§ MR. S. LLOYD, in rising to call the attention of the House to the injustice suffered by seaport towns in having to defray from their local funds charges incurred under the provisions of the Public Health Act, for the protection of the entire country from the importation of infectious disease; and, to ash, whether Her Majesty's Government contemplate taking any measures to mitigate or remove this injustice? said, that these expenses were already considerable, and were likely to increase. The town of Hull, for example, since the passing of the Act had spent £2,600 in preventing the importation of infectious disease. The charges connected with the prevention of smuggling were defrayed out of the general Revenue of the country, and as these charges were perfectly analogous, they ought to be defrayed out of the same fund. A tax should be levied on the ships which landed infected persons, to relieve the localities from the cost of their medical treatment. He hoped the Government would take the matter into their early consideration.
§ MR. SCLATER-BOOTHsaid, in reply, that very little expense had been incurred under the Act at present, and in those cases where it had been at all heavy it had been borne by the Local Government Board. He would admit that a reasonable apprehension prevailed that the expenses to be incurred would in particular cases prove very serious. So far, however, as those expenses were such as the local sanitary authority ought to bear, he could not hold out any hope that the Imperial Exchequer would contribute towards their relief. There were, however, certain expenses which came properly under the head of quarantine charges, and he thought he might promise—though the relief would not be very considerable—that rules would be framed under which the localities would be relieved to that extent.
§ Main Question, "That Mr. Speaker do now leave the Chair," put, and agreed to.
1566§ SUPPLY—considered, in Committee.
§ Committee report Progress; to sit again upon Monday next.