Lords Sitting of 22 January 1891

NEW PEERS.
The Right Honourable Sir Francis Richard Sandford, K.C.B., having been created Baron Sandford, of Sandford in the county of Salop—Was (in the usual manner) introduced.
Sir Edward Cecil Guinness, Baronet, having been created Baron Iveagh, of Iveagh in the county of Down—Was (in the usual manner) introduced.
The Lord Carrington—Took the oath.

TRAMWAYS ORDER IN COUNCIL (IRE LAND) (ATHENRY AND TUAM RAIL WAY) BILL.
Brought from the Commons; read 1a; and to be printed. (No. 19.)

BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE.
EARL GRANVILLE: My Lords, I take the liberty of asking the noble Marquess whether he can give us any information with regard to the course which is to be adopted in dealing with the business which is likely to come before us.
THE PRIME MINISTER AND SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (The Marquess of SALISBURY): I imagine that the course of business in your Lordships' House will depend very much, as in former years, on the action of the other House of Parliament. There are two important Bills now before the other House which are, I think, likely to be here before long. They are the Bill dealing with the tithes—which has been a good deal altered since it was before your Lordships last—and a Bill affecting Scotch Private Business. I have not looked at the Notice Paper, and I do not know what the Notices are; but there is one subject to which I shall have to call the early attention of your Lordships, and that is the question of Standing Committees. I think it is admitted that these Committees have done great good. They have insured the examination not only of the wording and the machinery of Bills, but also of details in which principles
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are very often involved, and which might be otherwise overlooked. But there has been some question as to the precise arrangement of these Committees in regard to the examination of details which it is desirable should be investigated, and for that purpose I propose to move for a Select Committee of the House to examine into the Standing Orders, and to recommend any changes that may seem desirable. With respect to the further business of the House, I would rather wait to see what other measures are proposed before I reply more particularly to the noble Earl.

CHILDREN'S LIFE INSURANCE BILL. [H.L.]—(No. 16.)

  SECOND READING.
  Order of the Day for the Second Reading, read.
  THE BISHOP OF PETERBOROUGH: In asking your Lordships to be good enough to give a Second Reading to this Bill, I must trouble you with a very few words of explanation. Your Lordships will, doubtless, remember that last year you gave a Second Reading to this Bill, and afterwards referred it to a Select Committee to take evidence and report thereon to the House. The end of the Session came before the Committee were able to report, and it of course put an end both to the Bill and to the Committee. It is, therefore, necessary that the Bill should be re-introduced as a matter of form, in order that they may complete their work. This, my Lords, is precisely the same measure that was introduced by me last Session. I think it right to state, however, that it contains the 2nd clause of the Bill of last Session, commonly known as the "undertaker's clause," and it does so although the Committee resolved that the Bill should be amended by omitting that clause. The reason for its inclusion is not that I desire in the very least the re-enactment of this clause—in point of fact, I was the first in the Committee to move its omission; but having moved its omission, I had no right, until the Committee had finally reported the Bill as amended to your Lordships' House, on my own authority to amend the measure. I therefore feel myself bound to re-introduce the Bill in the same form in which it was presented to your Lordships

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  last year; but, of course, the Resolution to which the Committee came to omit the 2nd clause will take effect when the Bill is reported with Amendments to the House. I thought it necessary to offer this explanation in order to prevent misapprehension out of doors as to the omission of this particular clause, which excited a good deal of opposition, and if it had appeared now without this explanation which I have given your Lordships it might have created misapprehension. I venture, after this explanation, to ask your Lordships to read this Bill a second time, and that it may then be referred to a Select Committee of this House to receive evidence thereon, and to report the Bill with Amendments.
  Bill read 2a (according to order) and referred to a Select Committee.
  THE BISHOP OF PETERBOROUGH: I beg to give notice that to-morrow I shall move the names recommended for the Select Committee.
  House adjourned at ten minutes before Five o'clock, till To-morrow, a quarter past Four o'clock.