§ Order for Second Reading read.
§ MR. W. H. JAMES, in moving that the Bill be now read a second time, said, that its object was to enlarge the 1309 scope of the Acts of 1866 and 1876 dealing with Metropolitan commons and commons throughout the country. The principle of the Bill was to apply a practical meaning to those Acts and to repeal the Statute of Merton. If the Bill was unopposed he was willing to refer it to a Select Committee.
§ Motion made, and Question proposed, "That the Bill be now read a second time."—(Mr. W. H. James.)
§ MR. ELTONmoved that the Bill be read a second time upon that day six months. He objected to the Statute of Merton being repealed by a Bill which it was proposed to read a second time after a speech of half a minute's duration, seeing that that Statute had been the subject of historical controversy ever since the Reign of Henry III. He thought the time now left was too short for the proper discussion of the important alterations in the law which the Bill contemplated. The Bill would take away the rights of lords of the manor to inclose without compensation.
§ Amendment proposed, to leave out the word "now," and at the end of the Question to add the words "upon this day six months."—(Mr. Elton.)
§ Question proposed, "That the word 'now' stand part of the Question."
§ VISCOUNT FOLKESTONEcomplained that no sufficient reasons had been given for the changes proposed in the Bill. He should oppose it, as he had always consistently done when it had been on the Paper on several former occasions. The Bill involved very large interests and very large consequences.
It being a quarter of an hour before Six of the clock, the Debate stood adjourned till To-morrow.