§ *THE LORD PRIVY SEAL (Lord TWEEDMOUTH),in moving the Second Reading of this Bill, explained that it had been introduced to provide for the more efficient custody of funds lodged with the accountant of court or any of the clerks or officers of the Supreme Court in Scotland, and for the disposal of such funds, subject to Treasury liability. The sums for which the accountant of course was responsible, which were dealt with in Clause 7 of the Bill were funds which had accumulated prior to Janury 1889. These sums amounted to £36,603. £5,363 was in the Bankruptcy Department, and the remainder in the Judicial Factory Department; a smaller sum of probably under £500 being in the hands of the Clerk of the Bills. Under this Bill these sums would be payable to the Queen's and Lord Treasurer's Remembrancer, and the Treasury would have power to direct him to pay into the Exchequer such sums as they might think fit out of the moneys accumulated in his hands. Clause 15 of 1516 the Bill empowered the Treasury to apply £5,000 out of these sums to the purpose of improving the Advocates' Library and the Parliament House. There were English and Irish precedents for this provision. In England a sum derived from cognate sources, was appropriated to defray the expenses of the erection of the new Law Courts, and in Ireland several sums of the same character had been applied in extending the law courts. The Bill had passed through the House of Commons with the assent of all parties.
§ Bill read 2a.