§ Considered in Committee.
§ (In the Committee.)
§ Clause 1.
§ DR. CLARK (Caithness)I do not know that I have need to object to the Bill, but I think we might have some explanation of it.
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (Baron H. DE WORMS,) Liverpool, East ToxtethThe Bill is a very simple one; it gives effect to the wish expressed in the Colonial Conference of 1887. Several of the colonies—Victoria, New Zealand, South Australia, West Australia, and Tasmania—have passed Acts, providing that where a competent Court in this country has granted probate or letters of administration for deceased persons having property in those colonies they shall have the same effect as if they were granted in the colonies. This Bill proposes reciprocal legislation, and provides that the Queen may, by Order in Council, on being satisfied that the Legislature of any British possession has made adequate provision for the recognition of probates and letters of administration granted by Courts of the United Kingdom, direct that this Act shall apply, so that probate and letters of administration granted in the colony for persons having property in this country may be recognised here.
§ SIR H. DAVEY (Stockton)Does the right hon. Gentleman propose that probates and letters of administration issued in a colony shall be recognised here without registration?
§ BARON H. DE WORMSYes, they must be registered.
§ Clause agreed to.
§ Bill reported without Amendment; read the third time, and passed, without Amendment.