Lords Sitting of 7 February 1867

MINUTES.
Sat First in Parliament—The Marquess of Exeter, after the Death of his Father.
PUBLIC BILLS—First Reading—Masters and Operatives (3); Public Schools (4); Traffic Regulation (Metropolis)* (5); Lis pendens* (6).

MASTERS AND OPERATIVES BILL.

  PRESENTED. FIRST READING.
  LORD ST. LEONARDS presented a Bill for establishing courts of arbitration or conciliation for the settlement of disputes between masters and workmen. It is necessary, the noble Lord remarked, to take some steps for preventing the strikes which are so detrimental to our industry and manufactures. To put a stop to a strike by law, when once it has commenced, is perfectly impossible, because a state of war is then established between the master and his workmen, and this can be terminated by nothing but victory on the one side or the other. If, however, courts of conciliation are established, there can be no doubt that they will be freely resorted to, and that their action will tend both to
  80
  prevent and to arrange disputes. Under the Bill which he proposed to introduce, leave will be given to the masters and men in every district to establish such courts; but it will not be compulsory upon them to do so, nor even to submit to their jurisdiction when they are established. If, however, either masters or men do attend them, and do refer their disputes to them, then the decision pronounced by these tribunals will have judicial force and would be enforceable by law. The principle of the Bill has received the approval of a deputation of operatives representing 100,000 men engaged in the building trades of the metropolis, who had an interview with him a short time ago.
  A Bill to establish equitable Councils of Conciliation to adjust Differences between Masters and Operatives—Was presented by The Lord ST. LEONARDS; read 1a. (No. 3.)

PUBLIC SCHOOLS BILL.

  PRESENTED, FIRST READING.
  THE EARL OF DERBY, in laying on the table a Bill to give effect to the recommendations of the Royal Commission on Public Schools, stated that the measure was almost identical with that which had been introduced last year, but which was sent to the other House of Parliament at so late a period of the Session that it was found impossible to pass it into law.
  A Bill to make further Provision for the good government and Extension of certain Public Schools—Was presented by The Earl of DERBY; read 1a. (No. 4.)

ACCIDENTS IN COAL MINES.

  ADDRESS FOR A PAPER.
  THE EARL OF BELMORE THE EARL OF BELMORE moved—
  "That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty, for Copies of a Circular Letter from the Home Office to, and Reports from, the Inspectors of Mines to the Secretary of State for the Home Department as to the recent Accidents and Explosions in Coal Mines."
  LORD WHARNCLIFFE, in moving for further papers, said, he hoped he might regard the Motion of the noble Earl as an indication that the attention of the Government was directed to the important question of the inspection of mines. Living as he did in the neighbourhood of the scene of one of the recent calamities, he had given much consideration to the subject, and thought that the law ought to be amended so as to give inspectors of mines additional powers. In one instance which came

  81
  within his own knowledge a mine was supposed to be in a dangerous state. The person who was interested in it warned those who worked in it of the danger, and at the same time a letter was written to the Government inspector, who replied that nothing could be done in the matter. The number of inspectors at present existing was quite inadequate to the work to be performed. Instead of their visiting mines only when they were reported to be unsafe, every mine ought to be regularly and periodically inspected. He hoped that the Government would devote their attention to the subject, and would introduce the necessary amendments into the Act of Parliament.
  THE EARL OF BELMORE, in reply, said, that there would be no objection to produce the document desired by the noble Lord; and further stated that it was the intention of the Home Secretary to refer all the papers to the Committee of the House of Commons which sat last Session to inquire into the subject of the inspection of mines, and which it was intended to re-appoint this year. He entirely agreed with the noble Lord as to the insufficiency of the number of inspectors. Mr. Wynne, the inspector of the Staffordshire district, told him the other day that he had under his charge 300 or more collieries and 900 mines; and that he could never inspect more than three mines a day, and sometimes only one. It was therefore impossible that he could make an inspection of each of these mines as often even as once a year.
  Motion amended, and agreed to.
  Address for—
  Copies of a Circular Letter from the Home Office to, and Reports from, the Inspectors of Mines to the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the recent Accidents and Explosions in Coal Mines; together with the Letter of Instructions of 29th January 1867, from the Secretary of State for the Home Department to Mr. Sothern the recently appointed Inspector of Mines.—(The Earl of Belmore.)

TRAFFIC REGULATION (METROPOLIS) BILL [H.L.]
A Bill for regulating the Traffic in the Metropolis, and for making Provision for the greater Security of Persons passing through the Streets; and for other purposes—Was presented by The Earl of BELMORE; read 1a. (No. 5.)

LIS PENDENS BILL [H.L.]
A Bill to amend the Companies Act, 1862, and also the Act passed in the Session held in the
82
Twenty-third and Twenty-fourth Years of the Reign of Her Majesty, intituled "An Act to simplify and amend the Practice as to the Entry of Satisfaction on Crown Debts and on Judgments"—Was presented by The Lord ST. LEONARDS; read 1a. (No. 6.)
House adjourned at a quarter before Six o'clock, till To-morrow, a quarter before Five o'clock.