§ LORD KINNAIRD moved, that there be laid before the House the last Return submitted to the Town Council of Edinburgh by the Burgh engineer. He considered that in anticipation of the Public Health Bill, which would soon come before their Lordships, it would be instructive to them if they had the Report for which he had moved before them. He had been informed that Edinburgh was in such a shocking state, from a sanitary point of view, that the death-rate had increased very much, and that the insurance companies had it in contemplation to raise the rate of insurance on lives. He believed that the report of the Burgh engineer would show conclusively that further legislation was necessary. At the same time, he wished to say that he believed the existing Public Health Act of Scotland was in itself as complete and perfect as an Act of Parliament could be, the only thing wanting was the proper machinery to carry the Act out.
VISCOUNT MELVILLEsaid, he was surprised to hear that the Scotch insurance companies contemplated raising the rate of insurance on lives in Edinburgh. He did not doubt that the sanitary condition of Edinburgh required seeing after, but that the insurance companies had even thought of taking the action mentioned by the noble Lord was more than he could credit. At the same time, he quite agreed that improved machinery for carrying out the Public Health Act of Scotland was needed.
§ Motion agreed to.