§ (The Earl of Onslow.)
§ COMMITTEE.
§ Order of the Day for the House to be put into Committee, read.
§ Moved, "That the House do now resolve itself into Committee upon the said Bill."—(The Earl of Onslow.)
§ THE EARL OF RAVENSWORTHsaid, he appealed to the noble Earl in charge of the measure to postpone the Committee stage till he could place certain Amendments on the Paper. He represented the Shipowners' Association of Liverpool, which included all the great Atlantic lines of steamers and the Steam Shipowners' Associations of the Tyne and the Clyde. He had that morning 296 only received from the Clyde a series of Amendments of an important character, suggesting an entirely different mode for the constitution of the Consultative Council. If further time were given he would place these Amendments on the Paper.
THE SECRETARY TO THE BOARD OF TRADE (The Earl of ONSLOW)said, the remarks of the noble Earl had somewhat surprised him; the Bill was read a first time on the 16th of March, and a second time on the 22nd of March. On the day the House assembled after the Easter Recess, he put the Committee stage down for that day. Under those circumstances he thought their Lordships would agree with him that there had been ample time for any Amendments to the Bill to be formulated. He admitted that the noble Earl represented a powerful shipping interest, but he might say that, with the exception of one body, the Government had received no intimation that the shipping interest entertained any objection to the Bill. In deference, however, to the important interests represented by the noble Earl, he would accede to his request but, looking to the importance of the Bill reaching the other House at an early date, he could not undertake to postpone the Committee stage beyond Monday next. Motion (by leave of the House) withdrawn. Committee of the Whole House put off to Monday next.