§ MR. E. F. VESEY KNOXI beg to ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he is aware that the Perjury Bill [Lords], although introduced as a Consolidating Act, creates a number of misdemeanours hitherto unknown to the law; and whether, having regard to the wide scope of the measure, he will undertake that the Second Reading shall not be taken without affording the House an opportunity for discussion.
§ THE ATTORNEY GENERAL (Sir R. T. REID, Dumfries Burghs)replied, that this Bill was certainly not intended to create any misdemeanours, but inasmuch as in it there was a gathering up of something like 150 specific statutes, it was possible there might be some new misdemeanour created. He would undertake to move to strike out any part of the Bill which appeared to be controversial if the House would allow it to go through a Grand Committee.