§ Order of the Day for the Second Reading, read.
§ EARL GRANVILLE,in moving that the Bill be now read the second time, said, its purpose was to make a provision for the establishment of His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh and Her Imperial Highness the Grand Duchess Mario Alexandrovna. The proposal was to give the Duke an annuity of £10,000 a-year from the Consolidated Fund for his life, subject to a condition founded on a previous Act with regard to the contingency of his succeeding to the Sovereignty of a foreign State. It also gave a jointure of £6,000 a-year to the Grand Duchess in case she survived the Duke. Only last week he had the honour of moving an Address to the Crown expressing the readiness of their Lordships to concur in any reasonable provision which the other House might make, and it was cordially adopted. There had since occurred in "another place" just that very small amount of opposition which was sufficient to mark the general feeling of that House on the subject, and he had not the slightest doubt that their Lordships would manifest the same views.
§ Moved, "That the Bill be now read 2a." —(The Earl Granville.)
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYsaid, he was glad to have the opportunity of bearing his testimony to the excellence of the proposal. He feared that in this House they must forego the luxury of a division and submit to a unanimous vote.
§ Motion agreed to; Bill read 2a accordingly; Committee negatived: Then Standing Orders Nos. 37. and 38. considered (according to Order) and dispensed with: Bill read 3a, and passed.