Lords Sitting of 2 April 1908

PRIVATE BILL BUSINESS.
Tramways Order Confirmation (No. 1) Bill [H.L.].—Committed.
Bromley and Crays Gas Bill; Glyncorrwg Urban District Council Bill; Lincoln Corporation Bill.—Brought from the Commons, read 1a, and referred to the Examiners.
Local Government (Ireland) Provisional Orders (No. 1) Bill [H.L.].—Read 2a (according to order).
Bristol Corporation Bill [H.L.]; Bristol Tramways Bill [H.L.]; Keighley Corporation Bill [H.L.]; Wath-upon-Dearne Urban District Council Gas Bill [H.L.]; Ravensthorpe Urban District Council Bill [H.L.]; Rhymney and Aber Valleys Gas and Water Bill [H.L.]; Leith Burgh Bill [H.L.]; Ammanford Urban District Council Water Bill [H.L.]; Llanelly and Burry Port Water Board Bill [H.L.]; Conway and Colwyn Bay Joint Water Board Bill.—Report from the Committee of Selection, that the Earl of Albemarle be proposed to the House as a Member of the Select Committee on the said Bills in the place of the Earl of Verulam; read, and agreed to.

PRIVATE BILL BUSINESS.
  PETITIONS.

    LAND VALUES (SCOTLAND) BILL —PETITION AGAINST.
    THE EARL OF CAMPERDOWN: My Lords, I beg to present a petition from the county council of the county of Forfar against the Land Values (Scotland) Bill. They say that, being entrusted with the administrative and financial business of that county, they have carefully considered the Bill, and are of opinion that it should not receive the sanction of Parliament for the following among other reasons—videlicet, that the Bill in requiring the capital land value of lands and heritages, not being lands and heritages falling to be valued by the Assessor of Railways and Canals,
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    to be entered in the Valuation Roll, would, if passed, entail enormous expense upon counties without conferring upon them any corresponding benefits, that the Bill does not state any purpose for which it is necessary or desirable that the said capital land value should be entered in the Valuation Roll; and that in any case no good purpose can be served. by entering in the Valuation Roll the capital land value of agricultural lands in counties where both the land and the buildings thereon belong to the same person.
    Ordered to lie on the Table.

    RETURNS, REPORTS, ETC.
      LOTTERIES AND INDECENT ADVERTISEMENTS.
      Message from the Commons that they have appointed a Committee to consist of Five Members to join with a Committee of this House to consider the said subject, and request this House to appoint an equal number of Lords to be joined with the Members of their House.

      TRADE REPORTS: ANNUAL SERIES.
      No. 3967. Finances of Denmark.
      Presented (by command), and ordered to lie on the Table.

      UNIVERSITIES (SCOTLAND) ACT, 1889.
      Annual Report on the state of the finances of the University of Glasgow under the provisions of Section 30 of the Act, for the year 1906–1907.

      SUPERANNUATION.
      Treasury Minute, dated 30th March, 1908, declaring that Mr. George Samuel Newth, Lecture Assistant, Normal School of Science, Board of Education, was appointed without a Civil Service certificate through inadvertence on the part of the head of his department.
      Laid before the House (pursuant to Act), and ordered to lie on the Table.

      UNIVERSITIES (SCOTLAND) ACT, 1889.
      University Court Ordinances—
      No. 24. (Aberdeen, No. 2.) Regulations for Degrees in Arts.
      No. 25. (Aberdeen, No. 3.) Regulations as to Bursaries, etc.
      Laid before the House (pursuaant to Act), and to be printed. (No. 45.)

    SMALL HOLDINGS AND ALLOTMENTS (SCOTLAND) BILL [H.L.]
    House in Committee (according to Order).
    [The Earl of ONSLOW in the Chair.]
    Clauses 1 to 26 agreed to.
    Clause 27:
    LORD SALTOUN LORD SALTOUN moved an Amendment to the effect that no land should be authorised by an Order under this Act to be acquired compulsorily which, at the date of the Order was being "used for drying or repairing fishing nets." He explained that land round a great many towns on the sea coast was very much used for this purpose, and the object of his Amendment was to safeguard that land in the interest of fishermen.
    Amendment moved—
    "In page 18, line 32, after the word 'like,' to insert the words or being land used for drying or repairing fishing nets.'"—(Lord Saltoun.)
    THE EARL OF CAMPERDOWNsaid he did not think it desirable to insert in the Clause more exceptions than were needed, but at the same time he was quite prepared to accept the Amendment which his noble friend had proposed.
    On Question, Amendment agreed to.
    Clause 27, as amended, agreed to.
    Remaining clauses agreed to, and Bill reported with an Amendment to the House and recommitted to the Standing Committee, and to be printed as amended. (No. 46.)

    SUNDAY CLOSING (SHOPS) BILL [H.L.]
    Amendments reported (according to Order); and Bill to be read 3a Tuesday next.
    POST OFFICE CONSOLIDATION BILL [H.L.]

      SECOND READING.
      Order of the day for the Second Reading read.
      THE EARL OF GRANARD: My Lords, this is purely a Consolidation Bill, which, with the exception of certain Acts that have since been added, was submitted to a Joint Committee of both Houses of Parliament in 1896. I trust your Lordships will give the Bill a Second Reading.
      Moved, "That the Bill be now read 2a."—(The Earl of Granard.)
      On Question, Bill read 2a, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Tuesday next.

    MUNICIPAL REPRESENTATION BILL [H.L.]
    Read 3a (according to order), and passed, and sent to the Commons.
    COUNTY COURTS BILL [H.L.]

      SECOND READING.
      Order of the day for the Second Reading read.
      THE LORD CHANCELLOR (Lord LOREBURN): My Lords, I need say but very few words in asking your Lordships to give a Second Reading to this Bill. It deals with various points, not themselves connected, and it is the same Bill as your Lordships agreed to on the Motion of my predecessor. Last year the Bill was introduced by myself; it passed through this House, but, unfortunately, shared the fate of other measures which could not be disposed of elsewhere. I will only say that the Bill does not in any way represent my idea of what ought to be done in connection with an amendment of the law relating to County Courts. There are two important points which deserve attention. I referred to one last year—the character of the jurisdiction in regard to what I call imprisonment for debt, for in substance it is imprisonment for debt. I have been very anxious to make proposals in

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      regard to that; but I think a wise course has been taken in the appointment of a Select Committee of the House of Commons for the purpose of investigating the subject, for undoubtedly there is a controversial aspect. The second point is this. It is more than thirty years since the Judicature Commission recommended that the High Court of Justice and the County Court should form part of one system instead of being separate and independent, as they are now; and, although Lord Cairns did not approve of the recommendation at the time, he subsequently changed his mind and brought in and carried through this House a Bill for the purpose of giving effect to that recommendation I will not say that that ought to be done at once. I am satisfied that it cannot very well be done without some inquiry, and I intend to propose an inquiry. I ask to be excused for referring to those two matters even so shortly, because I do not wish it to be supposed that this Bill represents all that I think might be done, or, indeed, ought to be done, in regard to the business of, and arrangements relating to, County Courts.
      Moved, "That the Bill be now read 2a."—(The Lord Chancellor.)
      LORD ASHBOURNE; My Lords, I trust that there will be no difficulty about the passing of this Bill, and coming as it does with the recommendation of the noble and learned Lord on the Woolsack, I have no doubt your Lordships will be prepared to give it a ready acceptance. I presume that in the present state of public business it is not desirable to overload any Bills; but I hope I may ask for the assistance of my noble and learned friend in inserting an Amendment to allow the solicitor profession to be represented on the rule-making authority.
      On Question, Bill read 2a, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House.
      House adjourned at twenty minutes before Five o'clock, till To-morrow, half-past Ten o'clock.