COLONIES, ANNUAL. No. 518. Leeward Islands (Report for 1905-1906). COMMERCIAL, No. 2. (1907). Correspondence relating to Suez Canal Dues. ECCLESIASTICAL COMMISSION. Fifty-ninth Report from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners for England, with an Appendix. EMIGRATION STATISTICS (IRELAND). TUBERCULOSIS (HUMAN AND BOVINE) Second Interim Report of the Commissioners appointed to enquire into the relations of human and animal tuberculosis. Part II., Appendix, Vol. IV., Histological and Bacteriological Investigations by Arthur Eastwood, M.D. MINES AND QUARRIES (WINGATE GRANGE COLLIERY EXPLOSION). Reports to the Secretary of State for the Home Department, by A. H. Ruegg, K.C., and R. D. Bain and J. B. Atkinson, M.Sc., two of His Majesty's Inspectors of Mines, on the circumstances attending an explosion which occurred at Wingate Grange Colliery, on the 14th October 1906. QUEEN ANNE'S BOUNTY. POST OFFICE (POSTAL AGREEMENTS). Surinam.-Agreement between the Post Office of the United Kingdom of 1906. ARMY. Draft Order in Council declaring what is requisite to entitle a volunteer of Volunteer Engineer Corps, Volunteer Divisions of Submarine Miners and Volunteer Electrical Engineers to be deemed an efficient volunteer. PRISONS (ENGLAND AND WALES) (VISITING COMMITTEES). Draft of rules proposed to be made by the Secretary of State for the Home Department under the Prison Acts, 1877 and 1898, with respect to the constitution of the Visiting Committee of Bristol Prison. INDIA OFFICE ESTABLISHMENT. Order in Council, dated 21st December, 1906, approving new and revised appointments and alterations of salaries, etc., in the establishment of the Secretary of State for India in Council. Laid before the House (pursuant to Act), and ordered to lie on the Table. SIR JOHN SOANE'S MUSEUM. Statement of the funds of Sir John Soane's Museum, 5th January 1907. Delivered (pursuant to Act), and ordered to lie on the Table. JUDICATURE BILL [H.L.] [SECOND READING]. Order of the Day for the Second Reading read. THE LORD CHANCELLOR (Lord LOREBURN): My Lords, this is a small Bill in point of compass, but not unimportant as regards its value. The effect of it is to authorise the Court of Appeal in England to sit in divisions consisting of two Judges, with the consent of the Lord Chancellor. The circumstances out of which the necessity for this Bill arises are as follows. The Court of Appeal consists normally of six Judges -the Masters of the Rolls, and five Lords Honduras.-Agreement between the Justices of Appeal. At present, for all Post Office of the United Kingdom of work that is not interlocutory work, Great Britain and Ireland and the the Court of Appeal must sit not less Post Office of the Republic of Honduras, than three strong in each Court, unless dated 12th October 1906 to 10th Dec- they can obtain the consent of the ember, 1906. litigants to have their case tried before Presented (by Command), and ordered two Judges; and as one of the parties is to lie on the Table. nearly always anxious to postpone the 66 Moved, That the Bill be now read 2."-(The Lord Chancellor.) decision, such consent is not very probable. if it were necessary for so great a purpose, The result is that whenever one of the but I do deprecate the multiplication of six Judges becomes ill the Court is brought Judges of very high rank. I think it to a deadlock, unless they can secure the most desirable that the immense repuassistance of one of the three or four tation which is enjoyed-deservedly enassistant Judges of the Court of Appeal joyed-by the Court of Appeal and by the Lord Chancellor, any one who has the High Court of Justice should not been Chancellor, the Lord Chief Justice be impaired by the addition of more of England, or the President of the Judges, the effect of which must be to Probate and Divorce Division. These diminish to a certain extent the prestige, are very busy men, and it is really a very influence, and reputation of the Court. inconvenient thing, when some tem- I am not aware of any alternative except porary ailment prevents one of the or- those two-either to increase the number dinary Judges of the Court of Appeal of Judges or to amend the law in the from sitting, to be obliged to take away manner prescribed in this Bill. I believe from their regular work one of these very the necessities of the case will be adeimportant Officers of State. It is quite quately met by the short and simple impossible on short notice to procure the machinery of this Bill, by which, in time necessary third Judge to make the Court. of emergency, the Court will be enabled I myself sat for a month in the Court of to sit as it used to do in old days with Appeal last year, though I am afraid I complete satisfaction to everybody, in could not undertake to do it again, with divisions consisting of two Lords Justices. a view to getting rid of the arrears of I beg to move. business. The arrears were very serious last year; they are more serious now than they were this time last year; and I believe that the existence of these arrears, which have been accumulating gradually in the last four or five years, have an oppressive effect upon the Court, retarding the business, and making it difficult for this extremely hardworked Court to get through its work. The remedy proposed is that, with the consent of the Lord Chancellor, the Court of Appeal may sit at any time in divisions consisting of two Judges instead of three. I ought to state that the old Court of Appeal, before the Judicature Acts, consisted of two Lords Justices, and was for a 'considerable number of years one of the very ablest Courts that ever sat in England. For my part I believe that two Judges sitting together are really as effective as three; at the same time it is not desirable that the Court should regularly consist of two Judges only. The only alternative to the proposal in this Bill is to appoint three new Judges of the Court of Appeal, and if the rule of sitting in three is to be followed it will be necessary to appoint three new Lords Justices. But there is no occasion for three new Lords Justices. In the ordinary course of events they would be superfluous and would not be wanted. It is not merely a question of expense. I would not grudge an expenditure of £15,000 a year *THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNE : My Lords, I do not rise for the purpose of saying a word as to the merits of the Bill which the noble and learned Lord has just submitted to the House. I should be quite incompetent to discuss its merits; but I do venture to raise my voice in protest as to the hurry with which we have been asked to take the Second Reading. The Bill was only ordered to be printed on February 25, and in the Order for to-day which was originally circulated to your Lord hips no mention was made of the fact that the Bill was to come on this evening. Subsequently a revised Order was circulated. I saw this revised Order just before I came to the House, and that was the first intimation that I received that this important subject was to come up for discussion. Looking round the House I do not see upon these Benches that we are fortunate enough to have the presence of any Peers who can speak with authority upon high legal matters, and we therefore approach the question at a very great disadvantage. I venture to put it to the noble and learned Lord on the Woolsack, either that he might allow the debate to be adjourned, or, if he attaches importance to getting the Bill a Second Reading this evening, that ample time | Petitions for Private Bills, That, in the should be given to your Lordships to case of the following Bills, referred on consider the measure before another stage the First Reading thereof, Standing is taken; and I hope that when it comes Order No. 62 has been complied with, viz. : up for discussion again we may be Alexandra (Newport and South Wales) fortified by the presence on both sides Docks and Railway (Additional Capital) of the House of noble Lords who are Bill; Barry Railway Bill; South Eastern competent to discuss its provisions. and London, Chatham and Dover Railways Bill; Great Central Railway Bill. THE LORD CHANCELLOR: With the indulgence of your Lordships I should like to express my regret, and to state that I was not aware that adequate notice had not been given. Of course, I have no desire unduly to hurry the Bill through, and accordingly, if the noble Marquess desires it, I will willingly acquiesce in his suggestion that the debate should be adjourned. I may say, however, that there is urgency for the Bill, because the arrears are going on, and it is desirable, if the Houses of Parliament should think fit to accede to this proposal, that it should come into effect at as early a date as possible. But that, of course, does not in the least interfere with the necessity for full notice to be given. I do not know whether the noble Marquess will think next Thursday adequate notice; if so, I would move the adjournment of the debate till that day. THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNE indicated assent. Mr. SPEAKER laid upon the Table Report from one of the Examiners of Petitions for Private Bills, That, in the case of the Petition for the following Further debate adjourned to Thursday Bill, originating in the Lords, the Stand next. ing Orders have not been complied with, viz. :-Simon Carves' Bye-Product CokeOven Construction and Working Company, Limited, Bill. Ordered, That the Report be referred to the Select Committee on Standing Orders. North-East London Railway Bill; North Staffordshire Railway Bill; Worthing Gas Bill. Read a second time, and Mr. SPEAKER laid upon the Table land, for alteration of Law; to lie upon Report from one of the Examiners of the Table. (Answered by Mr. Sydney Buxton.) Most of the Christmas correspondence for delivery in the Isle of Man was due to reach Douglas by the regular mail steamer on the afternoon of Christmas Day, and there would have been serious complaint if this had been held over until the following day. The arrangements for the delivery of letters on Christmas Day in the Isle of Man depends upon the running of the steamers and the particular day on which Christmas Day falls; but whenever possible I will see that there is only one delivery in future. Superannuation of Municipal Officials. MR. RADFORD (Islington, E.): To ask the President of the Local Govern ment Board if he will consider the advisability of introducing a Bill in this present session of Parliament to provide for granting pensions and superannuation allowances to the officers, servants, and workmen employed by the councils of metropolitan boroughs (except Bethnal Green, Kensington, and Stepney), in view of the fact that the officers and servants of boards of guardians of the poor of London parishes, the London County Council, the visiting committees of the London Pauper Lunatic Asylums, the managers of the Metropolitan Asylums District, the managers of Sick Asylums Distric s, and the Metropolitan Police already have provision made for them out of funds secured on the general and county rates levied throughout the metropolitan area. (Answered by Mr. John Burns.) I could not give any promise to introduce a Bill on this subject. I may remind my hon. friend that Metropolitan borough councils are empowered to grant superannuation allowances to persons who have served in an established capacity as their officers, whether their remuneration be computed by weekly wages, poundage or percentage on collection of rates, or annual salary. Municipal Authorities Education MR. RADFORD: To ask the President of the Local Government Board whether any steps have been taken by the Board's officers to prepare a form of accounts for town councils under the Education Act, 1902; and if he will consider the advisability of issuing an exemplification and order for accounts to be kept by municipal corporations relating to elementary and higher education at an early date. (Answered by Mr. John Burns.) The Local Government Board issued a circular in May, 1903, to those town councils who were local education authorities, respecting the accounts to be kept by them of their receipts and expenditure under the Education Act, 1902. I do not propose to take further action in the matter whilst the subject of the accounts of local authorities is under the considera tion of the Departmental Committee. tion of the Departmental Committee. Accounts and Regulations of Rural MR. RADFORD: To ask the President of the Local Government Board when it is proposed to issue the order for accounts prescribing the regulations and books to be kept by rural district councils and of their officers; and if he will cause an explanatory memorandum to be issued therewith. (Answered by Mr. John Burns.) An order prescribing forms of accounts to be kept by rural district councils and their officers has been prepared, but I do not propose that it should be finally settled pending the completion of the work of the Departmental Committee on the system of accounts to be kept by local authorities. A circular of instructions would, in accordance with the usual practice, be sent with any such order when issued. |