SECOND READING. (Hansard, 12 February 1867)

THE EARL OF BELMORE,
in moving that the Bill be now read the second time, said, that the necessity for legislation on this subject was shown by a Return which showed the number of persons killed and injured by being run over in the streets of London during the year 1865. In that portion of the town which fell under the supervision of the Metropolitan Police, the number of persons killed from the cause he had mentioned since January, 1865, to March, 1866, was 163; and in the City the number killed between the 1st of January, 1865, and the 26th of February, 1866, was 17. The number injured in the London Metropolitan Police district was 1,938, and in 275 the City 237. The Bill applied to all parts of London, including the City, within a radius of four miles from Charing Cross. The Bill necessarily consisted in a great degree of matters of detail, the principal of which he would mention to their Lordships. The first clause after the interpretation clauses prohibited, under a penalty of 40s., the removal of ashes, dust, or refuse from any house, or the sweeping of streets—except the removal of snow—between the hours of ten o'clock in the morning and seven in the evening. By the next clause it was provided that no coal, or casks, whether empty or full, should be loaded or unloaded on or across any footway within the metropolis—which as defined by the Bill meant the City of London and all parishes and places within the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Board of Works—except between the hours of one o'clock and ten in the morning, or in such back streets or other byways as might be approved by the Commissioners of Police; that no goods or other articles should be allowed to rest on any footway or other part of a street for a longer time than might be absolutely necessary for loading or unloading. As he had reason to believe that there would be a good deal of opposition to this clause, he pointed out that the public had an absolute right to the user of the foot pavement; and that although these provisions might cause a certain amount of inconvenience to individual interests, yet it was not unreasonable that those interests should give way to the general public good. It was likewise proposed by the Bill to prevent the driving of cattle through the streets between the hours of ten in the morning and seven in the evening without a licence from the Commissioners of Police. Another clause of the Bill contained a provision to prevent, without licence from the Police Commissioners, the driving along the streets carts laden with timber, iron, or other heavy goods, or with ladders, scaffolds, or poles, or other articles exceeding twenty-five feet in length, or any cart drawn by more than four horses, between the hours of ten in the morning and seven in the evening. With regard to the drivers of metropolitan stage carriages, it was provided that they should not stop to take up or set down except as near as possible to the left side of the roadway; there was a prohibition in the Bill against pictures, prints, boards, placards, or notices of any kind being carried or distributed by way of advertisement in any street by any person riding 276 in any vehicle, or on horseback, or on foot. There were certain clauses in the measure relating to "special limits," and by these it was provided that the Commissioners of Police, subject to the sanction, in the Metropolitan Police district, of the Home Secretary, and in the City of the Home Secretary with the approval of the Lord Mayor and Aldermen, might from time to time take any street or portion of any street out of the special limits of the Act, and might make regulations prohibiting any vehicles coming into such street for the purpose of only passing through, and might lay down the route for them to take. The time during which vehicles might be allowed to come into or remain in any street within the special limits for the purpose of loading and unloading was also prescribed, as well as the maximum speed at which vehicles and horses were to go, and the line to be kept by persons riding, driving, or walking. The second part of the Bill contained regulations with respect to hackney carriages. In future the driver of any hackney carriage drawn by one horse would be entitled to a fare of not less than 1s.; and he would be bound to furnish his vehicle with at least one lamp properly trimmed and lighted after sunset. He intended to propose some other clauses in Committee with a view of providing for the public the benefit of a superior kind of cab or vehicle of that description. It had been stated by the Commissioners of Inland Revenue that the cabs of London were very bad and were getting worse, and into the hands of a more needy body of men. There were certain detailed regulations with respect to hackney carriages with which he need not trouble the House. He should next advert to those provisions of the Bill which related to the removal of snow. It was provided that the "street authority," be it the vestry or any other body, shall with all practicable speed remove the snow which falls in the streets within its jurisdiction. If the street authority neglected the performance of that duty, besides a penalty, complaint may be made by any private individual to a magistrate, and a summons may be obtained from him calling upon the offenders to appear before him; and, if satisfied of the justice of the charge, he might make an order requiring the street authority to remove the snow within a limited period—three hours, for instance—or some such reasonable time. If that order were disregarded, then the complainant might apply for a further order to remove the 277 snow, authorizing him to employ persons for the purpose, and might, by a subsequent order to be called a pay order, recover the expenses of the work. The Bill went on to provide, with respect to dogs found straying about the streets, that they may be seized by the police and, if not claimed within three days, may be sold or destroyed; and upon complaint that any person has been bitten by any dog, the magistrate may direct the dog to be destroyed. There were besides certain miscellaneous provisions in the Bill relating to fairs, lamp-posts, and street-betting, with which he need not on that occasion trouble the House, and he would conclude by moving that it be read a second time.

§ LORD STANLEY OF ALDERLEY
thought that although some of the provisions in the Bill might be advantageously adopted for facilitating the traffic in the central and most crowded districts of the metropolis, they would operate very vexatiously if brought into general operation in the suburbs. The noble Lord was also understood to ask for information on some of the details of the clauses. A Bill, like that now before the House, full of minute details, would require much examination, and he suggested that it would be improved if it were referred in the first instance to a Select Committee.

THE MARQUESS OF WESTMEATH
called the attention of the House to the numerous deaths and the severe injuries to the person caused by the reckless driving of cabs and other one-horse vehicles in the metropolis; and he thought some provision, whether by way of giving the magistrates power to issue bye-laws, or in some other way, ought to be introduced into this Bill for the purpose of checking the evil of which he complained.

THE EARL OF BELMORE,
in reply, said, that if it was thought that the details of the measure would be better considered in a Select Committee than in the usual Committee of the Whole House, he should not object to its being so referred, though be did not at present see the necessity of adopting such a course. With respect to the alteration in the cab fares, the proposition was that no cab should be called off the stand at less than Is., but that the hirer should be at liberty to insist on being driven two miles for that sum. He saw no reason for altering the provision with regard to the four mile radius.

§ THE EARL OF ELLENBOROUGH
complained that the noise in their Lordships' House was so great that it was impossible to bear with any distinctness the statements of his noble Friend; but from what he could gather relative to the proposals submitted, they embraced many minute points of detail, which it would be impossible to discuss in that House, and therefore he agreed with his noble Friend (Lord Stanley of Alderley) that it would be expedient to send this Bill to a Select Committee.

THE EARL OF BELMORE
would not offer any further objection to that course, and would therefore consent to the Bill being now read a second time, with the view of its being so referred.

Ld. Privy Seal	K. De Grey
Ld. Steward	E. Granville
E. Tankerville	E. Kimberley
E. Graham	L. Methuen
E. Lucan	L. Stanley of Alderley
E. Belmore	L. Houghton.