§ VISCOUNT TEMPLETOWNmoved, pursuant to Notice—
That in view of the enormous increase in the number of persons injured by the passage of vehicles in the streets during the year 1878 as compared notably with that of 1877 and the years preceding it, Her Majesty's Secretary of State for the Home Department be instructed to move the vestries of the several parishes of the Metropolis to erect central refuges in all such places as in the opinion of the superintendent of the police such shall be required for the protection of those passing on foot.
§ EARL BEAUCHAMPthought that their Lordships would hardly be disposed to accede to the Motion. He thought the noble Viscount was mistaken in thinking that there had been that enormous increase in the number of persons injured by the passage of vehicles in the streets of the Metropolis as was indicated in his Motion. On the contrary, the Returns presented to Parliament showed a considerable improvement in this respect. In respect of fatal accidents since 1869 down to the present time, the number had remained very much the same. In 1869, when the population of the Metropolis was 3,500,000, the number of fatal accidents was 182; and in 1877, when the population had increased to 4,500,000, it was 124. This was a great improvement when the great increase in the number of passengers was taken into consideration. The ordinary street accidents also had decreased within the specified period. The House would scarcely arrogate to itself the function proposed by the noble Viscount. The erection of those refuges was a matter for the Vestries, and it would be for the Secretary of State for the 961 Home Department to interfere if the Vestries did not discharge their duty in that respect.
§ LORD ABERDAREsaid, he wished to say a few words on the matter, because there was a mistaken idea abroad that preventable accidents in the streets were increasing. The fact was, that they had considerably decreased, because the number of those accidents had for several years remained about the same concurrently with a very large increase in the population. He wished their Lordships also to notice that the greater number of them did not happen in the most crowded and dangerous streets. The reason of this was that in such streets a larger force of police were employed to watch the vehicular traffic, and people were more careful. In Lambeth, in 1877, the number of fatal accidents was 1; in Whitehall, 1; in the district of St. James, 2; and in Westminster, 3; while in Stepney it was 15, and in Islington 10.
§ Motion (by leave of the House)withdrawn.