HC Deb 16 March 1893 vol 10 cc209-10
MR. PARKER SMITH

I beg to ask the Secretary for Scotland whether his attention has been called to the case of "Wallace v. J. and A. Allan" in the Sheriff Court of Glasgow, in which it has been held that a Shipping Company which has carried back to this country a destitute alien (being an imbecile Russian Jew whom the Shipping Company had transported from Bremen to New York), who was not allowed to land in America by the authorities there, acting under the powers of an Act of the United States dated 3rd March, 1891, was not liable in relief to a parish to which the alien subsequently became chargeable; whether, in view of this decision, there is anything to prevent Shipping Companies from turning adrift destitute aliens, rejected by the United States, at any of our ports to become chargeable on our rates; and whether he is prepared to take any steps to prevent such a course of conduct from being pursued?

THE SECRETARY FOR SCOTLAND (Sir G. TREVELYAN,) Glasgow, Bridgeton

The attention of the Scottish Office was called on the 13th instant to the case alluded to by the hon. Member and the Board of Trade was at once consulted. They are now considering the subject.