Lords Sitting of 1 February 1881

METROPOLITAN WATER SUPPLY—THE WATER TRUST—LEGISLATION.

  QUESTION. OBSERVATIONS.
  THE EARL OF CAMPERDOWN,in rising to ask, Whether, considering the present condition of Public Business, it was not advisable to introduce in the House of Lords the Bill providing for the creation of a Metropolitan Water Trust? said, he did not know whether it was Constitutional for their Lordships to possess, or at all events to betray, any knowledge of the progress of Business in any other place than in that House; but it had been stated in the public journals—and there was some reason to believe the statement—that the progress of Public Business" else-
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  where" had been leisurely in the extreme. It had even been stated that Public Business in the other House had not commenced; but their Lordships found themselves in a different position. If it were true that hitherto discussion and not Business had been the rule in the other House, in their Lordships' House the very reverse had been the case, for they had transacted no Business; not because they were unwilling, but because of the dearth of Business with which they could proceed. There were many classes of Bills which were of such a nature that they could not be properly first brought before this House, and he had not been surprised the other night to hear the Government decline to introduce the Irish Coercion Bill and the Irish Land Bill in this House; but there were many measures of such a nature that they could well be introduced here, and the Metropolitan Water Trust Bill, it seemed to him, was one of those. The Home Secretary had given Notice, in "another place," of

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  his intention to bring in a Bill for the creation of a Metropolitan Water Trust, and he was sure that such a measure would he most thankfully received and carefully considered by Parliament. It was a subject which for very many years had been before their Lordships, and which had attracted very great attention among that very important body, the Metropolitan ratepayers; and he would go so far as to say that unless it was introduced into their Lordships' House, it would not pass Parliament this Session, or, at any rate, would not receive that amount of attention which, from the importance of the subject, it deserved. The subject of Metropolitan Water was originally introduced into their Lordships' House, and attention was called to it for several years before even it was considered by the Metropolitan ratepayers. In the present Session, at a time when their Lordships had nothing to do, it certainly seemed that a measure bearing on the question could with advantage be submitted to them; for they were, from their experience of Business, peculiarly well adapted to deal with it, and the Metropolitan ratepayers had every confidence in their judgment. The only argument that could be offered against the course he advocated was that the measure must be a rating measure; but nearly every Bill when resolved into its original elements would be found to be a rating Bill; and only last night the Government introduced a measure into their Lordships' House—the Prevention of Floods Bill—which would rate the whole country. Their Lordships had many critics, it was true, and one class of them made merry over their declaring that they met at 5 and adjourned at 5.15 or 5.30, or, as they were about to do that night, at 5.20. The reason they adjourned thus early was because they had not, up to the present time, invented a practice of making much talk and "much ado about nothing." At the present time, when they had disposed of the one Bill before them, they would find themselves in the happy position of having nothing to do. He did not, for himself, like that position, and felt certain that their Lordships would be glad to have some Business laid before them; therefore, he put the Question which appeared on the Notice Paper.
  The EARL of DALHOUSIE: I am sorry to be unable to give a categorical and explicit reply to the Question of my noble Friend. I am unable to do so for the simple reason that the matter is still under the consideration of the Secretary of State, and at the present moment he has arrived at no positive decision in regard to it. My noble Friend has given some excellent reasons why the Bill should be introduced into your Lordships' House; but there are one or two reasons pointing in the other direction, in addition to the one which was mentioned by my noble Friend. As I am unable, however, to give a positive answer, I do not see the necessity of wasting your Lordships' time in adverting to these reasons. I can only say, on the part of Her Majesty's Government, that the most careful attention will be given to the observations of my noble Friend.
  House adjourned at half past Five o'clock, to Thursday next, half past Ten o'clock.