Lords Sitting of 23 June 1896

PRIVATE BUSINESS.
  FALMOUTH RECTORY BILL.
  Read 2a.
  LAMBETH WATER BILL.
  Read 3a, and passed.
  DISEASES OF ANIMALS BILL.
  Brought from the Commons; read 1a, to be printed; and to be read 2a on Monday next—(The Lord Privy seal)—(No. 162.)
  COMPANIES BILL [H.L.]
  The evidence taken before the Select Committee from time to time to be printed for the use of the Members of this House; but no copies thereof to be delivered, except to Members of the Committee, and to such other persons as the Committee shall think fit, until further order.—(No. 160.)
  PUBLIC HEALTH (SEWERS AND DRAINS) BILL [H.L.]
  Reported from the Standing Committee with further Amendments. The Report of the Amendment made in Committee of the Whole House and the Amendments made by the Standing Committee to be received on Thursday next; and Bill to be printed as amended.—(No. 161.)
  HOUSING OF THE WORKING CLASSES (IRELAND) BILL.
  Reported from the Standing Committee without Amendment; and to be read 3a on Thursday next.
  LAND DRAINAGE PROVISIONAL ORDER BILL.
  Read 2a (according to Order); and committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Friday next.
  MILITARY LANDS PROVISIONAL ORDERS BILL.
  Read 2a (according to Order).

  DIVORCE AMENDMENT BILL [H.L.]
  Read 3a(according to Order).
  Clause 1,—
  "No marriage of any person whose former marriage shall have been dissolved on the ground of his or her adultery or crime, and whose former husband or wife, as the case may be, is living, shall be solemnised in any church or chapel of the Church of England."
  THE ARCHBISHOP OF YORK THE ARCHBISHOP OF YORK moved, after the words "Church of England," to insert the words:—
  "And any person knowingly solemnising, or being a party to such a marriage, contrary to the provisions of this Act, shall forfeit and pay a penalty of one hundred pounds."
  His Grace said that without these words the Bill would be merely prohibitory, and the penalty now proposed to be inflicted was not for solemnising such a marriage, but for making use of the buildings of the Church for that purpose. Originally it was proposed that a marriage celebrated under such circumstances should be null and void, but this penalty was thought to be too severe and not altogether appropriate, as the injury would fall ultimately on the children of the marriage, and that provision was dropped.
  Amendment agreed to; Bill passed, and sent to the Commons.

  EDINBURGH UNIVERSITY (TRANSFER OF PATRONAGE) BILL.
  THE SECRETARY FOR SCOTLAND (Lord BALFOUR)in moving the Second Reading of this Bill, explained that its object was to transfer the right of patronage to the Chair of Natural History in the University of Edinburgh, which was now exercised by the Crown, to the curators of patronage in the University, and in exchange to transfer to the Crown the right of patronage to the chair of botany, which was now vested in the curators. It was usual that with the chair of botany the professor should hold the office of curator of the Botanical Gardens, an office which was in the patronage of her Majesty, and unless arrangements were made between the appointing parties considerable inconvenience would ensue. It was in the interest of the school of botany that the same person should hold both offices, and with a view to facilitate this a departmental Committee had recommended that the transfer proposed should take place, and the proposal had been agreed to by Her Majesty, the Treasury, and all others who were interested. It was discovered after arrangements had been made that the arrangement could not be given effect to without legislation because the curators of patronage could not transfer their patronage without the consent of Parliament. Under these circumstances he hoped their Lordships would agree to the Second Reading of the Bill.
  Read 2a (according to Order), and committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Friday next.

  BISHOPRIC OF BRISTOL ACT AMENDMENT BILL [H.L.]
  THE LORD PRIVY SEAL (Viscount CROSS)THE LORD PRIVY SEAL (Viscount CROSS) moved that this Bill be read a Third time.
  Read 3a (according to Order), and passed, and sent to the Commons.

  BOYNE NAVIGATION TRANSFER BILL.
  THE EARL OF RANFURLY,in moving the Second Reading of this Bill, explained that its object was the amalgamation of the two existing schemes so that the navigations may be carried on by one company. The second scheme, consisting of 5½ miles of navigation, belonged to the Boyne Navigation Company, which was almost, if not absolutely, bankrupt, and was unable to take over the working of the whole of this river. The second portion consisted of 12½ miles of navigation. The Board of Works had managed to arrange with the Drogheda Steamship Company, and many of the leading tradesmen of Drogheda, to form a company which should take over these two navigations in consideration of the sum of about £3,000. The Bill contained very few clauses, which were more or less of the same kind as those in other Bills of this nature.
  THE EARL OF MAYOsaid he did not see the necessity of Clause 7. He should like in Committee to move an Amendment to define more clearly the channel in which a barge was to go, as works might be carried out which would do away with the salmon spawning beds which were in the river.
  THE EARL OF RANFURLYsaid it was only proposed to keep the navigation at the same depth that it had been kept at for a number of years, and he could not see how it affected the spawning grounds.
  Read 2a (according to Order), and committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Monday next.
  House adjourned at Six o'clock, to Thursday next, a Quarter past Ten o'clock.