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labouring classes.

By the Act 14 & 15 | instalments.

The general question had Vict. c. 34, passed in 1851, power was largely occupied public attention during given to town councils and local boards, the last few years, and the object with and to the vestries of parishes exceeding which it had been discussed was likely to 10,000 inhabitants, to borrow money from be promoted considerably by the operation the Public Works Loan Commissioners for of this Bill. In the Session of 1863 the the erection and furnishing of lodging- attention of Parliament was, for the first houses for the working-classes. The re- time, specially called to the effect upon the gulations under which loans were to be made condition of the poor in populous places of under that Act were those usually adopted the great public improvements which were by the Government when advances were being effected in the metropolis and other made for public works. Practically, how large cities; in that Session an unusually ever, that Act never came into operation, large number of Bills were introduced for for only one application was made to the extending railway communication, and an Public Works Loan Commissioners for the opinion which pervaded the debates of that erection of dwellings for the labouring Session, and particularly those of 1864, classes. In the year 1855 another Act was that, while these measures were really was passed, the 18 & 19 Vict. c. 132, public improvements, as he believed they under which companies might be formed were, they ought to be accompanied by with special powers to erect dwellings- some measure giving additional facility for and not lodging-houses merely-for the the construction of the displaced dwellings labouring classes in populous places. That of the poor. He need not remind them of Act, however, conferred no power of borrow- what private munificence had done. It ing money from the Public Works Loan happened most opportunely that they had Commissioners and it proved also a failure; been able that morning to read that most for he believed that the Government Office, generous letter by Mr. George Peabody, in within the cognizance of which the provi- which he stated the conditions upon which sions of the Act came, had not received he proposed to supplement the most munimore than one communication on the sub- ficent donation which he had given to the ject. Already the Public Works Loan poor of the metropolis. The trustees had Commissioners had power to grant loans at therefore £250,000 as the nucleus of a moderate rates of interest for other pur- fund for large operations in the direction poses connected with the sanitary arrange- proposed by this Bill. He (Mr. Childers) ments of great towns, such as the removal should not be doing wrong to refer to the of nuisances and the utilization of sewage; urgent necessity for and the result of their and he now proposed, by the measure operations as stated in their Report, printed which he asked leave to introduce, to ex- last December. They said— tend the power conferred by the Act 14 & 15 Vict. to minor local authorities in all parishes, to public companies, and even to private persons, who would thus be enabled to obtain from the Public Works Loan Commissioners advances to the extent of not more than half the cost of the buildings proposed to be erected, and at a rate of interest of 4 per cent, payable by the usual instalments, and according to the same conditions as loans for public works. The ordinary operation of the Act would be as follows:-All questions of interest and repayment would be left, as now, to the Treasury, subject to the general rules of the Exchequer Commissioners, and the first Commissioner of Works would certify as to whether buildings proposed to be erected or improved under the Act were really suited as dwellings for the labouring classes. The Public Works Loan Commissioners would only have to satisfy themselves as to the security and the due payment of the

changes in the metropolis, by which the houses of "At the present moment, owing to the vast the labouring poor have been demolished to so great an extent, the cost of accommodation for them has been greatly increased. It, of course, varies in different localities; but, on an average, the weekly charge for a single room of a very poor description is from 2s. 6d. to 38.; for two rooms, 58. or 5s. 6d. ; and for three, from 6s. 6d. to 78."

In a note, it was stated

bid fair to be thrust out of house and home, and "In London, unless steps are taken, the poor to have no place left to dwell in. Our Street Improvement Acts and our railway demolitions are turning out the poor by thousands. Even in our crowded and deplorable districts, such as the in the region of Seven Dials, apartments are not streets and alleys running out of Drury Lane and to be had; and the rents in some neighbourhoods have been raised 50 per cent. A respectable omnibus conductor in our neighbourhood, who seeks to have two rooms, dingy and small, to accommodate five persons, pays 7s. a week. A wretched family, where the husband never brings to his home more than 128. per week, and often

less (where there are five children), pays 5s. a week for two low, damp kitchens. But the mere test of rent affords no adequate standard by which to contrast the squalor and discomfort of one of these tenements with the light and airy and agreeable apartments in the Peabody buildings; and for one room there the charge per week is 2s. 6d. ; for two rooms, 48.; and for three rooms, 58."

So far, the trustees of Mr. Peabody's gift, for £60,000, had provided accommodation for 850 persons; and, even on this moderate scale, the rents realized gave favourable promise for similar undertakings. He would also refer to the report in that morning's paper of the society which had been formed for the erection of improved dwellings for the working classes, which showed that the investment of capital in these buildings, with moderate assistance such as the Bill proposed, might be expected to produce a fair Return. Upon the relations of supply and demand, he would quote a report presented a few weeks ago to the Metropolitan Board of Works by Mr. Bazalgette, who said—

"The effect, however, of all metropolitan railway and street improvements is the destruction of large masses of houses, the occupants of which are driven towards the suburbs, and the area of London is thereby extended. The Railway Bills of the present Session include within their limits of deviation about 16,000 houses. Now, assuming one-half of that number of houses only to be destroyed, this would amount to one-sixtieth part of all the houses in London, and the occupants of these must find homes nearer to the suburbs, and will require ready means of access to the centre." He need hardly say that the great majority of the houses referred to were those of the labouring classes, for whom other dwellings ought to be found. He believed the effect of this Bill would be greatly to assist the desired provision, and he thought he had stated sufficient to justify its introduction. The House would have other opportunities of considering its details.

MR. KINNAIRD said, he could hardly express the satisfaction with which he heard the proposal of the Government to meet an evil admitted on all hands, and proved by the statistics which the hon. Gentleman had quoted. He had stated that he was far from deprecating any of those improvements in the metropolis which must follow upon the great demolition of houses which was going on. While glad that Government proposed to meet the immediately resulting evil, he would suggest whether, as there were large districts which were nothing better than fever-producing and pauper-producing districts, compulsory powers, such as those conferred on railways, could not be vested Mr. Childers

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in the Home Office or some other authority which could judge of the condition of these localities, to remedy in some measure the excessive evils which resulted from overcrowding. He hoped that this Session, if the Government did not, some private Member would introduce a measure which should confer power on a competent authority to do something for porters and others who were compelled to live near to where they were employed. The power so conferred could be exercised gradually so as to inflict the least amount of inconvenience inseparable from the wholesale demolition of houses by railway companies, and in this way a useful remedy could be applied to an existing evil without those hardships consequent upon railway extension. While wishing to see such a measure as that he suggested brought forward, he heartily supported that now introduced.

MR. LOCKE said, that the granting of compulsory powers for public purposes had not always proceeded on consistent, or even beneficial, principles. But, as applied to the removal of nests of fever and the creation of suitable dwelling places for the labouring classes, the question became of general interest and acquired an importance second to none. Dr. Ferguson had shown the effects of overcrowding in fever generating districts; and when such districts were discovered, compulsory powers ought to be given to the municipal authorities to take down the dwellings in which the fever lodged, and erect others in their stead. Local boards, vestries, and similar public bodies had not the means, even supposing them to possess the will, to make advances for the erection of these dwellings; in proposing to find the money the Government, therefore, were taking steps to confer on the metropolis a boon long and ardently desired, and difficult if not incapable of attainment by any other means. therance of the object in view, he thought by judicious arrangements it would be possible likewise to secure the co-operation of influential public companies.

In fur

SIR HARRY VERNEY said, that while concurring heartily in any proposal having for its aim to benefit the poor, it should not be forgotten that, if all new buildings for the accommodation of the poor were as lofty as those recently erected, London, as a place of residence, would be much less healthy than it had been hitherto. Light and air would no longer penetrate as freely into the streets. If it were possible to introduce some stipulations, that when the

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CHILDERS.

Bill presented, and read the first time. [Bill 10.]

buildings were lofty they should not be garet, Westminster; and for other purposes, orcrowded together, it would add, he thought,dered to be brought in by Mr. CowPER and Mr. to the utility of the measure. He should also like to see a clause introduced, providing that there should be a different set of pipes to carry off the rain water from those which carried off the sewage. Motion agreed to.

QUEEN'S SPEECH-HER MAJESTY'S
ANSWER TO THE ADDRESS.

THE COMPTROLLER OF THE HOUSE-
HOLD (LORD PROBY) reported Her Ma-

Bill to enable the Public Works Loan Commis-jesty's Answer to the Address as follows:

sioners to make advances towards the erection of Dwellings for the Labouring Classes in populous places, ordered to be brought in by Mr. CHILDERS, Mr. CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER and Mr.

BRUCE.

"I have received with sincere satisfaction your loyal and dutiful Address. The Assurance of your continued interest in all

Bill presented, and read the first time. [Bill 9.] matters which concern the domestic hap

PUBLIC OFFICES (SITE) BILL.

LEAVE. FIRST READING.

MR. COWPER said, he rose to move for leave to introduce a Bill to authorize

the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Works and Public Buildings to acquire, by compulsory purchase or otherwise, certain lands, houses, and premises in the Parish of St. Margaret, Westminster. The houses in question were those lying between Parliament Street, King Street, and Charles Street, and their removal become necessary to enable the front of the quadrangle formed by the new Government Offices to be completed. The purchase of these houses had been in contemplation for a considerable time, but they had not been interfered with till the progress in the erection of the Public Offices rendered it actually necessarry to remove them.

MR. LOCKE said, he was of opinion that this was a very bit-by-bit mode of proceeding which was proposed by the right hon. Gentleman. All the houses down to Westminster Abbey must ultimately come down, and would it not, therefore, be better to purchase them at once? When the new Offices were built the houses in the vicinity would immediately become more valuable.

MR. COWPER said, the Bill which he desired to introduce did all that was necessary for providing the site which was wanted for Public Offices. The widening of the southern end of Parliament Street would be an important metropolitan improvement, but it could not be included among the purposes of this Bill.

Motion agreed to.

Bill to authorize the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Works and Public Buildings to acquire, by compulsory purchase or otherwise, certain lands, houses, and premises, in the parish of St. Mar

piness of Myself and My Family is most gratifying to My feelings.

"I rely with confidence on your attentive consideration of the measures which will be submitted to you. And your endeavours to improve the Law and to advance the welfare of my People will always receive My cordial co-operation."

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Select Committee appointed, as follows, "to whom shall be referred all Petitions presented to the House, with the exception of such as complain of undue Returns, or relate to Private Bills; and that such Committee do classify and prepare abstracts of the same, in such form and manner as shall appear to them best suited to convey to the House all requisite information respecting their contents, and do report the same from time to time to the House; and that such Reports do in all cases set forth the number of signatures to

each Petition:-And that such Committee have power to direct the printing in extenso of such Petitions, or of such parts of Petitions, as shall appear to require it :-And that such Committee have power to report their opinion and observations thereupon to the House:"-Mr. CHARLES FORSTER, Mr. BONHAM-CARTER, Sir JAMES FERGUSSON, Major GAVIN, Mr. TAVERNER JOHN MILLER, Sir COLMAN O'LOGHLEN, Mr. HASTINGS RUSSELL, Mr. Alderman SALOMONS, Mr. OWEN STANLEY, Mr. KINNAIRD, Mr. REGINALD YORKE, Mr. ROBERT TORRENS, Mr. M'LAGAN, Mr. SANDFORD, and Sir CHARLES RUSSELL:-Three to be the quorum.

House adjourned at Twelve o'clock.

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SALE OF LAND BY AUCTION BILL.

(NO. 2.) SECOND READING.
Moved, That the Bill be now read the
Second Time. (The Lord St. Leonards.)
THE LORD CHANCELLOR said, that

But

since the first reading he had looked
through the Bill, which he thought would
probably be a very useful measure.
his noble and learned Friend (Lord St.
Leonards) had inserted clauses in it ex-
cepting sales ordered by the Court of Chan-
cery from the operations of the measure.
It was perfectly true that the precautions
taken by the Court of Chancery with
respect to sales carried on under its orders
rendered such & Bill as that under con-
sideration unnecessary; but, at the same
time, no harm would result if the Court of
Chancery sales were not excepted, and it
was very possible that if the excepting

clauses were allowed to remain an invidious
construction might be placed upon the

measure.

LORD CHELMSFORD entirely approved the principle of the Bill, and concurred with the noble and learned Lord on the Woolsack in recommending the omission of those clauses which excepted sales made by order of the Court of Chancery.

LORD KINGSDOWN also expressed approval of the Bill.

LORD ST. LEONARDS, in replying to the objections taken to the measure, was understood to say that the Court of Chancery had machinery at its command to do all for its suitors that it was proposed by this Bill to do for the people at large, and it was, therefore, unnecessary to give to the Court of Chancery what it already had.

Motion agreed to: Bill read 2, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Tuesday next.

PRISONS ACT 1865.-QUESTION.
THE EARL OF CARNARVON, in rising
to inquire of Her Majesty's Government,
What Arrangements they have made for

giving effect to the Prisons Act of last Session, by securing an adequate Inspection of the several County and Borough Prisons, said, that the Act to which he referred had placed much power in the hands of the local authorities. A Committee of the House, of which he had the honour of being appointed the Chairman, had given great consideration to the subject, with the view of securing, as far as possible, uniformity of action; and the Committee found that the Prison Inspectors, who had formerly numbered five, had for various reasons, which it would not be necessary for him to go into, been graduof prisons had in reality become a mere ally reduced to two, so that the inspection Inspectors, he found that all the prisons in formality. Even in the last Report of the the kingdom had not been visited once in the year. He did not now rise for the purInspectors, but he did desire to see some pose of asking an increase in the number of effectual communication with the local aumachinery established which would secure thorities, and by which a harmonious and uniform system would be adopted.

EARL RUSSELL was understood to that instructions had been given upon the subject by the Home Secretary.

say

THE EARL OF CARNARVON thought that the answer of the noble Earl was in did not say what was the nature of the reality no answer at all. The noble Earl instructions given by the Home Secretary; and he thought, therefore, that he should not be doing wrong in pressing the noble Earl for a little further information on a matter so important.

nish the noble Earl with further particulars
EARL RUSSELL said, he would fur-

mation from the Home Office.
as soon as he received some more infor-

under these circumstances, he would repeat
THE EARL OF CARNARVON said, that
his Question on Thursday.

THE CATTLE PLAGUE.-QUESTION.

THE EARL OF WINCHILSEA rose to ask the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether Her Majesty's Advisers are prepared to recommend to Parliament that an Indemnity be granted out of the Public Purse to all such Persons as have been compelled to slaughter any Beast or Beasts (not offered for Sale in any Market, Fair, or other Public Place where Animals are commonly exposed for Sale), by Order of an Inspector appointed by or under the Authority claimed

by the Lords of Her Majesty's Privy Council, to be contained in the Act of 1848, c. 107, which Act still continues in force? The noble Earl said that the Privy Council had issued instructions to their Inspectors to slaughter any diseased cattle they might find on the premises of the owners. Now, that Order purported to be founded on the Act of 1848; but it appeared that the operation of that Act applied only to cattle exposed at any public fair or market, and gave no authority to direct the slaughter of cattle on private premises, and there was, therefore, reason to suppose that the Privy Council had in that matter overstepped their powers. But if that were so, it was clear that those persons whose cattle had been killed under the sanction of that Order had a peculiar claim on the Government for compensation, and he trusted that that claim would be recognized.

THE DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH said, that he was desirous of reminding the noble Earl, before he answered the Question which had just been put to him, that the issuing of the Order in Council giving power to Inspectors to kill any cattle they might think infected with the cattle plague, unaccompanied by any restrictions upon the cattle traffic, was the most successful -if he might use the term-method of spreading the disorder that could have been followed. The effect of that Order was that owners of cattle, knowing what fate was to befall them, and knowing that they should receive no compensation for any cattle which might be slaughtered under the Order, took the matter into their own hands and sold their infected cattle; and the result was, to use the words of Her Majesty's Commission, that the disease was sown broadcast over the country.

LORD POLWARTH wished to know, whether it was the intention of Her Majesty's Government to renew the Order in Council complained of, or whether it would cease when the new measure upon this subject came into operation?

of Parliament passed in 1848 was to prevent the spread of contagious or infectious diseases among sheep, cattle, or other animals, and the preamble of that Act was to this effect

"Whereas a contagious or infectious disorder, known or described as the sheep-pox, or variola ovina, now prevails among the sheep in some parts of the United Kingdom, and it is necessary to take measures to prevent such disorder from spreading."--[11 & 12 Vict. c. 107.]

The Act then proceeds to give the Privy Council authority to make such orders and regulations as are necessary to give effect to its provisions. There is no doubt in the world that the preamble of this Act referred to sheep, and to sheep only; but, on the other hand, the clauses of the Act are not confined to sheep, but will bear a construction permitting the provisions to be applied to cattle. The question the Government had to determine was whether or not, if it were shown to them-as it was shown to their satisfaction-that no other Order would have any beneficial effect, they would be justified in issuing an Order calculated to give effect to the spirit of the Act, although, if strictly construed, that Act might not expressly give them the necessary powers. It must not be forgotten that remedial Acts are always to be liberally construed, and under the circumstances we felt it to be our duty to put a liberal construction upon this one. The matter had to be determined at once

there was no time for deliberation—and I do not hesitate to say that it was upon my advice that the Order was issued, as I thought it was fairly to be argued that Order came within the real such an meaning of the Act. There is, however, great doubt upon the subject; but if the Order does go beyond the strict letter of the law it may easily be met by compensating the parties who have suffered under it, although the injuries they have suffered in consequence of its issue must be very slight, as the infected cattle slaughtered under its regulations must have been of THE LORD CHANCELLOR: The little or no practical value to their owners. noble Earl (the Earl of Winchilsea), in Acting upon the opinion I had formed, I putting the Question of which he has did not hesitate to advise the Government given notice, has clearly pointed out that that they were bound to put a liberal conwhich I am perfectly ready to admit-struction upon the Act, as it would be namely, that there are no distinct terms contained in the Act of 1848, authorizing the Council to make such an Order as that of the 25th of August; but I must ask leave of the House to state how the matter stood at that time. The object of the Act

useless to issue any Order that was not calculated to meet the requirements of the case.

THE EARL OF DERBY: The noble and learned Lord has placed two constructions upon the Order in Council. First of all, he

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