§ Lord Monteaglelaid on the Table a Bill for legalising Art Unions under certain circumstances. The noble Lord stated, that the proceedings adopted by Art Unions had gone on for many years undisturbed, and had met with the support of many of their Lordships and some of the Judges; and the result of them had been, that a new field had been opened to the Arts, which had given encouragement to many artists. It appearing, however, that these practices were strictly in violation of the Lottery Act, they had been put a stop to, though he believed that it never had been contemplated to direct the Act against societies united merely for the distribution of works of art. The Bill which he laid upon their Lordships' Table, therefore, provided that the practice hitherto pursued by Art Unions should be allowed to be pursued from and after January next by such Art Union Societies as should obtain a Royal Charter of Incorporation, and also by smaller Art Unions who might not be able to go to the expense of a Charter of Incorporation, if their rules had been previously approved of by the Board of Trade.
§ Bill read a first time.