§ Order of the Day for the Second Reading read.
14LORD THURLOW, in moving that the Bill be now read a second time, said, the object of the Bill was to provide an easy process enabling the Post Office to obtain legal redress for a class of offences of more or less frequent occurrence, and for which the only remedy at present was a civil suit for damages. In some cases the damage was only intended, and had not occurred; while in others, perhaps, it was small as compared with what was intended, or with the inconvenience caused to the Department and to the public. For example, at present if a boy put a match into a pillar letter-box he could only be proceeded against for malicious injury, and if no injury was caused he escaped punishment altogether. The penalties provided in the Bill were light, mostly small fines such as would be now imposed on convictions if obtained in suits for malicious injury to property.
§ Moved, "That the Bill be now read 2a."—(The Lord Thurlow.)
§ Motion agreed to; Bill read 2a accordingly, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Tuesday next.