Sitting of 15 January 1894

Preamble
The Lord Kensington—Chosen Speaker in the absence of the Lord Chancellor and the Lords Commissioners.
THE ADMINISTRATION OF DOMINICA.

  QUESTION.
  THE EARL OF STAMFORDasked whether the noble Marquess the Secretary of State for the Colonies could give the House any information as to when the Report of Sir Robert Hamilton on the administration of Dominica would be made public?
  THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (The Marquess of RIPON): My Lords, the Report of Sir Robert Hamilton on the administration of Dominica is not yet, I believe, written—certainly it is not yet in the hands of the Colonial Office. I had the pleasure of seeing Sir Robert Hamilton the other day immediately on his return from Dominica, and he informed me he had not yet written his Report, but that he would do so as soon as he could; but as it was a matter of much importance it would take him some time before he would be able to go over the whole of the evidence again and furnish his Report to the Colonial Office. I doubt whether there is much chance of the Report being received by the Colonial Office before the end of the present Session.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT (ENGLAND AND WALES) BILL.
Brought from the Commons; read 1a.
THE MARQUESS OF RIPON: It may be for the convenience of your Lordships I should state that in putting down the Second Reading of this Bill in the name of my noble Friend Lord Monkswell for Friday next, I do so without any intention on the part of Her Majesty's Government of proceeding with the Second Reading on that day, because the Rill is a long
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one, and will have to be reprinted and circulated to Members of the House, and no doubt by Friday next they will not have had sufficient time to consider it. I am in communication with my noble Friends opposite, and with Lord Limerick, who acts for them, on the subject of the day on which the Debate on the Second Reading shall be taken. I am not in a position to state what that day will be, but it will be some time next week. I need hardly say that Her Majesty's Government will take care that such a day shall be selected as to afford a reasonable hope that the measure will pass through this House before the House of Commons reassembles.
Bill to be printed; and to be read 2a on Friday next.—(The Lord Monkswell.) (No. 294.)
House adjourned at half past Four o'clock, to Friday next, a quarter past Four o'clock.