HC Deb 23 May 1895 vol 34 cc188-90

Order read, for resuming Adjourned Debate on Question [8th April], "That the Order for committing the Bill to a Committee of the whole House be discharged."

Question again proposed.

Debate resumed.

THE ATTORNEY GENERAL (Sir ROBERT REID, Dumfries)

said, that he hoped that the House would consent to the discharge of the Order. It was then his intention to refer the Bill to the Joint Committee on Statute Law Revision, from which it would come back to Committee of the whole House. The Bill was not wholly a Consolidation Bill, but it was in the nature of a Consolidation Bill.

MR. TOMLINSON

said, that it was not usual to refer Bills to this Joint Committee after they had already passed through one House of Parliament; and this Bill had come down from the Lords.

THE ATTORNEY GENERAL

said, that the Bill had been most fully considered by a very strong Committee in the House of Lords. He was originally prepared to refer the Bill to the Grand Committee on Law, but that proposal was objected to; and he was then prepared to submit it to a Committee of the whole House, but that did not meet with approval. The Bill was wholly non-contentious, but it dealt with about 200 Acts of Parliament, and the reference to the Joint Committee seemed to be the only way of meeting the difficulties of the case.

Order for committing Bill to a Committee of the whole House, discharged.

THE ATTORNEY GENERAL moved that the Bill be referred to the Joint Committee on Statute Law Revision.

MR. T. M. HEALY (Louth, N.)

It is distinctly understood that any new matter will be struck out?

THE ATTORNEY GENERAL

Anything that is controversial will be struck out.

DR. CLARK

objected. He said that there was a Bill of similar character brought forward last Session, which had to be opposed, because under the form of Statute Law Revision there was the re-imposition of a power of rating which had been rejected by the House in another Bill. He objected to legislation in this form.

Motion agreed to.

Bill committed to the Joint Committee on Statute Law Revision Bills, &c.

Message to the Lords to acquaint them therewith.—(The Attorney General.)