SHETLAND TRUCK COMMISSION

REPORT.-QUESTION.

SIR DAVID WEDDERBURN asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether his attention has been directed to the Report of the Shetland Truck Commission; and, whether he will undertake to insert next Session in the proposed Truck Bill such additional Clauses as will render that Bill applicable to the case of Shetland ?

down, the width of the space acquired for the public will be eighty-seven feet at one end and sixty feet at the other; and, what use he contemplates making of the narrow space if he does not add it to the width of Parliament Street?

MR. AYRTON said, that as long as the houses in question were standing it would be entirely unnecessary for him to consider what was to be done with the land on which they stood. When they were pulled down it would be the duty of the First Commissioner, in communication with the Treasury, to decide what should be done with the vacant ground, which would belong to the Crown.

MR. BAILLIE ČOCHRANE: When will the Houses be pulled down?

MR. AYRTON: When the new Home and Colonial Offices are completed; but in the present state of the building trade it would be impossible to fix a date for their completion.

POOR LAW (METROPOLIS)-PAUPER

CHILDREN.-QUESTION.

MR. W. H. SMITH asked the Secretary to the Local Government Board, If he will state to the House the extent to which the Boards of Guardians of the Metropolitan District have availed themselves of the authority given by the General Order of the 25th of November, 1870, for boarding out pauper children, and the general tenor of the Reports of the Inspectors who have visited the children?

MR. HIBBERT replied that there were 41 boarding-out committees formed; MR. BRUCE replied that he had re- that of those 10 were in Lancashire, ceived the Report of the Commissioners seven in Surrey, and six in Westmoreon Truck in Shetland, which disclosed a land, the remaining 18 being in 15 other state of things which he was bound to counties. Of the 134 populous Unions say was not met by the Bill which the to which the Order was addressed, only Government had introduced. Whether 10 had availed themselves of its privithe evils therein exposed, and which leges and had boarded-out 132 children. were very considerable, could be remedied Four of the 10 were metropolitan Unions by legislative interference he did not-namely, Poplar, St. George's, Kenknow; but the subject would receive the attentive consideration of the Government during the Recess.

sington, and Bethnal Green, and they had sent out 57 children. The Reports of the Inspectors were, so far, of a very satisfactory and encouraging nature with METROPOLIS PARLIAMENT STREET. respect to the working of the system.

QUESTION.

MR. BAILLIE COCHRANE asked the First Commissioner of Works, Whether he is aware that when the houses in Parliament Street, opposite the Public Offices now being erected, are pulled

Mr. Hedley reported on the children in
Westmoreland-

"I have personally visited all the children, 12 in number, and am able to report most satisfactorily on the condition of the whole of them as to health, cleanliness, and general appearance. The homes are all of a superior character. To orphans

or deserted children, coming up as they do all from either London or Liverpool, there can be no doubt that to them individually the boarding-out

system is an immense boon."

CATTLE PLAGUE.-QUESTION. SIR HENRY SELWIN-IBBETSON said, there was a report that there had been a case of cattle plague at Deptford, and he wished to know from the Vice

President of the Council whether the report was correct? He should also like to hear from the right hon. Gentleman, Whether any steps were being taken to prevent the introduction of the disease from Foreign ports?

MR. W. E. FORSTER replied that that morning one animal out of a cargo of 25 head of cattle which had arrived at Deptford from Cronstadt had, he believed, died of cattle plague, forming the first case that had occurred since the great epidemic. Having arrived there, they would be slaughtered, as would have been the case under any circumstances; but additional precautions would be taken in this case, for, if possible, no communication would be allowed with other parts of the country. The representative of the Veterinary Department had gone down to Deptford to see that that part of the market in which the animal died should be kept isolated not only from animals, but from persons; and the only fear he had was the danger of the infection being taken by any human being who might have happened to go near the animal. As to the animals themselves, every precaution should be taken to prevent the spread of the disease by destroying them, and disinfecting everything on board the vessel in which they

came.

SIR HENRY SELWIN-IBBETSON wished to know whether steps would be taken to prevent any further introduction of cattle from Russia?

MR. W. E. FORSTER replied that the importation from Russia was very small, and the Order would that day be issued preventing it.

SIR JAMES ELPHINSTONE asked how the right hon. Gentleman meant to deal with the ship which brought over the infected animal, for if it went to any other port it might spread the disease there?

MR. W. E. FORSTER replied that his power was limited by the Act of Parliament. The power he possessed Mr. Hibbert

was to take care that the ship was tho-
roughly disinfected, but he was not aware
that the Department had
power definitely
to stop ships.

THE BALLOT BILL-QUESTION. MR. COLLINS wished to put a Question to the Secretary of State for the Home Department of which he had given him private Notice. An election election of a Town Council in that city, was now proceeding at Gloucester for the and it was being carried on by a system of open voting, contrary to a Statute which provided that the voting should be in secret. That being so, he should like to learn from the right hon. Gentleman, Whether the Government will take into their serious consideration the propriety of prosecuting the real leaders implicated in so open a violation of a Law which has so recently received the Royal Assent ?

MR. BRUCE said, he was sure the House must have observed with great admiration the zeal of the hon. Gentleman in enforcing a law in passing which through Parliament, its supporters had received no great assistance from him. He hoped, however, to be able to relieve the hon. Gentleman from all anxiety on the subject. He had received no special information on the subject to which the Question related, but the election would date from the day of the nomination; and if the election were proceeding today and the nomination had been made previously, there would be no violation of the law in voting openly. In any case, the matter was not for the decision of the Secretary for the Home Department, but rather for a prosecution by the proper person under the Act.

THE COUNTESS OF MAYO.

MESSAGE FROM THE QUEEN.

Message from Her Majesty brought up, and read by Mr. Speaker (all the Members being uncovered), as follows:

VICTORIA R.

Her Majesty, taking into consideration the distinguished Services performed by the late Richard Southwell, Earl of Mayo, Her Majesty's Vice Roy and Governor General of India, and the loss of his life in Her service and in the discharge of public duty, and being desirous, in

recognition of such Services, and in view of the | vernment.
circumstances of his death, to confer some signal
mark of Her Favour upon his Widow Blanche
Julia, Countess of Mayo, recommends it to Her
Faithful Commons that She should be enabled to
make provision for securing to the Countess of
Mayo a pension of One Thousand Pounds per
annum for the term of her natural life.

The proceedings of that House had been so altered that they had now Morning Sittings before Easter; and, as the House on those occasions met at 2 o'clock, adjourned at 7, and again met at 9 o'clock, the effect was that the time available for Motions and Orders introduced by non-official Members was now practically one-half of what it had been before. Two Sessions ago there had been a Select Committee to consider the subject of the Business of the House, but of all the Resolutions Motion agreed to; Committee there- which conferred additional facilities on come to by that Committee, only that upon on Monday next.

"That upon Tuesday next, and every succeed-rangement, therefore, was that after ing Tuesday, during the remainder of the Session, Orders of the Day have precedence of Notices of Motions, Government Orders of the Day having priority,"

to render every assistance to the Govern- | the Government would be in possession ment to carry on the Business they pro- of the whole time of the House up to the posed, but at a certain hour the House end of the Session. There did not apwas unwilling to proceed with it. He, pear on the Notice Paper any important therefore, left the House at half-past 1 Notice for Tuesday, except one which o'clock that morning. He devoted as much had been given by his hon. Friend the attention to the Business of the House Member for Maidstone (Sir John as could be reasonably expected of him Lubbock). That Motion had reference at his time of life; but at the hour when to one of the Departments of the Gohe left discussions arose upon different vernment which ought to be discussed, Motions of Adjournment. He was aware and if this Motion were agreed to his that the Government felt that they hon. Friend would be entirely shut out must press forward their Business; but from bringing it before the House. He was it not worth their while to carry hoped, therefore, his right hon. Friend out the Resolution of the Select Com- at the head of the Government would mittee? There were always several un- make an exception of that Motion, or opposed Orders of the Day on the Paper, give the hon. Member for Maidstone and if the Government chose to proceed another legitimate opportunity of bringwith them after half-past 12 o'clock, the ing it forward at a reasonable hour. House would never be unwilling to dispose of them. He trusted that the right hon. Gentleman would abide by the Resolution of the Select Committee that no Opposed Business should be taken after half-past 12 o'clock, for he believed it was almost the unanimous feeling of the House that no good had resulted from the departure from that Rule, because, whenever Opposed Business came on after that hour, repeated Motions for Adjournment were made. In fact, he believed that last night there were three or four Motions of Adjournment. By the present system of late Sittings the health of Members was seriously affected. He, therefore, hoped the Government would next Session adopt some definite and fixed Rule for the transaction of the Public Business, adhering to the limit of half-past 12 for bringing on Opposed measures. If the Government distinctly acceded to that, he should be disposed to make considerable concessions to them with regard to the conduct of Business on other than Government nights.

MR. BOUVERIE thought that was hardly the proper opportunity for discussing the conduct of Business; but he thought there could be no doubt that the Rule which had been laid down that Session of taking no Opposed new matter after 12.30A.M. was universally approved. His right hon. Friend at the head of the Government must bear in mind that by the operation of the new Rule with reference to Committee of Supply, the rights of independent Members had been very much curtailed; and if the Motion he now made was agreed to, practically Colonel Wilson-Patten

SIR HENRY SELWIN-IBBETSON reminded private Members that the Rule prohibiting the commencement of Opposed Business after half-past 12 o'clock had done as much as anything to prevent them from bringing forward their Motions. He suggested that the Government should propose next Session the appointment of a Committee to consider the Rules of the House, for unless some alteration was made in the mode of carrying on Business, private Members might give up all idea of carrying their measures through.

MR. W. M. TORRENS observed that besides several matters which affected large classes of the community, and which would be considered out-of-doors to have been got rid of by a side-wind, if the House had not the opportunity of considering them, there was another subject for discussion on Tuesday evening, which had not been referred to by his right hon. Friend the Member for Kilmarnock-he meant an important Bill which had on the back of it the name of his hon. and learned Friend the Member for Richmond, in which he (Mr. W. M. Torrens) took much interest, and on which they had vainly endeavoured to elicit the views of the Government. For himself, he refused to recognize the gangway as the division of competency in that House. There never had been in his experience a more docile Session of Parliament than the present; there was nothing whatever that the Government could complain of as an interruption of Public Business; and he trusted independent Members were not to be still further deprived of their opportu

nities of debate and legislation. In fact, if the present system was to be continued the Members of the Government might just as well meet in Downing Street, and transact the whole of their business in that locality. It was entirely the fault of the Government that they were then unable to proceed with the Public Business on the eve of the Dog-days. Why did they not bring forward a proper plan for the conduct of Public Business? They first took one night from private Members, and then another, and now it was proposed to take Tuesday away from them. He ventured to tell the right hon. Gentleman he would not shorten the Session by carrying the present Motion. It would only tend to waste time on other nights. The truth of the matter was, although the House might disguise it for some little time longer, they were every year, every month and day, falling more and more into the course of personal government which they had seen exemplified in other places. He trusted that hon. Members would not give up their right of discussing matters in which their constituents felt an interest.

his worst friends were those who sat beside him on the Treasury bench, if they did not allow that answer to be given by giving an opportunity for debating the matter in that House. The question was one upon which the mind of England was, whether rightly or wrongly, excited. [Laughter.] Yes, the question was taken up by the public journals, and was much discussed in private and scientific circles. [Laughter, and "Question!"] When independent Members heard cries of Question from the Treasury Bench it only seemed as an incitement to them to persevere in their remarks. He hoped that if the Tuesdays were given up to the Government at the present comparatively early date in the Session, it would be on the clear and specific understanding that the Government would not refuse to give to a Member of their body an opportunity of vindicating his conduct in relation to the management of Kew Gardens.

assistance. In asking for additional facilities at the present period it was their desire to give private Members no cause of complaint, and they were acting under the belief that in the course they were taking they were complying with the general wish of the House. The Go

MR. BRUCE said, he quite concurred with the hon. Member for Finsbury (Mr. W. M. Torrens) in thinking that the Government had no cause to complain of the treatment which they had received MR. BERESFORD HOPE confessed from the House during the present Seshe was one of those who had conduced sion. They had, on the contrary, reto keep Mr. Speaker in the Chair till heceived from the House the most generous was happily released by a count-out at half-past 3 o'clock that morning. A Bill which some people considered of importance was advanced a stage; and he thought they did good work, though personally they suffered for it. He must say upon the whole that the Rule not to take new Opposed matter after 12.30 A.M.vernment, at the demand of the House and had worked well. Everyone who looked back to last Session and the Session before must reflect with shame and confusion on their condition ordinarily between the hours of 12 and 3 in the months of June, July, and August. Perfect confusion and uncertainty prevailed sometimes; hon. Members taking for granted that something would not come on which did come on, and then on looking at the journals next morning, they found the measure in which they were interested had passed. Then there were constant Motions to adjourn the House, and hon. Members were sick, sulky, and at war with themselves and the world till 3 o'clock. The right hon. Member for the Tower Hamlets (Mr. Ayrton) might, for all he knew, have a triumphant answer to make to the charge, but if he had,

of the country, had introduced a variety of measures which they had pressed forward as far as they could; but they had not yet been able to give effect to them, and they were now in this position-that they could only pass these measures through Parliament by trenching somewhat on the rights of private Members, and therefore it was that they made this appeal to the House, His hon. Friend had referred to the Building Societies Bill; but he would remind him that the Government had issued a Commission to inquire into the subject of Friendly Societies, and that, although that Commission had made its Report the whole of the evidence had not yet appeared. The Session had been one of a peculiarly heavy nature, especially so far as the Home Department was concerned, and it was