§ Mr. Bouverieasked whether it were the intention of the Government to introduce any measure during the next Session of Parliament, founded on the Report of the Commissioners of Poor Laws for Scotland?
§ Sir J. Grahamsaid, he must decline giving any answer at present to the question, for, he frankly confessed, he had not yet had time to read the very voluminous evidence contained in the Report. That evidence and Report consisted of three large volumes, the perusal of which was in itself difficult enough, but to weigh the evidence was a still more serious matter. It would be his duty to give his best considerations to the subject, but he must decline to pledge himself to any course. He would avail himself of that opportunity to offer to the House an explanation on a subject which had been adverted to during the discussion on the Motion of his noble Friend the Member for Dorsetshire, on the subject of pauper lunatics. The hon. Member for Lambeth had, during that debate, quoted a passage from the Report which had been alluded to by the hon. Member for Kilmarnock, describing, in most feeling terms, the melancholy state of some pauper lunatics in the Isle of Arran. He had immediately called the attention of the Lord Advocate to the subject, and he had great satisfaction in stating to the House that nine months ago active measures had been taken to redress some of these evils. The pauper luna- 1577 tics were immediately removed from Arran to the Glasgow asylum. Steps had been taken to bring to justice the offending parties; in fact, criminal proceedings were in progress against them. Farther, the Lord Advocate, through the Sheriff of the county, had taken ample precautions against the recurrence of such evils.