Commons Sitting of 19 August 1907

Preamble
The House met at a quarter before Three of the Clock.
NEW WRIT.
New Writ for the Borough of Bury St. Edmunds, in the room of Captain Frederick William Fane Harvey, now the Marquess of Bristol, called up to the House of Peers.—(Sir Alexander Acland-Hood.)
PRIVATE BILL BUSINESS.
Armagh Urban District Council Bill. Lords Amendments considered, and agreed to.

PRIVATE BILLS.
Ordered, That Standing Orders 220 and 246, relating to Private Bills be suspended for the remainder of the session.
Ordered, That, as regards Private Bills, to be returned by the House of Lords with Amendments, such Amendments, (if unopposed) shall be considered forthwith.
Ordered, That as regards Private Bills returned, or to be returned, by the House of Lords with Amendment, such Amendments (if opposed) shall be considered at such times as the Chairman of Ways and Means may determine.
Ordered, That, when it is intended to propose any Amendment thereto, a copy of such Amendments shall be deposited at the Private Bill Office, and notice given on the day on which the Bill shall have been returned from the Lords.—(The Chairman of Ways and Means.)
Dumbarton Burgh and County Tramways Order Confirmation Bill [Lords]. Dumbarton Burgh Order Confirmation Bill [Lords]. Read the third time and, passed, without Amendment.
York (Micklegate Strays) (recommitted) Bill [Lords]. Reported with Amendments, from the Select Committee.
Report to lie upon the Table and to be printed.
Minutes of Proceedings to be printed. [No. 320.]

MESSAGE FROM THE LORDS.
That they have agreed to—
Prisons (Ireland) Bill, without Amendment.
London County Council (General Powers) Bill, with Amendments.

RETURNS, REPORTS, ETC.
  GOVERNMENT LANDS IN BRITISH EAST AFRICA AND UGANDA.
  Return presented, relative thereto [Address 7th August;Mr. Wedgwood]; to lie upon the Table and to be printed. [No. 312.]
  LOSS OF LIFE AT SEA.
  Copy presented, of Return showing the lives lost by Wreck, Drowning, or other accidents in British sea-going Merchant Ships registered in the United Kingdom during the years 1891 to 1906, inclusive [by Command]; to lie upon the Table.
  DEATHS FROM STARVATION OR ACCELERATED BY PRIVATION (LONDON).
  Return presented, relative thereto [Address 12th March;Mr. Talbot]; to lie upon the Table, and to be printed. [No. 313.]
  APPOINTMENT OF JUSTICES (FEES).
  Return presented, relative thereto [Address 11th July;Mr. Herbert Samuel]; to lie upon the Table, and to be printed. [No. 314.]
  KING'S BENCH JUDGE.
  Return presented, relative thereto [Address 26th July;Mr. Herbert Craig]; to lie upon the Table, and to be printed, No. 315].
  HOMICIDE (PUNISHMENT IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES.)
  Return presented, relative thereto [Address 11th April;Mr. George Greenwood]; to lie upon the Table, and to be printed. [No. 316.]
  TRADE REPORTS (ANNUAL SERIES.)
  Copies presented, of Diplomatic and Consular Reports, Annual Series, Nos. 3903 to 3906 [by Command]; to lie upon the Table.
  LOCAL TAXATION ACCOUNT, 1906–7.
  Return presented, relative thereto [ordered 2nd August;Dr. Macnamara]; to lie upon the Table, and to be printed [No. 317.]

  LONDON (EQUALISATION OF RATES) ACT 1894 ACCOUNTS UNDER SECTION 1 (7) OF THE ACT.
  Return presented, relative thereto [ordered 12th August;Dr. Macnamara];
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  to lie upon the Table, and to be printed. [No. 318.]

  DUBLIN HOSPITALS.
  Copy presented, of Forty-ninth Report of the Board of Superintendence, with Appendices, for the year 1906–7 [by Command]; to lie upon the Table.
  PRISONS (IRELAND.)
  Copy presented, of Twenty-ninth Report of the General Prisons Board (Ireland) for 1906—7 with an Appendix [by Command]; to lie upon the Table.
  NATIONAL EDUCATION (IRELAND.)
  Copy presented, of Seventy-third Report of the Commissioners of National Education in Ireland, being for the year 1906–7 [by Command]; to lie upon the Table.
  EVICTIONS (IRELAND.)
  Copy presented, of Return of Evictions in Ireland for the quarter ended 30th June, 1907 [by Command]; to lie upon the Table.
  IRISH LAND COMMISSION (PROCEEDINGS.)
  Copy presented, of Return of Proceedings during the months of April, May, and June, 1907 [by Command]; to lie upon the Table.
  CUSTOMS.
  Copy presented, of Fifty-first Report of the Commissioners of Customs for the year ended 31st March, 1907 [by Command]; to lie upon the Table.
  PUBLIC WORKS LOAN ACT, 1875.
  Copy presented, of Further Regulations made by the Public Works Loan Commissioners [by Act]; to lie upon the Table.
  NAVY (CANTEEN AND VICTUALLING ARRANGEMENTS.)
  Copy presented, of Report of the Committee appointed to inquire into the question of the Canteen and Victualling Arrangements in his Majesty's Fleet [by Command]; to lie upon the Table.

  SUGAR CONVENTION.
  Address for "Return of the Petitions and Representations made by public bodies and private associations in India

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  upon the Sugar Convention."—(Sir Gilbert Parker.)

  ADJOURNMENT MOTIONS UNDER STANDING ORDER No. 10.
  Return ordered, "of Motions for Adjournment under Standing Order No. 10, showing the date of such Motion, the name of the Member proposing, the definite matter of urgent public importance, and the result of any Division

  1.

  2.

  3.

  4.

  5.

  6.

  Date when closure moved, and by whom.

  Question before House or Committee when moved.

  Whether in House or Committee.

  Whether assent given to Motion or withheld by Speaker or Chairman.

  Assent withheld because, in the opinion of the Chair, a decision would shortly at without that Motion.

  Result of Motion, and, if a Division, Numbers for and against.

  (in continuation of Parliamentary Paper No. 383, of session 1906); and (2) in the Standing Committees under the following heads:—

  1.

  2.

  3.

  4.

  5.

  6.

  Date when closure moved, and by whom.

  Question before House or Committee when moved.

  Standing Committee.

  Whether assent given to Motion or withheld by Chairman.

  Assent withheld because, in the opinion of the Chair, a decision would shortly be arrived at without that Motion.

  Result of Motion, and, if a Division, Numbers for and against.

  —(Mr. Caldwell.)

  PUBLIC BILLS.
  Return ordered, "of the number of Public Bills, distinguishing Government from other Bills, introduced into this House, or brought from the House of Lords, during session 1907; showing the number which received the Royal Assent; the number which were passed by this House, but not by the House of Lords; the number passed by the House of Lords, but not by this House; and distinguishing the stages at which such Bills as did not receive the Royal Assent were dropped or postponed and rejected in either House of Parliament (in continuation of Parliamentary Paper, No. 0.209, of session 1906)."—(Mr. Caldwell.)
  taken thereon during session 1907 (in continuation of Parliamentary Paper, No. 382, of session 1906)."—(Mr. Caldwell.)

  CLOSURE OF DEBATE (STANDING ORDER No. 26.)
  Return ordered, "respecting application of Standing Order No. 26 (Closure of Debate) during session 1907 (1) in the House and in Committee of the Whole House, under the following heads:—
  PUBLIC PETITIONS.
  Return ordered, "of the number of Public Petitions presented and printed in session 1907; with the total number of signatures in that year (in continuation of Parliamentary Paper, No. 0.227, of session 1906)."—(Mr. Caldwell.)

  SELECT COMMITTEES.
  Return ordered, "of the number of Select Committees appointed in session 1907 (including the Standing Committees of Law and Trade) and the Court of Referees; the subjects of inquiry; the names of the Members appointed to serve on each, and of the Chairman of each; the number of days each Committee met,

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  and the number of days each Member attended; the total expense of the attendance of witnesses at each Select Committee, and the name of the Member who moved for such Select Committee; also the total number of Members who served on Select Committees (in continuation of Parliamentary Paper, No. 0.226, of session 1906)"—(Mr. Caldwell.)

  STANDING COMMITTEES.
  Return ordered, "for the session of 1907, of (1) the total number and the names of all Members (including and distinguishing Chairmen) who have been appointed to serve on one or more of the four Standing Committees appointed under Standing Order No. 47, showing, with regard to each of such Members, the number of sittings at which he was present and the number of divisions in which he took part; and (2) the number of Bills considered by all and by each of the Standing Commitees, the number of days on which each Committee sat, and the names of all Bills considered by a Standing Committee, distinguishing where a Bill was a Government Bill or was brought from the House of Lords, and showing, in the case of each Bill, the particular Standing Committee by whom it was considered, the number of days on which it was considered by the Committee, and the number of Members present on each of those days."—(Mr. Caldwell.)
  POST OFFICE (EAST INDIA, CHINA, AND AUSTRALIAN MAILS).
  Return presented, relative thereto [ordered 19th August;Mr. Runciman] to lie upon the Table, and to be printed, [No. 311.]
  SITTINGS OF THE HUOSE.
  Return ordered, "of the number of days on which the House sat in Session 1907, stating for each day the date of the month and day of the week, the hour of the meeting, and the hour of adjournment; and the total number of hours occupied in the Sittings of the House, and the average time; and showing the number of hours on which the House sat each day, and the number of hours after eleven p.m.; and the number of entries in each day's Votes and Proceedings (in continuation of Parliamentary Paper, No 0.228, of Session 1906)."—(Mr. Caldwell.)
  BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE (DAYS OCCUPIED BY GOVERNMENT AND BY PRIVATE MEMBERS).
  Return ordered, "showing, with reference to Session 1907, (1) the number of sittings at which Government Business had precedence under the Standing Orders during the entire Sitting; (2) the number of Sittings on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at which precedence was given to Government Business up till 8.15 p.m. and to Private Members at 8.15 p.m., and the number of Sittings on Fridays at which Private Members had precedence under the Standing Orders; (3) the number of Sittings at which Government Business was given precedence under a special order of the House during the entire Sitting; (4) the number of Saturday Sittings; (5) the total number of Sittings at which Government Business had precedence; (6) the total number of days on which the House sat; and (7) the number of days on which Business of Supply was considered (in continuation of Parliamentary Paper, No. 384, of Session 1906."—(Mr. Caldwell.)

  PRIVATE BILLS AND PRIVATE BUSINESS.
  Return ordered, "of the number of Private Bills, Hybrid Bills, and Bills for confirming Provisional Orders introduced into the House of Commons and brought from the House of Lords, and of Acts passed in Session 1907, classed according to the following subjects:—Railways; Tramways; Tramroads; Subways; Canals and Navigation; Roads and Bridges; Water; Waterworks; Gas; Gas and Water; Lighting and Improvement; Police and Sanitary Regulations, Corporations, etc., not relating to Police and Sanitary Regulations or to Lighting and Improvement Schemes; Ports, Piers, Harbours, and Docks; Churches, Chapels, and Burying Grounds; Markets and Fairs; Gaols and other County Buildings; Inclosure and Drainage; Estate; Patent; Divorce; Naturalisation; Hospitals, Name, Legitimisation, and Miscellaneous;"
  "Of all the Private Bills, Hybrid Bills, and Bills for confirming Provisional Orders, which in Session 1907 have been reported on by Committees on Opposed Private Bills or by Committees nominated partly by the House and partly by the Committee of Selection, together with the names of the selected Members who served on each.

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  Committee; the first and also the last day of the sitting of each Committee; the number of days on which each Committee sat; the number of days on which each selected Member has served; the number of days occupied by each Bill in Committee; the Bills the Preambles of which were reported to have been proved; the Bills the Preambles of which were reported to have been not proved; and, in the case of Bills for confirming Provisional Orders whether the Provisional Orders ought or ought not to be confirmed;"
  "Of all Private Bills and Bills for confirming Provisional Orders which in Session 1907 have been referred by the Committee of Selection, or by the General Committee on Railway and Canal Bills, to the Chairman of the Committee of Ways and Means, together with the names of the Members who served on each Committee; the number of days on which each Committee sat; and the number of days on which each Member attended;"
  "And, of the number of Private Bills, Hybrid Bills, and Bills for confirming Provisional Orders withdrawn or not proceeded with by the parties, those Bills being specified which have been referred to Committees and dropped during the sittings of the Committee (in continuation of Parliamentary Paper, No. 0.224, of Session 1906)."—(Mr. Caldwell.)

  RESIDENT MAGISTRATES (IRELAND)
  Return ordered, "showing the former vocation of all Resident Magistrates now serving in Ireland, as in Parliamentary Paper No. 262, of Session 1895, together with date of appointment, age, and present salaries."—(Mr. Jeremiah MacVeagh.)
  POST OFFICE (EAST INDIA, CHINA, AND AUSTRALIAN MAILS).
  Copy ordered, "of Contract dated the 7th day of August, 1907, between the Postmaster-General and the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company for the conveyance of the East India, China, and Australian Mails for the period from the first day of February, 1908, to the 31st day of January, 1915, together with a Copy of a Treasury Minute thereon, dated the 15th day of August, 1907."—(Mr. Runciman.)