§ MR. DILLONI beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether he is now in a position to make a statement as to the measures which have been adopted by the Government for the relief of the people of Martinique and St. Vincent, 387 and whether his attention has been called to the precedent of the earthquake of Lisbon, on 24th November, 1755, when this House, on a message from the King, voted £100,000 to the relief of the sufferers by that disaster.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI am well aware of the precedent. I think it was in 1755. That is not a very recent date, nor has it any very special relevance to the present subject. With regard to St. Vincent, the hon. Member will have noted that the Lord Mayor has consented to open a relief fund at the Mansion House. Canada, Jamaica, the neighbouring West India islands, and Mauritius have already given or promised help in money or in kind, and I do not doubt but that other colonics will be equally generous. In addition, the, Governor has already been authorised to spend what he considers to be necessary, and His Majesty's Government, without naming at this moment any definite sum, are prepared to supplement the contributions from other sources to whatever extent may be deemed necessary, and to augment to that extent the small West India deficit grant which is annually voted by this House. I ought to add that in the above I have not taken account of the most sympathetic manner in which the United States Government have—to use their own language—
Expressed their desire to share in the work of aid and rescue.As to the exact manner in which this offer can best be accepted, the Governor of the Windward Islands is being consulted. With regard to Martinique, Lord Lansdowne, on May 12th, telegraphed to our Ambassador at Paris, to say that—It would give His Majesty's Government pleasure to afford assistance in any manner which might be found convenient to the sufferers by the Martinique calamity. If we can do this by the loan of medical officers, or by gift of such supplies or medical comforts as can be provided from British possessions in the neighbourhood, we are prepared to act at once.
§
To this the French Government have replied that they—
Accept with gratitude the offer of His Majesty's Government to send provisions and medical comforts to Martinique from neighbouring British possessions.
§ MR. DILLONDo I understand that the Governor of the Windward Islands has been authorised to expend public money to any extent he may think necessary? I would ask the right hon. Gentleman also to state whether that expenditure will apply both to Martinique and St. Vincent. I think it would be a very unfortunate thing if a distinction were drawn.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURIn the nature of the case there must be a distinction drawn between our own colonies and the colonies of other countries. We are prepared, as I have said, to give assistance by the loan of medical officers, and the gift of medical comforts and of provisions, to the sufferers at Martinique. As regards the first question, the hon. Gentleman has accurately interpreted the answer I gave.
§ MR. DILLONthen rose in his place, and asked leave to move the Adjournment of the House for the purpose of discussing a definite matter of urgent public importance, viz.—
The refusal of the Government to take adequate steps to relieve the surviving inhabitants of Martinique.but the pleasure of the House not having been signified, Mr. Speaker called on those Members who supported the Motion to rise in their places, and less than forty Members, but more than ten having, accordingly risen, and a division being claimed,
§ (2.49.) Question put, "That leave be given to move that this House do now adjourn. "
§ The House divided:—Ayes, 54; Noes, 124. (Division List No. 175.)
389| AYES. | ||
| Abraham, William (Cork, N. E | Crean, Eugene | Goddard, Daniel Ford |
| Allen, Charles P. (Glouc, Stroud | Cremer, William Randal | Hayden, John Patrick |
| Barry, E. (Cork, S.) | Delany, William | Hemphill, Rt. Hon. Charles H. |
| Boland, John | Doogan, P. C. | Horniman, Frederick John |
| Caine, William Sproston | Duncan, J. Hastings | Jones, William (Carnarvon) |
| Caldwell, James | Ffrench, Peter | Joyce, Michael |
| Campbell, John (Armagh, S.) | Flavin, Michael Joseph | Leese, Sir Joseph F. (Accrington |
| Channing, Francis Allston | Flynn, James Christopher | Levy, Maurice |
| Lundon, W. | O'Brien, P. J. (Tipperary, N.) | Thomson, F. W. (York, W. R.) |
| MacDonnell, Dr. Mark A. | O'Kelly, Conor (Mayo, N.) | Warner, Thomas Courtenay T. |
| MacNeill, John Gordon Swift | O'Kelly, J. (Roscommon, N.) | Weir, James Galloway |
| MacVeagh, Jeremiah | Power, Patrick Joseph | Whitley, J. H. (Halifax) |
| M'Fadden, Edward | Reddy, M. | Wilson, John (Durham, Mid.) |
| Mansfield, Horace Rendall | Redmond, John E.(Waterford) | Woodhouse, Sir J. T. (Huddersf'd |
| Murnaghan, George | Roberts, John H. (Denbighs.) | |
| Nannetti, Joseph P. | Robertson, Edmund (Dundee) | |
| Norton, Capt. Cecil William | Roche, John | TELLERS FOR THE AYES— |
| Nussey, Thomas Willans | Roe, Sir Thomas | Mr. Dillon and Mr. Patrick O'Brien. |
| O'Brien, James F. X. (Cork) | Sheehan, Daniel Daniel | |
| O'Brien, K. (Tipperary, Mid.) | Sullivan, Donal | |
| NOES. | ||
| Acland-Hood. Capt. Sir Alex. F. | Fergusson, Rt Hn. Sir J. (Manc'r | More, Robt. Jasper (Shropshire |
| Agnew, Sir Andrew Noel | Fielden, Edward Brocklehurst | Morton, Arthur H. A. (Deptford |
| Allhusen, Augustus Henry E. | Finlay, Sir Robert Bannatyne | Mount, William Arthur |
| Archdale, Edward Mervyn | Fisher, William Hayes | Murray, Rt Hn A. Graham (Bute |
| Arkwright, John Stanhope | Fletcher, Rt. Hon. Sir Henry | O'Neill, Hon Robert Torrens |
| Arrol, Sir William | Foster, Philip S.(Warwick, S. W | Palmer, Walter (Salisbury) |
| Austin, Sir John | Fuller, J. M. F. | Pease, Herb. Pike (Darlington) |
| Baldwin, Alfred | Galloway, William Johnson | Percy, Earl |
| Balfour, Rt. Hon. A. J. (Manch'r | Gardner, Ernest | Pilkington, Lt.-Col. Richard |
| Balfour, Rt. Hn Gerald W (Leeds | Gorst, Rt. Hon. Sir John Eldon | Plummer, Walter R. |
| Bartley, George C. T. | Goulding, Edward Alfred | Purvis, Robert |
| Beach, Rt. Hn Sir Michael Hicks | Greene, Sir E W (B'ry Sedm'nds | Randles, John S. |
| Beresford, Lord Chas. William | Gretton, John | Renshaw, Charles Bine |
| Bignold, Arthur | Hain, Edward | Rickett, J. Compton |
| Boscawen, Arthur Griffith- | Halsey, Rt. Hon. Thomas F. | Ridley, Hn. M. W. (Stalybridge |
| Boulnois, Edmund | Hamilton, Rt. Hn Lord G. (Mid'x | Rigg, Richard |
| Bowles, T. Gibson (King's Lynn | Hanbury, Rt. Hon. Robert Wm. | Ritchie, Rt. Hn. Chas. Thomson |
| Brodrick, Rt. Hon. St. John | Hare, Thomas Leigh | Roberts, Samuel (Sheffield) |
| Brookfield, Colonel Montagu | Hayne, Rt. Hon. Charles Seale- | Rolleston, Sir John F. L. |
| Brotherton, Edward Allen | Heaton, John Henniker | Ropner, Colonel Robert |
| Buxton, Sydney Charles | Helme, Norval Watson | Russell, T. W. |
| Campbell, Rt. Hn. J. A (Glasgow | Hickman, Sir Alfred | Rutherford, John |
| Campbell-Bannerman, Sir H. | Hoare, Sir Samuel | Samuel, Harry S. (Limehouse) |
| Carson, Rt. Hon. Sir Edw. H. | Hobhouse, Henry (Somerset, E. | Shaw, Thomas (Hawick B.) |
| Cavendish, V. C. W Derbyshire | Hope, J. F. (Sheffi'ld, Brightside | Simeon, Sir Barrington |
| Cecil, Evelyn (Aston Manor) | Horner, Frederick William | Sinclair, John (Forfarshire) |
| Cecil, Lord Hugh (Greenwich) | Jebb, Sir Richard Claverhouse | Sinclair, Louis (Romford) |
| Chamberlain, Rt. Hon. J. (Birm. | Johnstone, Heywood (Sussex) | Smith, James Parker (Lanarks. |
| Chamberlain, J. Austen (Worc. | Lawson, John Grant | Spear, John Ward |
| Coghill, Douglas Harry | Legge, Col. Hon. Heneage | Stone, Sir Benjamin |
| Cohen, Benjamin Louis | Leveson-Gower, Fredk. N. S. | Talbot, Rt Hn J. G. (Oxf'd Univ. |
| Collings, Rt. Hon. Jesse | Loder, Gerald Walter Erskine | Thomas, F. Freeman-(Hastings |
| Colomb, Sir John Charles Ready | Long, Col. Charles W. (Evesham | Tuke, Sir John Batty |
| Cranborne, Viscount | Long, Rt. Hn. Walter (Bristol, S) | White, Luke (York, E. R.) |
| Davies, M. Vaughan-(Cardigan | Lowther, Rt. Hon. James (Kent) | Whittaker, Thomas Palmer |
| Denny, Colonel | Lowther, Rt Hn J W (Cum. Penr | Wills, Sir Frederick |
| Dewar, John A. (Inverness-sh. | Lucas, Col. Francis (Lowestoft) | Wilson, John (Glasgow) |
| Dixon-Halland, Sir Fr'd Dixon | Macdona, John Cumming | Wodehouse, Rt. Hn E. R.(Bath) |
| Dorington, Sir John Edward | M'Arthur, Charles (Liverpool) | |
| Douglas, Rt. Hon. A. Akers- | M'Killop, James (Stirlingshire) | |
| Fardell, Sir T. George | Maxwell, W. J. H. (Dumfrie-shire | TELLERS FOR THE NOES— |
| Farquharson, Dr. Robert | Middlemore, J'hn Throgmorton | Sir William Walrond and |
| Fellowes, Hon. Ailwyn Edward | Mitchell, William | Mr. Anstruther. |