(NO. 16.) SECOND READING. (Hansard, 11 March 1879)

§ THE MARQUESS OF RIPON

said, that though he thought the measure might be improved in Committee, he would be sorry to press objections going only to minor points, if his noble Friend thought they might interfere with the passing of the Bill in the present Session. He would, however, ask his noble Friend whether there should not be a distinct statutory limitation to the amount of fees which might be levied from persons desirous of entering the Medical Profession? Would it not be possible, under this Bill, to levy on such persons larger fees than were desirable? He had presented to their Lordships' House a Petition from the King and Queen's College of Physicians in Ireland as to the composition of the Medical Council. When introducing the Bill, his noble Friend the President of the Council announced his intention to appoint a Committee of the other House to consider that subject. It was important that the Committee should be appointed as soon as possible, and he hoped there would be no delay in their proceedings. He hoped that those who were intrusted with the inquiry would first determine in their own minds the objects for which the Medical Council had been appointed, and then proceed to consider the constitution proper for the attainment of those objects. He could not help thinking that many of those who advocated changes in the composition of the Medical Council did so because they proposed to make a change in the objects for which it existed. Its constitution ought to be determined by the objects for which it was established, and not the objects by the constitution. He hoped that whatever 624 might be the result of the Report of the Committee, his noble Friend would not allow this question of the composition of the Medical Council to stop the progress of this Bill. The main object that concerned the interests of the public in this Bill was that there should be a uniform minimum qualification for admission to the Medical Register. This was a matter of so much importance to the public that no side issue ought to stand in the way. If the Bill were passed this year, there was no reason why his noble Friend should not in some future year deal with any other questions of medical reform. Indeed, he hoped that if this Bill were passed, his noble Friend would be encouraged to proceed with other improvements that were required; whereas, if he failed to carry this measure, he conceived that his noble Friend might, like himself, be inclined to throw up the matter altogether. His main object in speaking was to dwell upon the importance of the measure to the public, and to impress upon those who had other medical reforms they wished to obtain, that they would act far more wisely by supporting his noble Friend in obtaining this reform, than by appearing in the position of persons who desired to obstruct useful legislation intended to benefit the public.

THE DUKE OF RICHMOND and GOEDON

said, he had very lately had an opportunity of expresssing his views upon this subject in introducing the Bill; and, therefore, but for the observations of his noble Friend, he should not have thought it necessary to make any remarks upon the subject. He took this opportunity of expressing his gratitude to his noble Friend for the very fair, candid, and open manner in which he had expressed himself upon the subject of his Bill, and of thanking him for his support. As to the point with regard to the limitation of fees, to which his noble Friend had referred, that would be a subject to be dealt with in Committee. Before the Bill proceeded to that stage, he would look into the matter and see what arrangements could be made to meet the observations of his noble Friend. Another point was the appointment of a Committee in the other House of Parliament upon the subject of the constitution of the Medical Council. It was, of course, impossible for him to say what would happen in the other 625 House; but he believed it would be proposed in the other House, in the course of this week, to appoint a Committee to inquire into the constitution of the Medical Council, and he hoped the reference would include all the points adverted to by his noble Friend. He quite agreed with his noble Friend that if, from unforseen circumstances, or from the attempts of those who desired to see reform in the Medical Council, this Bill should make shipwreck, he should be very much disposed, like his noble Friend, in former years, to give up the attempt as vain, and to admit that his mission was not to legislate for medical reform, but to leave it in the hands of those who thought they had better means of doing it. In conclusion, he had only to propose that the Committee on the Bill should be taken on Thursday, the 20th of this month.