§ MR. MOOREasked the President of the Board of Trade, Whether his attention has been called to the large number of emigrants landed from time to time in Hull, and to the absence of any suitable lodging accommodation for them; whether his attention has been more particularly called to the case of a lodging-house keeper named Brodie, who was charged at the Hull Police Court on the 16th May with receiving lodgers into his house in excess of the certified number, and who frankly admitted that he offered to take in as many as 500 emigrants, whereas he was only licensed for 73, stating that there was no other course open to him, the evening being wet, and there being some 1,600 emigrants just landed in the town, unable to find accommodation elsewhere; and, whether the Board of Trade will inquire into the state of the lodging-houses in Hull in the interest of the large emigrant traffic passing through that town?
§ MR. DODSONSir, I have been requested to answer this Question in consequence of a medical inspection having recently been made, by my direction, as to the sanitary state of Hull, in connection with which the condition of emigrants landing there was investigated. I understand from the Inspector that cases have occurred in which the provisions of the Public Health Act in regard to common lodging-houses have been violated in order to provide accommodation for excessive numbers of emigrants. This, however, appears to be altogether exceptional, and as only occurring when the lodging-houses provided for this class have been filled, which, however, is not often the case. The lodging-houses provided for the emigrants he found to be well kept.