SEEDS ADULTERATION BILL. (Hansard, 2 August 1869)

§ THE EARL OF DEVON

, in moving that the Bill be now read the second time, said, that its purpose was to repress by more effectual enactments than those at present in force the practice of adulterating seeds in fraud of the purchasers and to the great detriment of agriculture. As to the prevalence and extent of the practice he would only refer their Lordships to the evidence taken before the Select Committee to which the Bill had been referred by the House of Commons. The practices against which it was directed, and which prevailed extensively, were the sale of seed which had been "killed "by the action of fire, or by other artificial means by which it was deprived of the power of germination, and the sale of spurious seed which had been fraudulently coloured in imitation of genuine seed. Adulteration was carried on principally in turnip seed and clover seed, and in the interests of agriculture, and as affecting the food supplies of the country, it was important that it should be stopped. The penalty imposed for the commission of either of these kinds of fraud was for the first offence a penalty not exceeding £5; and for the second and any subsequent a penalty not exceeding £50; and in the 1077 latter cases the court were authorized in addition to cause the offender's name, business, place of abode, and the particulars of his offence to be published in any newspaper or in any other manner, at the offender's own expense.

THE EARL OF KIMBERLEY

said, he rather doubted the expediency of multiplying offences for the purpose of preventing practices such as those described. It might be that seeds were adulterated, and that farmers suffered in consequence; but he believed that in most cases they might by reasonable precaution protect themselves. He would not offer any opposition to the Bill, for though he did not think it likely to be of any particular use, he thought it would be harmless. In Committee he would propose certain Amendments, which he had submitted to his noble Friend opposite, and the object of which was to simplify the provisions of the Bill. He would take care that the Amendments were placed in the hands of their Lordships before the Bill went into Committee.