The DUKE of ARGYLL,in moving the Third Reading of this Bill, said, the main object of it was to enable the company to raise money on debentures, transferable by endorsement, for the improvement of land. Since the discussion which had taken place in respect to it a few nights ago, several important alterations had been made in the Bill, with a view of meeting the objections that were then raised against it. The 250 main objection which had been urged by the noble Chairman of Committees on the former occasion was, that one of the provisions of the Bill was at variance with a clause in the General Companies' Clauses Consolidation Act—namely, that which provided that the transfer of interest in the land should be made by deed duly stamped, upon which the consideration given for such transfer should be stated. By an omission in the present Bill, as it was originally framed, it was not provided that such deed should be stamped; but that omission had since been rectified, so that there was no danger whatever of the revenue being defrauded. The machinery provided in the Bill was the same as that which had been provided in the many Enclosure Acts which had passed. The Government were of opinion that it would be of advantage to give every facility possible for the improvement of the land; and with that view he now moved the third reading of the Bill.
§ LORD REDESDALEsaid, that the objections, which were only those of detail, having been removed by the alterations that were made in the Bill, he, of course, did not mean to oppose it further.
After a short conversation, in which Lord ST. LEONARDS, Lord CAMPBELL, the Duke of BUCCLEUCH, and the Marquess of SALISBURY took part,
Bill read 3a, with the Amendments; and passed, and sent to the Commons.