HC Deb 04 July 1861 vol 164 cc368-9

Order for Consideration, as amended, read.

Motion made, and Question proposed, "That the Bill, as amended, be now taken into Consideration".

LORD ROBERT CECIL

said, he could only characterize the Bill as worthy of the meridian of Paris and Berlin, and stated that it conferred upon the police an entirely new power. The 9th Clause gave a power to a single justice to send a child to an industrial school, and imprisoning him there for eight years. One of the offences for which such a sentence could be passed was that of begging, which at present was punished by an imprisonment of three months only. Another was that of frequenting the company of reputed thieves, and the proof of that offence having been committed was to depend upon the in- formation of "any" person. He considered that an arbitrary power of inflicting extremely severe punishment without the offence having been proved. He would, therefore, move that the consideration of the Bill should be deferred until that day three months.

Amendment proposed, To leave out from the words 'That the" to the end of the Question, in order to add the words 'further Consideration of the Bill, as amended, be adjourned till this day three months,'"—instead thereof.

SIR GEORGE LEWIS

said, that all the arguments used by the noble Lord had been repeated half a dozen times before. There was no new principle in the Bill.

It was only a development of the existing law, was promoted by persons of the most philanthropic views, and was intended, not for the punishment but for the advantage of the children who were made subject to it. He hoped that after the full examination which the Bill had undergone it would be allowed to pass this stage.

MR. PEASE

said, he thought that the Bill was unnecessarily harsh in some of its provisions, but that, upon the whole, it would be received with satisfaction by the country.

MR. WHALLEY

said, that the money advanced to Reformatory Schools by the Government was being diverted to the promotion of Roman Catholic objects. There was, in his opinion, no necessity for this Bill.

Question proposed, "That the words proposed to be left out stand part of the Question", put, and agreed to.

Main Question put, and agreed to.

MR. HENNESSY

said, he would move the omission of the words in Clause 9, which subjected to the provisions of the Act children frequenting the company of reputed thieves.

SIR GEORGE LEWIS

said, that the point had been fully discussed in Committee, and he hoped that the words would be retained.

Amendment negatived.

Bill to be read 3° To-morrow.