PISTOLS BILL. (Hansard, 2 April 1903)

§ MR. HELME (Lancashire, Lancaster)
said he asked the House in the interests of public safety to pass the Second Reading of this Bill, which proposed to strengthen the law in order to prevent the sale of pistols to children and young persons, and thereby prevent the accidents that they heard of from time to time. There was scarcely a day that disastrous and fatal accidents from the use of pistols by young persons were not reported. Even to-day there was a report of the death of a child, shot by his brother. The principle of the Bill had met general approval outside the House, and with the support of the police and 1017 coroners. The Secretary to the Coroners' Society of England and Wales had written expressing his deep regret that the Bill of 1893 and later Bills had to be dropped, and assured him of their assistance in this endeavour. The police were also of opinion that a measure of this kind was needed; and the principle of the measure had been favoured by the opinions of His Majesty's Judges Grantham and Bingham, who from the Bench had spoken disapprovingly of the indiscriminate sale of revolvers, and stated that some restriction should be placed on the sale of toy pistols. In 1893, and in 1895, the House of Commons assented to the Second Reading of Bills for this purpose; but, through the accidents of Parliamentary procedure, they were later discarded. The hon. Member for West Leeds, Mr. H. J. Gladstone, when supporting this Bill said— Piles and piles of papers at the Home Office, including letters from Judges and Coroners, urged that some restrictive legislation should be passed in respect to pistols and toy pistols. The proposal in the present Bill was that whoever sold a pistol should keep a record of the sale, which record should be open to the police; and that a pistol should not be supplied to any person who was not able to produce a game licence, or a licence to carry a gun. With regard to children, it was proposed that no one under the age of sixteen should be able to purchase or hire a pistol. In order to meet the views of those who desired to avoid too great restrictions of the rights of the public, the Bill had been drafted in a very moderate form; and he hoped it would meet with the approval of those who were solicitous for the lives and safety of the people.

§ MR. WHITE RIDLEY (Stalybridge)
said, as one who had some share in drawing up the Bill, he wished to second the Motion. The promoters of the Bill had tried to take out anything that might interfere with the legitimate trade of gunmaking. It was provided that anyone who wished to purchase a pistol should produce the licence which he was compelled by law to have. Their only object was to prevent accidents, which happened very frequently, and which were caused by boys 1018 playing about with pistols. They had put in a provision which would prevent any complications arising in connection with cadet corps or small rifle corps. Section 4 would obviate any difficulty of that sort. In these circumstances he sincerely hoped the House would allow the Bill to pass and be referred to a Committee.

§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. AKERS DOUGLAS, Kent, St. Augustine's)
said that, as far as the Home Office was concerned, there was no objection to the Second Reading of the Bill. The hon. Members who had spoken in support of the Bill had submitted it to the consideration of the Department, and no objection was taken to the Second Reading. It was quite possible, however, that Amendments might have to be introduced in Committee, but he had no objection to offer at that stage.

§ SIR FREDERICK BANBURY
said he thought the Standing Committee on Trade would be better.

§ MR. HELME
said he had no objection to accept the suggestion.

§ MR. AKERS DOUGLAS
said it would be better to send the Bill to the Standing Committee on Law. Legal points of view would have to be considered; and, moreover, there was a great deal of work before the Standing Committee on Trade.