§ Order of the Day for the Second Reading read.
§ THE MARQUESS OF BREADALBANE moved the second reading of this Bill, the object of which he explained to be similar to that of the measure on the same subject which had been introduced for England.
§ LORD PANMUREconsidered this to be 795 one of the most useful and benevolent measures that had for a long period been brought before Parliament, as under its provisions there was the prospect of obtaining for the operative classes of Scotland a class of dwellings favourable to the promotion of both their moral and their sanitary improvement.
THE DUKE OF ARGYLLregarded the Bill as an important and valuable one, of the application of which no part of the kingdom stood more in need than Scotland, where the houses inhabited by large numbers of the poor were in an exceedingly dirty and ill-cared for condition, and in a state quite incompatible with decency. The clause in the Bill which enabled the association to improve those dwellings which were left in such a condition as to be a nuisance should, however, be modified so as to give the proprietors the option of improving them at their own expense.
§ LORD REDESDALEadmitted that Bills of this character might have an excellent object, but certainly more care was required in drawing them than appeared to have been bestowed in this case. The minimum number of partners who were to form the proposed associations for improving the dwellings of the poor was, for instance, fixed by the Bill as low as four, a number which would not be sufficient to guard against abuse of the important powers which the measure would confer.
§ Bill read 2a, and committed to a Committee of the whole House To-morrow.