SECOND READING. (Hansard, 11 July 1881)

§ LORD STANLEY OF ALDERLEY
said, there were some points in the Bill on which it would be desirable to have explanations before the Bill was passed, as it appeared some persons might be deprived of their property if absent, even through no fault of their own, as might easily happen to officers in the Navy through shipwreck.

§ LORD WATSON
said, that he hesitated to trouble the House, at that stage, with any details of what was purely a legal Bill, and that for this reason—the Bill had passed through all its stages in the other House, and 497 was there considered by a Select Committee composed of Scotch and English lawyers, who were very well qualified to deal with the subject. He quite confessed that there were many matters of detail connected with the several clauses of the Bill which required grave consideration, and it certainly was not his intention that the measure should be pressed through the House without receiving consideration. He could assure his noble Friend that the noble and learned Lord on the Woolsack and the noble and learned Earl his Predecessor in Office (Earl Cairns) had both undertaken to consider the details of the Bill before it passed through Committee. He should be very happy to receive communications on the subject from any quarter, and to consider them before the Bill passed through Committee.

THE LORD CHANCELLOR
said, that the general object of the Bill was to lay down rules as to the period of time within which an absent person might be presumed to be alive. He had no hesitation in approving generally of the Bill; but whether any particular clauses might require alteration was another question.