SECOND READING. (Hansard, 15 July 1878)

THE LORD CHANCELLOR

, in moving that the Bill be now read a second time, said, its purpose was to remedy some difficulties that had arisen in the carrying out of the Charitable Trusts Acts, and of which Notice had been taken from time to time by the Commissioners in their Reports which had been laid before Parliament. The 2nd clause was addressed to charities exceeding the annual value of £50, and allowed the Board to make orders, under Section II. of the Charitable Trusts Act, 1860, other than orders for the establishment of a scheme for the administration of the charity, in the case of all charities, in the same manner as they had power to make orders in the case of a charity, the gross annual income of which did not exceed £50. The 3rd clause made a further alteration in the existing law. Under the Act of 1853, where it 1428 appeared to the Board to be desirable to have a new scheme for the application or management of a charity, and where they were doubtful whether the deviation could be carried into effect without the authority of Parliament, they could grant a provisional approval; but the scheme could have no effect unless confirmed by Act of Parliament. Since that time their Lordships and Parliament had adopted a different course. Under the Endowed Schools Acts, if a scheme made by the Charity Commissioners was submitted to the Committee of Council on Education, and if there was no objection, it became law upon being approved by Her Majesty in Council. It was now proposed that the same course should be adopted in the case of the Charitable Trusts Acts, so that a scheme, approved and certified by the Board under those Acts, might be submitted to the Committee of Council on Education, and be dealt with in the same way as a scheme under the Endowed Schools Acts, having a full effect upon receiving the approval of Her Majesty in Council. He did not think there was anything more in the Act calling for a reference from him.