GOO 
PlI Aim ACE U TIC A L LEGIS L ATI ON. 
sures connected with so important and vital a subject as regulating the sale of poisons; 
but as the right honourable baronet, the Secretary of State for the Home Department, 
has stated that he is not inclined to take it up on the part of her Majesty’s Government, 
and has suggested that it should be referred to a select committee, and seeing the feeling 
of the House upon the subject, I would suggest to the honourable and learned gentleman 
to consent to this Bill being sent before a select committee. If however, the honourable 
and learned gentleman presses his motion to a division, I shall vote with him, but I would 
recommend him to adopt what is apparently the feeling of the House, that both Bills 
shall be referred to a select committee, (hear, hear,) from the labours of which committee 
I hope to see as good result to the Chemists and Druggists as has been accomplished for 
the medical profession. 
Mr. Beecroft.— I hope the honourable and learned gentleman will consent to this Bill 
being sent before a select committee, to be considered with the Bill of the honourable 
baronet, the Member for Westminster, which I presume the House will also read a second 
time. If the course proposed with reference to the Bill before the House is acceded to, 
I will take the liberty of reading a short extract from a letter I have this morning re¬ 
ceived from Mr. Reynolds, the Local Secretary of the Pharmaceutical Society at Leeds. 
He says, “ The tribunal of a select committee will show liow much the Pharmaceutical 
Society has done, and personally I shall rejoice at the Bill being so treated. The basis 
of Sir F. Kelly’s Bill is sound, though it should be made more conciliatory, by giving a 
jury exemption and additional facilities to existing Chemists towards entering the Phar¬ 
maceutical Society. It is a fact that there are a considerable number of Chemists and 
Druggists well qualified to become members of the Pharmaceutical Society, and it renders 
it both just and politic to act liberally towards such persons.” Under these circumstances, 
I hope both Bills will be sent to a select committee, so that both may have a fair hear¬ 
ing, when I have no doubt such a compromise will be arrived at as will be satisfactory to 
both parties. 
The Speaker then put the motion that the Bill be read a second time, which was 
agreed to. 
Sir Fitzroy Kelly.— I will only detain the House for a moment. I must admit, with 
great reluctance, that after the appeal of the right honourable gentleman, the Home 
Secretary, the noble lord opposite, and others favourable to the Bill I have had the 
honour to introduce, that it should be referred to a select committee, I do not feel that I 
ought to oppose it. (Hear, hear.) 
The Speaker then put the question that the Bill be referred to a Select Committee, 
which was agreed to. 
CHEMISTS AND DRUGGISTS (No. 2) BILL. 
Sir John Shelley and Mr. John Locke having presented petitions in favour of this 
Bill,— 
Sir John Shelley.— It is not necessary that I should detain the House with more than 
two or three words in moving the second reading of this Bill; but before doing so 
I desire to correct a misstatement of my noble friend’s with reference to one portion of a 
clause of my Bill. I believe it will be found when the Bill is before the Select Committee 
that we have taken care in every possible way not to interfere with the case of the village 
shopkeeper, and that he will be enabled after the passing of this Bill to sell all those 
drugs which he does at present, such as rhubarb and those things which do not require 
over-much care; but where he deals with dangerous drugs, then he will have to go through 
an examination. Now, with regard to the Pharmaceutical Society, I had hoped that I 
had endeavoured, as far as possible, not to say one word against the good they have done. 
(Hear, hear.) I admit what that Society has done ; but it must be remembered, and it 
is perfectly well known to the honourable and learned gentleman, that the members 
of the Council of that Society, who were in business before the charter was obtained, are 
non-examined persons; that out of the 23 members only 3 have passed an examination, 
G07 members out of 2005 members have passed no examination whatever, and are only 
subscribing members, and no better than the United Society of Chemists and Druggists. 
All those matters which have been referred to, such as Mr. Harper Twelvetrees and other 
things, will come before the Select Committee ; and I am very glad to find that the 
House has adopted that course with reference to these Bills, because I firmly believe that 
