§ Order of the Day for the Second Reading, read.
THE EARL OF DALHOUSIE,in moving that the Bill be now read a second time, said, that the aim of the Bill was to amend a state of matters created by the Prisons Act of 1877. Previous to that time power to alter the lunacy districts was vested in the Commissioners of Lunacy, who were able to act on receiving an application through the local Prison Board. The Prisons Act, by abolishing the local Prison Boards, deprived the Lunacy Commissioners of the initiative by which alone they were able to act. By this Bill the powers would be conferred on the Commissioners after the permission of the Secretary of State for the Home Department had been obtained.
§ Moved, "That the Bill be now read 2a."—(The Earl of Dalhousie.)
§ Motion agreed to; Bill read 2a accordingly, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Thursday next.