§ *SIR MATTHEW WHITE RIDLEYalso asked leave to introduce a Bill to make further provision with respect to the disposal of property in the possession of the police. He said this was a small Bill which had been made necessary by the observations of the Comptroller and Auditor General and the Public Accounts Committee with reference to certain property found in the possession of prisoners which, under the present law, could not be satisfactory disposed of. Under the present law, property found in the possession of a prisoner could not be legally disposed of and restored to its owner or otherwise dealt with if it exceeded £15 in value, and was not charged to have been stolen. Consequently, a large fund had been accumulated in the hands of the Receiver of the Metropolitan Police, and the Comptroller and Auditor General having called attention to this matter before the Public Accounts Committee, the authorities had been bound to take action. As the result of a Departmental Committee certain proposals were made which had been embodied in this Bill. The object of the Bill was to enable the Court to restore such property to its rightful owner, if such owner could be found, of whatever value, and, further, to enable the police to dispose of the property and to use the proceeds for certain objects specified in the Bill if the proper owner could not be found. It also provided for a satisfactory audit, and he might add that, as far as he was aware, the proposals for the audit had the consent of the Comptroller and Auditor General.
Bill ordered to be brought in by Sir Matthew White Ridley and Mr. Jesse Collings; presented accordingly and Read the First time; to be Read a Second time upon Thursday next, and to be printed. [Bill 263.]