The debate on the Labourers' Allotments Bill was continued in
Committee last Friday week, though, we are sorry to add, with small results, very little progress being made. The chief feature of the evening's discussion was a speech from Mr. Chamberlain in opposition to an amendment to the first clause of the Bill, moved by Mr. Staveley Hill. Mr. Chamberlain described Mr. Hill's amendment as a proposal not only to allow a voluntarily constituted authority of seven labourers to exer- cise compulsory powers for the acquisition of land, but to save it from the consequences of its mismanagement at the expense of the rates. Mr. Jesse Collings expressed himself equally horrified at the notion, to quote Mr. Staveley Hill's own words, "that seven gentlemen in any locality should be able to register themselves under the Friendly Societies Act as the authority to take the initiative in these matters." The amendment was finally negatived by 200 to 78, a result hardly to be wondered at after it had received the friendly patronage of Mr. Conybeare.
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