§ Order of the Day read for the House to be put into Committee on recommitment of the Bill.
§ Moved, That the House do now resolve itself into Committee.—(Viscount Peel.)
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.
§ House in Committee accordingly.
§ [The EARL OF DONOEOHMORE in the Chair.]
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE DUCHY. OF LANCASTER (VISCOUNT PEEL) moved that the Amendments proposed by Select Committee be agreed to. The noble Viscount said: This Bill has been very carefully considered by the Committee of which Lord Muir Mackenzie is Chairman, assisted by a number of eminent lawyers. They have gone through the provisions of the measure and are prepared to certify that the Bill does represent precisely the existing law. In those circumstances I suppose lay members of your Lordships' House will show a certain modesty in their criticisms. I should like to add how much we are indebted to Lord Muir Mackenzie and his 1051 Committee for the labour and ability they have expended on the measure. Certain purely formal Amendments have been made by the Committee, and they have been printed in the Bill.
§ Moved, That the Amendments proposed by the Joint Committee be agreed to.— (Viscount Peel.)
§ VISCOUNT HALDANEI think we should be very ungrateful on this side of the House if we did not add our tribute to the work of Lord Muir Mackenzie and his Committee. The Report is a monument of care; the Bill is a monument of care. I have not gone through it, and Heaven forbid that I should discuss its details, but 1052 Parliament is under a great debt to this Committee which goes through Bills like this, warrants that they make no change in the law, presents the law in a very convenient form, and gives us a Report affording the reasons for what has been done. That has been carried out with conspicuous success in this case, and we are very much indebted to the noble Lord and the Committee.
§ On Question, Motion agreed to, and Amendments made accordingly.
§ Clauses and Schedules agreed to.
§ House adjourned at ten minutes past five o'clock