MERCHANT SHIPPING ACTS AMENDMENT BILL [H.L.] (Hansard, 29 July 1907)

§ LORD AMPTHILL
My Lords, I think it my duty to say a few words of explanation before asking your Lordships to consider this Bill in Committee. The Select Committee to whom your 394 Lordships referred the Bill did not fail to afford an opportunity for criticism or objection to all the principal shipping and insurance associations who might conceivably be interested in the question. But very few of these associations thought it necessary to avail themselves of that opportunity. It transpired that there was no objection whatever to the principle of the Bill, but some weighty reasons were put forward for imposing certain conditions on the owners of barges in consideration of their receiving the privilege of limited liability. The Select Committee have embodied a provision in the Bill giving effect to that recommendation and empowering the Board of Trade to make regulations in regard to the manning and the gear of barges. With these few words I beg to move that the House do resolve itself into the said Committee.

§ LORD AMPTHILL
I beg to move that the Amendments inserted by the Select Committee be agreed to.

§ THE EARL OF GRANARD
If the noble Lord will turn to Clause 2, line 23, he will see the words— Or by any public body authorised to measure any lighter, barge, or like vessel. Those words appear to the Board of Trade to be rather too wide, and if the noble Lord will move an Amendment to meet this point on Third Reading the Board of Trade will have no objection to the Bill passing in its present form.

§ LORD AMPTHILL
I see no objection to the omission of those words, but I would prefer that the noble Earl who 395 represents the Board of Trade should take the initiative in the matter.
Standing Committee negatived. The Report of Amendments to be received on Tuesday the 6th of August next.