Lords Sitting of 26 August 1887

MINUTES.
PUBLIC BILLS—Second Reading— Savings Banks and Government Annuities * (243); Sheriff of Lanarkshire (244).
Committee—Report—Public Libraries (Scotland) Acts Amendment* (238).
Report—Trustee Savings Banks* (245).

SHERIFF OF LANARKSHIRE BILL.
(The Marquess of Lothian.)
(NO. 244.) SECOND READING.
Order of the Day for the Second Reading, read.
THE SECRETARY FOR SCOTLAND (The Marquess of LOTHIAN), in moving that the Bill be now read a second time, said, that when the late Sheriff Clark, who was Sheriff-Principal of Lanarkshire, became ill, Mr. Berry was ap
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pointed interim Sheriff, being eligible for that appointment. Upon the death of Sheriff Clark, the interim Sheriff was appointed to the place of Sheriff Principal; but this was done by an oversight, as he was not eligible. The appointment, however, had given great satisfaction in Lanarkshire, and the object of the present Bill was to confirm that appointment.
Moved, "That the Bill be now read 2a." (The Marquess of Lothian.)
Motion agreed to; Bill read 2a accordingly, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Tuesday next.

WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE BILL—A POINT OF ORDER.—QUESTION.
LORD DENMANsaid, he was interested in two Bills on this subject which were on their Lordships' Order Book, and he rose to ask for instructions as to which of them he might be allowed to place on the Paper for Monday or

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Tuesday next. The first of those Bills, which was very likely to be opposed in the beginning of the Session in both Houses of Parliament, was put off for six months on the Motion of the Prime Minister. The six calendar months happened to expire on a Sunday, and although he requested the Clerk of Parliaments, in the circumstances, to put the Bill down on Monday or Tuesday, he declined to do so, saying that when the Reform Bill was put of to a certain day, it was held that the consideration of the Bill must be resumed on that day at the end of three lunar months, from the 12th of March to the 4th of June. In the circumstances, he wished to know which of the two Bills he might be allowed to proceed with.
THE PRIME MINISTER AND SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (The Marquess of SALISBURY): I shall not occupy your Lordships' time very long at this hour in replying to this Question. As far as I am concerned, I would point out to the noble Lord, that with regard to the second Bill, the order has been discharged, and my impression is that the Bill is dead, and cannot be allowed to go forward; but his first Bill is still alive, and if he chooses to push it forward, I imagine he is perfectly in Order in doing so.
LORD DENMANsaid, he was extremely obliged, and would put it down for second reading on Tuesday next, on which day Bills take precedence of Motions.
House adjourned at a quarter before Five o'clock, to Tuesday next, a quarter past Four o'clock.