§ MR. SOARES (Devonshire,) Barnstaplein introducing a Bill to amend the Motor-Car Act of 1903, said he introduced this Bill under the ten minutes rule because, although it was a short and simple Bill, it was still, he ventured to think, one of considerable importance. It was introduced because of the debate which took place in the House a week or two ago. In that debate there was one very striking feature, namely, that all speakers, whatever view they took on other matters, were unanimous on one point. It was that something should be done with regard to "road hogs." What was a "road hog" These "road hogs" he ventured to think were defined by the first clause of the Motor-Car Act, which prescribed certain penalties for a man who recklessly, negligently, or dangerously drove a motor-car. Experience had proved fines were no deterrent to these gentlemen. They paid them and cared nothing more about it, hence he desired to alter the law in one particular only. Under Clause 1 of the Motor Act, 1903, which enacted the penalties for dangerous and reckless driving, on conviction for a first offence a magistrate had power to impose a penalty of £20, and on conviction of a second offence a penalty of £50 or three months imprisonment. He proposed to alter the law with reference to the first offence, and he proposed to give the magistrates power to inflict a fine of £20 or imprisonment for one month. This Bill had nothing whatever to do with the question of speed 386 limit. He left that entirely as it was at present, so neither the Prime Minister nor the Attorney-General nor the Secretary of the Board of Education need alarmed. He was quite sure if the Bill were adopted it would prove effective, because experience had shown that although these men did not mind running the risk of a fine they would think a longtime before they risked imprisonment He had endeavoured to be scrupulously fair in the Bill, and he had introduced a clause giving the same power of appeal in case of a savage sentence as was given under the Motor-Car Act. He did not, however, think they need fear that magistrates would act in a savage manner. In the debate the other day no complaint had been made with regard to the magistrates, and he had a letter in his pocket at that moment complaining not of the severity but of the leniency of the magistrates. If the Bill became law, he provided that it should come into force on September 1st, and it would continue as long as the Motor-Car Act of 1903. It was in no sense an anti-motor Bill, because it was backed by no lass the six Gentlemen who owned motors and took a keen interest in motoring. He appealed to the Government to assist in securing the passage of the Bill, expressing the hope that they would not shelter themselves behind the Committee to be appointed, a Committee which nobody wanted and which many thought was only being set up for the purpose of delay, and stating that if nothing were done now things would have to remain as they were till 1907, and the terrible accidents of which they read would continue to occur. He hoped also the Bill would not be blocked by any private Members, and he declared that if it were, on those hon. Members' shoulders would largely rest the responsibility for the accidents, loss of lives, and public anxiety, which were now prevalent throughout the country.
§ Motion made, and Question proposed, "That leave be given to bring in a Bill to amend The Motor-Car Act, 1903."
§ MR. SCOTT-MONTAGU (Hampshire, New Forest)had nothing really to say against the propositions advanced by the 387 hon. Member for Barnstaple. At the same time it must not be forgotten that there was undeniably a prejudice against motor-cars in many districts, and it would be dangerous to put these stringent powers in the hands of some magistrates who, like Canon Greenwell, of Durham, were so prejudiced against cars. The existing powers were very strong; not only could a fine of £10 be inflicted for a first offence, but the licence could be suspended. He thought the House would do well to await the result of the inquiry promised by the Local Government Board. While he and his hon. friends were prepared to consider the
§ Bill he could not promise an easy passage for it.
MR. GIBSON BOWLES (Lynn Regis)asked if he would be in order in moving the adjournment of the debate.
§ MR. SPEAKERsaid a discretion was with the Speaker whether he should put the Question that leave be given or a Motion for adjournment.
§ Question put.
§ The House divided:—Ayes, 222; Noes,)S. (Division List No. 217.)
389| AYES | ||
| Abraham, William (Cork, N. E | Disraeli, Coningsby Ralph | Houldsworth, Sir Wm. Henry |
| Acland-Hood, Capt. Sir Alex. F. | Donelan, Captain A. | Howard, John (Kent Faversham |
| Agnew, Sir Andrew Noel | Doogan, P. C. | Howard, J. (Midd., Tottenham |
| Allen, Charles P. | Dorington, Rt. Hn. Sir John E. | Hudson, George Bickersteth |
| Atherley-Jones, L. | Douglas, Rt. Hon. A. Akers- | Hunt, Rowland |
| Bagot, Capt. Josceline Fitz Roy | Duffy, William J. | Hutchinson, Dr. Charles Fredk. |
| Bain, Colonel James Robert | Edwards, Frank | Hutton, Alfred E. (Morley) |
| Barry, E. (Cork, S.) | Ellice, Capt EC (S. Andrw'sBghs | Jacoby, James Alfred |
| Bartley, Sir George C. T. | Ellis, John Edward (Notts.) | Jones, Lief (Appleby) |
| Bathurst, Hon. Allen Benjamin | Evans, Samuel T. (Glamorgan) | Jordan, Jeremiah |
| Benn, John Williams | Faber, Edmund B. (Hants, W.) | Joyce, Michael |
| Bignold, Sir Arthur | Earrell, James Patrick | Kennedy, P. J. (Westmeath, N.) |
| Black, Alexander William | Fenwick, Charles | Kenyon-Slaney, Rt. Hn. Col. W. |
| Blake, Edward | Fergusson, Rt. Hn. SirJ. (Manc'r. | Kilbride, Denis |
| Boland, John | Ffrench, Peter | Knowles, Sir Lees |
| Boulnois, Edmund | Field, William | Lambert, George |
| Brigg, John | Finch, Rt. Hon. George H. | Lamont, Norman |
| Broadhurst, Henry | Findlay, Alexander (Lanark, NE | Langley, Batty |
| Bryce, Rt. Hon. James | Firbank, Sir Joseph Thomas | Law, Hugh Alex. (Donegal, W.) |
| Buchanan, Thomas Ryburn | FitzGerald, Sir Robert Penrose | Lawson, Hn. H. L. W. (Mile End) |
| Burke, E. Haviland | Flavin, Michael Joseph | Lawson, Sir Wilfrid (Cornwall) |
| Burt, Thomas | Flower, Sir Ernest | Layland-Barratt, Francis |
| Buxton, SydneyCharles (Poplar | Flynn, James Christopher | Leese, SirJoseph F. (Accrington |
| Caldwell, James | Fowler, Rt. Hon. Sir Henry | Legge, Col. Hon. Heneage |
| Cameron, Robert | Fuller, J. M. F. | Leigh, Sir Joseph |
| Campbell, John (Armagh, S.) | Galloway, William Johnson | Lewis, John Herbert |
| Campbell-Bannerman, Sir H. | Gilhooly, James | Long, Col. Chas. W. (Evesham) |
| Carson, Rt. Hon. Sir Edw. H. | Gladstone. Rt. Hn. Herbert John | Lough, Thomas |
| Causton, Richard Knight | Goddard, Daniel Ford | Loyd, Archie Kirkman |
| Chapman, Edward | Gordon, Hn. J. E (Elgin & Nairn) | Lucas, Col. Francis (Lowestoft) |
| Cheetham, John Frederick | Gordon, J. (Londonderry, S.) | Lucas, Reginald J. (Portsmouth) |
| Clancy, John Joseph | Gordon, Maj. Evans (T'rH'mlets | Lundon, W. |
| Clive, Captain Percy A. | Gore, Hon. S. F. Ormsby- | Macdona, John Cumming |
| Cogan, Denis J. | Gorst, Rt. Hon. Sir John Eldon | Macnamara, Dr. Thomas J. |
| Condon, Thomas Joseph | Grant, Corrie | MacNeill, John Gordon Swift |
| Corbett, A. Cameron (Glasgow) | Greene, Henry D. (Shrewsbury) | MacVeagh, Jeremiah |
| Corbett, T. L. (Down, North) | Halsey, Rt. Hon. Thomas F | M'Calmont, Colonel James |
| Craig, Robert Hunter (Lanark) | Hammond, John | M'Killop, W. (Sligo, North) |
| Crean, Eugene | Hare, Thomas Leigh | Malcolm, Ian |
| Crombie, John William | Harrington, Timothy | Mansfield, Horace Rendall |
| Cullinan, J. | Hay, Hon. Claude George | Maxwell, W. J. H. (Dumfriesshir. |
| Dalrymple, Sir Charles | Hayden, John Patrick | Meysey-Thompson, Sir H. M. |
| Dalziel, James Henry | Hayter, Rt. Hon. Sir Arthur D. | Middlemore, JohnThrogmorton |
| Davenport, William Bromley | Helme, Norval Watson | Morgan, J. Lloyd (Carmarthen) |
| Davies, Alfred (Carmarthen) | Hemphill, Rt. Hon. Charles H. | Morton, Arthur H. Aylmer |
| Delany, William | Higham, John Sharp | Murphy, John |
| Devlin, Chas. Ramsay (Galway | Holland, Sir William Henry | Murray, Col. Wyndhm (Bath) |
| Devlin, Joseph (Kilkenny, N.) | Hope, J. F. (Sheffield, Brightside | Nannetti, Joseph P. |
| Dilke, Rt. Hon. Sir Charles | Hope, John Deans (Fife, West) | Nolan, Joseph (Louth, South) |
| Norton, Capt. Cecil William | Ridley, S. Forde | Toulmin, George |
| Nussey, Thomas Willans | Roberts, John H. (Denbighs.) | Trevelyan, Charles Philips |
| O'Brien, Kendal(Tipperary, Mid | Roche, Augustine (Cork) | Tuff, Charles |
| O'Brien, Patrick (Kilkenny) | Roche, John (Galway, East) | Ure, Alexander |
| O'Connor, James(Wicklow, W.) | Rollit, Sir Albert Kaye | Valentia, Viscount |
| O'Connor, John (Kildare, N.) | Runciman, Walter | Vincent, Col. Sir C. EH (Sheffield |
| O'Donnell, John (Mayo, S.) | Russell, T. W. | Waldron, Laurence Ambrose |
| O'Donnell T. (Kery, W.) | Rutherford, W. W. (Liverpool) | Wallace, Robert |
| O'Dowd, John | Samuel, Herbert L (Cleveland) | Walrond, Rt. Hn. Sir William H. |
| O'Kelly, Conor (Mayo, N.) | Samuel, S. M. (Whitechapel) | Walton, John Lawson (Leeds, S. |
| O'Kelly, James(Roscommon, N | Sheehan, Daniel Daniel | Wason, Eugene (Clackmannan) |
| O'Malley, William | Sheehy, David | Wason, John Cathcart (Orkuey) |
| O'Shaughnessy, P. J. | Shipman, Dr. John G. | Welby, Lt.-Col. A. C. E. (Taunton |
| Parker, Sir Gilbert | Sloan, Thomas Henry | White, Luke (York, E. R.) |
| Parrott, William | Smith, RtHn J. Parker (Lanarks | Whiteley, George (York, W. R.) |
| Partington, Oswald | Soames, Arthur Wellesley | Whiteley, H. (Ashton und. Lyne |
| Peel, Hn. Wm. Robert Wellesley | Spencer, Rt. Hn. C. R. (Northants | Wilson, John (Durham, Mid.) |
| Plummer, Sir Walter R. | Stanhope, Hon. Philip James | Wilson, John (Falkirk) |
| Powell, Sir Francis Sharp | Stanley, Hn. Arthur Ormskirk | Wilson, J. W. (Worcestersh. N.) |
| Power, Patrick Joseph | Stirling-Maxwell, Sir John M. | Woodhouse, Sir JT. (Huddersf'd |
| Price, Robert John | Stone, Sir Benjamin | Wortley, Rt. Hn. C. B. Stuart |
| Reddy, M. | Sullivan, Donal | Wyndham-Quin, Col. W. H. |
| Redmond, John E. (Waterford) | Taylor, Austin (East Toxteth) | Young, Samuel |
| Reid, J'ames (Greenock) | Taylor, Theodore C. (Radcliffe) | |
| Renwick, George | Tennant, Harold John | TELLERS FOR THE AYES— Mr. Soares and Mr. Allhusen. |
| Richards, Thomas | Thomson, F. W. (York, W. R.) | |
| NOES | ||
| Agg-Gardner, James Tynte | Fellowes, RtHn. AilwynEdward | Myers, William Henry |
| Arnold-Forster, Rt. Hn. Hugh O | Fison, Frederick William | Palmer, Sir Walter (Salisbury) |
| Arrol, Sir William | Forster, Henry William | Pemberton, John S. G. |
| Aubrey-Fletcher. Rt. Hn. Sir H. | Foster, Philip S. (Warwick, S. W. | Rasch, Sir Frederick Carne |
| Bailey, James (Walworth) | Garfit, William | Renshaw, Sir Charles Bine |
| Balcarres, Lord | Hamilton, Marq. of. (L'nd'nderry | Rose, Charles Day |
| Bhownaggree, Sir M. M. | Haslam, Sir Alfred S. | Sackville, Col. S. G. Stopford |
| Bowles, T. Gibson(King's Lynn | Heath, Sir James (Staffords. NW | Sadler, Col. Samuel Alexander |
| Bright, Allan Heywood | Hutton, John (Yorks. N. R.) | Samuel, Sir Harry S. (Limehouse |
| Brymer, William Ernest | Jebb, Sir Richard Claverhouse | Sharpe, William Edward T. |
| Campbell, Rt. Hn. J. A. (Glasgow | Jones. DavidBrynmor (Swansea | Stroyan, John |
| Campbell, J. H. M(Dublin Univ. | Kennedy, Vincent P. (Cavan, W. | Tomlinson, Sir Wm. Edw. M. |
| Cavendish, V. C. W. (Derbyshire | Levy, Maurice | Tuke, Sir John Batty |
| Cecil, Lord Hugh (Greenwich) | Lowe, Francis William | Turnour, Viscount |
| Cohen, Benjamin Louis | Maconochie, A. W. | Williams, Colonel R. (Dorset) |
| Colomb, Rt. Hn. Sir John C. R. | M'lver. Sir Lewis (Edinburgh W | Wilson, A. Stanley (York, E. R.) |
| Cross, Herb. Shepherd (Bolton) | M'Killop, James (Stirlingshire | |
| Denny, Colonel | Manners, Lord Cecil | TELLERS FOR THE NOES— Mr. Scott Montagu and Mr. Lonsdale. |
| Doxford, Sir William Theodore | Marks, Harry Hananel | |
| Elibank, Master of | Milvain, Thomas | |
| Taber, George Denison (York) | Murray, Charles J. (Coventry) |
§ Bill ordered to be brought in by Mr. Soares, Mr. Allhusen, Mr. Cawley, Mr. Cameron Corbett, Mr. Fuller, Mr. Lambert, Mr. Lyell, Mr. Nussey, Mr. Philipps, Mr. Eemnant, Mr. Spear, and Mr. Wills.