§ House in Committee (according to Order).
§ Clause 1 (Penalties for selling, offering, and exposing for sale) agreed to.
§ Clause 2 (Certain cases to which this Act does not apply).
§ THE EARL OF KIMBERLEY moved that the sale of all excepted articles be permitted till 10 a.m., instead of, in some cases, 9 a.m.
§ Amendment agreed to.
THE EARL OF KIMBERLEYsaid, he thought there was something to be said in favour of butter, it being a perishable article; whereas eggs could be kept a considerable time.
§ LORD CHELMSFORDobjected to the Amendment, which it was understood was not pressed.
§ Clause, as amended, agreed to.
§ Clause 3 (Provisions as to distinct and separate offences).
THE EARL OF KIMBERLEYproposed the omission of the words "nor less than 20s.," urging that the magistrates should have a discretion as to the amount of penalty.
§ LORD CHELMSFORDexplained that he had inserted the words on account of this being the penalty under the statute of Charles II., which he did not propose to diminish.
THE EARL OF KIMBERLEYsaid, he did not see why Parliament should be bound by that statute, for people, it was to be hoped, had grown wiser during the last 200 years. Under this, as under any Act, cases of hardship might arise, and it was better to give the magistrates a discretion.
§ Amendment agreed to.
§ Words "or in default of payment not exceeding one month's imprisonment," inserted.
§ Clause, as amended, agreed to.
§ Clause 4 agreed to.
§ Clause 5 (Appropriations of penalties).
THE EARL OF MORLEYproposed an Amendment providing that the Act of Charles II. should be repealed as far as it applied to places affected by this Bill.
§ LORD CHELMSFORDdid not object to the proviso, though thinking it unnecessary; but he suggested some alteration in its terms.
§ Clause, as amended, agreed to.
§ The Report of the Amendments to be received To-morrow; and Bill to be printed as amended. (No. 19.)