PUBLIC BUSINESS—BRAZIL. (Hansard, 16 February 1863)

§ THE EARL OF DERBY
A night or two ago a noble Friend of mine (the Earl of Powis) asked the noble Earl the President of the Council, what measures would be brought forward in this House before Easter. The noble Earl was not then in a position to give a definite aaswer, but he promised that in a short time he would give a list of those important measures—dimly shadowed forth in the Royal Speech— which were likely to occupy the attention of this House before Easter. I should not venture to press such a question if there appeared to be any preparation making, but I will make a much more modest inquiry. I will ask whether it is the intention of the Government to bring forward any measures in this House either before or after Easter? If the President of the Council would give us the slightest indication of the measures which are likely to come before us, it would be much to the convenience of your Lordships, who come down night after night for the purpose of doing nothing. If the noble Earl the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs had been in his place, I would also have asked him how soon we are likely to see the papers connected with recent affairs in Brazil, which very deservedly and very necessarily have excited a great deal of public attention. In the noble Earl's absence, I will not ask the Government for any expression of opinion on the subject; but I hope that when the papers are produced, the Government will be able to confute the impression which has been raised by the papers published by the Brazilian Government—that in the course he has pursued, in the demands he has made, in the manner of making them, and in the means employed to enforce them, Mr. Christie, our Minister, has acted under their authority and instructions. I hope the Government will be able to show that that is not the case; for certainly more unjustifiable proceedings never were taken by any representative of the Crown against a friendly Government than appear to have been taken by Mr. Christie, and I trust we shall hear that they have been disapproved by Her Majesty's Government.

§ EARL GRANVILLE
I am afraid it is 340 not at all a novel thing for your Lordships to be without much business at this period of the Session, and it certainly is not anything to be wondered at. I think I have heard the noble Earl himself lament the same fact, and state how great were the difficulties in introducing measures in your Lordships' House so early in the Session. My noble Friend near me (Lord Stanley of Alderley) has a Bill prepared on a subject in which the noble Earl himself took great interest last Session—the prevention of the pollution of rivers by noxious gases and other chemical ingredients, and it will be brought forward immediately. With regard to the papers inquired for by the noble Earl, the Foreign Secretary is not present, but I know that they are in course of preparation, and will be laid before Parliament immediately.

§ THE EARL OF DERBY
was glad to hear that it was intended to bring forward a Bill on this subject; but he wished to know whether it was intended to carry out all the recommendations of the Committee over which he had the honour to preside? It appeared from the noble Earl's statement that it was confined only to the injury done to rivers by noxious gases, although the evidence taken before the Committee last year referred in a great measure to the injury done to the surrounding country by noxious vapours.

§ LORD STANLEY OF ALDERLEY
said, that the Bill was limited to alkali works. It had been shown last year that it would be easy to provide a remedy against their evil effects, and the proprietors generally were not indisposed to accept regulations for the purpose.

§ THE EARL OF DERBY
recommended that the Government should take into their consideration the general state of the law of nuisances, which had been shown to be very conflicting, and which greatly required amendment and consolidation.

§ LORD STANLEY OF ALDERLEY
said, the Bill was confined to the questions submitted to the Committee- of last year.