Lords Sitting of 25 March 1898

Preamble
THE LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the Woolsack at a Quarter-past Four of the clock.
PRIVATE BILL BUSINESS.
  RENFREW BURGH AND HARBOUR EXTENSION BILL.
  Examiner's Certificates of non-compliance with the Standing Orders referred to the Standing Orders Committee on Thursday next.
  EXETER, TEIGN VALLEY, AND CHAGFORD RAILWAY BILL [H.L.] (PETITION FOR ADDITIONAL PROVISION.)
  Examiner's Certificates of non-compliance with the Standing Orders referred to the Standing Orders Committee on Thursday next.
  FELIXSTOWE AND WALTON WATER BILL [H.L.]
  Committee to meet on Tuesday next.
  EASTERN TELEGRAPH COMPANY BILL [H.L.]
  Committee to meet on Tuesday next.

  MIDLAND RAILWAY (WEST RIDING LINES) BILL [H.L.]
  A Petition of Messrs. Holmes, Greig, and Greig, of 18, Abingdon Street, Westminster, Parliamentary Agents, praying for leave to present a Petition of Messrs. Read, Holliday, and Sons, Limited, praying to be heard by counsel
  890
  against the Bill, although the time limited by Standing Order No. XCII. for presenting such Petition has expired; Read, and ordered to lie on the Table; and Standing Order No. XCII. to be considered on Monday next in order to its being dispensed with in respect of the said Petition.

  MIDLAND RAILWAY BILL. [H.L.]
  Reported from the Select Committee, with Amendments.
  SAINT MATTHEW, BETHNAL GREEN, BILL. [H.L.]
  Reported, with Amendments.
  MERSEY DOCKS AND HARBOUR BOARD (NEW WORKS) BILL. [H.L.]
  Reported, with Amendments.
  LANCASHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL BILL.
  Read second time, and committed.
  WRITERS TO THE SIGNET WIDOWS' FUND BILL.
  Read second time, and committed.
  CHIPSTEAD VALLEY RAILWAY BILL. [H.L.]
  Read third time; Passed, and sent to Commons.
  GUY'S HOSPITAL BILL. [H.L.]
  Read third time; Passed, and sent to Commons.
  LONDON AND NORTH WESTERN RAILWAY (STEAM VESSELS) BILL. [H.L.]
  Read third time; Passed, and sent to Commons.
  AGRICULTURAL COMPANY OF MAURITIUS BILL. [H.L.]
  Read third time; Passed, and sent to Commons.
RETURNS, ETC.
  NATIONAL GALLERY, ETC, (SCOTLAND).
  Fourth Annual Report to the Secretary for Scotland by the Commissioners and Trustees of the Board of Manufactures in Scotland, for the year ended 30th September, 1897; Presented (by command), and ordered to lie on the Table.
PETITIONS.
  INTOXICATING LIQUORS.
  Against the sale of, on Sundays; of inhabitants of Bexley Heath, Cheshunt, and Northfleet; Read, and ordered to lie on the Table.
  ALLOTMENTS (LONDON) BILL [H.L.]
  To be read second time on Tuesday next.
  LUNACY BILL. [H.L.]
  To amend the Lunacy Acts; Presented by the Lord Chancellor; Read first time, and to be printed. [No. 36.]
  BOROUGH FUNDS BILL. [H.L.]
  To amend the Borough Funds Act, 1872; Presented by the Earl of Beau-champ; Read first time, and to be printed. [No. 37.]
  BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE.
  Standing Order No. XXXIX. considered (according to order), and suspended for this day's sitting.
  HOUSE OF LORDS OFFICES.
  First Report from the Select Committee considered (according to order), and agreed to; the Lord Watson and the Lord Macnaghten added to the Committee.
  SUFFRAGAN BISHOPS BILL. [H.L.]
  Read third time according to order; Passed, and sent to the Commons.

  ARMY (ANNUAL) BILL.
  THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (The Marquess of LANSDOWNE): My Lords, I beg to move the Second Reading of the Army (Annual) Bill. This is the Bill which Parliament passes every year for the purpose of keeping the Army Act in force. The Bill contains no now matter except in the third clause, which makes a slight alteration in the law. Under the existing law, when a deserter is apprehended, it is the custom to send to the War Office, whence instructions are given for the disposal of the deserter. We find that in many cases competent military authorities are accessible on the spot, and we, therefore, propose that power should be given to deal with such cases locally instead of referring them in all cases to headquarters. We hope this change will lead to the shortening of the period during which a deserter is detained, and also to a diminution of correspondence between the War Office and the Districts. I move that this Bill be read a second time.
  Motion agreed to.
  THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR: I move that this Bill be committed.
  Motion negatived.
  THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR: I move that the Bill be read a third time.
  Motion agreed to.
  THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR: I now move that this Bill do pass.
  Motion agreed to.

  SPECIAL JURIES BILL.
  Read third time with Amendments; Passed, and returned to Commons.
  REGISTRATION (IRELAND) BILL.
  Read third time according to order, and passed.
  ELECTRICAL ENERGY (GENERATING STATIONS AND SUPPLY).
  Message from the Commons that they have directed the Select Committee appointed by them to join with the Committee appointed by this House on Electrical Energy (Generating Stations and Supply) to meet the Committee appointed by this House in Committee Room A., on Thursday next, at half-past Eleven o'clock, as proposed by this House.
  STATUTE LAW REVISION BILLS AND CONSOLIDATION BILLS.
  Message from the Commons that they have directed the Select Committee appointed by them to join with the Committee appointed by this House on Statute Law Revision Bills and Consolidation Bills to meet the Committee appointed by this House in Committee Room B., on Wednesday next, at Twelve o'clock, as proposed by this House.

  CONSOLIDATED FUND (No. 1) BILL.
  Brought from the Commons; Read first time; then (Standing Order No. XXXIX. having been suspended) Bill read second time; Committee negatived; Bill read third time and passed.
  House adjourned at 4.35.