§ (Mr. Charley, Mr. Thomas Hughes, Mr. Eykyn, Mr. Whitwell.)
§ Order for Second Reading read.
§ MR. CHARLEY,in moving that the Bill be now read a second time, said, its 430 object was to remedy two grievances which had arisen since last Session. The first of these arose in consequence of the omission on the Report from the Bill of last Session of words enabling the mothers of illegitimate children born within six months before the passing of that measure to apply for summonses with a view to obtaining bastardy orders. The present measure proposed to remedy that grievance by placing all women whose illegitimate children were born prior to the passing of the measure of last Session under the operation of the old law. As there might be cases in which women had now lost their rights owing to effluxion of time, there was a special proviso that the mothers of illegitimate children born within twelve months before the passing of that Act should be able for six months after the passing of this measure to proceed for bastardy orders. The other grievance to which he referred arose from a decision of Mr. D'Eyncourt, magistrate at the Marylebone Police Court, that the words "such evidence" in the 8th section of the Act meant evidence similar to that which must be given by the mother on applying for the summons, and not merely evidence similar to that which must be given by her at the hearing of the case. This Bill provided that the words "such evidence" in the 8th section meant the evidence of the mother corroborated in some material particular by other evidence. The grievances that had arisen were temporary; but lie believed that the social benefits which would result from the adoption of the measure of last Session would be permanent.
§ Motion agreed to.
§ Bill read a second time, and committed for Thursday next.