§ Order of the Day for the Third Reading read.
* THE EARL OF MEATHMy Lords, before this Bill finally passes from your Lordships' House I should like to return my thanks to the Lord Chancellor for having consented to carry out what I proposed to do in another Bill, which was referred to the same Committee namely, the Protection of Children Bill. I desire also to thank the noble Lord for having practically permitted the addition to his Bill of clauses which were the principal ones in the Bill I had the honour to introduce into this House. It 32 will be within your Lordships' recollection that I have, on several occasions, drawn the attention of your Lordships to the difficulties under which philanthropic persons and institutions labour under the present law, owing to unworthy persons taking away their children from them just at a critical age, and just at the time when they can earn money for those unworthy parents. By the introduction of this Bill by the Lord Chancellor, and owing to the inclusion of some of the clauses which I have proposed in the Protection of Children Bill, I hope that those institutions and benevolent persons will find it much easier to carry on their work than they did formerly. I feel that this Bill, going forth from your Lordships' House with the sanction and with the power of the Government at its back, it will be much more likely to succeed in passing the other House than it would have had if it had borne my name. I hope, therefore, the Government will do all they possibly can to pass this Bill through the other House, and that it may prove a very great benefit to the large class of persons and children who are interested in it.
§ Bill read 3a(according to order), and passed, and sent to the Commons.