MOTION FOR A SELECT COMMITTEE. (Hansard, 21 May 1880)

§ VISCOUNT SANDON

said, that he did not wish to oppose the appointment of this Committee; but the right hon. Gentleman would not be surprised at his observing that there was a considerable change in the direction to the Committee. The Reference to the Committee of last Session was a very limited one, and excluded altogether the question of maritime insurance. They hoped last Session that the Committee would be formed in a short space of time, so as to enable the House to form an opinion as to the desirability of passing the Bill with respect to cargoes in bulk, brought forward by the then hon. Member for Derby. It was clear that the broad Reference now given to the Committee would make it impossible for them to report within a limited period. The single subject of maritime insurance would require very long consideration. He wished, therefore, to ask the right hon. Gentleman the President of the Board of Trade, whether there was any intention to depart from the determination arrived at by both sides not to legislate with respect to cargoes in bulk until the Committee had reported? He trusted that no legislation with regard to this subject would take place without due deliberation. He had no wish in any way to oppose the appointment of this Committee. He wished only to know whether the large Reference implied any change in policy with regard to legislation as to cargoes in bulk?

§ MR. CHAMBERLAIN

said, that it was true that the Reference to the Select Committee was now wider than it was during the last Session. He thought there was very good reason for the altertion which he proposed. He wished that the inquiries of the Committee should include not only the cases of those vessels which had foundered, but also those merchant ships which were missing; because it was now found that the list of missing ships was larger, and the circumstances generally were more serious, than in the case of vessels which had foundered. Moreover, owing to the action of the Board of Trade, under the 288 auspices of the noble Lord, a series of inquiries had been instituted into accidents to vessels, which had yielded most instructive information. For that reason alone he hoped that the House would think that he had come to a most reasonable conclusion in extending the scope of the inquiry. He had also decided to include in the Reference the subject of maritime insurance. His reason for doing so was, that on the last occasion when the noble Lord moved for the Committee, several hon. Members, and especially Mr. Samuda, declared that no Reference had been satisfactory which did not include the subject at the bottom of the matter—namely, maritime insurance. After that expression of opinion from such an authority, he would ask the House whether he could do otherwise than extend the scope of the inquiry. The subject was one which was, to some extent, considered by a Select Committee in 1858, and again, in 1873, by an important Commission, presided over by the Duke of Somerset, and there was urgent need to deal with it. The Commission was not charged to consider the revision of the whole law upon the subject; but it made some important suggestions, which were embodied in a Bill by the late Government. But that Bill, for some reason or another, was not proceeded with. Under those circumstances, it must be felt by the House that it would be right that the Committee to be appointed should not shrink from investigating this most important question connected with merchant shipping. The result would be, no doubt, that inquiry would not terminate for a length of time; and it might be that the Committee would have to report upon the question as to cargoes in bulk before its final Report was prepared. If the Committee was of opinion that it could deal with a certain branch of the subject separately it could make a preliminary Report, and the Government would then legislate upon the subject before the issue of the final Report.