MR. LOCKE KINGwished to know when the Consolidation of Statutes Bill would be ready?
§ SIR FITZROY KELLYstated that the Statute Law Commission had resolved to reduce all the Bills by which the statute law was to be consolidated into classes, and that the provisions of each class should be included in a single Bill, to embrace the whole of the subject. The Bill relating to offences against the person, and the Bill relating to bills of exchange and promissory notes, which he had obtained leave to introduce, were now prepared. It had been thought desirable, however, that all the Bills which would constitute an entire class should he laid on the table at the same time, and advance pari passu. The Bill relating to offences against the person had been submitted to Lord Wensleydale and Chief Justice Jervis, and was now ready, but it was one of eight Bills relating to criminal offences, four of which were now ready, and four others in an advanced state of preparation, so that no doubt they would all be laid on the table within a month of the present time. With regard to the other Bills—those respecting bills of exchange and promissory notes—these were part of a class which was to contain the whole mercantile law; and several Bills on 1182 this most important subject were in a state of forwardness. There were other important Bills, such as Bills affecting landlord and tenant, which were in progress. With regard to these classes the whole of the Bills, he expected, would be completed this year; and other classes of Bills would be completed in time sufficient to be passed into law this Session.