§ THE SECRETARY FOR SCOTLAND (Lord BALFOUR of BURLEIGH)My Lords, the object of this Bill is to place the conditions under which money may be borrowed by municipalities in Scotland for electric lighting purposes upon a more convenient and logical basis. Up to the present, time many burghs have been limited by the amount which they are allowed to borrow under their local and other Acts for lighting by gas. This, in practice, has been found to be extremely inconvenient, and, as time goes on, it will altogether unduly limit the powers tit some of these thriving municipalities to light their towns by electricity. The way in which it is proposed to proceed in future is to give burghs power to borrow, subject to the consent of the Secretary for Scotland. That is a method which has been found convenient in other matters, and for which there is ample precedent. The passage of this Bill is ardently desired by municipalities in Scotland, some of which have had to obtain private orders and private bills to relieve them of the restrictions under which they are placed, and the Scottish Office think it would be better to place the matter once and for all upon a more logical and permanent basis. I do not anticipate any opposition to the proposal; on the contrary. I have had many representations which lead me to believe that the passage of the Bill is ardently desired, and I hope your Lordships will agree now to read the Bill a second time.
Read 2a (according to order), and committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Thursday next.