§ * MR. JAMES STUART (Shoreditch, Hoxton)I beg to move—
That the Order for Committee be read, and discharged; that the Bill be committed to a Select Committee of Seven Members, Four to be nominated by the House, and Three by the Committee of Selection; that the Committee have power to send for persons, papers and records; that Three be the quorum.The Bill relates to the boroughs of Banbury and Cambridge, and is in itself an excellent Bill, making excellent arrangements. I in no way intend to oppose it. It has been brought in under Section 52 of the Local Government Act, which empowers the Local Government Board to make Provisional Orders for dealing with boroughs where certain members 866 of the Sanitary Authority are appointed by a University or the colleges therein. The circumstances of the case are these: The borough of Cambridge is divided into five wards—namely, those of East and West Barnwell and three other wards. The East and West Barnwell wards have a greater population and value than the other three wards put together, and they are growing rapidly. It is estimated that the population of East and West Barnwell was in 1889 28,187, and that the rateable value of the two was £88,189, whereas the estimated population of the other three wards was 11,151, or less than one-half, and the ratable value £62,369, or about three fourths. Yet the East and West Barnwell wards only return 12 members while the remaining three return 18. This inequality is admitted on all hands, and for some years it has been the subject of representations to the Local Government Board. It is not in any sense a Party question. Quite recently the Town Council passed a resolution declaring that the draft Provisional Order received from the Local Government Board was insufficient and unsatisfactory, inasmuch as it did not provide for the division of the town into wards upon a just and equitable basis, and the Guardians of the Cambridge Union at an extraordinary meeting have passed a resolution approving of the alterations proposed by the Town Council.
§ * THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. RITCHIE,) Tower Hamlets, St. George'sWhat is the date of that resolution?
§ * MR. J. STUARTI am unable to say, but it was sent to the Local Government Board since the Provisional Order was issued. It has been urged that the Local Government Board have no power to meddle in the matter, but Clause 59 of the Act provides that any scheme or order made in pursuance of the Act may, as far as may be deemed necessary or proper, make provision for the abolition, restriction, or establishment or extension of the jurisdiction of any Local Authority in or over any part of the area affected by the scheme, and for the adjustment or alteration of the boundaries of such area. In addition, they have power to determine the status of any particular locality as a component part of the larger area. At the present 867 moment the town of Cambridge is very badly drained, and there have been before the town for a number of years various conflicting drainage schemes. There has, however, been a difficulty in the adjustment of the relations of the town generally, not only as between the University and the town, but as between the various parts of the town. It is feared that it will be very difficult to get a decision upon the merits of the relative schemes unless there is a proper representation of the town upon the Town Council, because the carrying out of the necessary works will probably entail upon the town a debt equal to its annual ratable value. One of the reasons I have heard alleged in favour of the preservation of the existing inequality, is that the University and College buildings, in regard to which the people had no representation, were, in fact, situated in the over - represented wards. That reason has now disappeared, and, by continuing the existing system, the inequality is being perpetuated. There has been some talk of applying for a mandamus to compel the authorities to drain the town properly, and, I believe, there are gentlemen in this House whose sons have been suffering from typhoid fever, and the inhabitants of the town generally have suffered. My own opinion is that it would be better for the Local Government Board to move in the matter themselves, and I shall be content if the right hon. Gentleman the President of the Board will give an assurance that he will send down a Commissioner again to inquire into the matter. If that cannot be done, then I think the best course will be to refer the Bill to a Select Committee, and I beg, therefore, to move the Motion which stands in my name.
Motion made, and Question proposed,
That the Order for Committee be read, and discharged; that the Bill be committed to a Select Committee of Seven Members, Four to be nominated by the House, and Three by the Committee of Selection; that the Committee have power to send for persons, papers, and records; that Three be the quorum."—(Mr. J. Stuart.)
§ * MR. RITCHIEI have no ground to complain of the hon. Member for the mode in which he has brought this matter before the House, but I wish to point out that, after having sent down a 868 Commissioner and received a Report from him, the Local Government Board arrived at a conclusion which was satisfactory to the parties concerned. I am glad to say that that has been the case in regard to all the Orders which have been issued under the Local Government Act. With reference to the particular proposal of the hon. Member, I am afraid that I must object to it, mainly for three reasons. The hon. Member says that since the Provisional Order was framed the Town Council of Cambridge has made certain representations in the direction of the Motion he has moved. A very full and careful inquiry was made by the Inspector of the Local Government Board into all the matters dealt with in the Provisional Order, and at that time, so far from the Town Council being in favour of the proposal now submitted, they were opposed to any alteration in the ward element. It is rather late in the day for them to come forward now, after waiting until the Provisional Order has been settled and agreed to, with representations in direct antagonism to the representations made by them to the Inspector of the Local Government Board. My first objection to the Motion of the hon. Member is that this is a Provisional Order which has been agreed to by all the parties concerned, and that it would not be right to pass a Motion of this kind when it is impossible for any one to be heard by Petition against it; secondly, that if an alteration in the boundaries of the wards is desirable a Committee of the House of Commons is not the proper body to deal with the matter; and, lastly, that if any alteration is to be made, it can only be done after full and careful inquiry on the spot by an Inspector, and that no action on the part of the House of Commons is necessary, seeing that it can be done by application to the Privy Council.
§ Question put, and negatived.