BRITISH POLITICS.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12545, 14 July 1906, Page 10

BRITISH POLITICS.

TR-ADIiS DISPUTES BILL. United Prc*R Afiocinfion — By Electric Teipgraih—C'oiijripht. LONDON, July 12. fiir J. Lawson AValton, AttorneyOeiK'ral. has proposed to amend Clause IV. of the Trades Disputes Hill, by forbidding Courts to entertain actions ayiiinst trades unions or members tor recovery oi' damages in re-sj-i.-et ot tortious acts alleged to have Wn committed by, or on behalf of trad«« unions. .Mr F. E. iSmith has proposed an amendment seeming to the funds of the Employers' Associations equal protection. In moviri" tho above amendment to the Tradw llisputfs Hill, the Attornoy(iein:ral is appan.-nrly carrying out tho Prime .Nliiii.stfr's virtual promise to «o th" length dfoiifd i/y the lndeiM«ndent Labour parry in iminunUy to the funds oi the trades unions. Ino Govfi-nm.'ii, was ])K<i;; L d belorc the ehftion to jiraiu M)i:ic K>>rt- of iinrnuiuty and the AttoriH-y-Oi-iu-i al int.n:<!uc<tl a JJill, of which tho suhstanc,' wao: — Nothing dom; by a union shall be illi-Knl if it :.- not illegal uhen d«;iie by an indivi<lual. Peai-r-lul jik-kotint; and persuasion ehall bo local. Cnious shall only l»e to claims for redress for acts committed under their authurisaii'.in. Tho Labour p;irty introduced a Bill of thoir own ,<:o:iis the v.hole length in the grant ins of immunity, the jiist ot it t>olllll that no action should lio against a union for the act of any member ot it. When il:e Ciovernmeni's Hill came before the 11.nf.-e. the Labour ]>arty d«-r-lared that it did not satisfy them, and despite the fact that th-Attoniey-Cieueral !ki'-1 warned tho House against the Hill of the Labour p.uty. iSir Henry Campbell-Ba iv.u-rr.uui, on the following day. said hr> saw no reason why he should not vot<» for the latter Hill, and advised the Rouse to follow his example. Tho two Bilta, ho paid, could bo .'uljur-ted in committee, for there was really no difference in spirit between them. The amendment reprrtod in our cables is apparently part of the process of adjustment. A rr.tr.parison between it ami the third part of tho Government Hill quoted al.ove will -show the important nature of the concession.