§ Order of the Day for the Second Reading, read.
§ LORD HERSCHELLMy Lords, I need detain your Lordships but for a minute in moving the Second Reading of this Bill. An Act was passed a good many years ago, now known as Powell's Act, to facilitate the appointment of new Trustees in the case of religious congregations and societies, for vesting the property in the newly-appointed Trustees without the necessity of incurring the expense and trouble of a conveyance. That Act has been found, to be defective in cases which really came fully within its scope, and it has 485 been held not to apply to the Trustees of chapels, belonging, among others, to the Wesleyan connection, because they are not merely Trustees of the individual chapel, but they are persons holding an official position in connection with the Wesleyan connection, having charge of one or more than one place of worship, and Trustees of them all. There are several minor provisions in the Bill, but they are all within the general scope of facilitating the appointment of Trustees in such cases. I anticipate no objection on the part of your Lordships to the Second Reading, and I propose that the Bill be referred to the Committee on Law.
§ Bill read 2a (according to order), and committed to the Standing Committee for Bills relating to Law, &c.