Lord F. L. Gowerrose to move the second reading of this Bill. He explained that it was his intention to remodel the Bill, so as to confine it to the first of the two objects it proposed to embrace, namely—a provision for Deserted Children, and an abolition of the Foundling Hospital. The other point, which was a favourite one with himself, he proposed for the present to abandon; and this he did the more readily, because there was a committee then sitting above stairs, which would, in all probability, take the subject into consideration, and make some suggestion respecting it. He trusted, therefore, that as he had divided this Bill under separate heads, he might have it now read a second time without opposition. He acknowledged that there would be great difficulties in the way of this second division of the Bill, which referred to illegitimate children, and therefore he had proposed it for further consideration.
§ Mr. O'Connellobserved, great difficulties would arise in the details. Children might be transferred from one part of the country to another, and a species of parochial questions would arise as to whether they had been properly abandoned or no. He thought it might, perhaps, be better if the entire subject was to lie over for farther consideration. He would not, however, oppose the second reading.
§ Bill read a second time.