§ House in committee on the Hackney and Stage Coaches Bill.
§ On clause 29, imposing a penalty of 20s. on every driver or conductor of an omnibus for smoking, while acting as such driver Or conductor,
231§ Colonel Sibthorpobjected to that part of the clause, which he thought was extremely arbitrary and harsh.
Mr. M. Suttonsaid, that the clause was inserted at the desire of the owners of cabs and omnibuses, as they alleged that passengers were in general much annoyed by the practice. One of the objections urged was, that on cold nights the drivers were in the habit of sitting in the cabs smoking, with the windows closed, and though they made themselves very comfortable, it certainly was anything but comfortable for those who got into their cabs immediately afterwards; and it was therefore, a decided disadvantage to the cab-owners.
§ Mr. Leader, in opposing the provision said that he had an interview, with some coach and cab proprietors, who said that at a meeting of 200 of them it was agreed that this bill was too stringent and arbitrary; and that it was calculated to damage them very much.
§ Mr. T. Duncombethought the clause ought to be omitted. It was hard to say that a coachman should be prevented from smoking for the first fifteen miles from London (the extent of the metropolitan police district), and when he got beyond that distance he might smoke his passengers all the rest of the journey.
§ Colonel Sibthorpmoved the omission of the words imposing a penalty for smoking.
§ The committee divided on the question that the words proposed to be left out stand part of the clause:—Ayes 34; Noes: 26: Majority 8.
| List of the AYES. | |
| Archdall, Capt. M. | Hussey, T. |
| Arkwright, G. | Johnstone, H. |
| Bodkin, W. H. | Knatchbull, rt. hn. Sir E |
| Boldero, H. G. | Mackenzie, W. F. |
| Bruce, Lord E. | McGeachy, F. A. |
| Buller, Sir J. Y. | Meynell, Capt. |
| Carew, hon. R. S. | Norreys, Sir D. J. |
| Corry, rt. hon. H. | O'Ferrall, R. M. |
| Cripps, W. | Polhill, F. |
| Dickinson, F. H. | Rushbrooke, Col. |
| Douglas, Sir C. E. | Stuart, W. V. |
| Duncombe, hon. O. | Vesey, hn. T. |
| Eliot, Lord | Wood, G. W. |
| Flower, Sir J. | Yorke, H. R. |
| Gaskell, J. Milnes | Young, J. |
| Gladstone, rt. hn. W. E. | |
| Hayes, Sir E. | TELLERS. |
| Henley, J. W. | Sutton, hon. H. M. |
| Hodgson, R. | Pringle, A. |
| List of the NOES. | |
| Allix, J. P. | Blackstone, W. S. |
| Baring, H. B. | Borthwick, P. |
| Broadley, H. | O'Brien, A. S. |
| Brotherton, J. | Pechell, Capt. |
| Corbally, M. E. | Rashleigh, W. |
| Darby, G. | Repton, G. W. J. |
| Duncombe, T. | Ross, D. R. |
| Ferguson, Sir R. A. | Scott, hon. F. |
| Forman, T. S. | Wall, C. B. |
| Fuller, A. E. | Wawn, J. T. |
| Hindley, C. | Wood, B. |
| Howard, P. H. | |
| Lowther, J. H. | TELLERS. |
| Mackenzie, T. | Sibthorp, Col. |
| Mackinnon, W. A. | Leader, J. T. |
§ Clause agreed to.
§ House resumed. Committee to sit again.