§ Order of the Day for the Second Reading read.
EARL RUSSELLMy Lords, my noble friend Lord De La Warr has asked me to move the Second Reading of this Bill, 1524 as he has been unable to return to the House. The object of the Bill is to define the law more clearly so as to free bona fide manufacturers from liability to annoyance, and at the same time to make it easier to obtain a verdict against a real offender who uses insufficiently clean rags for the manufacture of bedding, and so on. The Bill has been approved by the Ministry of Health, and the noble Earl has asked me to express his regret that it is brought up at this late hour, but it only passed another place last Friday. It was, therefore, impossible to bring it before your Lordships earlier. It is, I believe, an entirely harmless amending Bill, and I hope that your Lordships will give it a Second Reading.
§ Moved, That the Bill be now read 2a.—(Earl Russell.)
VISCOUNT GAGEMy Lords, I may say, on behalf of the Ministry of Health, that that Department approves of this Bill.
§ On Question, Bill read 2a, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House.