HL Deb 20 June 1901 vol 95 c880

[SECOND READING.]

Order of the Day for the Second Reading read.

*THE EARL OF NORTHBROOK

My Lords, on behalf of the County Councils Association, I have to ask your Lordships to give a Second Reading to this very small Bill. The provision of the Municipal Corporations Act requiring the presence of two-thirds of the whole number of a council at any meeting at which bye-laws are made was incorporated in the Local Government Act of 1888, and this restriction has been found to be very inconvenient. It is quite easy to get two-thirds of the corporation of a borough together to transact business, but in the case of a county council it is not always easy to get that quorum. This Bill proposes to abolish the restriction to which I have referred, but there is a provision that the presence of two-thirds of the council shall be necessary if five members of the council object to the making of the bye-law. There is, therefore, every protection against a bye-law being rushed, and I trust the House will consent to give the Bill a Second Reading.

Moved, that the Bill be now read 2a.—(The Earl of Northbrook.)

LORD KENYON

I am glad to inform the noble Earl that the Government have no objection to the Bill.

On Question, agreed to; Bill read 2a accordingly, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House to-morrow.