§ Order of the Day for receiving the Report of Amendments read.
LORD STRABOLGIMy Lords, I beg to move that this Report be now received. On the Committee stage I said I would find out the facts about some apparent conflict of evidence between the noble Lord, Lord Gainford, and myself about a statement which I alleged Mr. Tom Smith, an honourable friend of mine in another place, had made with regard to his having consulted mine-owners about the Bill. I hazarded the opinion on the Committee stage that Mr. Tom Smith was incapable of misleading your Lordships' House, but that I probably was, and I find I was quite right in that. I did mislead your Lordships' House, although inadvertently, as I shall explain. I misunderstood the meaning of my honourable friend. I thought he said he had consulted mine-owners but what he actually said was that he had consulted mine-managers. We are so used to deal 181 only with mine-owners in your Lordships' House that perhaps the mistake was excusable. If I had known that he had consulted mine-managers I should have been able to present a stronger case to your Lordships. That, however, explains the discrepancy. I beg to move.
§ Moved, That the Report of Amendments be now received.—(Lord Strabolgi.)
§ On Question, Motion agreed to, and Amendments reported accordingly.