Lords Sitting of 13 March 1863

MINUTES.
PUBLIC BILLS—First Reading—Salmon Exportation (Commons) (No. 39).
Second Reading—Births and Deaths Registration (Ireland) (No. 30); Malt Duty (No. 38).
Committee—Drainage of Land (Ireland) (No. 33).

SALMON EXPORTATION BILL.
Brought from the Commons, and read 1a (The Lord Stanley of Alderley). (No. 39).
BIRTHS AND DEATHS REGISTRATION (IRELAND) BILL (No. 30.)

  SECOND READING.
  Order of the Day for the Second Reading read.
  THE EARL OF ST. GERMANSsaid, he rose to move the second reading of this Bill, which proposed to establish a system of registration for Ireland similar to that established for England in 1836 and for Scotland in 1854. The Bill differed, however, in one important particular from

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  both these Acts, inasmuch as it made no provision for a registration of marriages. The Roman Catholic priests in Ireland were forbidden by law to celebrate mixed marriages; and they were so averse to any measure for the registration of marriages that legislation to that end had been found to be impracticable. He hoped, however, that the time was not far distant when the marriage law of the three countries would be revised, amended, and consolidated, and then the difficulty would probably be overcome. It was proposed that the medical officers of the Poor Law unions should be the registrars, with power, in case of their refusal to act, for the guardians to make appointments of other properly qualified persons. The Bill passed with very little opposition in the House of Commons, and he trusted that it would receive the sanction of their Lordships.
  Moved, That the Bill be now read 2a.
  THE MARQUESS OF CLANRICARDEsaid, he would not oppose the second reading, though he considered that some better provision was required to meet the event of the refusal of the medical men to undertake the duties of registrars. With regard to the marriage law of Ireland, he thought that it required amendment, and trusted that it would have the serious attention of the Government. As to the registration, the Government, whilst it acted with judgment, must act with firmness and with a desire to consider the views of all sects.
  Motion agreed to; Bill read 2a accordingly, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Friday next.

ECCLESIASTICAL PATRONAGE OF THE LORD CHANCELLOR.
THE EARL OF SHAFTESBURYhaving appealed to the Lord Chancellor to postpone his notice respecting the Ecclesiastical Patronage of the Lord Chancellor,
THE LORD CHANCELLORsaid, that in the absence of several noble Lords and right, rev. Prelates, for whose opinions he entertained the highest respect, he had no hesitation in acceding to the request of the noble Earl. He must express a hope that when the measure, of which he had given notice, was introduced, it would be pressed forward in that House with as much rapidity as was consistent with the gravity of the subject, in order that it might go down to the other House before the Session was too far advanced.
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He should call attention to the subject on Tuesday next, and in the mean time the Bill would be printed and placed in the hands of their Lordships.
House adjourned at a quarter before Six o'clock, to Monday next, Eleven o'clock.