Lords Sitting of 21 July 1858

MINUTES.
PUBLIC BILLs.—1a Government of New Caledonia; Cornwall Submarine Mines; Chelsea Bridge Act Amendment; Returns to Secretary of State; Detached Parts of Counties.
2a Inclosure of Lands; Legitimacy Declaration; Sheep, &c., Contagious Diseases Prevention; Turnpike Acts Continuance; Public Health; Vaccination (Ireland).

LEGITIMACY DECLARATION BILL.

  SECOND READING.
  LORD LYNDHURST LORD LYNDHURST moved the second reading of this Bill, which was founded on a great omission in the law of this country. There was no such defect in the law of Scotland. By that law a man could obtain a declaration as to the legitimacy of a marriage and of the issue. This Bill had been introduced to remedy the defect in the law of England, and it had met with the support of the most eminent lawyers in the other House of Parliament. He hoped under these circumstances that their Lordships would be of opinion that it should be read a second time. It was proposed that the matters dealt with by the Bill should be taken before the Court for Divorce and Matrimonal causes, which was presided over by that eminent Judge, Sir Cresswell Cresswell. The Court would have power to cite parties and to hear them, and no person was to be bound by the decision, except those who had been cited or had appeared. Every guard had been adopted to prevent injurious consequences from arising.
  Bill read 2a (according to Order), and committed to a Committee of the whole House To-morrow.

PUBLIC HEALTH BILL.

  SECOND READING.
  On Motion,
  LORD WYNFORDsaid, it would be useless to purify the Thames unless they stopped those noxious trades that were carried on on the south side of the river. At present there was a most unfortunate defect in the law with regard to those noxious trades, for the Act did not affect those which were established when it passed, though as to grave yards already existing there was power given to suppress them. He suggested to the Government to consider whether they should not put in a clause giving power to inspectors to visit these places, so that either with or without compensation such horrible nuisances might be suppressed.
  LORD HARDWICKEhad no doubt that many of the places referred to were a great nuisance to the surrounding neighbourhoods, though originally they had probably been constructed in the suburbs of the city, and the city had afterwards closed around them. This Bill did not, it was true, go so far as his noble Friend required, yet it gave the Privy Council power to inquire into any such matters as those referred to.
  LORD WYNFORDsaid, it did not give them the power of suppression.
  Bill read 2a and committed to a Committee of the whole House To-morrow.

JEWS BILL.
Returned from the Commons agreed to.

OATHS BILL.
Returned from the Commons with a Message, that they do not insist upon this disagreement to the Amendment made by the Lords upon which the Lords insist.
House adjourned at Five o'Clock, till To-morrow, half-past Ten o'Clock.