§ THE EARL OF MALMESBURYsaid, he thought it was high time that the attention of the Government and of Parliament should be called to the dreadful accidents that had occurred so often of late from walking on the tight-rope. Within the last six months two persons had been killed, and a third so mutilated that he believed she had never been able to leave her bed since. If any proofs were wanted of the demoralizing effect of such exhibitions, their Lordships had only to read the account of what had occurred at Aston-park the other day. Not only did the fête go on after the accident, but it was deliberately determined by the Com- 1231 mittee that it was to continue, and a most unfeeling scene took place immediately after the death of the unfortunate woman. It had been said there was no law by which such things could be stopped; but he felt quite certain that they could, by the intervention of the police, who had power to prevent all improper exhibitions. The feats on such occasions would be quite as extraordinary if performed at ten or fifteen feet from the ground, and would not be dangerous. But he was informed the morbid feeling of the public was such, that if the rope were only ten or fifteen feet from the ground, no one would go to look at the performance. If that were so, it was clear that the danger to life was that which constituted the attraction. Somehow or other he thought that the Government might find means to prevent the repetition of these horrors, which shocked all civilized society, and, if continued, must greatly demoralize the lower classes.
§ EARL GRANVILLEsaid, he agreed with every word which the noble Earl had said as to the disgraceful character of these exhibitions, and regretted the morbid curiosity out of which they arose. His noble Friend was, however, slightly mistaken as to the power of the Government in these matters. All that the Home Secretary could do was to warn the authorities by whose permission these exhibitions took place of the dangerous nature of the performances, and to tell them that they exposed themselves to any legal responsibility which might attach to them in case of accidents. In many instances such warnings had been given, and had been attended to by the proprietors of the establishments at which the exhibitions were announced to take place. More than this the Government had not power to do, under the law as it now stood. Any alteration of the law must require grave consideration. For his own part, he thought that we must rely mainly upon public opinion for the suppression of these dangerous performances, and that an expression of strong condemnation in that House and elsewhere would have a more beneficial effect than the enactment of minute regulations.
§ THE EARL OF SHAFTESBURYsaid, that his noble Friend had done well to bring this subject before their Lordships. The whole interest in these exhibitions arose from the tremendous danger to which 1232 the party performing was exposed. If the rope was stretched only three feet from the ground, and plenty of sawdust was put underneath, he did not believe that you could find five persons in England who would pay to see the performance. He knew that there were great difficulties in the way of legislating upon this subject; but the Government did sometimes interfere—as, for instance, when Blondin proposed to wheel his daughter across the rope at the Crystal Palace. He (the Earl of Shaftesbury) called the attention of the Home Secretary to the matter; Sir George Grey wrote to the managers of the Crystal Palace, and this part of the exhibition was abandoned. These exhibitions demoralized the whole population. He concurred with his noble Friend (Earl Granville) in thinking that public opinion, strongly and constantly directed, would prove far more effective for the suppression than legislation, and there was no means so powerful for the direction of public opinion as that the press should comment with becoming severity—as he was happy to say that they appeared willing to do—upon these exhibitions, and that, whenever they occurred, they should be discussed both in that and the other House of Parliament. If that were done, he hoped that in time the tastes of the people would attain a greater refinement, and that they would show a greater regard for the limbs and lives of their fellow creatures.
§ EARL GRANVILLEsaid, that the instance which his noble Friend had mentioned was one of those to which he had alluded. In that case the Home Secretary had warned the directors of the Crystal Palace that they might be responsible for any accident which might occur, and in consequence the exhibition which had been announced did not take place.