Lords Sitting of 28 March 1895

COMMISSION.
The following Bills received the Royal Assent:—

1.—Consolidated Fund (No. 1).

2.—Australian Colonies Customs Duties.

The Lord Commissioners were the Lord Chancellor, the, Marquess of Breadalbane, and Lord Kensington.

STATUTE LAW REVISION BILLS AND CONSOLIDATION BILLS.
Message from the Commons to acquaint this House that they have appointed a Select Committee of Six Members to join with the Select Committee appointed by this House, as mentioned in their Lordships' Message of Friday last, to consider all Statute Law Revision Bills and Consolidation Bills of the present Session.
SEA FISHERIES REGULATION (SCOT LAND) (No. 2) BILL. [H.L.]
Order of the 4th instant referring the Bill to a Select Committee, discharged.

SEA FISHERIES REGULATION (SCOT LAND) BILL. [H.L.]
Report from the Select Committee (with the proceedings of the Committee) made, and to be printed. [No. 51.]
Bill reported with Amendments, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House; and to be printed as amended. [No. 52.]

PRIVATE AND PROVISIONAL ORDER AND CONFIRMATION BILLS.
The EARL OF MORLEY The EARL OF MORLEY moved:—
That no Private Bill brought from the House of Commons shall be read a second time after Tuesday the 25th day of June next:
That no Bill originating in this House confirming any Provisional Order in pursuance of a Report of the Board of Agriculture relating to the enclosure or
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regulation of a common, or confirming any scheme certified by the said Board relating to a Metropolitan common, or confirming any scheme of the Charity Commissioners for England and Wales, shall be read a first time after Tuesday the 7th day of May next.
That no Bill originating in this House confirming any Provisional Order or provisional certificate shall be read a first time after Tuesday the 7th day of May next:
That no Bill brought from the House of Commons confirming any Provisional Order in pursuance of a report of the Board of Agriculture relating to the enclosure or regulation of a common, or confirming any scheme certified by the said Board relating to a Metropolitan common, or confirming any scheme of the Charity Commissioners for England and Wales, shall be read a second time after Tuesday the 25th day of June next:
That no Bill brought from the House of Commons confirming any Provisional Order or Provisional Certificate shall be read a second time after Tuesday the 25th day of June next:
That when a Bill shall have passed this House with Amendments, these orders shall not apply to any new Bill sent up from the House of Commons which the Chairman of Committees shall report to the House is substantially the same as the Bill so amended:
That this House will not receive any Petition for a Private Bill after Tuesday the 30th day of April next, unless such Private Bill shall have been approved by the Chancery Division of the High Court of Justice; nor any petition for a Private Bill approved by the Chancery Division of the High Court of Justice after Friday the 3rd day of May next:
That this House will not receive any Report from the Judges upon petitions presented to this House for Private Bills after Friday, the 3rd day of May next.
Motion agreed to.

LAND TRANSFER BILL.
Amendment reported (according to Order), and Bill to be read 3a to-morrow.

SHOP HOURS BILL.
LORD RIBBLESDALE, in moving the Second Reading of the Shop Hours Bill, said the object of the Bill, which consisted of one clause only, was to remedy a defect in the Act of 1892. The 4th Section of that Act directed that every employer of labour or owner of a shop should put up in a conspicuous place on his premises or shop a notice stating the hours of labour, but it did not provide any penalty on summary conviction for breach or neglect of the Section. A case was tried in the Queen's Bench in December last, and the necessity of the Bill was then established. The one clause in it provided that on the summary conviction of a person for not posting up the notice referred to a fine of 40s. would be recoverable.
Bill read 2a.

SOLICITORS (IRELAND) BILL. [H.L.]
House in Committee (according to order): Bill reported without Amendment; and re-committed to the Standing Committee.

MORTGAGEES' COSTS BILL.
LORD MACNAGHTEN LORD MACNAGHTEN moved the Second Reading of this Bill, remarking that it dealt with a technical point in the law relating to mortgagees, and that its object was to do away with a rule which, he thought, was due to over-refinement on the part of Chancery Judges. In cases of money raised on mortgages a person, had, of course, to pay the costs of the mortgagee for investigating the title and completing the mortgage; but if the mortgagee happened to be a solicitor the Court declared that he was not to receive any remuneration for his labour. The same rule applied after the mortgage was completed. He thought their Lordships would agree that the rule was unreasonable; moreover, it was easily evaded; it was rarely put in force unless there was ill-will between the parties, and it led to more expense than it saved. The House of Commons thought the rule, should be abolished, and had passed the Bill, and he felt confident their Lordships would take a similar view of the matter.
THE LORD CHANCELLORsaid, he had no objection to the Second Reading
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of the Bill, but it had been pointed out to him that other professional men than solicitors were unable to obtain their charges when they became mortgagees, and he could see no reason why the Bill should not be extended to them also. He did not know whether his noble and learned Friend had any objection to this extension of the Bill, which, in its title, was not confined to solicitors, but he thought the point was one which deserved consideration in Committee on the measure.
LORD MACNAGHTENsaid he would confer with his noble and learned Friend on the question, but he might mention that there was this distinction in the matter—that provision was made for taxing the cost of solicitors which did not apply to other professional men, and solicitors being officers of the Court, it was more easy to deal with the question of costs in their cases than in those of other persons.
Bill read 2a.
House adjourned at Twenty minutes before Five o'clock.