SECOND READING. (Hansard, 1 March 1906)

§ THE EARL OF HALSBURY
My Lords, I might repeat almost the same observations with regard to this Bill, the only difference being that this is a very much shorter measure and one which your Lordships have been repeatedly engaged in discussing, and that it does not require any legal training to understand and fully comprehend the effect and meaning of every part of it. I will only say this, that we have received the same assurance from the Lord Chancellor with reference to it. At the same time, the noble and learned Lord intimated to me that he intended to move certain Amendments. I have not seen them, but I need not say that I shall 1254 be very glad indeed to accept any assistance the noble and learned Lord will give me. I beg to move that the Bill be read a second time.

§ LORD AVEBURY
My Lords, on behalf of the bankers of England and the Chambers of Commerce I beg to express our thanks to the noble and learned Lord for having introduced this Bill and also the one which preceded it. I sincerely trust, not only that this Bill may pass your Lordships' House, but that His Majesty's Government will give it their support and enable it to be carried through the other House and become law. There is just one point in the Bill which I would earnestly press on the consideration of my noble and learned friend. I refer to the clause which makes all prosecutions under it depend on the consent of the Attorney-General. I should be very glad, and I believe the commercial community generally would be very glad, if the noble and learned Lord could see his way to reconsider that provision of the Bill, at any rate in cases of small amounts, say, under £100. Subject to that, I thank the noble and learned Lord very much for introducing the Bill at this early period of the session, and I earnestly trust that it will become law this year.

THE LORD ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY
My Lords, I wish to say a single word on behalf of those who are connected neither with the legal nor with the mercantile professions, as to the interest with which this Bill, for the renewal of which we owe our thanks to the noble and learned Lord opposite, is regarded in the country. I have had many communications on the subject, showing how strong is the feeling on the part of those who are interested, not in any technical part of it, but in those large questions of principle and morality which underlie the proposals of the measure. I earnestly hope, not only that your Lordships will give the Bill a Second Reading, but that it will make progress elsewhere, and that we may see it placed on the Statute Book this session.

§ THE LORD CHANCELLOR
My Lords, the measure of importance which His Majesty's Government attaches to this Bill will be best gauged when I remind the House that a Bill of this character was promised in His Majesty's gracious Speech from the Throne. It was a matter on which the late Lord Russell of Killowen spent a good deal of praisworthy energy, as did also Sir Edward Fry and others. I have always been most strongly in favour of a Bill of this kind. No one, however, has been more energetic in the matter than my noble and learned friend who preceded me on the Woolsack, and that was one good reason why I thought it appropriate that he should introduce this Bill, and I am heartily glad that he has done so.
The Government do not want to filch any credit that is due elsewhere. But there is another reason. I hope it may be possible that Bills of legal reforms which are wholly divested of any Party complexion may by the mutual co-operation of both sides in both Houses of Parliament be accelerated. I have myself during the last ten years supported not a few Bills introduced by my noble and learned friend, which unfortunately have not been placed on the Statute Book. If this Bill reaches the House of Commons we shall not only give it every assistance, but I am authorised to say that His Majesty's Government will do their best for it, as if it were their own Bill, and they will star it on the Order Paper in the House of Commons, so that it may have a chance of passing into law.
It is, of course impossible to undertake that any Bill should be passed, but I am authorised by the Prime Minister to say that we mean to do our best, in the case of this admirable Bill, to attain that end. There will be some Amendments proposed by the Government. I do not intend to refer to any particular Amendment now, for I think it best to reserve any reference to the matter till the Committee stage. But this I can say, that the Amendments proposed will not be in the slightest degree antagonistic to the Bill, but, on the contrary, are intended for no other 1256 purpose than to contribute to the usefulness of this essentially useful measure.