§ Order of the Day for the House to be put into Committee, read.
THE EARL OF KIMBERLEYsaid, he had given notice of some Amendments which, while not affecting the principle of the measure, would mitigate the penalties to be imposed for killing and dyeing seeds. He had also received communications stating that inconvenience would arise from fixing an early date for the operation of the Act, there being on the Continent a practice of drying seeds in order to give them a better appearance rather than for purposes of fraud, and there being large stocks of these on hand, while but little notice had been given of the Bill.
§ THE EARL OF DEVONsaid, he was ready to accept the Amendments of his noble Friend; but, at the same time, begged to remind him that the operation of the Bill had already been deferred from the 1st of October to the 1st of May.
§ House in Committee accordingly; Amendments made: The Report thereof to be received To-morrow, and Bill to be printed as amended. (No. 276.)