HC Deb 09 March 1837 vol 37 cc162-4
Mr. Hume

begged permission of the House to bring forward a motion, of which he had given notice, but which was last in the list. He did not think it would occasion any lengthened discussion. The motion was, a resolution which he hoped the House would adopt to the following effect. "That in all Inclosure Bills provision be made for leaving an open space sufficient for the purposes of exercise and recreation of the neighbouring population; provided, that in any case where the Committee on the Bill do not make such provision, they be required specially to report to the House their reasons for not complying with the orders of the House." No person can travel through the country without regretting that encroaching system of inclosures to which we are all witnesses. It is most desirable that some provision of the kind should be made for the recreation and amusement of the people in all cases, except where then shall appear to the Committee some extraordinary circumstances to warrant a contrary course.

Sir Robert Peel

was not certain whether the form which the hon. Member has chosen was the best for effecting his object. In that object, however, he fully concurred. The subject was similar to that which had been more than once urged on the attention of the Legislature, and to which he regretted the Legislature had not paid the attention it deserved. It was most desirable that the neighbourhood of manufacturing towns, and indeed of all towns, should have some place where the population might find the means of innocent recreation. Such an arrangement would have a most beneficial effect, not alone on their health, but also on their morals, by gradually withdrawing them from scenes where their time was likely to be much less innocently employed. He was sure that, such an effort on the part of the local authorities would insure to them the lasting gratitude of the working population. It would be gratifying too to witness the people employed in innocent recreation. He would not, however have the means of such innocent amusement confined to the population of large towns and their vicinity. He would have similar means extended to the rural population, whom it was pleasing to see engaged in athletic and manly exercises. There was no question, that though the people might have no legal claim to portions of waste land or common being thus set apart for their recreation, they had a moral right, and in the consideration of every future enclosure bill he hoped their interests would not be lost sight of. He would not then stop to go into the wording of the resolution, as he most fully assented to the principle; and even where the occurrence of an enclosure did not present itself in the neighbourhood of large towns, the means to form places of recreation should be provided by a rate among the inhabitants, to which perhaps the Government would not be indisposed to lend its aid. It would be a most wise and prudent expenditure of the public money. For instance, no person objected to the improvements that had been made in our parks in and near the metropolis, and no one grudged the money expended in that way; but he feared that we were too much disposed to confine ourselves to the metropolis in these improvements, and too apt to forget the wants of the manufacturing and other towns, all of which required places of recreation as much as the metropolis. He would not object to grants of from 5,000l. to 10,000l. in cases where the local authorities of large towns might raise the like sum, or even the half, for the purposes he had stated. He repeated that it would be a most wise, because a most useful, expenditure of the public money.

Mr. Brotherton

expressed his cordial concurrence in the motion, and rejoiced that the powerful aid and co-operation of the right hon. Baronet who had just addressed the House were likely to carry the plan into effect. The subject had been too long neglected by Parliament, but it was now likely at length to be carried out to its useful object.

Mr. Hardy

said, that all would agree in the principle of the proposition, that some places of recreation and amusement should be provided for the working population of large towns, and also for the inhabitants of rural districts; but he thought that a distinction should be made between inclosures of commons and what were called waste lands. Commons, not waste lands, were very often private property and if a part of them were reserved for public purposes some compensation should be made to those who had heretofore cultivated them.

Motion, with some verbal amendments, agreed to.