§ [SECOND READING.]
§ Order of the Day for the Second Reading read.
§ LORD SOUTHWARKMy Lords, in asking your Lordships to give a Second Reading to this Bill, the object of which is to extend the Ancient Monuments Protection Acts, 1882 to 1900, I find myself, after the long and interesting debate to which we have just listened, in the happy position of having nothing to fight, the noble Duke having kindly withdrawn his Amendment for the rejection of this Bill. I understand that ray noble friend Lord Beauchamp consents, on behalf of His Majesty's Government, to the Second Reading of the Bill, and that it is to be referred, together with the Government's Bill, to the proposed Joint Committee. This question of ancient monuments has been before Parliament for the last thirty or forty years, but for want of time has not 895 been adequately dealt with. I am pleased to find that at last it is going to be dealt with by this House. This is one of those non-Party questions with which your Lordships' House can deal in a highly satisfactory way, and it will also have the effect of relieving the Lower House of work of this character. There is no occasion for me, after the speeches which have been delivered and the support which has been given by the noble Earl, Lord Curzon, to these measures, to say more. I therefore beg to move.
§ Moved, That the Bill be now read 2a—(Lord Southwark.)
§ On Question, Bill read 2a.
§ Then it was moved to resolve, That it is desirable that the said Bill be referred to a Joint Committee of both Houses (the 896 Earl Beauchamp) agreed to: Ordered, That a Message be sent to the Commons to communicate this Resolution and to desire their concurrence.