HC Deb 17 July 1903 vol 125 cc1087-9

Considered in Committee.

(In the Committee.)

MR. CALDWELL (Lanarkshire, Mid.)

said there seemed to have been some misunderstanding with regard to the Bill. They were under the impression that what was intended to be dealt with under the Bill was the collection of money in the streets for charitable purposes. Some powers should be obtained whereby such collection should be prevented, as it was practically the same thing as begging. As he had pointed out on a previous occasion, this Bill was of a very limited character, but as he read it the measure was intended to go further. It did not deal with the point of street collections, but only with the question of regulating the traffic of horses, carts and carriages. They had expected that the Government would have availed themselves of other powers, as they might have done under the Act in Section 19, which related to the licensing of shoeblacks, and the exercise of similar callings. His object in intervening was not to find fault, but to point out that the Bill did not go far enough, and that they might have introduced a licensing clause such as no person was to publicly collect in the streets without getting an authority for the purpose. They should not allow any persons to go begging in the streets under the guise of a charitable purpose unless some one with authority coat rolled and looked after them. He was anxious that the Bill should go a little further, but if the Home Secretary could not see his way to act upon their suggestion, they would accept it as it was.

THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. AKERS DOUGLAS,) Kent, St. Augustine's

fully recognised the friendly attitude of the hon. Member towards the Bill, which had been introduced in consequence of remarks which had fallen from hon. Members on the other side of the House. At this time of the session it was only possible in meeting their demand to introduce a measure of small and uncontroversial character. This Bill met the demand, and it was thought that it would deal with the difficulty in a satisfactory manner. If it was found that there were not sufficient powers in it to deal with the questions raised by the hon. Member, and that they were serious, he would have to introduce a further Bill at a later date.

Bill reported, without Amendment; read the third time, and passed.