Lords Sitting of 29 March 1926

Preamble
The House met at a quarter past four of the clock, The LORD CHANCELLOR on the Woolsack.
BIRKENHEAD CORPORATION BILL. [H.L.]
Read 3a, and passed, and sent to the Commons.
DARWEN CORPORATION BILL. [H.L.]
Read 3a, and passed, and sent to the Commons.
ASCOT DISTRICT GAS AND ELECTRICITY BILL. [H.L.]
Read 3a, and passed, and sent to the Commons.

THE EASTER RECESS.
THE LORD PRIVY SEAL (THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY): My Lords, you may have observed that in the Order Book there is no Notice of Motion or Order of the Day down for Thursday, April 15, which is the day on which the House had designed to reassemble, and I think, probably, it would he for your Lordships' convenience not to reassemble on that clay. There is, however, a Motion which the Lord Bishop of Manchester has on the Paper and which he cannot postpone later than April 19, the Monday following. In those circumstances I suggest to your Lordships that we should reassemble after the holidays on April 19.
VISCOUNT HALDANE: I agree Monday is not a usual day SO early in the Session, but in the circumstances I think we should meet on that Monday and take, the Motion.

BEDFORD DISTRICT GAS ORDER, 1926.
THE EARL OF PLYMOUTH: My Lords, on behalf of my noble friend Lord Peel. I beg to move that this Order be approved.
Moved, That the Special Order which was presented on the 18th day of February last be approved.—(The Earl of Plymouth.)
On Question, Motion agreed to.

ROWLEY REGIS AND BLACKHEATH GAS ORDER, 1926.
MIDHURST GAS ORDER, 1926.
WEST BROMWICH GAS ORDER, 1926.
ILKESTON GAS ORDER, 1926.
THE EARL OF PLYMOUTH: My Lords, I beg to move.
Moved, That the Special Orders which were presented on the 9th instant be approved.—(The Earl of Plymouth.)
On Question, Motion agreed to.

CRIMINAL APPEAL (SCOTLAND) BILL. [H.L.]
Order of the Day for the House to be put into Committee read.
Moved, That the House do now resolve itself into Committee.—(The Duke of Sutherland.)
On Question, Motion agreed to.
House in Committee accordingly:
THE EARL OF DONOUGHMORE in the Chair.
Clauses 1 to 12 agreed to.
Clause 13:
Sentence in Sheriff Court not to be suspended.
13. It shall not be competent to appeal to the High Court of Justiciary by bill of suspension against any conviction, sentence, judgment or order pronounced after the day of in any proceedings on indictment in the Sheriff Court.
THE DUKE OF SUTHERLAND THE DUKE OF SUTHERLAND moved to insert "thirtieth day of September, nineteen hundred and twenty-six". The noble Duke said: This Amendment is moved because the date was omitted in the original draft of the Bill.
Amendment moved—
Clause 13, page 9, line 2, leave out from ("the") to ("in") and insert the said words.—(The Duke of Sutherland.)
On Question, Amendment agreed to.
Clause 13, as amended, agreed to.
Remaining clauses agreed to.

LAND DRAINAGE BILL. [H.L.]
Read 3a (according to Order).
Clause 1:
Transfer of drainage powers to councils of counties and county boroughs.
1.—(1) The powers of the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries (hereinafter referred to as "the Minister") under Part II. of the Land Drainage Act, 1918, shall be transferred to the councils of counties and county boroughs, and accordingly that Part of that Act in its application to any county or county borough shall have effect as if for references to the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries there were substituted references to the council of the county or county borough: Provided that—

(a) in the ease of the powers conferred by subsection (2) of Section fifteen of the Land Drainage Act, 1918, and transferred to the council of a county or a county borough by this section the council shall, except in case of emergency, before exercising any such powers, give to the drainage authority in whose default they propose to exercise such powers not less than thirty days notice in writing of their intention so to do, and that if before the expiration of the period of notice the drainage authority intimate in writing to the council their objection to the exercise of the proposed powers the council shall not exercise the same except with the consent of the Minister who may, if he thinks fit, cause a public local inquiry to be held with respect to the objection;

(b) in the case of the powers conferred by section sixteen of the Land Drainage Act, 1918, and transferred to the council of a county or county borough by this section any draft scheme made by the council of a county or county borough in pursuance thereof the council shall, where the owners of one-half or more of the land comprised within the area to which the draft scheme relates have duly presented objections thereto and have not withdrawn the same, before settling the scheme cause a public local inquiry to be held with reference to the scheme.

(2) Section seventeen of the said Act is hereby repealed.
THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY OF THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES (LORD BLEDISLOE): My Lords, there are three drafting Amendments standing in my name on the Paper and I beg to move.
Amendments moved—
Clause 1, page 2, lines 10 and 11, leave out ("any draft scheme made") and insert ("where a draft scheme has been prepared")
Clause 1, page 2, lines 12 and 13, leave out ("the council shall where") and insert ("and")
Clause 1, page 2, line 17, after ("same") insert ("the council shall").—(Lord Bledisloe.)
On Question, Amendments agreed to.
Privilege Amendments agreed to.
Bill passed, and sent to the Commons.

CORONERS (AMENDMENT) BILL. [H.L.]
Read 3a (according to Order): Privilege Amendments agreed to: Bill passed, and sent to the Commons.
LAW OF PROPERTY (AMENDMENT) BILL. [H.L.]
Read 3a (according to Order), and passed, and sent to the Commons.

BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE.
THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY: My Lords, I beg to move that this House do adjourn, subject to judicial business, until Monday, April 19.
Moved accordingly, and, on Question, Motion agreed to.
House adjourned at twenty-five minutes past four o'clock till April 19.