§ [SECOND READING.]
§ Order of the Day for the Second Reading read.
§ * THE LORD CHANCELLOR OF IRELAND (Lord ASHBOURNE)My Lords, this is a short Bill, and I trust your Lordships will have no difficulty in at once according to it a Second Reading. It proposes to extend to Ireland legislation that has been found beneficial in England and Scotland. The first clause proposes to give the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland power to order the conditional release of criminal lunatics. When an unfortunate man is in the position of being a criminal lunatic his health may begin to re-establish itself, and it may be desirable to consider whether he can be released under certain conditions and safeguards. At present there must in Ireland be an absolute discharge or no discharge. The second provision in the Bill is one that proposes to give to the Judges of the Court of Appeal in Ireland, 1229 if the Queen is advised to grant them Letters in Lunacy, jurisdiction in lunacy. That jurisdiction is conferred in England with benefit. In Ireland only the Lord Chancellor has power, and if he were ill—a condition which has, happily, not occurred in my time—there would be considerable difficulty in administering it. The Bill also gives a power to consolidate the Lord Chancellor's offices in Lunacy and for minor matters, and thus will promote efficiency and economy, and I ask your Lordships to read it a second time.
§ Moved, " That the Bill be now road a second time."—(Lord Ashbourne.)
§ On Question, agreed to.
§ Bill read 2 a accordingly, and committed to a Committee of the whole House on Monday next.