FACTORY AND WORKSHOPS ACT (1878) AMENDMENT (SCOTLAND) BILL. (Hansard, 26 June 1888)

LORD BALFOUR
wished to point out to the noble Earl in charge of the Bill that it could hardly pass as it stood, because the clause said that the Bill should come into operation on the 1st of April, 1888.

§ THE EARL OF ABERDEEN
said, his attention had already been called to the point, and he proposed to substitute the 1st of September, 1888, as the date when the Bill should take effect.

Lour BALFOUR
observed that he had given Notice of certain Amendments, all of them having the same purpose in view, which was to secure that those employed in factories in rural parishes should not be put in a worse position than those so employed in burghs. In the hope that his Amendments would be accepted, he would not trouble their Lordships with arguments upon them.

§ THE EARL OF ABERDEEN
remarked that the Amendments in question were perfectly consistent with the scope and purport of the Bill, and would be welcomed by him. At the same time, he thought his noble Friend would agree with him in regard to the subject to which one of the Amendments referred, that the abolition of Fast Days which prevailed in the burghs had not yet extended to the country districts, except, perhaps, in a few special cases. It was somewhat unusual to anticipate by an Act of Parliament the growth of public opinion in any particular direction, however desirable such growth of public opinion might be. There was one other consideration of a practical character, and that was that they must be satisfied with what they could get. In other words, he had doubts as to how far the acceptance of the noble Earl's Amendment might endanger the passage of the Bill through the other House. He would suggest, therefore, that the Amendments should not be pressed at this stage, but should be brought up on Report after there had been an opportunity of consulting those interested in the question.

LORD BALFOUR
said, his experience differed from that of the noble Earl, as, in the rural districts which ho was familiar with, the Fast Days had been to a great extent given up. He would, of course, accede to the request of the noble Earl. He understood that if he brought up the Amendments again there would be no objection to the form of them.

§ THE EARL OF ABERDEEN
Neither to the form nor the principle.