§ (The Lord Chancellor.)
§ (No. 50.) SECOND BEADING.
§ Order of the Day for the Second Reading read.
§ THE LORD CHANCELLOR (Lord HALSBURY), in moving that the Bill be now read a second time, said, that its object was to consolidate all the Statutes relating to this subject, the first of which had been passed in the reign of Edward I., and the last in the 44th of Her Majesty's. The title of the various Acts which it was proposed to consolidate occupied six pages, and any persons who desired to make themselves acquainted with the laws relating to Sheriffs had to read all those Acts. He begged to move the second reading of the Bill.
§ Moved, "That the Bill be now read 2a —(The Lord Chancellor.)
THE EARL OF CAMPERDOWNsaid, that it was a great hardship which was imposed now-a-days upon country gentlemen that they should have to serve as Sheriffs, and when the Bill got into Committee he should bring forward a proposal that would have the effect of relieving them from some portion of their present onerous duties.
LORD HALSBIJRYsaid, that this was purely a consolidation measure, which depended, as to its object, upon being passed rapidly, and if there were any opposition of any kind to it, it must necessarily be withdrawn.
§ Motion agreed to; Bill read 2a accordingly, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House To-morrow.