BATHING BILL—SECOND READING. (Hansard, 16 June 1857)

THE MARQUESS OF WESTMEATH
, in moving the second reading of this Bill, referred to what habitually took place in the way of sea-bathing at Margate and Ramsgate, not because those places were worse than other sea-bathing localities, but because, from their position, they were more frequented by what he called a fluctuating population. The magistrates of those places found themselves unable to grapple with the evils complained of in the present state of the law. The magistrates of Ramsgate petitioned in favour of the Bill, and he was in a condition to say that they and the magistrates of other sea bathing towns were unable at present to deal with the transactions complained of. No doubt the offence of which he complained—that of unnecessary exposure—was a misdemeanour, but Parliament had often interfered to give additional powers to magistrates in such cases. The necessity for Parliamentary interference had been shown in numerous communications that had been put into his hands—some of; these being letters which appeared in the public newspapers in the course of last summer, written by fathers of families bitterly complaining of the scenes which had been exhibited before their eyes. The respectable inhabitants loudly denounced the practices which were carried on, and called for an alteration of the law in order to their repression. At this season of the year it was the practice for women to go down to the sea-bathing places and dance in the water, without any covering whatever, to the great disgust of the respectable inhabitants and visitors; and he thought it was high time for their Lord ships to interfere in the way of legislation. The Bill before the House empowered five magistrates in any place to make bylaws and regulations, chiefly with a view to the prevention of this evil, and he proposed also that no one should be permitted to bathe in public without a decent dress. As the regulations would be subject to the revision of the Secretary of State for the Home Department, the provision was not 1885 likely to lead to abuse, and he was in hopes that by such means the great evil complained of would be remedied.

§ EARL GRANVILLE
thought any attempt to deal with the matter would tend to throw ridicule on legislation, more especially by dealing with it in the way suggested. The object of the Bill, that of putting a stop to indecency in populous places, could be effected in all important towns which had got an improved Act by passing such by-laws as they thought necessary. It would be quite impossible by the common law to give magistrates the power to interfere in that matter. He thought any of those public bodies were the most proper to deal with questions of that sort. In country districts the evil did not exist, and if it did the regulation proposed would be inapplicable. The noble Marquess applied the Act to England and, Ireland; he presumed it was to be applied to Scotland.

THE MARQUESS OF WESTMEATH
did not intend to apply the measure to Scotland, believing that noble Lords connected with that country would take the matter up as soon as the Act was in operation in England and Scotland.

§ EARL GRANVILLE
said, he did not see why the Act should be applied to England and Ireland and not to Scotland. He thought, from the reasons he had stated, their Lordships would not think it desirable to adopt the Bill, the effect of which, he believed, would be to cast a degree of ridicule on legislation.

THE MARQUESS OF WESTMEATH
, in the face of opposition of Her Majesty's Government, would not press the Bill, but he trusted the Government would take the matter into their own hands, and endeavour to remove a state of things which was disgraceful to a civilized community.