§ Order of the Day for the House to be put into Committee, read.
LORD DENMANMy Lords, this Bill deals with a very important subject. For the protection of Trustees a Bill was brought in on a former occasion saving them from all liability if they had invested money of cestius que trusts in undertakings without limited liability, and that was a great step in advance. There is also a very important alteration in this Bill in reference to the Law of Breach of Promise. My noble Friend who generally sits on the Front Opposition Bench wished to entirely abolish all such actions, and there is a provision this Bill, as far as I read it, by Which these actions will not go forward, This may be just, and probably will be So In regard to taking evidence, I fear that perjury has greatly increased in County Courts by the admission of parties as witnesses in their own cases. I have watched this as a Magistrate, and I have seen that in certain cases there is almost sure to be unblushing perjury committed, and the persons implicated seem to glory in it. I trust that the Grand Committee will take these few observations of mine into consideration as I am afraid I shall not be able to attend upon it, and I very heartily wish success to this Bill.
§ THE LORD CHANCELLORLest any misapprehension should be caused in the mind of any of your Lordships by the remarks of the noble Lord, I wish to say that this also is purely and absolutely a Consolidation Bill. There is not a single alteration in the law proposed by it, and as I have said, it is simply for consolidating in one Act what is at pre sent spread over a great number of Statutes.
§ House in Committee (according to order); Bill reported without Amendment, and re-committed to the Standing Committee.