§ Considered in Committee.
§ (In the Committee.)
§ (9.9.) Clause 1 and 2 agreed to.
§ Clause 3.
§ Notice taken, that 40 Members were not present; House counted, and 40 Members being found present,
§ MR. M. J. KENNY (Tyrone, Mid)I would like to receive an explanation from the Lord Advocate as to the object of the Bill. The Bill is very obscure, and I think it is right an explanation should be given.
§ THE LORD ADVOCATE (Mr. J. P. B. ROBERTSON, Bute)I shall be happy to offer an explanation, but I am afraid it will be as obscure to the hon. and learned Gentleman as he thinks the Bill is. There are in Scotland, estates in fee and in life rent, and in some instances 1236 the death of one person might involve the estate which was in fee becoming burdened with a life rent. I am certain the hon. and learned Gentleman follows me up to this point. There are cases in which it is desirable to provide in an Act for the presumption of life in cases which are not provided for under the Acts of 1881. There are some other cases which, if I went into an explanation, would involve a similarly lucid statement, and, therefore, probably I may be dispensed from the necessity of inflicting it upon the Committee. I have only to add that the Bill is entirely approved by the right hon. and learned Gentleman the Member for Clackmannan, and the only Amendments standing in my name are the effect of an arrangement come to by the hon. and learned Member for the town of Elgin (Mr. Asher).
§ Amendments made.
§ Clause 3 and remaining clauses agreed to.
§ Bill reported; as amended, to be considered to-morrow at Two of the clock.