SECOND READING. (Hansard, 23 July 1872)

§ LORD KINNAIRD

, in moving that the Bill be now read the second time, said, that its object was to give greater facilities than now existed to masters and workmen for the purpose of settling their disputes by arbitration. In bringing it forward as he had done, he regretted that he was deprived of the advantage of very valuable assistance, in consequence of the absence of a noble and learned Lord (Lord St. Leonards), who took a great interest in the question, but who, owing to age and infirmity, was not able to be present on this occasion. In 1866 or 1867 Lord St. Leonards had introduced a measure called the Conciliation Act, the object of which was to enable masters and workmen to submit their differences to arbitration; but that Bill provided more for the present and the past, and its machinery was so complicated that it had not been found to confer those benefits which otherwise would have arisen from its operation. Lord St. Leonards, however, had seen the present amended Bill and approved of it, and it would make better provision for the future than the Bill of the noble and learned Lord had done. Its object was to enable masters and workmen to agree to go before a Court of Arbitration, and 1605 when they had so agreed they were to be bound afterwards by the decision of the arbitrator. In 1869 a Commission was appointed to inquire into the working of Trades Unions, and that Commission recommended a Court of Arbitration, but that it should be voluntary. This Bill carried out that recommendation, because it was altogether permissive; and every precaution was adopted to ensure that neither masters nor men should be taken by surprise. It was accordingly provided that the conditions upon which the parties should go to arbitration should be placed in the hands of every man concerned, and he was to have 48 hours to make up his mind on the subject. The question of wages was not touched by the Bill of Lord St. Leonards; but under this Bill both the hours of labour and the wages to be paid—questions which were now exciting so much public attention—might be arranged. In short, any subject of difference might come before the arbitrator, and when he had settled it by this Bill, the parties on both sides would be bound. In the ironworks in the North of England the greatest benefits had arisen from Courts of Arbitration, both to masters and workmen; questions of wages had been amicably settled, and no strike had occurred for a long time. The men themselves were most anxious for a measure of this kind to enable them to meet their masters upon equal terms, without resorting to a strike, and at a very large meeting of Cleveland miners at Nottingham, a resolution was passed declaring that Boards of Arbitration and Conciliation were the only reasonable way of settling the disputes that inevitably arose between capital and labour, and they most earnestly urged on the Cleveland mine-owners the desirability of establishing these Boards. In short, he firmly believed that if their Lordships passed this measure it would tend to put an end to strikes. He begged to move the second reading of the Bill.