pushing this Motion to a conclusion and so lose the Bill altogether. He had only moved it to call attention to what had been done. *DR. THOMPSON (Monaghan, N.) trusted the Government next session would do all they could to help this very important undertaking. It would be a most profitable railway, and he hoped the protest of the Irish Members would have its effect. These lines would be a great benefit to the people in that part of Ireland. He protested against what had taken place in the House of Lords, where a number of Scotch Lords, entirely unconnected with Ireland, had ruthlessly thrown out a Bill which had the unanimous support of a Committee of the House of Commons, and would have greatly benefited a very prosperous and thickly-populated district of Ireland. DR. MACDONNELL (Queen's Co., Leix.) said before the Bill left the House he might say, after the strong expressions of opinion by the right hon. Gentleman at the afternoon sitting, he thought, on behalf of the promoters of the line, he would not be further justified in opposing the Lords Amendments. The promoters thought that not only to the right hon. Gentle man but to the Irish Government, they owed a deep debt of gratitude for the strong position they had taken up in the matter. The hon. Gentleman did not realise that there was considerable interest stake on this Bill passing through the House, and on its operation after it passed; if the hon. Gentleman insisted on moving Amendments of this kind, in future, he would be doing the greatest possible damage to the motor traffic of this country. Question put, and negatived. Amendment proposed to the Bill— "In page 2, to leave out lines 15 to 24." (Mr. Walter Long.) Amendment agreed to. MR. WALTER LONG said in regard to the next Amendment, whilst he was anxious that no injustice should be done Bill accordingly read a second time, to the driver, at the same time they were and committed. AUCHTERARDER TOWN COUNCIL ORDER CONFIRMATION BILL. Considered; read the third time, and passed. Mr. Hemphill. determined to throw upon him the responsibility of seeing that his number was distinct. The object of the Government was to make it clear that the driver should see that his number, which was the means of identification, was not obscured. In order to insure that, he proposed to insert these words. If then he had taken reasonable and practical means to keep his number clear, he would not be liable. He asked the Committee to accept these words. Amendment proposed to the Bill— "In page 2, line 30, after the word that' to insert the words He has taken all steps reasonably practicable to prevent.' ”—(Mr. Walter Long.) Question proposed, "That the words. proposed to be left out stand part of the Bill." MR. WALTER LONG said it must be assumed that a certain amount of common sense would be exercised in dealing with such a measure as this, and nobody would take the word "employ" to include the case mentioned by the hon. Member Apart from such extreme cases, the Government held that every driver must Question proposed, "That those words have a licence, and they could not accept be there inserted in the Bill." *MR. SCOTT-MONTAGU said that personally he would prefer the words he had suggested. Question put, and agreed to. Amendments proposed to the BillIn page 2, line 30, to leave out the words 'had been,' and to insert the word 'being.' 66 "In page 2, lines 31 and 32, to leave out the words by unavoidable causes arising from natural conditions over which he had no control.' "In page 2, line 37, at end, to insert the words and (b) the Council of any County or County Borough in which the business premises of any manufacturer of or dealer in motor-cars are situated, may, on payment of such annual fee, not exceeding £3, as the council require, assign to that manufacturer or dealer a general identitication mark which may be used for any car on trial after completion, or on trial by an intending purchaser, and a person shall not be liable to a penalty under this section while so using the car if the mark so assigned is fixed upon the car in the manner required by the council in accordance with regulations of the Local Government Board made under this Act.""(Mr. Walter Long.) Amendment agreed to. MR. LOUIS SINCLAIR said the Amendment he now desired to move simply proposed to make a person who transgressed the clause liable to a penalty of £5 instead of imprisonment. He instanced the case of a man taken ill on a journey and handing his car over to another person to take to its destination; under such circumstances a fine would be quite sufficient. Amendment proposed to the Bill—, "In page 3, to leave out the words of line 2, and insert the words liable, on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding £5.'”—(Mr. Louis Sinclair.) the Amendment on the slender grounds which had been put forward. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. MR. ARTHUR MORTON (Deptford) moved to raise from sixteen to seventeen years the age at which a person would be eligible to obtain a licence. A youth of sixteen could hardly be expected to possess those qualities of nerve, judg ment, and skill which were generally associated with older persons. The age for cab-drivers and locomotive-drivers was higher than sixteen years, and he hoped the Amendment would commend itself to the House. Amendment proposed to the Bill— "In page 3, line 16, to leave out the word 'sixteen ' and insert the word seventeen.'"-(Mr. Arthur Morton.) Question proposed, "That the word sixteen' stand part of the Bill." MR. WALTER LONG said he had had representations made to him from both sides on this question. On the one hand, it was said that a boy of sixteen might run amuck and do an enormous amount of damage, while it was urged, on the other hand, that, if the age were limited, a great injury would be done to a growing industry, and that lads trained in a motor-school were just as capable to drive at sixteen as at seventeen or eighteen years of age. He had endeavoured to arrive at fair conclusions on the various matters dealt with in the Bill, but this was one with regard to which he had no definite opinion, and he would leave it to the House to say for themselves whether the age should be sixteen or seventeen. MR. BROADHURST thought that sixteen was an exceedingly low age for a lad to be placed in charge of one of these powerful machines, which were as difficult and dangerous as a torpedo boat, and whose terrors would be enormously increased if they were to be driven by mere schoolboys. According to the hon. Member for Kirkcaldy, it took five years to learn to drive a motor-car, so that a lad would have to begin at the age of eleven, or three years before he was permitted to leave the elementary school. The age ought certainly not to be lower than seventeen, and if the proposal could be amended to make it eighteen he would gladly support the higher limit. MR. DALZIEL thought the Amendment was not one of first-class importance. Some of the best drivers of motor-cars were young men of fifteen years of age, and he knew of one young lady of fifteen who would drive with any expert he knew. With regard to the period of training necessary, what he had said was that to learn to take the machine to pieces and to understand every possible disorganisation would take the best part of three years. But what the House had to bear in mind was the case of parents, who, looking round for a calling for their sons, saw that this industry was growing into popularity, and, believing that in it was to be found a congenial and remunerative employment, paid considerable premiums in order that their sons, at the age of twelve or thirteen, might be taught the mastery of the machine with a view to becoming drivers. He did not think it a vital point of the Bill, but he hoped the age of sixteen would be adhered to. the Bill to place in charge youths of sixteen years of age. Considering the general intention of the Bill, he thought it was more in consonance with the public interest that the age should be seventeen. *MR. SCOTT-MONTAGU maintained that the modern motor-car was so controllable in its nature that there was really no harm in a boy of sixteen being in charge. He believed that any person of average intelligence at the age of sixteen was fit to be trusted with a motor-car. One of the great evils, which motorists hoped to counteract, was the driving of cars by persons who were not properly qualified, but if the age were raised to seventeen it would be difficult to commence to train men as young as was desirable. He hoped to see the day when a proper body would give certificates for motor-driving just as the Jockey Club gave licenses to jockeys, but if the age at which men could begin to drive was placed so high there would not be the same opportunity of training them. If men were to be properly trained they must be "caught young," and sixteen was not too low an age if they were to be trained as they should be. MR. J. A. PEASE (Essex, Saffron Walden) thought that boys of sixteen were in many cases competent to control motor-cars, and that parents and guardians might be trusted to prevent their undertaking duties of this character unless they were competent to do so. SIR WILLIAM TOMLINSON (Preston) expressed the opinion that owners of such costly machines as motor-cars were not likely to entrust them to incompetent persons. MR. WEIR (Ross and Cromarty) approved of beginning to train the drivers of these powerful machines *MR. BURDETT-COUTTS understood the object of the Bill to be to give reasonable privileges to a new invention, and at the same time to to protect the public against the dangers and inconveniences which had been constantly as early as sixteen years of age, and felt in connection with motor-cars. If these complicated machines were to be allowed to travel along the highways at an unprecedented rate of speed, involving dangers which required great judgment and decision on the part of the driver, it would be contrary to the objects of urged that they should have two or three years' training in the work shop. Boys were not permitted to drive locomotive engines, although they had a couple of rails to run on. Moreover, lads of sixteen had not the sufficient strength of wrist to turn a spanner or screwdriver. He thought that eighteen | knowledge of what horses and drivers or nineteen would be a more suitable age could do, and of what was likely to for allowing them to take the full happen, which could hardly be expected responsibility of drivers. from a boy of sixteen. MR. LLEWELLYN (Somersetshire, N.) contended that for powerful machines, which were most dangerous if carelessly handled, it was necessary to have drivers with an experience of the road, a 85. Question put. The House divided:-Ayes, 79; Noes, (Division List No. 260.) Abraham, W. (Cork, N.E.) AYES. Forster, Henry William Hambro, Charles Eric NOES. Flannery, Sir Fortescue Foster, Sir Walter (Derby Co. Godson, Sir Augustus Frederick Keswick, William Law, H. Alex. (Donegal, W.) Pease, H. Pike (Darlington) Pierpoint, Robert Ritchie, Rt. Hn. Chas. Thomson Rutherford, John (Lancashire) TELLERS FOR THE AYES- Leigh, Sir Joseph Loder, Gerald Walter Erskine Redmond, William (Clare) Remnant, James Farquharson Roberts, John H. (Denbighs.) Smith, Hn. W. F. D. (Strand) Amendment proposed to the Bill— "In page 3, line 17, after the word 'licence,' to insert the words 'except that a licence limited to driving motor-cycles may be granted to a person over the age of fourteen years.' (Mr. Walter Long.) Amendment agreed to. Amendments proposed to the Bill "In page 3, line 25, to leave out the words 'or his horse or vehicle,' and insert the words 'whether on foot, on horseback, or in a vehicle, or to any horse or vehicle in charge of any person.' "In page 3, line 29, after the word liable' to insert the words on summary conviction.' "In page 3, line 30, to leave out the word 'each,' and insert the words 'the first.'' "In page 3, line 30, to leave out the words 'on summary conviction." "In page 3, line 31, to leave out the words 'or in the case of a,' and insert the words 'and in respect of the."'" "In page 3, line 31, to leave out the word 'conviction,' and insert the words offence to a fine."" "In page 3, line 33, to leave out the words 'shall be subject.'"-(Mr. Walter Long.) Amendments agreed to. Amendment proposed to the Bill "In page 3, line 33, after the word 'or' to insert the words in the discretion of the Court.'" (Mr Walter Long.) Wylie, Alexander TELLERS FOR THE NOES— Mr. Morton and Mr. Llewellyn. Amendment agreed to. Amendment proposed to the Bill"In page 4, line 3, after the word 'register' to insert and the giving of those particulars.'”—(Mr. Walter Long.) Amendment agreed to. Amendment proposed to the Bill— "In page 4, line 28, to leave out the words 'provided that,' and insert the words but a person shall not under any circumstances drive a motor-car on a public highway at a speed exceeding twenty miles per hour, and.”” —(Mr. Walter Long.) Question "That the words 'provided that' stand part of the Bill," put, and negatived. Question proposed, "That those words be there inserted in the Bill." Amendment proposed to the proposed Amendment to the Bill— "To leave out the word 'and' and insert the words between sunrise and one hour after sunset, or at a speed exceeding twelve miles an hour from one hour after sunset until sunrise on the following day.'"(Mr. D. A. Thomas.) Question proposed, "That the word 'and' stand part of the proposed Amendment to the Bill." MR. WALTER LONG said his objection to the Amendment was that he believed it would constitute a fresh Question proposed," That those words danger to the public. Under this Bill be there inserted in the Bill." the House was enacting that every one must drive to the general safety of the public. There were nights, no doubt, when a driver might be able to see as well as in the day time; but in his judgment it would be very dangerous to put in the Bill a provision that the rate of speed at night time should be twelve miles an hour. It was incumbent on drivers of motor-cars to exercise caution as to the speed at which they drove cars on dark nights, for over a great part of the journey they would be passing through dark and narrow roads. Twelve miles an hour would be an excessive speed in |