Commons Sitting of 9 February 1870

MINUTES.
NEW WRITS ISSUED—For Southwark, v. Right Hon. Austen Henry Layard, Chiltern Hundreds; for Londonderry City, v. Richard Dowse, esquire, Solicitor General for Ireland.
SELECT COMMITTEE—Kitchen and Refreshment Rooms (House of Commons), appointed.
PUBLIC BILLS—Ordered—Solicitors' and Attorneys' Remuneration *.
Ordered—First Reading—Annuity Tax (Edinburgh)* [4]; Life Assurance Companies * [2]; Cattle Stealing * [1]; Game Laws Amendment * [3]; Church Rates (Scotland) * [5].

METROPOLITAN FOREIGN CATTLE MARKET.—QUESTION.
LORD ROBERT MONTAGUsaid, he would beg to ask the Vice President of the Committee of Council on Education, Whether the Government have determined that there shall be a Foreign Cattle Market in the Metropolis, in accordance with the wishes which were urged during the last Session; and, whether a site has been fixed upon?
MR. W. E. FORSTER: The only answer, Sir, I can give the Question of the noble Lord is, that the Government have endeavoured fully to carry out, not merely the wishes expressed last Session, but the Act that was passed last Session. The noble Lord, no doubt, is aware that the question of the metropolitan market was left by the Act in this way. It was left to the Corporation to have power to make such a market; but, if it was not made to the satisfaction of the Government by the end of next year, then the Corporation of London were to lose certain advantages, and especially what I may call their market monopoly. Consequently no duty has been incumbent upon the Government except the duty of keeping in communication with the City authorities. I can only say that I have lost no time as regards the performance of that duty. I have been in frequent and constant communication with the City authorities, and have every reason to believe that they will undertake the work which has been imposed upon them. The Corporation referred the matter to the Market Committee; I am not sure whether that Committee has reported to the Corporation or not, but the decision of the Corporation on that report has not been come to, although

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I expect it will be made within a very few days. If the noble Lord renews his question in a few days, I daresay I shall be able to inform him what will be the site.
THE QUEEN'S SPEECH—The Address in Answer to the Queen's Speech.
Report of Address brought up and read.
On Motion to agree to the Address,

RIGHTS OF ALIENS.

  OBSERVATIONS.
  MR. HADFIELDsaid, he would take this opportunity of calling attention to the Law affecting Aliens, under which, as it now stood, they could hold no land in this country. It was true that, under a late Act of Parliament, a foreigner might take a lease for years of a house for his habitation, but anything like a freehold was a sort of forbidden thing; he could not hold land, a dwelling, a warehouse, or promises, though necessary to enable him to carry on his business. When they were discussing the two subjects of transferring allegiance from one nation to another, and the mode of transferring land from one person to another, he thought this grievance under which aliens laboured should be considered. English subjects occasionally bought freehold in their own name for the benefit of foreigners. He would like to know what objection there could be to a foreigner, who came here for a number of years to engage in business, buying a counting-house, or a house for residence? The fear that foreigners, who had these privileges, might upset the institutions of the country was an obsolete absurdity. He hoped that there would be some provisions in the Bill to be shortly introduced to enable not only naturalized foreigners, but even those who only paid a temporary visit to this country, to acquire land by purchase. In America, he understood the law was somewhat conflicting. In some States land was absolutely given away to induce emigrants and others to settle upon it; but, in other parts of the Union, restrictions were placed upon foreigners in this matter. Attention should be given to the subject in negotiations with foreign countries, and he hoped to obtain from
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  the Government an assurance that it should receive careful consideration.
  MR. BRUCE: I am happy, Sir, to; give my hon. Friend in public, as I have already given him in private, an assurance that this subject has been under the consideration of the Government, and that, in a few days, a Bill will be introduced in the other House which will deal very fully, and I think to the satisfaction of my hon. Friend, with the important subject he has brought under the notice of the House. That Bill, however, deals solely with the question as regards the law of England. The laws of other countries, and especially in France, are far more liberal on this point than ours; but I cannot undertake to say, at this moment, whether or not the Bill will make provision for entering into treaties with foreign countries. That is a subject for future consideration. So far as regards this country, my hon. Friend will find that the Bill deals fully with the matter he has named.

PAUPERISM AND THE POOR LAWS.

  OBSERVATIONS.
  MR. CORRANCEsaid, that, considering the wide range of subjects dealt with in the Queen's Speech, it might be thought that he was making an unreasonable objection when he called attention to what he thought an important omission. As this Parliament was elected, to a large extent, by members of the working classes, there seemed to him to be a remarkable absence of reference to measures for the benefit of those classes. The only question in the Address which appeared to have a bearing upon them was that of primary education; and he believed that was not resolved on until a late period. One subject pressed very gravely upon the nation at this time—namely, our condition with regard to pauperism and the Poor Laws. He was happy to find, from some Notices which he saw on the Paper, that this subject was about to be partially treated. Still he could not help remarking on the omission of all reference to it in the Queen's Speech. Last year, he mentioned three subjects which he thought had been omitted in a similar manner. They were Local Taxation, the Cattle Plague, and Pauperism. One of these questions formed part of the legislation of last Session, and was dealt with by the Go-

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  vernment; and on the first they had a satisfactory assurance that it would be dealt with in the course of this Session; but, with regard to Pauperism and the Poor Laws, there was no such promise in the Speech. He had taken an opportunity of bringing the whole question before the House last Session, and he thought it met with a very inadequate response from the Treasury Bench. Since then nothing whatever had been done. No doubt, a Minute had been issued, but the effect it had produced, and the manner in which it had been received, were proofs positive of the want to which he now called attention. The Minute had fallen entirely short of its object. Under such circumstances, he felt justified in asking the serious attention of the House to the necessity of the further consideration of the subject.
  Address agreed to:—To be presented by Privy Councillors.
  QUEEN'S SPEECH,—to be considered To-morrow.

  ANNUITY TAX (EDINBURGH) BILL.
  On Motion of Mr. M'LARES, Bill to abolish the Annuity Tax or Ministers' Money which is levied in the parish of Canongate within Edinburgh, and to make other provisions respecting the stipends of the Ministers in that parish, and also respecting the stipends of the Ministers in the city parishes, ordered to be brought in by Mr. M'LAREN, Mr. MILLER, and Mr. CRUM EWING.
  Bill presented, and read the first time. [Bill 4.]

  LIFE ASSURANCE COMPANIES BILL.
  On Motion of Mr. STEPHEN CAVE, Bill to amend the Law relating to Life Assurance Companies, ordered to be brought in by Mr. STEPHEN CAVE, Sir THOMAS BAZLEY, and Mr. RUSSELL GURNET.
  Bill presented, and read the first time. [Bill 2.]

  CATTLE STEALING BILL.
  On Motion of Sir GEORGE JENKINSON, Bill to extend the provisions of the Law as to stolen Horses to all other kind of stolen Cattle, ordered to be brought in by Sir GEORGE JENKINSON, Mr. STAVELEY HILL, Mr. PELL, and Mr. WREN HOSKYNS.
  Bill presented, and read the first time. [Bill 1.]

  GAME LAWS AMENDMENT BILL.
  On Motion of Mr. PHILIP WYKEHAM MARTIN, Bill to amend the Laws relating to Game, ordered to be brought in by Mr. PHILIP WYKEHAM MARTIN, Sir DAVID SALOMONS, and Sir HENRY HOARE.
  Bill presented, and read the first time. [Bill 3.]

  CHURCH RATES (SCOTLAND) BILL.
  On Motion of Mr. M'LAREN, Bill for the Abolition of Compulsory Church Rates in Scotland, ordered to be brought in by Mr. M'LAREN, Mr. GRAHAM, and Mr. CRAUFURD.
  Bill presented, and read the first time. [Bill 5.]

  SOLICITORS' AND ATTORNEYS' REMUNERATION BILL.
  On Motion of Mr. RATHBONE, Bill to amend the Laws relating to the Remuneration of Solicitors and Attorneys, ordered to be brought in by Mr. RATHBONE, Mr. GEORGE GREGORY, Mr. MORLEY, and Mr. GOLDNEY.

  KITCHEN AND REFRESHMENT ROOMS (HOUSE OF COMMONS).
  Standing Committee appointed, "to control the arrangements of the Kitchen and Refreshment Rooms, in the department of the Serjeant at Arms attending this House:"—Colonel FRENCH, Mr. HENRY EDWARDS, Mr. DALGLISH, Mr. ONSLOW, Mr. ADAM, Mr. FITZWILLIAM DICK, Mr. Alderman LAWRENCE, Mr. GOLDNEY, and Captain VIVIAN:—Three to be the quorum.
  House adjourned at a quarter after One o'clock