Lords Sitting of 25 August 1883

MINUTES.
PUBLIC BILLS—Royal Assent—Consolidated Fund (Appropriation) [46 & 47 Vict. c. 50]; Statute Law Revision [46 & 47 Vict. c. 39]; Public Health Act, 1875, (Support of Sewers), Amendment [46 & 47 Vict. c. 37]; Statute Law Revision and Civil Procedure [46 & 47 Vict. c. 49]; Trial of Lunatics [46 & 47 Vict. c. 38]; Expiring Laws Continuance [46 & 47 Vict. c. 40]; Provident Nominations and Small Intestacies [46 & 47 Vict. c. 47]; Cholera Hospitals (Ireland) [46 & 47 Vict. c. 48]; Corrupt Practices (Suspension of Elections) [46 & 47 Vict. c. 51]; Medals [46 & 47 Vict. c. 45]; Tramways and Public Companies (Ireland) [46 & 47 Vict. c. 43]; Public Works Loans [46 & 47 Vict. c. 42]; Municipal Corporations (Borough Constables) [46 & 47 Vict. c. 44]; Merchant Shipping (Fishing Boats) [46 & 47 Vict. c. 41]; Bankruptcy [46 & 47 Vict. c. 52]; Epidemic and other Diseases Prevention [46 & 47 Vict. c. 59]; Post Office (Money Orders) Acts Amendment [46 & 47 Vict. c. 58]; Revenue [46 & 47 Vict. c. 55]; Parliamentary Elections (Corrupt and Illegal Practices) [46 & 47 Vict. c. 51]; Education (Scotland) [46 & 47 Vict. c. 56]; National Debt [46 & 47 Vict. c. 54]; Patents for Inventions [46 & 47 Vict. c. 57]; Agricultural Holdings (England) [46 & 47 Vict. c. 61]; Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) [46 & 47 Vict. c. 62]; Labourers (Ireland) [46 & 47 Vict. c. 60]; Factories and Workshops [46 & 47 Vict. c. 53]; Electric Lighting Provisional Orders (No. 1) [46 & 47 Vict. c. ccxiii]; Electric Lighting Provisional Orders (No. 2) [46 & 47 Vict. c. ccxiv]; Electric Lighting Provisional Orders (No. 3) [46 & 47 Vict. c. ccxv]; Electric Lighting Provisional Orders (No. 4) [46 & 47 Vict. c. ccxvi]; Electric Lighting Provisional Orders (No. 5) [46 & 47 Vict. c. ccxvii]; Electric Lighting Provisional Orders (No. 6) [46 & 47 Vict. c. ccxviii]; Electric Lighting Provisional Orders (No. 7) [46 & 47 Vict. c. ccxix]; Electric Lighting Provisional Orders (No. 8) [46 & 47 Vict. c. ccxx]; Electric Lighting Provisional Orders (No. 9) [46 & 47 Vict. c. ccxxi]; Electric Lighting Provisional Orders (No. 10) [46 & 47 Vict. c. ccxxii]; Electric Lighting Provisional Orders (No. 11) [46 & 47 Vict. c. ccxxiii]; Local Government Provisional Order (No. 2) [46 & 47 Vict. c. ccxxiv]; Local Government Provisional Orders (No. 9) [46 & 47 Vict. c. ccxxv]; Isle of Wight Highways [46 & 47 Vict. c. ccxxvi].

PROROGATION OF THE PARLIAMENT—HER MAJESTY'S SPEECH.
THE PARLIAMENTwas this day prorogued by Commission.
THE LORD CHANCELLORacquainted the House that Her Majesty

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had been pleased to grant two several Commissions, one for declaring Her Royal Assent to several Bills agreed upon by both Houses of Parliament, and the other for proroguing the Parliament:—And the LORDS COMMISSIONERS—namely, The LORD CHANCELLOR; HER MAJESTY'S PRINCIPAL SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (The Earl of Derby); The LORD STEWARD OF THE HOUSEHOLD (The Earl Sydney); The LORD CHAMBERLAIN (The Earl of Ken-mare); and The LORD MONSON (Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard)—being in their Robes, and seated on a Form between the Throne and the Woolsack; and the COMMONS being come, with their Speaker, and the Commission to that purpose being read, the ROYAL ASSENT was given to several Bills.
Then THE LORD CHANCELLOR, pursuant to Her Majesty's Command, delivered HER MAJESTY'S SPEECH, as follows:—
"My Lords, and Gentlemen,
"IN releasing you from your protracted labours, I use the occasion to acknowledge your unremitting energy and devotion in the fulfilment of the great trust committed to you.
"The harmony of my relations with foreign Governments continues to be undisturbed.
"The Conference, assembled in London for the settlement of various questions connected with the free navigation of the Danube, has, by the conciliatory attitude of the countries represented in it, arrived at an agreement favourable to commerce.
"The work of administrative reorganization in Egypt, though retarded at important points by the visitation of cholera, has steadily advanced.
"The aim of the temporary occupation of the country by my military forces, the considerations which must supply the measure of its duration, and the constant direction of my efforts to the maintenance of established
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rights, to the tranquillity of the East, and to the welfare of the Egyptian people, have been more than once explained to you, and they remain unchanged.
"Occurrences arising out of the French operations in Madagascar form the subject of communications with the Government of France, which, conducted in the spirit of friendship, will, I doubt not, lead to satisfactory results. In connection with these occurrences, my attention has been, and will continue to be, steadily directed to all which may affect the rights or liberties of my subjects.
"My hopes for the re-establishment of stable peace and order in Zululand have not as yet been fulfilled, and the working of the Convention with the Transvaal Government has proved, in certain respects, to be far from satisfactory.
"In regard to the first, I shall, while avoiding all gratuitous interference, study to maintain such engagements as I have contracted, and keep steadily in view the security of the border of Natal.
"The questions of frontier policy opened by the second, which in different forms have for so long a time constituted the main difficulty in the administration of my South African Possessions, will, with other points, shortly be discussed in this country between my Ministers and the confidential Envoys who are to be dispatched from the Transvaal for the purpose.
"Gentlemen of the House of Commons,
"I thank you for the liberal supplies by which you have enabled me to make adequate provision for the public estab-

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lishments and other services of the country during the current year.
"My Lords, and Gentlemen,
"The Revenue has thus far not fallen short of its anticipated amount; the condition of the classes suffering from the depression of agriculture has, in most districts of the country, shown some degree of improvement; and the general state of trade and industry is sound.
"I can refer with greater satisfaction than on some former occasions to the condition of Ireland. Except in regard to the disposal of Appeals, where there is still much to be desired, the action of the appointed Tribunals has brought into wide operation the provisions of the Land Act; the late combination against the fulfilment of contracts, especially for rent, has been in a great degree broken up; there is a marked diminution of agrarian crime; and associations, having murder for their object, have been checked by the detection and punishment of offenders.
"The expectations of more successful progress in the work of legislation, which I expressed to you at the close of the last Session of Parliament, have not been wholly disappointed; and I have cordially given my assent to many measures of public usefulness.
"The Acts, which secure due compensation to improving occupiers of land in England and Scotland respectively, and comprise other valuable provisions, will, I trust, tend alike to the promotion of confidence between classes, and to the more advantageous prosecution of the great business of agriculture.
"The new Law relating to corrupt practices at elections will not only tend towards extinguishing the grosser forms
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of mischief, at which it is particularly aimed, but will, by reducing the expense of Parliamentary Elections, give increased freedom of choice to the Constituencies, and thus promote the more efficient representation of all classes in the great Council of the nation.
"The Act for the improvement of the Law of Bankruptcy appears well adapted to fulfil the favourable anticipations with which it has been received by the commercial and trading community; and the Act concerning Patents will be found greatly to improve the position of inventors, in whose ingenuity and resource the public has a substantial interest.
"The provision which you have made for further securing a continuous redemption of the National Debt will materially aid the maintenance of the public credit.
"The Act for the encouragement of Irish industry and enterprise by improvement of communications, and for the further relief of particular districts by emigration and migration, supplies a new proof of your anxiety to promote the prosperity of Ireland.
"The remission of Parliamentary labour which you have so amply earned will bring with it the discharge of important duties, both personal and public, in your respective districts. Alike in these, and in the arduous exertions which may be demanded from you in coming Sessions, I trust that the favour of Providence may uniformly guide 'you to promote the object of my constant solicitude—the welfare and happiness of my people."
Then a Commission for proroguing the Parliament was read.
After which,
THE LORD CHANCELLORsaid—
My Lords, and Gentlemen,
By virtue of Her Majesty's Commission, under the Great Seal, to us and other Lords directed, and now read, we do, in Her Majesty's Name, and in obedience to Her Commands, prorogue this Parliament to Monday the twelfth day of November next, to be then here holden; and this Parliament is accordingly prorogued to Monday the twelfth day of November next.