HL Deb 21 July 1887 vol 317 cc1580-1

Order of the Day far the Second Reading, read.

THE LORD CHANCELLOR (Lord HALSBURY)

, in moving that the Bill be now read a second time, said, it was simply a measure for consolidating existing Statutes.

Moved, "That the Bill be now read 2a —(The Lord Chancellor.)

LORD HERSCHELL

said, he hoped that with this Consolidation Bill the subject of the amendment of the law would not be lost sight of. He could not help feeling impressed by the slow way in which we moved in matters of this sort. Some years ago he recommended an amendment of the law, and pointed out the direction which it should take. The consequence of the observations which he made was that an Act was passed by the State of Massachusetts, and he believed at least one other State followed the example. He had since heard that the Act was working extremely well. In this country where his observations had been made the law stood just as it was when he spoke 10 years ago.

LORD BRAMWELL

said, that one of the most successful pieces of our legislation had its origin with his noble and learned Friend, he meant the consolidation of the law with respect to bills of exchange. One argument in support of the course proposed by the noble and learned Lord on the Woolsack he derived from his noble and learned Friend—namely, that the best way to see what Amendments were required in any body of law, was to consolidate the existing laws.

LORD THRING

, as Chairman of the Committee for the Revision of the Statute Law, said, he hoped the Bill would be passed without any amendment altering the law. Any material improvement in the form of the Statute Law must be made by the aid of numerous Acts consolidating the scattered provisions of the law; and experience showed that such Acts could not be passed unless an assurance was given that they did not materially alter the law.

LORD HERSCHELL

said, he did not mean that their Lordships should not pass this Consolidation Bill; but he hoped that that would not interfere with the amendment of the law relating to Coroners.

THE EARL OF SELBORNE

said, that when any change was made in the law, it would be very necessary to deal with the question of the election of Coroners. As the freeholders of a county elected a Coroner, there was a long and expensive canvass, whenever there was a contest, as in most oases happened; and he know for certain that the usefulness of some coroners had been permanently injured by the embarrassments into which they had fallen in consequence.

VISCOUNT CROSS

said, that when he had the honour of being at the Home Office he brought in a Bill dealing with Coroners' elections. He knew the enormous expense of such contests in Lancashire, and he believed that it had seriously affected the usefulness of those officers. He, for one, would wish to see some other mode of election, but the first step to reform would be the consolidation of the law.

Motion agreed to; Bill read 2a accordingly.