COMPANIES (CONSOLIDATION) BILL [H.L.] (Hansard, 18 December 1908)

§ THE LORD CHANCELLOR (Lord LOREBURN)
My Lords, I propose to give your Lordships a few words of explanation with regard to this Bill. It was taken before the Joint Committee on Consolidation Bills, where it underwent a very careful examination extending over two or three days, and I was able to assure the House that it was strictly a Consolidation Bill. There now appear certain Amendments from the House of Commons. These Amendments are to remedy a small mistake that has been discovered in the wording, to incorporate an Act relating to the Colonies which has been passed since the 2181 Committee sat in July, and to exclude certain clauses of the Consolidation Act which have been spent since the deliberations of the Committee. I have thought it necessary to see the officer responsible at the Board of Trade and satisfy myself that these Amendments are as stated. I propose to ask your Lordships to take the Amendments together, with the exception of the one which corrects a small mistake upon which I will say a few words in a moment.

§ LORD ASHBOURNE
I gather that the noble and learned Lord on the Woolsack has satisfied himself that the Amendments made by the Commons are in entire harmony with this being a Consolidation Bill, and so recommends them to the House.

§ LORD LOREBURN
That is so.

§ LORD LOREBURN
With regard to the other Amendment — in Clause 102—the matter stands in this way. In the clause as it was sent down to the House of Commons it was provided that certain copies of documents and also the register of mortgages should be open for the inspection of the public. It was not intended that copies of the documents, but only the register of mortgages, should be open to inspection by the public, but by the omission of two or three words in the former Act a different effect is produced. The Amendment of the Commons is, I am satisfied, to make the law what it was intended to be before consolidation.