HL Deb 09 August 1878 vol 242 cc1630-1

House in Committee (according to Order).

Clauses 1 to 5, inclusive, agreed to.

Clause 6 (Power to local authorities to make orders as to hours during which locomotives may pass over roads).

LORD DENMAN

moved an Amendment, of which Notice was given, to omit the words "during eight consecutive hours only." He felt sure that the authorities were most anxious to give every facility to the transit of steam engines, especially in an agricultural county, and that they might safely have discretionary power.

THE DUKE OF RICHMOND AND GORDON

said, that he gave his noble Friend every credit for proposing an Amendment which he thought would be a bonâfide improvement of the Bill; but it was necessary that the words which he proposed to deal with should remain in the clause, because, on communicating with the road authorities, it was decided that there must be a certain portion of the day during which the locomotives must work upon the roads, and therefore it was absolutely necessary that power should be given to them to do so in this clause.

LORD DENMAN

said, that it had recently been the custom to propose Amendments on the third reading which had been rejected in Committee, and he hoped the noble Duke would not think him disrespectful if he again proposed his Amendment at the next stage of the Bill.

THE DUKE OF RICHMOND AND GORDON

said, that the words were precisely the same as those in the Highways Bill they had just passed, and that it would be very unadvisable to have the two systems in reference to highways.

LORD FORBES

considered that the Amendment proposed by the noble Lord should not be pressed at so late a period of the Session, and he certainly thought that it would be desirable that the periods of time during which these engines were not permitted to work on the roads should be divided. He therefore thought that the limit of time during which they should not be allowed to work should be altered from eight consecutive hours within the 24 hours, to four hours in the earlier part of the day and four hours in the later part of the day. By adopting that principle, a really useful measure would be passed.

Amendment negatived.

Clause agreed to.

Remaining clauses agreed to.

Bill reported, without Amendment; and to be read 3a on Monday next.