Lords Sitting of 3 June 1897

COMMISSION.
The following Bills received the Royal Assent:—
Aberbrothwick Harbour.
Appeal in Certain Civil Matters (Ireland).
Archdeaconry of Cornwall.
Ashford Urban District Gas.
Assam Railways and Trading Company.
Birmingham, Tame, and Rea District Drainage Board.
Bray and Enniskerry Railway (Extension of Time).
Bristol Tramways.
Charing Cross, Euston, and Hampstead Railway.
Chichester Corporation Water.
Clackmannan (Alloa and Tillicoultry)
Water Supply Provisional Order.
Clyde Navigation (Extension of Time).
Cowes Gas.
Craigerook Mortification.
Crichton Royal Institution.
Devonport Water.
Dumfries and Maxwelltown Water.
East India Company's Officers Superannuation.
Edinburgh Corporation.
Edinburgh University (Transfer of Patronage).
Elementary Education Act 1870 Amendment.
Epsom Downs Extension Railway.
Glasgow Harbour Tunnel Company.
Great Eastern Railway (New Lines).
Great Eastern Railway (Lowestoft Harbour).
Great Northern Railway.
Great Western Railway (Truro and Newquay Railway).
Huddersfield Corporation.
Lancashire, Derbyshire, and East Coast Railway.
Local Government (Ireland) Provisional Orders (No. 1).
London and North Western Railway.
London and North Western Railway (Wales).
London and South Western Railway (Meon Valley Railway).
London Bank of Australia.
London (Clare Market, Strand) Provisional Order.
Loughborough Corporation.
Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Railway.
Mason's Orphanage.
Mason University College.
Metropolitan Police Courts (Holidays).
Mumbles Railway and Pier (Extension of Time).
Navy and Marines (Wills) Act (1865) Amendment.
Neath Corporation Tramways.
Neath Harbour (Extension of Time).
North London Commercial Permanent Building Society.
Paisley Waterworks Provisional Order.
Perth Improvements.
Plymouth Corporation.
Provident Life Office.
Railway Assessors (Scotland) Superannuation.
Railway Passengers' Assurance.
Regular and Elders' Widows' Funds.
Richmond District Lunatic Asylum.
St. Patrick's Park, Dublin.
Taunton Gas.
Torquay Corporation Water.
Trusts (Scotland).
Tynemouth Gas.
Weymouth Gas.
Whiting's Patent.
Wigan Junction Railways.
The Lords Commissioners were the LORD CHANCELLOR (Lord Halsbury), Lord HOPETOUN, and Earl WALDEGRAVE.

THE LORD FOXFORD (E. LIMERICK).
Sat first in Parliament after the death of his father.
THE LORD DE MAULEY.
Sat first in Parliament after the death of his father.
JURIES DETENTION BILL.
Returned from the Commons with the Amendments agreed to.
PREFERENTIAL PAYMENTS IN BANKRUPTCY ACT (1888) AMENDMENT BILL.
Returned from the Commons with the Amendments agreed to.
QUARTER SESSIONS JURORS (IRELAND) BILL.
Returned from the Commons with the Amendments agreed to.

EXCISE LICENCES BILL [H.L.]
VISCOUNT PEEL,in moving the Second Reading of this Bill, said it was a Bill for the consolidation of the many provisions relating to Excise licences. The Liquor Commission, with which he had the honour to be connected, had felt in course of their inquiry that it would be of great use if there were a consolidation of the various enactments relating to one branch of the subject on which they were engaged. The principal Acts were passed as long ago as 70 years and more, and in the course of that time various provisions had been passed—some contradictory to existing enactments, some explanatory, and some repealing. The whole state of the law was in the utmost confusion, and if this Bill were allowed to pass as many as 25 Acts would be totally repealed and about 52 others would be partially repealed. The Bill did not in any way affect that branch of the subject which dealt with the law as administered by the justices and local authorities, but simply with the provisions of the law relating to Excise licences. It embraced ft great deal more than licences connected with the liquor trade, but he assured their Lordships that the Bill was a purely consolidation Bill. If he might cite an instance in proof of what he said, he would point out that the Bill as first introduced did contain some Amendments which gave a statutory sanction to some acts of practice which the licensing authorities had introduced. It was thought that these did amount to fresh enactments, and knowing the suspicion with which, in a Consolidation Bill, any amendment was regarded which seemed to repeal or alter the law, those amendments had been scrupulously cut out of the Bill. ["Hear, hear!"] The result was that the Bill was purely and simply a consoli-
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dating Measure, and effected no alteration in the law. It would be a great convenience to have the whole law reduced to one statute, with the different provisions expressly set forth. He might say, for instance, that the stamp duties and excise duties, formerly collected as such, were now collected as the excise licences, and a great deal of confusion had arisen in consequence of the change of name under which these various duties were collected, and that was only one out of many instances he could cite to prove the necessity for the consolidation of the law. If their Lordships would consent to the Second Reading of the Bill, he should move that it be referred to the Joint Committee for Statute Law Revision in order that any Amendment of the law might be scrupulously excluded, and the Bill made a purely consolidating Bill. ["Hear, hear!"]
Read 2a (according to Order), and referred to the Joint Committee on Statute Law Revision Bills and Consolidation Bills; and a Message ordered to be sent to the Commons to acquaint them therewith.

FISHERIES ACT AMENDMENT BILL [H.L.]
THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY TO THE BOARD OF TRADE (The Earl of DUDLEY)THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY TO THE BOARD OF TRADE (The Earl of DUDLEY) moved the Second Reading of this Bill. He explained that, with the exception of one or two verbal alterations, it was practically the same Bill which passed through the House last year without any opposition and with very little discussion. Its object was, by making illegal the sale of undersized fish, to deter trawlers and other fishermen from frequenting those grounds where small undersized fish abounded. It was, of course, impossible to prevent the catching of such fish, but it was hoped that by preventing their sale the fishermen would be deterred from going to those quarters in which they were found. The Bill gave effect to the sense of the recommendation of Lord Tweedmouth's Committee—["hear, hear!"]—and it was regarded with favour by many of the fishing bodies throughout the country.
Read 2a (according to Order), and committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Friday the 18th instant.

CHURCH PATRONAGE TRANSFERS BILL [H.L.]
Order of the Day for the Third Reading, read, and discharged.
MERSEY CHANNELS BILL.
Amendments reported (according to Order), and Bill to be Read 3a on Friday the 18th instant.
SUNDAY BILL [H.L.]
Second Reading (which stands appointed for the second sitting day after the Whitsuntide recess) put off to Tuesday the 29th instant.

WHITSUNTIDE RECESS.
THE PRIME MINISTER (The Marquess of SALISBURY: I beg to move "That the House at its rising do adjourn to the 18th of this month."
Motion agreed to.
House Adjourned at a Quarter before Five o'Clock, to Friday the 18th inst., a Quarter past Four o'Clock.