SECOND READING. (Hansard, 20 February 1882)

§ MR. BRYCE
, in moving that the Bill be now read a second time, said, that as the measure was before the House last Session, at that late hour—a quarter to I—very little need be said upon it. The Bill was founded upon the Report of a Royal Commission presented the Session before last; and it proposed to appoint a body of Commissioners, who should examine into the condition of the Parochial Charities in the City of London, and prepare schemes for their better management. It provided for the application of the charity revenues—firstly, to such of the existing purposes as were still substantially beneficial, and then for the application of the surplus to various public purposes of a charitable nature in the Metropolis generally, carefully distinguishing between ecclesiastical and non-ecclesiastical funds. Another Bill, purporting to have a similar object, had been brought in as a Private Bill; but an arrangement had been made between the promoters of that Bill and the hon. Members in charge of this Bill, according to which the other Bill, so far as he and his hon. Friends were concerned, should be read a second time, and then be referred to the same Select Committee as that to which he intended to propose that this Bill should go. He believed that arrangement would carry out the wishes of all the parties concerned, and would give an opportunity for the fair consideration of both Bills.

§ MR. GREGORY
said, the Bill would require very careful consideration, and he thought it ought to receive the attention of the Law Officers of the Crown. As the Bill was to go before a Select 1204 Committee there would, of course, be an opportunity of fully discussing it; and, under these circumstances, he should not object to the second reading.

§ SIR R. ASSHETON CROSS
said, that he had issued the Commission referred to by the hon. Member (Mr. Bryce); and, of course, he accepted the statement of the hon. Member that this Bill proposed to carry out the recommendations of that Commission as far as possible. But it was a Bill of such importance that he thought the House ought to have some information as to the views of the Government upon it before the second reading. This was a question of importance, touching a great many interests; but if any Member of the Government would say that the Government consented to the second reading he would say no more about it. There might be details especially affecting ecclesiastical matters, which, he presumed, the House would not be bound by; but he hoped the Law Officers of the Crown would say whether they had read the Bill, and whether they supported the reference of the Bill to a Select Committee.

§ THE SOLICITOR GENERAL (Sir FARRER HERSCHELL)
said, the Bill was substantially the same as that introduced last Session. The Bill received the consent of the Secretary of State for the Home Department last year, and that consent would again be intimated. There were certain deviations in the present Bill from the Report of the Commission. He did not intend to pledge the Government to all its details; but they certainly would support the second reading.