HC Deb 27 July 1874 vol 221 cc836-7

Order for Second Heading read.

MR. SCLATER-BOOTH

, in moving that the Bill be now read a second time, said, it had been introduced for the purpose of amending certain defects in the Act of 1871, relative to the person who should put the Act in operation and to the recovery of penalties for neglecting to comply with its provisions. The simple object of the Bill was to provide that the Local Government Board should have power to control the proceedings of Boards of Guardians with respect to putting the law into force, and that it should not be possible for those bodies to set themselves against the law. The right hon. Gentleman concluded by moving the second reading of the Bill.

Motion made, and Question proposed, "That the Bill be now read a second time."—(Mr. Sclater-Booth.)

MR. P. A. TAYLOR

deprecated extending the power of coercion under these laws, and expressed a wish that greater discretion should be allowed to Boards of Guardians to act in accordance with the peculiar circumstance of each case. Of course, he did not know anything about vaccination; but in many parts of the country a strong and bitter hostility was growing up against the Acts. As a matter of policy, he thought it would be better not to stimulate what might create a superstition by enforcing penalties, but to endeavour to persuade people of the advantage of vaccination, and to ensure that the nature of the lymph should be of an unexceptionable character. He thought they had better relax the force of our legal penalties than increase them. He should, therefore, oppose the Bill.

MR. NEWDEGATE

rejoiced that the Government had brought in the Bill. Although every possible liberty should be given to parents it was necessary, for the safety of the public, that prejudices should be overcome. He thought, how-ever, that the use of bad lymph should be rendered penal.

DR. LUSH

supported the Bill on the ground that the disease was infectious, and that the general law must be enforced for the general good.

MR. LYON PLAYFAIR

also supported the measure, the object of which was not to permit Guardians to make partial what Parliament had intended to be a general law.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill read a second time, and committed for To-morrow.