Lords Sitting of 4 August 1897

SUPREME COURT OF JUDICATURE (IRELAND) BILL.
LORD ASHBOURNE, in moving the Second Reading of this Bill, said it was an important and useful Measure, calculated to render more efficient the working of the judicial institutions of Ireland and, at the same time, to effect a substantial saving in the cost of administration. There were at present four divisions of the High Court of Justice in Ireland—the Chancery Division, the Queen's Bench Division, the Exchequer Division, and the Probate and Matrimonial Division—and outside the High Court stood the Court of Bankruptcy. The Exchequer Division, under the provisions of an Act passed eight years ago, was, in the retirement of the present Lord Chief Baron, to be merged in the Queen's Bench Division; but Lord Chief Baron Pallas, one of the most respected and distinguished of the Irish Judges, had, with great public spirit, consented and desired that this consolidation of the two Courts should be no longer deferred. The Bill also proposed the consolidation of the Probate and Matrimonial Division, but that was not to take place until the death of the present distinguished Judge who had presided over the Court for 29 years; and also that the Bankruptcy Court should be united with the High Court. This would permit of a free interchange of duties among the Judges, and would facilitate largely judicial action. Three Judgeships were to be abolished—the Judgeship of the Probate and Matrimonial Division, when the present Judge ceased to hold office, and the two Judgeships of the Bankruptcy Court at once—which would effect a saving in judicial salaries alone, independent of a substantial prospective saving of officials' salaries arising from the consequent consolidation of offices, of £7,500 a year. These changes had been rendered feasible by the fact that there were now three Judgeships vacant in Ireland. Among the other provisions of the Bill was one, which had excited great interest
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in Ireland, enabling the savings to be applied in Ireland to purposes that Parliament may from time to time prescribe.
Read 2a (according to Order), and committed to a Committee of the Whole House To-morrow.

PARISH COUNCILS (SCOTLAND) (CASUAL VACANCIES) BILL.
On the question of the further consideration of the Amendment, moved after the Third Reading of this Bill,
LORD BALFOURexplained that yesterday Lord Tweedmouth moved to omit Clause 2, but on a Division it was found that there was not a quorum of 30 present, and the matter was accordingly adjourned.
Question "That Clause 2 stand part of the Bill." put, and agreed to; Bill passed, and returned to the Commons.

PUBLIC HEALTH (SCOTLAND) BILL.
Amendments reported.
LORD BALFOURin order to meet a point raised yesterday by the Earl of Camperdown, to exempt from the power of appropriation to be conferred on a local authority in respect of all streams of water in its district any supply of water used for domestic or agricultural purposes, moved to add to Clause 1, Sub-section (1), the following new Sub-section:—
"(2.) Any supply of water which has been conducted to and is being used for any house or building used in connection with such house or occupied for agricultural purposes."
Amendment agreed to. Then (Standing Orders Nos. XXXIX. and XLV. having been suspended) Bill read 3a, with the Amendments, passed, and returned to the Commons.

EDUCATION (SCOTLAND) BILL.
Considered in Committee. Bill reported without Amendment; then (Standing Orders Nos. XXXIX. and XLV. having been suspended), Bill read 3a, and passed.
STIPENDIARY MAGISTRATES JURISDICTION (SCOTLAND) BILL.
Read 3a, and passed.
LICENSING (SCOTLAND) ACTS AMENDMENT BILL.
Read 3a, and passed.
FOREIGN PRISON-MADE GOODS BILL.
Returned from the Commons with the Amendments agreed to.
METROPOLITAN WATER COMPANIES BILL.
Returned from the Commons with the Amendments agreed to.

LAND TRANSFER BILL.
On the Question "That the House do take into consideration the Commons Amendments to this Bill,"
THE LORD CHANCELLOR THE LORD CHANCELLOR moved to omit Sub-section (11), which had been added to Clause 20 ("Power to require registration") by the Commons:—
"The City of London shall be a separate county, and the Mayor, Aldermen, and Commons, in Common Council assembled, shall be deemed the County Council thereof; and for the purpose of this section the representation of the said City on the London County Council shall not be computed in the number of the County Council not entitled to vote."
The proviso seemed, on the face of it, either unnecessary or a repeal of the provisions of the Local Government Act on the subject. At all events, it was a highly controversial matter, which ought not to have been introduced into a clause which was represented to be an agreed clause. It was also unnecessary from another point of view. He was sure that the City of London must have known that he should not be a party to an order affecting them without consulting them and considering their wishes, either as to the application of the Act or as to any arrangement for a registry there or otherwise, He therefore moved that their Lordships disagree
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with the sub-section, and, subject to this, they agree with the Commons' Amendments.
Motion agreed to; new sub-section struck out.

MERCHANT SHIPPING (EXEMPTIONS FROM PILOTAGE) BILL [H.L.]
Returned from the Commons agreed to, with Amendments; the said Amendments considered (on Motion), and agreed to.

WORKMEN (COMPENSATION FOR ACCIDENTS) BILL.
Returned from the Commons, with the Amendments last made by the Lords agreed to.
House adjourned at Quarter before Five o'clock, till To-morrow, a Quarter past Four o'clock.