drafted, should be the basis of discussion.
§ LORD CAIRNShoped it would be understood in Scotland that the Government were prepared with Amendments, and would not produce them.