§ * LORD HAWKESBURYasked Her Majesty's Government whether any 1426 decision had been arrived at relative to the Deceased Wife's Sister (Jersey) Bill, passed by a large majority of the States on March 19, 1896, and, if not, what was the reason of this unusual delay. He might add that while the Measure had been passed by a very large majority of the States it had been voted for by 95 per cent. of the elected members; and taking this into consideration, with the fact that similar measures passed by the Legislatures of all the self-governing Colonies had received the Royal Assent, the long delay in the present case seemed somewhat unaccountable.
§ THE PRIME MINISTER (THE MARQUESS of SALISBURY)said that the Measure to which the noble Lord's Question referred involved some serious issues, and it was under the consideration of Her Majesty's Government. He did not think that so long a time had elapsed since the Measure had been brought under the notice of Her Majesty's Government as to justify the noble Lord's complaint that there had been undue delay on the part of the Government in arriving at a decision with regard to it. The subject involved questions of domicile, and no part of our jurisprudence was more uncertain than that which related to the law of domicile. The Measure would, therefore, have to be very carefully considered before Her Majesty's Government arrived at a decision with regard to it. ["Hear!"]