Lords Sitting of 29 June 1876

MINUTES.
PUBLIC BILLS—First Reading—Friendly Societies Act (1875) Amendment* (149); Poor Law Amendment* (150); Settled Estates Act (1856) Amendment* (151).
Second Reading—Local Light Dues (Reduction) * (132).
Committee—Bankruptcy (106), discharged; Elementary Education Provisional Order Confirmation (Tolleshunt Major) * (114); General Police and Improvement (Scotland) Provisional Order Confirmation (Paisley)* (112)—Perth* (113); Public Health (Scotland) Provisional Orders (Irvine and Dundonald)* (118); Provisional Orders (Ireland) Confirmation (Coleraine, &c.)* (107).
Committee—Report—Elementary Education Provisional Order Confirmation (Hornsey)* (104); Local Government Board's Provisional Orders Confirmation (Carnarvon, &c.) * (105); Small Testate Estates (Scotland)* (115); Prevention of Crimes Act Amendment* (125).
Third Reading—Admiralty Jurisdiction (Ireland)* (145); Public Health (Scotland) Provisional Order (Wemyss)* (109); Elementary Education Provisional Orders Confirmation (Hailsham, &c.)* (101); Jurors Qualification (Ireland)* (140), and passed.

TURKEY—DECLARATION OF WAR BY SERVIA.—QUESTION.
EARL GRANVILLE: I wish to ask the noble Earl at the head of the Foreign Office, Whether Her Majesty's Government has received any information with regard to the rumoured declaration of war on the part of Servia?
THE EARL OF DERBY: I have not received the information that a declaration of war has actually been made, nor have I heard anything that would justify me in stating, as a matter of fact, that a declaration of war on the part of Servia is certain; but from the general tenour of the reports that have reached me I have little, if any, hope that war can be averted.

PARLIAMENTARY AGENCY.

  JOINT SELECT COMMITTEE.
  Message from the Commons that they have appointed a Select Committee of five members to join with the Select Committee appointed by this House "to consider the expediency of making further regulations concerning the admission and practice of Parliamentary agents, and to report their opinion thereon."
  Message to the Commons to propose that the Joint Committee do meet in the Chairman of Committees' Committee Room To-morrow, at Three o'clock.
  Ordered that the Select Committee appointed by this House to join with the Select Committee appointed by the Commons have power to agree in the appointment of a chairman of such Committee.
  Message from the Commons to acquaint this House that they have ordered that the Select Committee appointed by them to join with the Select Committee appointed by this House do meet the Committee of this House in the Chairman of Committees' Committee Room, To-morrow, at Three o'clock.

  BANKRUPTCY BILL—(No. 106.) (The Lord Chancellor)
  Order for Committee discharged:—Bill withdrawn.
  Order of the Day for the House to be put into Committee, read.
  THE LORD CHANCELLORsaid, that in the present state of Public Business there was no chance of the Bill being discussed in the other House of Parliament this Session. In these circumstances he should not be justified in asking their Lordships to go into a Committee of the Whole House. He there-

  611
  fore moved that the Order for going into Committee be discharged.
  Order discharged.

CHURCH TEMPORALITIES (IRELAND).

  MOTION FOR A RETURN.
  THE EARL OF LEITRIMrose to ask the Lord President, Why there had been no Return of lands sold by the Commissioners of Church Temporalities in Ireland, in obedience to the Order of the House of Lords on the 27th of July, 1875?and to call the attention of the House to the Report of the Commissioners of Church Temporalities in Ireland for the year 1875.
  THE DUKE OF RICHMOND AND GORDONregretted that there should have been any misunderstanding or mistake with regard to the Return for which his noble Friend moved in July last. The fact was that it was found to be scarcely possible to give the Return in the terms stated, and, if it had been possible, the expenditure of time and money would have been enormous. He therefore now proposed to his noble Friend that he should consent to the discharge of the Order of last Session, and should move for a Return of the information he desired to obtain in an amended and more practicable form.
  THE EARL OF LEITRIMassented to the proposal.
  Then there was Ordered to be laid before the House—

  "(1.) Name of each purchaser of lands sold by the Commissioners of Church Temporalities in Ireland;

  "(2.) Denomination of land sold, with names of the benefice, county, and barony;

  "(3.) The purchase money in each case, distinguishing between the amount paid in cash and the amount secured by mortgage;

  "(4.) The date of each sale;

  "(5.) The amount of rent formerly paid for each holding sold;

  "So far as the same can be given."—(The Earl of Leitrim.)

GAS LIGHT AND COKE COMPANY—SOUTH METROPOLITAN GAS COMPANY.

  MOTION FOR RETURNS.
  THE EARL OF CAMPERDOWNasked for a statement of the capital of the Gaslight and Coke Company and of the South Metropolitan Gas Company, distinguishing the moneys authorized to be raised in the form of shares from the
  612
  moneys authorized to be raised by loan, and showing also the amount which had been up to the present time raised in the form of shares and of loan respectively; and for a statement of the rate per 1,000 cubic feet charged by each company in the years 1859, 1861, 1869, 1875, and 1876.
  THE DUKE OF RICHMOND AND GORDONsaid, that the whole of the information sought by the noble Earl was contained in the accounts of each Metropolitan Gas Company, which were annually laid before Parliament under the Act of 1868. The Return should therefore be confined to the years 1859 and 1861. The accounts for the year 1875 were now in the hands of the printer, and would be laid before Parliament immediately on being received.
  THE EARL OF CAMPERDOWNexpressed a hope that the Returns would be laid before their Lordships before the second reading of the Gas Light and Coke Company's Bill.
  House adjourned at Six o'clock, till To-morrow, half past Ten o'clock.