§ MR. PEASEasked the President of the Local Government Board, Whether his attention has been called to the case of Mr. Milner, the Chairman of the Keighley Board of Guardians, who has been committed for ten days' hard labour for the non-payment of a fine of 10s. for the non-vaccination of a child; and whether it is his intention to make some alteration in the Law on this subject?
§ MR. SCLATER-BOOTH, in reply, said, his attention had not been called to the subject, except through the Question of the hon. Gentleman. No one regretted more than he did the necessity for prosecutions under the Vaccination Acts, especially when they were repeated a number of times. As, however, his hon. Friend quoted the case of a Chairman of a Board of Guardians, he might remark that it was the duty of a person 478 filling such a position to see that the law was enforced, and not to set an example of disobedience to it. Moreover, the payment of the fine would at once release Mr. Milner from prison. It was not his intention to propose to the Government any alteration of the law; and, even if an alteration of the Vaccination Acts were proposed, Parliament would probably not consent to it.