§ Commons Amendments considered (according to Order).
LORD DENMANcongratulated the House and the country on the passing of the Bill. He alluded to Mr. Henry Drummond having introduced two Bills for facilitating the sale of land, neither of which was to have been compulsory. In speaking of the first in 1849, the hon. Gentleman said—
If the registration be voluntary, it gives the opportunity of feeling our way, of commencing with a few books, and a small office, and a moderate establishment of clerks, all of which can be enlarged as business increases."—[3 Hansard, ciii. 329.]On the other Bill, in 1853, the hon. Member said—What I wish is to have a registration of titles, which is totally different from a registration of deeds, and allusion was made to a Bill which was supposed to have passed both Houses of Parliament, but stopped by a Dissolution. It was, indeed, stopped by a Dissolution, but had only gone through the House of Lords, and through a Committee of the House of Commons in 1739. At length, legislation was effected, and he wished that though voluntary it might be generally adopted.
THE LORD CHANCELLORconcurred with his noble Friend as to the advantages likely to result from the Bill. Any measure for the registration of land titles must be a voluntary measure, at all events for a time. Those who advocated a compulsory measure would do well to explain the form in which it could be made effective. No form had hitherto been proposed in which it could be made effective. With regard to the Amendments, he was bound to say that the House of Commons had dealt with great leniency with the Bill. The Amendments made by that House were few, and almost verbal, and he did not offer any objection to them.
§ Commons Amendments agreed to.