THE EARL OF WICKLOWsaid, he wished to ask a question with reference to the Probate and Administration and the Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Bills, which had been lately passed by that House. Neither of them extended to Ireland; and as regarded the latter, he wished to ask his noble and learned Friend on the woolsack if the action for damages in cases of criminal conversation, and all the other proceedings which had hitherto been necessary for the procuring a divorce, were to continue in force in Ireland. He should very likely be told that it was the intention of Government to introduce similar measures for Ireland; but such intentions were often not carried out, and as an instance of it he might mention that some years ago an Act was passed making it lawful to issue licences for the sale of game in England. He asked if the principle was not to be extended to the whole of the United Kingdom, and he was told that there was a technical difficulty in passing a Bill for the two countries together, but that it was intended to bring in a Bill for Ireland. However, from that day to this no measure had been passed on the subject; and while in England it was lawful to sell game, it could not be done in Ireland without a violation of the law. He trusted, therefore, that his noble and learned Friend could assure him that steps had already been taken to extend to Ireland the operation of Bills having a similar object with those which had passed that House in relation to probates of wills and the granting of divorces.
THE LORD CHANCELLORcould only say, in reply, that it was not only the intention of Her Majesty's Government to introduce similar Bills for Ireland to those which had just passed their Lordships House, but a Bill for remodelling the Court of Probate had been prepared (he did not 326 say it was ready to be introduced), and the Attorney General for Ireland entertained a confident expectation of being able to pass it this Session. It was impossible to make the present Bills applicable to the two countries, because it would be necessary to create two new tribunals.