§ Order for Second Reading read.
§ *THE PARLIAMENTARY CHARITY COMMISSIONER (Mr. GRIFFITH BOSCAWEN, Kent, Tunbridge)said he did not propose to move the rejection of the Bill, but the Charity Commissioners objected entirely to the principle of the proposal, which was to grant the compulsory powers of the Lands Clauses to one charity as against another. St. Bartholomew's Hospital wished to acquire, by compulsory powers, certain lands from Christ's Hospital. The Commissioners believed it to be absolutely without precedent for one charity to be granted compulsory powers against another charity, and they strongly objected to the very heavy cost which would undoubtedly be inflicted on the charity by the use of these powers. The Commissioners would have thought it their duty to oppose the 1188 Second Reading, only it was understood that the governors of Christ's Hospital, after the debate of last Friday, had agreed not to oppose the Second Reading or the preamble of the Bill. The view of the Charity Commissioners was that the Bill was quite unnecessary, because they had made it a condition of any sale of the site of Christ's Hospital that a certain part of it—namely, that part desired by St. Bartholomew's—should be assured to St. Bartholomew's by means of pre-emption at a price pro rata to the whole amount given for the site. He hoped that before long some arrangement might be come to between the two charities whereby the expense of the use of compulsory powers might be avoided.
§ MR. COHEN (Islington, E.), on behalf of the promoters of the Bill, thanked his hon. friend for not opposing the Second Reading of the Bill, the object of which was to enable a great institution to carry on its work more effectively. The governors of Christ's Hospital were very much gratified by the attitude of the Charity Commissioners. He did not think that any legitimate rebuke attached to St. Bartholomew's in the matter.
§ Bill read a second time, and committed.