HC Deb 27 June 1878 vol 241 cc408-13

Order for Committee read.

Bill considered in Committee.

(In the Committee.)

Clause 1 (Short title).

Motion made, and Question proposed, "That the Clause stand part of the Bill."

MR. PARNELL

said, it was very unreasonable for the Government to bring the Bill on at such an hour. It was very unfair to take the Bill at a time when it was impossible to discuss it, especially as it was a moral certainty that the Bill would pass this Session.

MR. E. STANHOPE

hoped the Bill would be proceeded with, seeing that it had been on the Paper for three months.

In answer to Sir JOSEPH M'KENNA,

MR. E. STANHOPE

said, he was prepared to accept the first of the Amendments which the hon. Baronet had placed on the Paper.

MR. WHITWELL

hoped the Bill would be proceeded with, seeing the length of time it had been before the House.

SIR CHARLES RUSSELL

expressed a similar hope.

Motion made, and Question proposed, "That the Chairman do report Progress, and ask leave to sit again."—(Mr. Parnell.)

Question put, and negatived.

Motion made, and Question put, "That the Chairman do now leave the Chair."—(Mr. Biggar.)

The Committee divided:—Ayes 14; Noes 115: Majority 101.—(Div. List, No. 188.)

Question again proposed, "That the Clause stand part of the Bill."

MR. PARNELL

stated, that though he thought he would be justified in persevering in his attempt to get the debate adjourned, he did not wish in the circumstances, and as the night was very hot, to put the Committee to the trouble; but he protested against the conduct of the hon. Gentleman who had charge of the Bill. He had, whether intentionally or not, broken through an engagement with the House, that an opportunity should be given for discussing the Amendments to the Bill. By proceeding with the Bill, he would not facilitate its passage.

MR. E. STANHOPE

As the hon. Member accuses me of breach of faith towards him, I may explain that what I said was that if he would allow me to go into Committee, there would be an opportunity of discussing the Amend ments. The Bill came before the Committee at 20 minutes to 1, and there is now an opportunity of discussing the Amendments. If the hon. Member will allow the Amendments to be proceeded with, I think he will find that they will occupy no time at all.

MR. PARNELL

The next time it is in my power to stop a Bill in charge of the hon. Gentleman, as it was in my power to stop this one when he gave me the undertaking to which I referred, I shall know what he means when he promises to give me an opportunity of discussing the Amendments.

Clause agreed to.

Clauses 2 to 15, inclusive, agreed to.

Clause 16 (Measure of capacity for goods formerly sold by heaped measure).

MR. E. STANHOPE moved, in page 4, lines 38 and 39, to leave out "nineteen inches and a-half, and the internal depth of which shall be nine inches and three-quarter," and to insert, "double the internal depth."

Amendment agreed to.

MR. STANTON moved the omission of the clause.

MR. E. STANHOPE

, objecting to the change in the law which would be effected by this Amendment, expressed a hope that it would not be pressed.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

Clause, as amended, agreed to.

Clauses 17 to 19, inclusive, agreed to.

Clause 20 (Sale by avoirdupois weight with exceptions).

MR. E. STANHOPE moved the following Amendments:—

Page 5, line 37, after "that," to insert "(1)."

Page 6, line 3, after "valid," to insert—"and (2) drugs, when sold by retail, may be sold by apothecaries' weight."

Amendments agreed to.

Clause, as amended, agreed to.

Clause 21 agreed to.

Clause 22 (Exception for sale of article in vessel not represented as being of imperial or local measure).

MR. E. STANHOPE moved, in page 6, line 15, after "measure," to insert— Nor subject a person to a fine under this Act for the possession of a vessel where it is shown that such vessel is not used nor intended for use as a measure.

Amendment agreed to.

Clause, as amended, agreed to.

Clauses 23 to 42, inclusive, agreed to.

Clause 43 (Appointment of inspectors of weights and measures).

SIR CHARLES RUSSELL moved, in page 12, line 12, at end of line to add— And may, if they think fit, assign such reasonable superannuation allowance as may be approved by the Local Government Board. The hon. and gallant Member remarked, that the duties of the Inspectors under this Act were not only arduous, but at times dangerous. In making visits in certain parts of towns they were sometimes injured when paying, in the honest and faithful discharge of their duty, what were regarded by some as very unwelcome visits. It would seem hard that there should be no provision for the superannuation of a man so injured in the performance of his duty. The power which his Amendment proposed to leave in the hands of the Local Government Board with regard to these pensions would be a sufficient security against their being granted unnecessarily.

MR. E. STANHOPE

admitted that there might be cases of hardship which would be met by some such Amendment as that suggested; but he could not see it to be consistent with his duty to accept the one proposed. It did not seem to him to have a fitting place in a Bill like this—a consolidation measure—but ought to be considered in connection with the much larger question of superannuation of public officers generally.

MR. DILLWYN

was glad the Government intended to confine the provisions of this Bill within its real scope and purpose. Such questions as the Amendment would raise were too large to be discussed at so late an hour.

Amendment negatived.

Clause agreed to.

Clauses 44 to 73, inclusive, agreed to.

Clause 74 (Definitions as regards Scotland).

MR. RAMSAY moved, in page 22, line 42, to add—"the expression 'burgh' shall include Royal burgh and Parliamentary burgh."

Amendment agreed to.

Clause, as amended, agreed to.

Clauses 75 to 78, inclusive, agreed to.

Clause 79 (Enquiry by judge of assize and chairman of quarter sessions as to provision of local standards and sub-standards).

MR. E. STANHOPE moved, in page 24, line 35, after "county," to insert—"the recorder of the borough, or, if there is no recorder."

Amendment agreed to.

Clause, as amended, agreed to.

Clause 80 (Ex-officio inspectors of weights and measures).

MR. E. STANHOPE moved, in page 25, line 13, to leave out to "but," in line 14, and insert— Nothing in this Act shall authorize local authority in Ireland, except the local authority of the borough of Dublin, to appoint inspectors of weights and measures.

Clause agreed to.

Clause, as amended, agreed to.

MR. E. STANHOPE moved, in page 24, after Clause 79, to insert the following Clause:— (Expenses of ex-officio inspectors.) Expenses incurred by any member of the Royal Irish constabulary as an ex-officio inspector of weights and measures in the execution of this Act shall be payable to such inspector by the person acting as treasurer of the local authority of the district on presentation of accounts of such expenses, to be furnished quarterly, certified to be correct by the county inspector of the county. The secretary of every grand jury being a local authority under this Act shall, at each assizes or presenting term, and the clerk of every other local authority shall once in every year lay before each such grand jury or other local authority an estimate of the sum which may appear to be necessary to meet such expenses until the next assize or presenting term, or for the ensuing year; and every such grand jury or other local authority shall, without previous application to presentment sessions or other preliminary proceedings, present in advance to the person acting as treasurer the sum specified in such estimate, to be raised and paid out of the local rate; and if the sum so raised proves more than sufficient for the purpose, the balance shall be carried to the credit of the local rate by the person acting as treasurer, and if the sum so raised proves insufficient, the person acting as treasurer shall apply for payment of such expenses any other available funds in his hands.

Clause agreed to, and ordered to stand part of the Bill.

MR. E. STANHOPE moved, in page 31, column "Measure of Capacity," after line 21, to add— Fluid ounces:— 4, 3, 2, 1. Fluid drachms:— 4, 3, 2, 1. Minims:— 30, 20, 10, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

Amendment agreed to.

SIR JOSEPH M'KENNA moved to omit from Schedule 6, 25 Edw. I. (9 Hen. 3 in Ruffhead) Magna Carta, chapter twenty-five.

Amendment agreed to.

Bill reported; as amended, to be considered upon Monday next, and to be printed. [Bill 229.]