Lords Sitting of 9 August 1870

MINUTES.
PUBLIC BILLS—Third Reading—Stamp Duties* (295); Stamp Duties Management* (296); Inland Revenue Acts Repeal* (297); Local Government Supplemental (No. 2)* (229); Greenwich Hospital* (244); Pensions Commutation Act (1869) Amendment* (274); Oaths of Allegiance on Naturalization* (299); Expiring Laws* (306); Consolidated Fund (Appropriation)* (309); Joint Stock Companies' Arrangement* (302); Truck Commission* (304); Sanitary Act (Dublin) Amendment* (303), and passed.
Royal Assent—Gun Licences [33 & 34 Vict. c. 57]; Paupers Conveyance (Expenses) [33 & 34 Vict. c. 48]; Evidence Further Amendment Act (1869) Amendment [33 & 34 Vict. c. 49]; Medical Officers Superannuation [33 & 34 Vict. c. 94]; Siam and Straits Settlements Jurisdiction [33 & 34 Vict. c. 55]; Wages Arrestment Limitation (Scotland) [33 & 34 Vict. c. 63]; Settled Estates [33 & 34 Vict. c. 56]; Dublin City Voters Disfranchisement [33 & 34 Vict. c. 54]; Shipping Dues Exemption Act (1867) Amendment [33 & 34 Vict. c. 50]; Vestries (Isle of Man) [33 & 34 Vict. c. 51]; Extradition [33 & 34 Vict. c. 52]; Sanitary Act (1866) Amendment [33 & 34 Vict. c. 53]; Passengers Act Amendment [33 & 34 Vict. c. 95]; Curragh of Kildare [33 & 34 Vict. c. 74]; Magistrates, &c. Election (Scotland) [33 & 34 Vict. c. 92]; Life Assurance Companies [33 & 34 Vict. c. 61]; Factories and Workshops [33 & 34 Vict. c. 62]; Forgery [33 & 34 Vict. c. 58]; East India Contracts [33 & 34 Vict. c. 59]; Brokers (City of London) [33 & 34 Vict. c. 60]; Married Women's Property [33 & 34 Vict. c. 93]; Petty Sessions Clerk (Ireland) Act (1858) Amendment [33 & 34 Vict. c. 64]; Larceny (Advertisements) [33 & 34 Vict. c. 65]; British Columbia [33 & 34 Vict. c. 66]; Army Enlistment [33 & 34 Vict. c. 67]; Absconding Debtors [33 & 34 Vict. c. 76]; Juries [33 & 34 Vict. c. 77]; Tramways [33 & 34 Vict. c. 78]; Elementary Education [33 & 34 Vict. c. 75]; Post Office [33 & 34 Vict. c. 79]; Census (Ireland) [33 & 34 Vict. c. 80]; Meeting of Parliament [33 & 34 Vict. c. 81]; Canada (Guarantee of Loan) [33 & 34 Vict. c. 82]; Constabulary Force (Ireland) [33 & 34 Vict. c. 83]; Public Schools Act (1868) Amendment [33 it 34 Vict. c. 84]; Sheriffs (Scotland) Act (1853) Amendment, &c. [33 & 34 Vict. c. 86]; Annuity Tax Abolition (Edinburgh and Montrose, &c.) Act (1860) Amendment [33 & 34 Vict. c. 87]; Telegraph Acts Extension [33 & 34 Vict. c. 88]; Foreign Enlistment [33 & 34 Vict. c. 90]; Queen Anne's Bounty (Superannuation) [33 & 34 Vict. c. 89]; Militia Acts Amendment [33 it 34 Vict. c. 68]; Clerical Disabilities [33 & 34 Vict. c. 91]; Turnpike Acts Continuance [33 & 34 Vict. c. 73]; National Debt [33 & 34 Vict. c. 71]; Statute Law Revision [33 & 34 Vict. c. 69]; Pedlars Certificates [33 & 34 Vict. c. 72]; Gas and Water Facilities [33 & 34 Vict. c. 70]; Norfolk Boundary [33 & 34 Vict. c. 85]; Sewage
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Utilization Supplemental [33 & 34 Vict. c. clvi]; Drainage and Improvement of Lands (Ireland) Supplemental (No. 2) [33 & 34 Vict. c. clvii]; Pier and Harbour Orders Confirmation (No. 2) [33 & 34 Vict. c. clviii]; Pier and Harbour Order Confirmation (No. 3) [33 & 34 Vict. c. clvix].

CENSUS BILL.

  COMMONS' REASONS.
  Commons' Reasons considered, (according to Order).
  THE EARL OF MORLEYmoved, that their Lordships do not insist on the Amendments to which the Commons disagreed. The principal of those Amendments was that made by their Lordships providing for what had been termed a religions Census.
  LORD CAIRNSsaid, that while Parliamentary practice required the House of Commons to assign Reasons for disagreeing to an Amendment, it provided no means of inventing good Reasons where none existed. In the present case they had, therefore, been obliged to assign two Reasons as bad and insufficient as could be imagined—namely, that an inquiry into religious opinions would be objectionable to a large number of people, and that the expense involved in it was not worth incurring. After the course which the Government and the House of Commons had adopted it was useless to press the matter; but he only hoped that when any question arose as to the number of adherents of various religious denominations in England, it would not be again suggested, as had been done on former occasions, that those who opposed this Census were able to number themselves by millions in this country.
  Motion agreed to: the Amendments to which the Commons disagree not insisted on.

THE NEW COURTS OF JUSTICE.

  QUESTION.
  LORD DENMAN, in pursuance of a Notice, asked what was the estimate for the new Courts of Justice, and whether that estimate included the £20,000 lately voted for clearing the site? He observed that Sir Richard Malins, in the House of Commons, had declared that the Consolidated Fund must supply funds for the clearing of streets, while only two Courts were necessary, in Lincoln's Inn. He contended that this enormous expenditure

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  was quite unnecessary, and he was sure that their Lordships would pause before they gave unlimited power to any architect, by departing from the course which had been adopted by the late Earl of Derby as to the Courts of Justice Building Bill.
  THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNEreplied, that the estimate was £750,000 and that there was no reason to suppose that it would be exceeded. The £20,000 voted for clearing the site was on account of this sum.
  House adjourned at Two o'clock, till To-morrow, half-past Twelve o'clock.