Lords Sitting of 17 March 1868

MINUTES.
SELECT COMMITTEE—On Office of the Clerk of the Parliaments and Office of the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod appointed.
PUBLIC BILL—First Reading—Friendly Societies* (43).

IRELAND—QUARTER SESSIONS COURTS.

  QUESTION.
  THE MARQUESS OF CLANRICARDErose to ask, Whether the Government object to the Appointment of a Select Committee of this House to inquire into the Constitution, Jurisdiction, and Procedure of the Quarter Sessions Courts in Ireland, with a View to their Improvement, and to the further Assimilation, so far as may be expedient, of the Civil Bills Courts to the County Courts of England and Wales?
  THE LORD CHANCELLORsaid, that last year an Act was passed giving effect

  1795
  to the Report of the Commissioners who were appointed to inquire into the duties and the position of the officers employed in the Superior Courts in Ireland, and the changes which had been recommended by the Commissioners in reference to that matter had been carried into effect, and therefore nothing remained to be done which was recommended to be done. With respect to the Civil Bills Courts procedure in Ireland, he had to observe that two years ago an Act was passed which considerably altered the procedure of those Courts; and one of the alterations was that the decrees of those Courts should be executed by the sheriffs. Now, in practice it had been found that the officers of the sheriffs could not be compelled to perform those duties, and some inconveniences had consequently arisen. There was no doubt that in Ireland there had recently sprung up a considerable desire for an enlargement of the jurisdiction of the Civil Bills Courts; and in his opinion great benefit would be derived if the same jurisdiction in equity was given to those tribunals which was possessed by the County Courts in England and Wales. It was only recently, however, that any complaints had been made upon the subject, and the Government did not propose to introduce any Bill with respect to it. But if the noble Marquess should move for a Committee to inquire into the matter, and if their Lordships should approve of such a proposal, no objection would be offered to it by Her Majesty's Government.

THE BOUNDARY COMMISSION.

  QUESTION.
  Lord STANLEY of ALDERLEYIn reply to Lord STANLEY of ALDERLEY,
  THE EARL OF MALMESBURYsaid, that the Report of the Boundary Commissioners would very shortly be laid before Parliament.

IRELAND—THE ESTABLISHED CHURCH

  QUESTION.
  LORD STANLEY OF ALDERLEYasked, When the Report of the Royal Commissioners appointed to inquire into the state of the Established Church in Ireland would be presented to the House, as he understood a Chairman had been appointed only a few days ago. He wished to know what progress had been made by the Commissioners?
  EARL STANHOPEsaid, that being a Member of the Commission, it might perhaps be most convenient that he should answer the Questions. The terms of the Commission were laid upon the table on the first day of the Session of Parliament, and they had been printed and circulated amongst their Lordships. He might add that no time had been lost by the Commissioners, who, at their first meeting, believing it would be desirable to collect all the information they could in Ireland, appointed a sub-Committee to proceed to that country, and that sub-Committee had already collected a large mass of information, which the Commissioners would proceed to consider at their next meetings.
  LORD STANLEY OF ALDERLEYasked, Whether it was not true that the Commission was appointed during the last Session of Parliament, and whether the proceedings of the Commission had not been delayed?
  EARL STANHOPEsaid, the noble Lord had been singularly misinformed in reference to that matter. The Commission might have been intended in the last Session of Parliament, but it was not actually appointed until the present Session, the exact date which it bore being the 30th of October last. It was only since that time therefore that the Commissioners could apply themselves to the duties intrusted to them. When the proceedings of the Commission should become known to their Lordships, it would be found that the noble Lord had spoken rather hastily, and that no imputation of delay—thus far at least—could attach to himself or to his Colleagues.

  FRIENDLY SOCIETIES BILL [H.L.]
  A Bill to amend the Laws relating to Friendly Societies and to small Government Annuities and the assuring of Payment of Money on Death—Was presented by The Earl of LICHFIELD; read 1a. (No. 43.)

OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF THE PARLIAMENTS AND OFFICE OF THE GENTLEMAN USHER OF THE BLACK ROD.
Select Committee on appointed: The Lords following were named of the Committee:—

Ld. Chancellor

Ld. Steward

Ld. President

E. Devon

Ld. Privy Seal

E. Carnarvon

D. Richmond

E. Kimberley

M. Salisbury

V. Sydney

M. Bath

V. Hawarden

1797

V. Eversley

L. Redesdale

L. Colville of Culross

L. Colchester

L. Ponsonby

L. Stanley of Alderley

L. Foley

L. Cranworth

House adjourned at half past Five o'clock, to Thursday next, half past Ten o'clock.