§ MR. T. DUNCOMBEasked the right hon. the President of the Board of Health, if he could fix any time when the Vaccination Bill would be brought on?
MR. COWPERsaid, the Bill was one in which Members did not take any great interest. 403 It was one of that class of Bills which was usually taken at a late period of the evening, and he hoped the hon. Member would not object to its being taken at the same time as other Bills similarly situated.
§ MR. T. DUNCOMBE, referring to the answer given by the hon. Member for Hertford (Mr. Cowper), asked whether it was the intention of the Government to persevere in pressing this Bill through the House. The hon. Member had, to a similar question with respect to the Medical Profession Bill, immediately surrendered it; but to those on this side of the House, he said few Members cared for this Vaccination Bill. He (Mr. Duncombe) would say that, if hon. Members did not care for this Bill, they did great injustice to the people, because it was a compulsory Bill. Besides, 200 petitions had been presented against the Bill, and only one, namely, that from the Royal Vaccine Establishment, in its favour. The Bill, if passed, would be put into work by the Board of Health; but that Board would expire next year, unless the House should to-morrow consent to continue it. A more arrant job than this Bill he never knew, and he hoped an opportunity would be given to oppose it.
MR. COWPERsaid, he did not mean to say the Bill was of no importance, because it was intended to check the ravages of a disease which killed thousands every year. This Bill was one of greater importance than many which were passed, and which did no good to anybody. What he intended to say was, that the opposition which his hon. Friend made to this Bill was not generally shared in by other hon. Members. His hon. Friend said, the Bill would make vaccination compulsory; but the present law did that. This Bill was merely for the purpose of consolidating and improving the law. His hon. Friend opposed this Bill; but it would be much fairer for him to bring in a Bill to repeal the existing law than to do so. He would not bring it on after twelve o'clock at night.