Lords Sitting of 11 March 1898

Preamble
THE LORD CHANCELLOR THE LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the Woolsack at a Quarter past Four of the clock.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.
  PLYMOUTH, STONEHOUSE, AND DEVONPORT TRAMWAYS COMPANY V. GENERAL TOLLS COMPANY, LIMITED.
  Set down for hearing.
  CARLTON STEAMSHIP COMPANY LIMITED, V. CASTLE MAIL PACKETS COMPANY, LIMITED (EX PARTE).
  Set down for hearing.
  COMBER V. LEYLAND AND BULLINS (EX PARTE).
  Set down for hearing.
  HULL, BARNSLEY, AND WEST RIDING JUNCTION RAILWAY AND DOCK BILL [H.L.]
  Committed: The Committees to be proposed by the Committee of Selection.
  FORRES WATER BILL [H.L.]
  Committed: The Committees to be proposed by the Committee of Selection.
  MILFORD DOCKS BILL [H.L.]
  Committed: The Committees to be proposed by the Committee of Selection.
  LANARKSHIRE AND DUMBARTONSHIRE RAILWAY BILL [H.L.]
  Committee to meet on Monday next.
  MARKET HARBOROUGH GAS BILL [H.L.]
  The Chairman of Committees informed the House that the opposition to the Bill was withdrawn. The orders made on the 28th of February, and on Monday last discharged; and Bill committed.
  SAINT MARYLEBONE CHURCHES BILL [H.L.]
  Second Reading (which stands appointed for Tuesday next) put off to Tuesday, the 29th instant.
  TENTERDEN RAILWAY BILL [H.L.]
  Read Second time (according to order).
  LONDON AND NORTH WESTERN RAILWAY BILL [H.L.]
  Standing Order No. XCII. considered (according to order), and dispensed with, with respect to a Petition of the Soothill Upper Urban District Council: Leave given to present the said Petition.
RETURNS, ETC.

  TRADE REPORTS, 1898.
  I. Annual series: Diplomatic and Consular Reports on trade and finance: No. 2,034. Havre.
  II. Miscellaneous series: Reports on subjects of general and commercial interest: No. 451. Agriculture in Las Palmas.
  Presented (by command), and ordered to lie on the Table.

  UNIVERSITIES (SCOTLAND) ACT, 1889.
  Abstract of accounts of the University of Aberdeen, for the year ended 30th September, 1897, being the annual Report on the state of the finances of the University under the provisions of Section 30 of the Universities (Scotland) Act, 1889.

  LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT, 1888.
  Orders made, under Section 57 of the Act, by—
  I. The County Councils of the following counties, and confirmed by the Local Government Board, viz.:—

  1. Stafford, constituting the parish of Amblecote an urban district.

  2. Cornwall, constituting—

  (1) the urban district of Looe and the parishes of Talland and West Looe.

  (2) The urban district of Wade-bridge and the parishes of Saint Breock, Egloshayle, and Wadebridge.

  3. Worcester, for the amalgamation of the urban districts of Malvern Link and Malvern, and for the addition of part of the parish of Hanley Castle to the parish of Malvern Wells and the urban district of Malvern.

  4. Berks, for transferring two portions of the parish of East Hanney, known as Roxey and Lindsey respectively, from the Wantage urban district to the Wantage rural district.

  5. Salop, for amalgamating the parishes of Wrockwardine Wood and Wombridge and parts of the parishes of Lilleshall and Shiffnal to form an urban district, and constituting the parishes of St. George's and Priorslee.

  The county borough of Derby, for uniting the parishes and townships of St. Werburgh, New Normanton, Rowditch, St. Alkmund, All Saints', Little Chester, St. Michael, Litchurch, and St. Peter.
  The County Council of Southampton and the Council of the Borough of Southampton, for the addition of parts of the parishes of North and South Stoneham to the parish and urban district of Eastleigh.

  SCIENCE AND ART DEPARTMENT.
  I. Forty-fifth annual Report for the year 1897 (with supplement).
  II. Minutes of Committee of Council on Education, sanctioning the subjects to be taught under Clause 8 of the Technical Instruction Act, 1889, for—

  1. City of Limerick (fourth minute).

  2. County Borough of Portsmouth (third minute).

  LOCAL LOANS FUND ACCOUNTS (1894–95).
  Accounts of receipts and payments by the Commissioners for the reduction of the National Debt in respect of the capital and income of the Local Loans Fund for the year ended 31st March, 1897; together with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General thereon.
  CLERGY (WEST INDIES).
  Return of the amount payable on the 5th of January, 1898, out of the Consolidated Fund for ecclesiastical purposes in the West Indies.

  HOUSING OF THE WORKING CLASSES ACT, 1890 (METROPOLITAN IMPROVEMENT SCHEMES).
  Order of the Secretary of State for the Home Department permitting a further modification in the Boundary Street, Bethnal Green, Improvement Scheme, 1890.
  Laid before the House (pursuant to Act), and ordered to lie upon the Table.

  SUFFRAGAN BISHOPS BILL.
  *THE ARCHBISHOP of CANTERBURY: My Lords, I beg leave to move the Second Reading of the Suffragan Bishops Bill. The old Act governing the appointment of Suffragan Bishops is the 26 Henry VIII., c. 14. In that Act it is provided that any bishop having a diocese in England may select two spiritual persons, and submit their names to the Crown, and authority is then given to the Crown to choose one of these two persons, and to give to the one so chosen the style, title, and dignity of Bishop of a See, chosen out of the list which is contained in the Act. Having done this, the Act goes on to direct that—
  "The King's Majesty shall present every such person by his Letters Patent under his Great Seal to the Archbishop, signifying and declaring by the said Letters Patent the name of the person presented, and the style and title of dignity of the bishopric whereunto he shall be nominated, requiring the same Archbishop to whom such Letters Patent shall be directed to consecrate the said person."
  It has been accordingly interpreted that it is not possible for the Crown to give the rank, title, style, and dignity of Suffragan Bishop to anyone who is a bishop already, because being a bishop already, it is impossible to issue letters patent requiring that the person shall be consecrated. He is consecrated, being a bishop, and cannot be consecrated again. This is obviously nothing more than a legal technicality. It is not my business to go into it further. I am content to accept that this must be taken to be the meaning of the old Act, but it is evidently quite an unnecessary restriction. There is no reason whatever why a man who is a bishop already, should not, if he is a fit person for it, be chosen to be a Suffragan Bishop. There is no reason why a bishop in one of the Colonial churches should not come to England, and be a Suffragan Bishop in one of the English dioceses. There are several precedents for bringing home Bishops from the Colonies, and putting them into Sees here in England, and there is no reason why there should be the power of doing that, and yet no power of bringing them home and appointing them Suffragan Bishops. It is very often very convenient to select a man who has been a bishop
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  already. In many cases he knows more about the work he will have to do, and that is a great advantage in choosing him. It is of real value in the present day to bind Colonial Churches with the Churches at home as closely as possible. No one can help feeling that whatever tends towards the unity of the Empire is a thing to be very much desired on all accounts, and the unity of the Church of England is a very strong link to bind the Colonies to the unity of the whole Empire; and I think, therefore, that, on the ground of principle, there can be no objection to this short Bill which I have now introduced. The operative clause in the Act is simply this, that—
  "Notwithstanding anything contained in the Act passed in the twenty-sixth year of King Henry the Eighth 'for nomination and consecration of suffragans within this realm,' it shall be lawful to nominate, present, and appoint as suffragan bishop a person already consecrated as a bishop, and in that case the letters patent presenting him shall not require his consecration."
  My Lords, I now move the Second Reading of this Bill.
  Read a second time.

  EVIDENCE IN CRIMINAL CASES BILL [H.L.]
  House in Committee (according to Order).
  THE LORD CHANCELLOR (The Earl of HALSBURY): The Amendment I move to Clause 3 is moved by the desire of the Lord Advocate, and in order to bring the practice in harmony with the Scottish procedure.
  Amendments made.
  Standing Committee negatived.
  Report of Amendments to be received on Monday next.
  Standing Order XXXIX. to be considered in order to its being dispensed with.
  To be printed as amended. [No. 25.]

PRIVATE BUSINESS.
  LONDON AND NORTH WESTERN RAILWAY BILL [H.L.]
  The Order made yesterday appointing certain Lords the Select Committee to consider the Bills discharged.
  LONDON AND NORTH WESTERN RAILWAY (WALES) BILL [H.L.]
  The Order made yesterday appointing certain Lords the Select Committee to consider the Bills discharged.
  TORRINGTON AND OKEHAMPTON RAILWAY BILL [H.L.]
  Report from the Committee of Selection, that the Lord Dunalley be proposed to the House as a member of the Select Committee on the said Bills in the place of the Lord Fairlie (E. Glasgow); read, and agreed to.
  MORLEY CORPORATION (GAS BILL) [H.L.]
  Report from the Committee of Selection, that the Lord Dunalley be proposed to the House as a member of the Select Committee on the said Bills in the place of the Lord Fairlie (E. Glasgow); read, and agreed to.
  MORLEY GAS BILL [H.L.]
  Report from the Committee of Selection, that the Lord Dunalley be proposed to the House as a member of the Select Committee on the said Bills in the place of the Lord Fairlie (E. Glasgow); read, and agreed to.
  MIDLAND RAILWAY BILL [H.L.]
  Report from the Committee of Selection, that the Lord Dunalley be proposed to the House as a member of the Select Committee on the said Bills in the place of the Lord Fairlie (E. Glasgow); read, and agreed to.

  STATUTE LAW REVISION BILL [H.L.]
  To be read a second time on Monday next.
  House adjourned at 4.40 to Monday at 11 o'clock.