Lords Sitting of 4 March 1886

MINUTES.
SAT FIRST IN PARLIAMENT— The Earl of Stradbroke, after the death of his father.
PUBLIC BILLS—First Reading— Smoke Nuisance Abatement (Metropolis)* (27).
Committee—Report—Marriages Validity (11).
Several Lords—Took the Oath.

MARRIAGES VALIDITY BILL.—(No. 11.)
(The Lord Bishop of Carlisle.)
MARRIAGES VALIDITY BILL.—(No. 11.)

  COMMITTEE.
  Order of the Day for the House to be put into Committee read.
  THE LORD CHANCELLOR (Lord HERSCHELL)said, that a question had been raised as to whether this measure should be made retrospective or not; and a suggestion had been made by a noble Earl for the insertion of a Proviso declaring legitimate the children of a marriage in respect to which any question arose and a second marriage was contracted; and in consequence of that the Committee stage of the Bill had been postponed. He had, however, since made inquiries on the subject, and he found that there was no precedent for introducing such a Proviso. Beyond that, having consulted the right rev. Prelate who had introduced the Bill upon the subject, ho had arrived at the conclusion that it was not advisable to create a precedent in the direction suggested, especially as he was informed that there was reason to believe there were no cases in which the legitimacy of such children had been questioned. Therefore, it was not necessary to introduce such a clause as that which had been indicated.
  House in Committee.
  Bill reported without amendment; and to be read 3ª To-morrow.

CHARITABLE TRUSTS (ALLOTMENTS EXTENSION ACT, 1882).

  MOTION FOR A RETURN.
  THE EARL OF ONSLOW THE EARL OF ONSLOW moved for—
  "A Return of all charitable trusts in England and Wales the trustees of which are trustees within the meaning of the first and fourth clauses of the Allotments Extension Act, 1882."
  He did not press the Motion in the exact words in which he had placed it on the Paper, but hoped that the Lord President would be able to grant the substance of his Motion, and add a column to the Return showing the acreage held by these Trustees.
  THE LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL (Earl SPENCER)said, that there would be no practical difficulty in granting the Returns asked for, only they would be given in a different form. As to the addition of the acreage, he had not yet been able to communicate with the Charity Commissioners, and he was unwilling to promise such a Return, because it would be difficult and costly to obtain the information. He had inadvertently fallen into an error the other day with reference to the date at which
  1874
  the Returns would be made. Instead of being made in June, they were not usually made until September. The special Returns moved for by the noble Earl would probably be presented before November.
  In reply to Viscount CRANBROOK,
  EARL SPENCERsaid, that the Return moved for would be supplemental to the ordinary Agricultural Returns.
  Return of all charities known to the Charity Commissioners, the income of which is shown to he distributable in articles in kind or in money, in the "General Digest of Endowed Charities" laid before Parliament on the motion of Lord Robert Montagu between the years 1868 and 1876, as supplemented by the information subsequently acquired by the Charity Commissioners; and distinguishing those charities the income of which may be otherwise applied in pursuance of schemes established by the Charity Commissioners; Ordered to be laid before the House.—(The Earl of Onslow.)

  SMOKE NUISANCE ABATEMENT (METROPOLIS) BILL [H.L.]
  A Bill to amend the Acts for abating the nuisance arising from the smoke of furnaces and fireplaces within the Metropolis—Was presented by the Lord Stratheden and Campbell read 1ª (No. 27.)
  House adjourned at a quarter before Five o'clock, till To-morrow, a quarter past Ten o'clock.