§ Order for Committee read.
§ MR. WARTONsaid, he hoped that, at that late hour (2.40), they would not be expected to go on with the Bill.
§ MR. DODSONsaid, he must really ask the House to be good enough to go on with the Bill. He would not ask the House to go forward with the Bill if it were one which contained any disputed matters. It was a Bill to amend certain admitted flaws in the law, to provide for certain omitted cases, and to remove certain contradictions which existed in the law. It was a Bill that raised no contested points, and it had been before the House for some time. He had no Amendments to propose in the Bill himself; it had been very carefully prepared for the purpose he had stated, and he hoped the hon. and learned Member for Bridport (Mr. Warton) would not object to go into Committee. If there were any points on which the hon. and learned Gentleman required explanation, he would be very glad to give it.
§ MR. WARTONsaid, that, as the right hon. Gentleman had so kindly appealed to him, he had no objection to go on as far as Clause 12.
§ Bill considered in Committee.
§ (In the Committee.)
§ Clauses 1 to 12, inclusive, agreed to.
§ Clause 13 (Mode of consent by guardians and managers).
§ MR. WARTONproposed to leave out all the words after "as," in line 35, and also the whole of line 36, in order to insert the words "may be sanctioned by the Local Government Board for pauper children sent to such school." This was a very serious matter, because, under this clause, power was given to the Local Government Board to sanction any scale of expenses it might think fit. The Local Government Board might sanction a rate of payment to certain persons which was not in accordance with the Act to which other people had to submit. He knew perfectly well that pressure had been put upon the right hon. Gentleman by Gentlemen (Irish Members) below the Gangway.
§
Amendment proposed,
In page 3, leave out all the words after "as," in line 35, and also line 36, and insert "may be sanctioned, by the Local Government Board for pauper children sent to such school."—(Mr. Warton.)
§ Question proposed, "That the words proposed to be left out stand part of the Clause."
§ MR. DODSONsaid, he believed he was strictly right in saying that the proposal was intended to remedy admitted flaws in the present law. In the 25 & 26 Vict. c. 43 it was said the Guardians might pay for the maintenance, clothing, and education of children when they were sent to a certified school; but in a later part of the same clause it was said that the Guardians might pay, for that purpose, an amount equal to the maintenance of the child in the workhouse. These two parts of the clause were inconsistent, because it was obviously intended by the first part of the clause that the Guardians should pay for the maintenance, clothing, and education of the child; and the second part of the clause—apparently by an omission on the part of the draftsman—only used the word "maintenance." The consequence was that when a child was sent to a certified school there was only power to pay the cost of maintenance. He could assure the hon. and learned Member for Bridport (Mr. Warton) that 502 the Local Government Board had no desire to take upon themselves in this matter more power than was necessary; but it appeared to him that what was now proposed was the simplest way of dealing with the difficulty.
§ Question put, and agreed to.
§ Clause agreed to.
§ Remaining clause agreed to.
§ Bill reported, without Amendment.
§ Bill read the third time, and passed.