The debate on Mr. McLaren's first amendment to the second
section of the Employers' Liability Bill ended last Friday in its defeat by the narrow majority of 19. The drift of the amendment was to allow certain contracts,—chiefly those between the great railways and their subordinates, by which these subordinates contract not to sue them for compensation under the Act (if it becomes an Act), in consideration of certain large contributions by the employers to the benefit fund for the relief of the sufferers from accidents and their families, —to be still valid, under special conditions, though in general the Bill prohibits all attempts of the employed to enter into any contract not to avail themselves of the provisions of the Bill. It is said that six Gladstoniarts who were pledged to support the amendment were induced to absent themselves, while twelve others who had expressed themselves in favour of it were persuaded by the Whips to vote against it. Yet in spite of all this energetic whipping, the majority dwindled to 19. The Government, who supported the "Noes," num- bered 236, and the supporters of Mr. McLaren numbered 217. But even if the clause had been carried, the Government had given out that they would accept their defeat.
Previous page
