On Tuesday the Lords' amendments to the Employers' Liability Bill
were considered in the House of Commons, when. Mr. Cobb moved an amendent on Lord Dudley's clause which will have the effect of suspending for three years the applica- bility of the Bill to existing insurance societies. Mr. Asquith accepted this amendment, but declined altogether to accept any permanent exemption of insurance societies either present or future. He hoped, however, that the three years' grace might give the employers time to get over their fear that they would be put to charges for an unlimited number of suits by injured workmen or by the families of those who had been killed in rail- way accidents. Mr. Balfour characterised the concession as ludicrously inadequate, and he stated that the Great Northern Insurance Association had been already disorganised by the withdrawal of subscriptions from the employers, under the- threat of this Government Bill. On a division Mr. Cobb's. amendment was carried by a bare majority of 2 (215 to 213). On Mr. Asquith's motion for the omission of the third sub- section introduced by the Lords, the Government gained the majority of 22 (219 to 197).
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