§ EARL GRANVILLEI wish to put a Question to the noble Duke opposite (the Duke of Richmond), of which I gave Notice yesterday, respecting the course of Public Business. I do not put the Question in any way of complaint; but I put it in order to get information—which is not always the object of Parliamentary Questions. I may say that with one exception—to which I do not now intend to allude—I do not think your Lordships' House has any cause to complain of the conduct of Business this Session by the noble Duke. Her Majesty's Government brought in many important Bills at the beginning of the Session, and they received more than average attention at that period of the Session. As regards the future, your Lordships are aware that for seve- 1869 ral years it was urged that it was the duty of your Lordships' House to consider all important measures even at a late period of the Session. I find that my Question is not quite so urgent as it was yesterday, for I find the Prime Minister has modified his declaration that all Government Bills were to pass this Session. My noble Friend opposite will remember that in a speech which he delivered in another place, and which showed remarkable power and produced a very great effect, he drew a comparison of the legislative action of the present Government with that of the late Government, and stated that all the Government Bills would pass—or certainly all that were important. I think my noble Friend alluded particularly to the Merchant Shipping Bill, which I hear has now been abandoned. Fearing that the House might be left in ignorance of the subjects to be brought before it, I should very much like to know, Whether my noble Friend can give the House any information as to what Bills are likely to be brought before us during the remainder of the Session and at what time?
§ THE DUKE OF RICHMONDWith regard to the principle my noble Friend has laid down of discussing measures at a late period of the Session, I imagine your Lordships will be perfectly prepared to receive and discuss any Bills which may be sent up for our consideration by the other House of Parliament. I wish to refer to one part of my noble Friend's remarks in which he stated that my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister had announced his intention to carry all the Bills which the Government had introduced. I think my noble Friend has misapprehended what was stated by the Prime Minister on the occasion to which he alludes. If I mistake not, the Prime Minister was referring only to Bills which had then passed the second reading—that is my impression of what he intended to convey. With regard to the measures which Her Majesty's Government are preparing to bring forward, and also with reference to the speech which my noble Friend has done me the honour to allude to which I made in another place, I may say that if I had to speak again tomorrow I should be quite prepared to make the same speech as I delivered on that occasion—with the exception, of 1870 course, of one Bill which has since that time been abandoned by the Government, because they felt it would be impossible to discuss it sufficiently this Session—I mean the Merchant Shipping Bill. With regard to the Business before your Lordships, my noble Friend will see that a Bill of some importance stands for second reading this evening—namely, the Scotch Entail Bill. Then there is the Pharmacy Bill, which will be considered in Committee this evening. The Police Constables (Scotland) Bill, the Police Expenses Bill, and the Copyright of Designs Bill stand for third reading, and the Washington Treaty (Claims Distribution) Bill is down for second reading. There are two very important Bills which have been read a third time in the other House of Parliament. One has been read a first time in this House, the Employers and Workmen Bill; and the Conspiracy Bill, which goes with that, was, I think, read a third time last night—though whether it has been sent up to this House I am not aware. It is, however, the intention of my noble and learned Friend on the Woolsack to move the second reading of both these Bills at the same time, and he had intended to ask your Lord-ships to discuss them on Thursday next; but we have been informed that it would be more convenient to noble Lords on the other side of the House that these Bills should be taken at an earlier period, and therefore he proposes to move the second reading of the Employers and Workmen Bill and the Conspiracy Bill on Monday next, with the hope that it will be convenient to go into Committee on both Bills on Tuesday or Thursday in next week, if that should suit the convenience of the House. I do not know of any other measures with which Her Majesty's Government have to deal in this House to which I need further allude. I do not know whether this will be regarded by my noble Friend as a satisfactory answer; but if he wishes for further details and will indicate in what direction his views are, I shall be most happy to give the subject my best attention.
§ EARL GRANVILLEDoes Her Majesty's Government intend to pass all their Bills with the exception of the Merchant Shipping Bill, which they have announced it to be their intention to abandon?
§ THE DUKE OF RICHMONDI believe that if my noble Friend will at the end of the Session refer to the Bills passed in the Sessions of 1874 and 1875, he will, with his usual candour, admit that they are equal, if not greater, in importance than the Bills passed in 1872 and 1873 by the Government of which he was so distinguished a Member. We need not go into such a comparison now; but Her Majesty's Government will this year have passed a number of most important measures. No doubt, the Merchant Shipping Bill has been withdrawn; but at this moment I cannot call to mind any other Bill of an important character which has been or is likely to be abandoned.