§ Adjourned Debate on Amendment moved on Third Reading resumed according to Order.
§ THE LORD CHANCELLORMy Lords, I do not think I ought to persist in the Amendment which I had sought to introduce into this Bill after the remarks of my noble Friend upon it with regard to both place and time. Although I am still of opinion that it is important some such amendment of the law should be made, yet I should be sorry to carry by a majority an Amendment of this description, which some noble and learned Lords think is not really called for by the necessities of the case. I can only say, in abandoning this Amendment, that I shall claim from those noble and learned Lords next year their assistance into putting into a form more satisfactory to themselves some general enactment, which shall have a more definite legal meaning attached to it, so that that confusion shall not be possible in private Acts which exists at present. I know it is very easy to say that you can always cure that by putting a specific section into the Act. That is quite true; but the answer is that people do not do so, and the consequence is that from time to time Acts are passed without any provision as to what meaning is to be attached to them in computing time. Under the circumstances, after the opposition which has been offered to it, and the explanations given by my noble and learned Friends the other night, I do not think it would be becoming in me to persist in the Amendment of which that alteration formed the subject.
§ Amendment (by leave of the House) withdrawn.
§
Another Amendment proposed, in Clause 12, line 11, after the word "India" insert
And where parts of such dominions are under both a central, and a local legislature, all
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parts under the central legislature shall, for the purposes of this definition, be deemed to be one colony."—(The Lord Chancellor.)
§ Amendment agreed to.
§ Bill passed, and sent to the Commons.