SECOND READING. (Hansard, 8 June 1899)

§ LORD HENEAGE
My Lords, I hope I shall not be thought discourteous to your Lordships if in a very few words I ask you to give a Second Reading to this Bill, because when I moved its Second Reading last year I went very thoroughly into the whole history of the Bill. Your Lordships have already passed this Bill through all its stages in four successive sessions. The Bill is the outcome of the 611 Report of the Select Committee of the House of Commons, which was moved for by the late Government in 1893, to take into consideration resolutions which have been come to by the Sea Fisheries Association and by a number of international conferences held during the previous ten years. In 1896 and 1897 the Board of Trade passed the Bill through all its stages in this House, and it was sent down to the House of Commons, but on each occasion failed to get through that House. Last year I had the honour of introducing the Bill, and having, as I thought, ascertained that the Government were not going to bring in a Bill during the present session, I have put it down again, and I now ask your Lordships to give it a Second Reading. I am anxious that the Bill should, if possible, pass this session. It is a Bill which the present President of the Board of Trade stated three years ago it would be a disgrace to any Government not to do their best to pass, and I trust that in the present session I shall not only be able to get the Bill through your Lordships' House, but that the Government will give us some assistance in passing it into law in another place.
Moved, that the Bill now be read 2^a."

§ THE SECRETARY FOR SCOTLAND (Lord BALFOUR OF BURLEIGH)
My Lords, in the unavoidable absence of the noble Earl the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade (the Earl of Dudley), I have been asked to state the view which Her Majesty's Government hold as to the proper procedure in regard to this Bill. The noble Lord has correctly stated that the House has passed a similar Bill upon other occasions. The Board of Trade are unable to regard the whole of the provisions of this Bill with satisfaction, and more particularly they think that some of the provisions of the second clause go in advance of what is necessary at the present time. I do not rise to oppose the Second Reading of the Bill, but to inform the House that the Government have prepared a measure of their own, which, I believe, is being introduced into the other House of Parliament at the present time, dealing with this subject; and I would venture to suggest to the noble Lord that if we pass the Second Reading of this Bill to-day he should not ask the House to make any furthur pro- 612 gress with the measure until, at any rate, we see what chance the Bill introduced by the Government has of passing the other House of Parliament. If that Bill should pass the other House, as we have every reason to hope it will, when it comes here it will be a fair matter for consideration on the part of the noble Lord, and of the House generally, which of the two Bills will be the better to pass. I venture to suggest, under the circumstances, that if to-night we give this Bill a Second Reading, the noble Lord should come under the obligation not, in the meantime, at any rate, to proceed further with the measure in this House.

§ LORD HENEAGE
My Lords, I perfectly accept what has been said by the noble Lord opposite. I had no knowledge of the intention of the Government to bring in a Bill dealing with this subject. I am perfectly prepared to withdraw my Bill at any time after it has secured a Second Reading, if the Bill which the Government are about to introduce meets the case.
On Question, agreed to.
Bill read 2^a (according to order), and committed to a Committee of the whole House on Thursday, the 22nd instant.