§ Order for Second Reading read.
§ THE SOLICITOR GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. CHATTERTON), in moving the second reading of this Bill, said, that it was based upon Resolutions adopted by the Board of Charitable Donations, and it had received the approval of a fully attended meeting of that Board. The Bill differed from that brought in by the hon. Member for Waterford (Mr. Blake) last year in leaving the constitution of the Board untouched, and in imposing no additional burden upon the Consolidated Fund. The Bill was intended chiefly to remove the difficulties and simplify the procedure in relation to charitable bequests in Ireland. It provided that any trustees of charitable property should have the power of applying for advice from the Board of Trustees, and that the advice obtained would indemnify them from responsibility, provided the application had been free from misrepresentation and fraud. That provision would not, however, prejudice third parties, but would only indemnify the trustees. The Board, too, might, with their own consent, be nominated as trustees of charitable funds. There were other provisions providing for a speedy and economical mode of recovering small bequests, and it was hoped that the Bill would remedy a great many evils connected with the present state of charitable bequests and donations in Ireland.
§ Motion agreed to.