Lords Sitting of 8 May 1907

PRIVATE BILL BUSINESS.
The LORD CHANCELLOR acquainted the House, That the Clerk of the Parliaments had laid upon the Table the Certificates from the Examiners that the further Standing Orders applicable to the following Bills have been complied with:—Education Board Provisional Order Confirmation (London No. 2) [H.L.]; Worthing Gas.
Also the Certificate that no Standing Orders are applicable to the following Bill:—Pasley Children Legitimisation—Petition for a Bill.
The same were ordered to lie on the Table.
Brecon and Merthyr Tydvil Junction Railway Bill; Great Yarmouth Port and Haven Bill.—Brought from the Commons, read 1a, and referred to the Examiners.
Tynemouth Corporation (Water) Bill [H.L.].—Reported from the Select Committee, with Amendments.
Hull and Barnsley Railway Bill.—Read 2a, and committed; the Committee to be proposed by the Committee of Selection.
Taff Vale Railway Bill.—Read 2a, and committed; the Committee to be proposed by the Committee of Selection.
London and North-Western Railway (Superannuation Fund) Bill.—Read 2a, and committed for Tuesday next.
Grays and Tilbury Gas Bill—Read 2a, and committed.
Swansea Harbour Bill.—Read 2a, and committed; the Committee to be proposed by the Committee of Selection.
Port Talbot Railway and Docks Bill; South-Eastern and London, Chatham, and Dover Railways Bill; Plymouth and North Devon Direct Railway (Aban-
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donment) Bill; Brockenhurst Gas Bill.—Read 2a, and committed.
Neath, Pontardawe, and Brynamman Railway Bill.—Read 2a, and committed; The Committee to be proposed by the Committee of Selection.
United Methodist Church Bill [H.L.].—Read 3a, and passed, and sent to the
Commons.
Southport, Birkdale, and West Lancashire Water Board Bill [H.L.].—Read 3a; Amendments made; Bill passed, and sent to the Commons.
Ocean Accident and Guarantee Corporation Bill [H.L.]; Great Yarmouth Waterworks and Lowestoft Water and Gas Bill [H.L.]; Selsey Water Bill [H.L.].—Read 3a, and passed, and sent to the Commons.
Falmouth Gas Bill.—Read 3a and passed.
Mitcham and Wimbledon District Gas Bill.—Read 3a with the Amendments, and passed, and returned to the Commons.

RETURNS, REPORTS, ETC.
  JUDICIAL STATISTICS, ENGLAND AND WALES, 1905 (PART II.), CIVIL JUDICIAL STATISTICS.
  Statistics relating to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, the House of Lords, the Supreme Court of Judicature, County Courts, and other Civil Courts, edited by Sir John Macdonell, C.B., LL.D., a Master of the Supreme Court; presented (by Command), and ordered to lie on the Table.
  JOURNAL COMMITTEE.
  Report from, that the One hundred and thirty-eighth Volume of the Journals (6th Edward VII., 1906), with an Index, was ready for delivery; read, and ordered to lie on the Table; and the said Volume ordered to be delivered in the same manner as the preceding Volumes of the Journals have been delivered.

  MATRIMONIAL CAUSES ACTS AMMENDMENT BILL [H.L.]
  [SECOND READING.]
  Order of the Day for the Second Reading read.
  THE LORD CHANCELLOR (LORD LOREBURN): My Lords, this Bill, which has already passed through your Lordships House, was first introduced by the late Ministry, and therefore stands well accredited. Its object is to amend the Matrimonial Causes Acts, 1857 and 1866, by extending the powers of the Court in relation to maintenance and alimony, and it gives leave to intervene to persons whose conduct is in question in the Divorce Court, but who are not now able to intervene. I have no doubt these provisions will commend themselves to your Lordships, and I beg to move that the Bill be read a Second time.
  Moved, "That the Bill be now read 2a."—(The Lord Chancellor).
  THE EARL OF HALSBURY: My Lords, I hope your Lordships will assent to the Motion which has just been moved by my noble and learned friend. The Bill was originally introduced by myself in its present form, and I think no one will doubt the propriety of its provisions; but the drafting of the measure is open to improvement. I make that criticism the more freely because I have been responsible for the Bill in its present form, but I think it is inconvenient not to be able to see on the face of the Bill what it does. I hope that when the Bill gets into Committee my noble and learned friend on the Woolsack will permit its original author to amend the drafting.
  THE LORD CHANCELLOR: Nothing will give me greater pleasure than to accept any Amendment the noble and learned Earl may move with the object of improving the drafting of the Bill. I agree with him that it is important to introduce into statutes the plainest and simplest language, and that we should as much as possible avoid legislation by reference.
  On Question, Bill read 2a and committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Tuesday next.

  PRIZE COURTS BILL [H.L.]
  [SECOND READING.]
  Order of the Day for the Second Reading read.
  THE LORD CHANCELLOR: My Lords, this is a Bill in the same category as the last one. It was originally introduced by our predecessors, and it has already passed through your Lordships' House. The sole purpose of the measure is to allow captains of ships at sea to take evidence on board ship for any purpose relating to proceedings in a Prize Court. I beg to move the Second Reading.
  Moved, "That the Bill be now read 2a.—(The Lord Chancellor.)
  On Question, Bill read 2a, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Tuesday next.
  House adjourned at twenty-five minutes before Five o'clock to Monday next, a quarter before Eleven o'clock,