Lords Sitting of 3 August 1885

MINUTES.
PUBLIC BILLS—First Reading—Registration Appeals (Ireland) *(226); Expiring Laws Continuance * (229); Telegraph Acts Amendment * (230); Parliamentary Elections (Returning Officers) * (231).
Committee—Burgh Police and Health (Scotland) * (190); Evidence by Commission * (212–228).
Committee—Report—Pluralities * (213); Customs and Inland Revenue (No. 2) * (220); Lunacy Acts Amendment * (221).
Committee—Report—Third Reading— Patent Law Amendment * (223), and passed.
Report— River Thames (No. 2) (218).
Third Reading— Public Health (Scotland) Provisional Order (No. 2) * (188); Metropolitan Board of Works (Money) * (209), and passed.
Withdrawn— Scottish and Irish Peerages (10).

SCOTTISH AND IRISH PEERAGES BILL.—(No. 10.)
(The Lord Waveney.)
SCOTTISH AND IRISH PEERAGES BILL.—(No. 10.)

  BILL WITHDRAWN.
  LORD WAVENEY,in asking the leave of the House to withdraw the Bill, said, that it had been introduced in order to provide a remedy for the anomalies that arose from the present system of electing Representative Peers for Scotland and Ireland. He considered it a great and positive evil that the two Kingdoms of Scotland and Ireland should be represented by a close corporation in that House. The question of Peerages in their Lordships' House had been considered on various occasions; but it had never been fairly considered in regard to the important point raised in the Bill. Under the existing arrangement, all the Peers elected generally belonged to one side in politics—that, namely, of the majority, or the Conservative Party. Peers who belonged to the minority, or the Liberal Party, had no chance of being represented, or of getting into the House, except by being created Peers of the

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  United Kingdom, in which case they had to sink the old historic names by which they were known and distinguished. That was an unsatisfactory state of matters, which was never intended, and which required to be remedied. He recognized the impossibility of getting the Bill through that Session, and therefore thought it more respectful to their Lordships to formally withdraw it, than to allow it to remain any longer on the Paper. He thought it would be well, however, if their Lordships were to bear in mind and see whether a system could not be devised that would do away with the existing anomalies in connection with the Peerages of Ireland and Scotland. The constitution of the House of Lords was at present a subject of popular discussion; and he thought that made it all the more desirable that their Lordships themselves, and of their own accord, should apply themselves to the remedying of any defects that were found to exist, instead of waiting until pressure was brought to bear on them from without. Their Lordships would recollect a very remarkable gathering that recently took place in Hyde Park. He never saw a more good-natured assembly or a more representative body of men; but, under the influence of popular excitement, a good-humoured crowd of that description might easily degenerate into an unruly mob. As he had said, the evil was a very serious one, and ought to be dealt with by their Lordships. He would give Notice that he would bring the Bill forward again next year.
  LORD HOUGHTONsaid, he thought their Lordships were indebted to his noble Friend (Lord Waveney) for calling attention to this important subject. He hoped his noble Friend would carry out his intimation, and that the Bill would be brought forward again at the first opportunity.
  Bill (by leave of the House) with-drawn.

RIVER THAMES (No. 2) BILL.—(No. 218.)
(The Lord Mount-Temple.)
RIVER THAMES (No. 2) BILL.—(No. 218.)

  REPORT.
  Amendments reported (according to Order).
  THE EARL OF ABINGDON THE EARL OF ABINGDON moved an Amendment in Clause 4, giving the
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  Conservators power to hear complaints as to unreasonable delay of boats in front of the property of riparian owners.
  Amendment agreed to.
  Clause, as amended, agreed to.
  LORD MOUNT-TEMPLE LORD MOUNT-TEMPLE moved an Amendment, providing that the bye-laws of the Conservancy for the regulation of traffic on the Thames should not allow house-boats or other boats to remain for more than 48 hours at anchor in front of a residence. At present, a serious nuisance was caused to owners of houses on the banks of the Thames by boats being moored for weeks and and months in front of these residences. At regattas and on other occasions the public would be deprived of much of their present enjoyment if arbitrary power were bestowed on occupiers of houses to prevent any temporary loitering at their banks.
  Amendment moved, in Clause 6, page 3, line 7, after ("ground") to insert ("for more than forty-eight hours.")—(The Lord Mount-Temple.)
  LORD BRAMWELLmaintained that the owners of these boats had no right to loiter opposite to the residences of riparian owners at all, and on that ground he opposed the Amendment. It would be an intolerable nuisance for a boat —especially a house-boat, with, perhaps, many persons on board—to stop in front of a gentleman's garden for 48 hours. They might as well give gipsies power to camp for that time on the high road in front of a dwelling-house.
  THE EARL OF WEMYSSalso opposed the Amendment. He would point out to their Lordships that there might be a succession of boats each staying 48 hours.
  THE EARL OF ABINGDONsaid, he supported the Amendment in the interests of riparian owners, a committee of whom had come to the conclusion that they would rather have a summary jurisdiction power of removing boats after 48 hours than be left, as at present, with the alternative of a Common Law action, which, in all probability, would not be tried until months after the order for removal had ceased to be of any practical benefit.
  LORD MOUNT-TEMPLEexplained that house-boats were used by artists,

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  lovers of nature who would have no enjoyment if they were not permitted to loiter. As it was, these boats were often moored opposite a house for as long a period as three months. All the riparians knew very well that they had better have the boats removed at the end of 48 hours.
  LORD BRAMWELLsaid, he thought the owners of boats ought to be liable to a penalty if they stayed opposite a house at all.
  THE EAEL OF ABINGDONbelieved that they had a right to loiter.
  LORD BRAMWELLsaid, they had not.
  On Question? Their Lordships divided:—Contents 20; Not-Contents 14: Majority 6.
  Resolved in the affirmative.
  Clause, as amended, agreed to.
  Bill to be read 3a To-morrow.

REGISTRATION APPEALS (IRELAND) BILL [H.L.]
A Bill to accelerate the hearing of appeals under the Acts relating to the registration of voters in Ireland in the year one thousand eight hundred and eighty-five—Was presented by The Earl BEAUCHAMP; read 1a; to be printed; to be read 2a To-morrow; and Standing Order No. XXXV. to be considered in order to its being dispensed with. (No. 226.)

PRIVATE BILLS.
Standing Orders Nos. 10., 22., 52., 57., 64., 85., 114., 115., 134., and 179., considered and amended; and to be printed as amended. (No. 227.)
House adjourned at Six o'clock, till To-morrow, a quarter past Four o'clock.