§ Order for Second Reading read.
§ MR. SPENCER WALPOLE,in rising to move that the Bill be now read a second time, said, he was ready to accede to the Motion of which Notice had been given by the hon. Member for the City of London (Mr. Crawford), that it should be referred to a Select Committee. The object of the measure was to amend the Act of 1860, and to institute a better machinery for the carrying out of the purposes of that Act.
§ MR. CRAWFORDsaid, that as his right hon. Friend had agreed to refer the Bill to a Select Committee, his hon. Colleague had been relieved from the necessity of persevering in his Motion for the rejection of the measure. He agreed with the right hon. Gentleman in thinking that the Bill was a valuable one, but exception was taken in the City to some of the changes now proposed, especially on this point—that whereas each parish has now the power of interposing its dissent, to prevent any scheme being carried out, that power would be withdrawn by the Bill. In regard to the composition of the proposed Commission, it seemed to him that there would be an undue predominance of the clerical element, and he could see no sufficient ground for 508 giving to the Bishops of Winchester and Rochester the right of each nominating a Member of the Commission.
§ Motion agreed to.
§ Bill read a second time, and committed to a Select Committee.
§ And, on February 25, Committee nominated as follows:—Mr. ATTORNEY GENERAL, Mr. GRAWFORD, Mr. WHITBREAD, Mr. WALTER, Mr. STONE, Mr. CHARLES REED, Sir JAMES LAWRENCE, Mr. WILLIAM HENRY SMITH, Mr. MOWBRAY, Mr. CROSS, Mr. CUBITT, Mr. FRANCIS POWELL, Mr. BERESFORD HOPE, Mr. CAVENDISH BENTINCK, and Mr. SPENCER WALPOLE:—Power to send for persons, papers, and records; Five to be the quorum.