§ Amendments reported (according to Order).
LORD KENYONMy Lords, I am afraid some apology is due from me to this House and to Lord Newton for my absence yesterday. Perhaps I may explain that I have been going through a cure for that unpleasant malady known as gout at Harrogate. Otherwise I should have been in my place. The Bill in question is a private Bill to which no opposition whatever was expected. The Amendments, which were proposed in my name, were put in at the instance of both parties to the Bill—the District Council of Garston and the Corporation of Liverpool. The District Council area is being included within the borough of Liverpool, and in order to protect themselves, the Garston District Council got these Amendments proposed to the Provisional Order, and the city of Liverpool were quite willing to grant them. The chief Amendment provided for the 3 erection of a library and baths within the district of Garston, which baths and wash-houses are for the whole town of Liverpool. I think we may trust the city of Liverpool to look after itself in this matter, and certainly the district of Garston will benefit greatly by it as well the whole town of Liverpool. I am sorry the noble Lord gave no notice beforehand of any opposition. Otherwise the Local Government Board would have been prepared with their reply, I also regret my absence. I beg to move that the Report of Amendments be now received.
§ LORD NEWTONI should like, before saying anything else, to express my condolence with my noble friend on the fact that he is suffering from a malady which does not generally affect persons enjoying the comparative youth which he does. I am grateful to him for the full and ample explanation of the Amendment which he has given. But I think the Government ought to be grateful to me, for it is through my instrumentality that they have acquired a knowledge of this Bill, which they would not otherwise have obtained. This is an Amendment of a somewhat unusual character, and I think I was justified in asking for the explanation. I regret that I was unable to give my noble friend longer notice, but I believe the Amendment only appeared on the Paper the day before yesterday, and there was hardly an opportunity of doing so. I hope this instance, which is extremely trivial and unimportant in itself, may yet be productive of some benefit, and that we may, in future, not witness the somewhat distressing spectacle of a number of eminent persons sitting on the Government Bench and unable to answer a simple question on a Bill brought in by a Government Department.
§ Bill to be read 3a on Thursday next.