§ Order of the Day read for the consideration of Commons Amendments.
§ LORD BUCKMASTERMy Lords, I beg to move that the Commons Amendments be now considered. This Motion is, no doubt, a purely formal one, and I do not anticipate that your Lordships will do other than assent to it. But I should like to use the occasion it offers for two purposes. First, I should like to thank the noble Marquess the Leader of the House for hip help in connection with the Bill. Without it, I am quite certain, it would never have been passed. I never quite understood what brought about the opposition, but I am certain that the noble Marquess accomplished more than he gave this House to understand. I know that he always does more than he says he does, and I greatly relied upon his help, and I have not done so in vain. The second thing I would like to say is that it is certainly a remarkable fact that this Bill has taken less time to go through the House of Commons than was taken here to persuade 467 us that it could not be considered at all. I would respectfully suggest to the noble Marquess that most of the opposition consisted mainly of the "midnight hosts and phantoms dim" which, your Lordships may remember, in the old legend beleaguered the walls of Prague. I hope the noble Marquess will not think I intend patronage if I finally suggest that in future it would be well that the Government should remember that with a good cause and a good conscience phantoms need not be feared.
§ Moved, That the Commons Amendments be now considered.—(Lord Buckmaster.)
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.