HL Deb 22 August 1883 vol 283 cc1602-4

Order of the Day for the Second Reading read.

LORD THURLOW

, in moving that the Bill be now read a second time, said, he had to ask their Lordships to dispense with Standing Order XXXV., it being desirable to take all the remaining stages of the Bill that day, in order that it might be sent back to the Commons, so that that House might have time, before the Prorogation, to consider some Amendments he should have to make in Committee. He might briefly say the Bill was an omnibus one, and contained a great variety of small, but urgent, matters relating to the Revenue.

Moved, "That the Bill be now read 2a"—(The Lord Thurlow.)

Motion agreed to; Bill read 2a accordingly.

Standing Order XXXV. considered (according to order).

Moved, "That the said Standing Order be dispensed with."—(The Lord Thurlow.)

THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY

said, a great number of matters were dealt with in the Bill, and the very least they could expect was that the noble Lord opposite (Lord Thurlow) should make a short speech in explanation of each clause. It was a case in which they seemed to be reverting to the ancient practice of putting all the Acts passed in a Session of Parliament into one Act. He did not know whose ingenious imagination had conceived this idea; but, if the principle of which they had an example here were only developed, they need not have so many Acts of Parliament as at present was the case.

LORD THURLOW

said, it was strictly in accordance with usage to combine a number of small matters of great importance in one Act. He had himself in previous years passed many similar Bills.

THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY

said, he was sorry to hear this confession on the part of the noble Lord. They had apparently detected him for the first time. Every clause in the Bill was a new Act, and he only demurred to having Committee superseded. If there was any sort of Bill on which Committee was an important stage, it was a Bill in respect to which each clause practically was a new Act of Parliament on a separate subject.

LORD THURLOW

said, that, if the noble Marquess objected to the Bill passing its main stages that day, the result would be that the Bill would have to go on without amendment, and would go forward to the world as "The Revenue and Friendly Societies Bill," although the clause relating to Friendly Societies had been struck out.

Motion agreed to; House in Committee accordingly.

Preamble.

On the Motion of The Lord THURLOW, the following Amendment made:—In paragraph 1, line 2, leave out ("and to reduce the interest payable on investments of friendly societies").

Preamble, as amended, agreed to.

Clause 1 (Short title).

On the Motion of The Lord THURLOW, the following Amendment made:—In page 1, line 5, after ("revenue") leave out ("and friendly societies").

Clause, as amended, agreed to.

Remaining clauses agreed to.

On the Motion of The Lord THURLOW, title of the Bill changed to "Revenue Bill."

House resumed.

Report of Amendments received.

On the Motion of The Lord THURLOW, Bill read 3a, with the Amendments.

Bill passed, and sent to the Commons.