LORD MOBRIS,in moving the Second Reading of this Bill, said it was a very short one, and had already passed the House of Commons. Its object was to amend the blot which had recently been discovered in an Act of Parliament which had been in existence since 1836. The 6th and 7th William IV. regulated the Grand Jury system of Ireland so far as regarded civil purposes, and no doubt all their Lordships who were cognisant 1359 with Irish matters knew that the maintenance of roads in Ireland was a matter which had to go before Presentment Sessions in the first instance, then to the following Assizes before the Grand Jury, and then before the judge on circuit, who gave his fiat. Upon receiving that fiat it became a judgment, and could only be challenged in the ordinary way of challenging a judgment—namely, by an application to the Queen's Bench. Since the passing of the Grand Jury Act of 1836 the keeping of the roads in repair had been by contract for periods generally of five or seven years, the work being under the supervision of the County Surveyor. At the last Summer Assizes in the County of Londonderry a difficulty occurred that rendered apparent the blot in the Act which this Bill sought to remove. The Assizes in Ireland, as many of their Lordships were no doubt aware, were held twice a year, but practically there was an interval of eight months between the Summer and Spring Assizes, and only four months between those of the spring and summer. In the longer period considerable inconvenience would be suffered at times by the road contractor through payment for the work done having to stand over until the next Assizes, and the object of the Bill was to remedy that defect, and to expedite payment of the contractor's bills for work he had done, and which the County Surveyor's certificate showed had been duly executed in accordance with the contract.
§ LORD RIBBLESDALEsaid, the Irish Government had no objections to the provisions of this Bill, which would obliterate the blot of which the noble Lord had complained, and remedy the existing inconvenience.
§ LORD ASHBOURNEsaid, it was obvious that the Bill removed a defect in the Grand Jury Act. He had received a communication requesting him to move an amendment to remove another blot in the Act of 1836, and he should take an opportunity of doing so during the Committee stage of the Bill.
§ Bill read 2a.