§ LORD STANLEY OF ALDERLEYrose to call the attention of the House to the Copy of Report of the Commissioners appointed by the Governor of Hong Kong to inquire into the working of the Contagious Diseases Ordinance of 1867, which had been presented to the other House of Parliament; and to move for the despatch of the Secretary of State for the Colonies in reply there to. He had been speaking for some time, when——
THE DUKE OF RICHMOND AND GORDONsaid, at the present moment this was asking the House to discuss a 1255 Report which was not before it. He would suggest that the proper course would be to move that a Copy of the Report be laid on the Table, and then call the attention of the House to it.
THE EARL OF KIMBERLEYjoined in the appeal to the noble Lord (Lord Stanley of Alderley) not to bring forward the question at the present moment. It was an important subject, and he thought the course suggested by the noble Duke (the Duke of Richmond and Gordon) was the right one to take under the circumstances.
§ LORD STANLEY OF ALDERLEYsaid, he was willing to adopt the suggestion of the noble Duke, and would accordingly move for a message to the other House for the Papers to which he had referred.
§ EARL CADOGANsaid, there was no objection to the production of the Papers; but he would ask the noble Lord to defer the Motion to allow him an opportunity of looking through them.
§ Motion postponed.