SECOND READING CARRIED.

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 13995, 27 January 1916, Page 5

SECOND READING CARRIED.

SPEECH BY LORD DERBY

AN INTERESTING DEBATE

(Received Jan. 26, 8.15 p.m.) London, Jan. 25. The House of Lords passed the second reading'of tlio Bill.

Lord Derby said the 650,000. single men unaccounted for in his report was a minimum number.' Until they were accounted for it would have been perfectly impossible to fulfil Mr Asquith's' pledge. Married men were com ing in in large numbers. Single men were in a larger proportion than married men, but not to such an extent as to justify anyone in thinking that1 the numb or loft was still a negligible quantity. Ho was more frightened of the Government thani of the tribunals in reducing the number available. Since the report was issued four lists of reserved occupations had been issued. He could not help being apprehensive when he knew that 100,000 badges had been issued in four days. When the Bill was introduced he feared that many fish would escape the net, but he now thought there was less danger of escape.

Lord Derby added that it would haVe been of no avail to introduce industrial compulsion in the guise of a Military Service Bill -He believed, the * Bill would ;,not makVi'a/" great industrial dis-* turbance, and would bo worked so as io bring men to the army as they were required, and,-as* industry ■ could- spare them. He believed it was impossible

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for the Government to frame the Bill more simply or''carry out' its pledges more fully, while moebing the requirements of the military authorities.

Lord -Haldane said he did not think tho Bill'trenched on any large principles. The Government had wisely re strictcd it as far as possible.

Lord Russell opposed the Bill on the ground that compulsion would diminish the country's glory.

The Archbishop of Canterbury wholeheartedly supported the Bill. He believed, it to be a. plain, straightforward, and vigorous effort to meet an extraordinarily difficult situation.

Lord Gurzon said no one would like to see a permanent measure more than himself, but it was obviously out of the question to revolutionise their whole system in the middle of a great war and force upon the country a general system, of compulsion.

Lord Lansdowne said that as matters stood, we. wore not. wholly > masters of, tho situation: , It was. distinctly to the interest of industry not only that we should emerge victoriously, but also that victory should .not bo too long de>layed. The Government had endeavoured- to hold the balance as fairly as possible between the Army and the House of Commons. He regretted that Ireland had not claimed the right of inclusion.

Lord Middle-ton regretted that the Government had not shown more, courage and spread the net* a little wider. Ho asked whether the course of the war had not been marred by the Government's progress on the line of least resistance? Thoso associated with him had had great difficulty in considering the course they should adopt, but they had eventually decided not to attempt to amend the Bill, butr to leave the responsibility to the Government.