The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-07-14 00:00:00

THE BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE

Mr. Gladstone, in making his promised statement with
reference to the Government measures now before the
House, explained that it was intended to submit the Bills
which had been through the Grand Committees, the
Corrupt Practices Bill, and the Tenants Compensation
Bills for England and Scotland, to the judgment of the
House definitely. The National Debt Bill, the Medical
Acts Amendment Bill, the Scotch Local Government
Bill, and four Irish measures the Registration of
Voters, Poor Relief, and Police Re-organization Bills, and a
Bill for the promotion of tramways—would also be proceeded
with. Eight Bills would be dropped, but it was hoped would
be reintroduced at a very early period next session—viz,
the Floods Prevention, Ballot Act Continuance and Amend-
ment, Charitable Trusts, Scotch Universities, Representative
Peers (Scotland), Police Superannuation, Naval Discipline,
and Irish Sunday Closing Bills; and with regard to three
others—the Welsh Intermediate Education, Detention in
Hospitals, and Criminial Law Amendment Bills—the
Government suspended their judgment for the present.
They proposed to take Tuesdays and Wednesdays
for Government business for the remainder of the
session, leaving Fridays evenings, for the present, to
private members. On Thursday the Civil Service Estimates
would be taken; on Monday the Navy Estimates; and on
Tuesday, supposing the Corrupt Practices Bill to have
passed through Committee, the Committee on the Tenants'
Compensation Bill would b 3 commenced, progress being re-
ported at an early hour in order that the adjourned debate
on the cost of the Indian contingent to the Egyptian expe-
dition might be resumed. It would be sanguine to expect
that less than eight or ten days would be required for
Supply, and the House could not therefore hope under the
most favourable circumstances fora very early deliverance
from its labours.

Sir S. Northcote expressed a doubt whether all the 14
Bills which the Government desired to pass could be got
through in the present session; and a hope that as the
Government were about to become masters of the whole
time of the House except Friday night, they would not in-
flict upon hon. members the intolerable burden of Saturday
sittings for the purposes of legislation.
After a long and desultory discussion", the orders for the
further stages of seven of the Bills which the Government
had abandoned were discharged, and the measures with-
drawn.
THE CORRUPT PRACTICES BILL.

The Committee on the Corrupt Practices Bill was resumed
at Clause 41, and on Clause 45, which provides for the pay-
ment of conveyance of voters by sea in certain cases, being
reached, Mr. Lewis moved its rejection on the ground that
it was inconsistent with the rest of the Bill. The Attorney-
General supported the clause, but on a division it was ex-
punged by 147 to 88.
When Clause 60 was reached progress was reported.
The Bankruptcy Bill was recommitted in relation to six
clauses concerning abolition of offices and compensation,
and after some further business, the House adjourned at 20
minutes past three o'clock.