§ MR. MACDONA (Southwark, Rotherhithe)I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether he is aware that 101 immigrants from cholera districts in Russia arrived in the Thames on 13th instant on the steamship Adler and 85 from Bremen; that the steamship Ellida with 26 from Libau also arrived in the Thames at the same time; whether he is aware that all these are Russian and Polish Jews, and most of them immigrants of the poorer class coming from cholera-stricken districts; whether the Government has given 1288 orders for the bedding and filthy rags coming with these immigrants to be disinfected or destroyed; and whether, while the danger of an outbreak of cholera exists, the Government will take such measures as will immediately prevent any further immigration of foreign paupers into this country?
§ MR. H. H. FOWLERI understand that Russian immigrants have been arriving in the Thames from Bremen, Memel, and Libau, and that the Medical Officer of the Port of London prohibited the landing of 75 of the 85 immigrants from Bremen and of the 26 from Libau, pending their furnishing satisfactory evidence as to their addresses. If the bedding and clothing of the immigrants are in a filthy state they could not be delivered outside or landed, except on conditions as to disinfection or destruction. From the point of view of public health, the measures embodied in the Board's Regulations, which the Board believe are most efficiently carried out in the Port of London, appear to be sufficient. I may add that the Local Government Board understand that the German Authorities retain under medical observation for seven days all Russian Jews crossing the frontier; two more days' detention generally takes place at Berlin, during which time they are cleansed and their clothing disinfected; and, finally, before proceeding to German outports, they are again medically inspected.