Lords Sitting of 26 May 1848

MINUTES.
PUBLIC BILLS.—1a Joint Stock Companies; Protection of Females.
PETITIONS PRESENTED. From several Lodges of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, for the Extension of the Benefit Societies Act to that Order.—By the Bishop of Oxford, from Colchester, Braintree, and Bunbury, for the Adoption of Measures for the Suppression of Seduction and Prostitution.—By Lord Portman, from Ax-bridge Union, for an Alteration of the Law respecting the granting of Relief to Casual Poor.—From Marden, against granting any further Concessions to Roman Catholics, and for the Imposition of the Severest Penalties on all those Roman Catholic Priests who shall Denounce Persons from the Altar.—From Hallkirk, for Facilitating the Attainment of Sites for Churches.—From the Presbytery of Brechin, against the Marriage (Scotland) Bill, and Registering Births, &c. (Scotland) Bill.— By Lord Kinnaird, from the Managers and Subscribers of several Charitable Institutions, to be Relieved from the Payment of Legacy Duty on Bequests made to them.

PROTECTION OF FEMALES BILL.
The BISHOP of OXFORD laid upon the table of the House a Bill for the better prevention of the seduction of women. According to the law as it now stood, if persons conspired for purposes of seduction they were subject to certain penalties. He proposed by the Bill which he held in his hand to extend those penalties to any individual who, for hire or reward, assisted in the crime of seduction. He had no idea that morality could be much promoted by the introduction of any Bill into Parliament, but he thought it was the duty of the Legislature to throw its protecting influence around all who stood in need of it. He hoped their Lordships would now read the Bill a first time; on the second reading he should state more particularly, and more in detail, the grounds on which he intended to recommend the measure to their Lordships' favourable consideration.
Bill read 1a.
House adjourned.