 After some examination of the best way to implement this, Haldane put forward a draft bill in the winter of 1906, and ensured it would be in the government's legislative program for the coming year.In order to ensure it would pass without difficulty, he consulted privately with senior Army officers and the King, as well as the leader of the Opposition, to gain their support for the principles of the legislation.It was put before the Commons on 4 March, then debated in late March and throughout April, where it received prolific but disorganised opposition, mainly from partisans of the existing system.