Lords Sitting of 2 March 1886

MINUTES.
Took the Oath—The Lord Minster (Marquess of Conyngham).
PUBLIC BILLS—First Heading—Electric Lighting Act (1882) Amendment* (25).
Third Reading—Freshwater Fisheries (Eels) *(23), and passed.

MOUNTED VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.

  QUESTION. OBSERVATIONS.
  VISCOUNT MIDLETON,in rising to ask the noble Lord the Under Secretary of State for War, Whether there is any objection to mounted men being attached to infantry volunteer corps at the request of the commanding officer if no extra charge be thereby entailed? said, since he had placed the Notice of this Question upon the Paper he had received information that it was the desire of the 1st Middlesex Infantry Volunteers, better known as the Victorias, to have a small squad of mounted Infantry attached to their regiment. The replies, however, that had been received from the War Office upon the subject had been unsatisfactory. If permission were given to form such mounted squad but little expense would be incurred by the country, because the men who would form it were perfectly willing to defray the cost of equipping themselves out of their own pockets, the only demand made being that they should receive the ordinary capitation grant of 30 s. now paid to efficient Volunteers.
  THE UNDER SEOEETAEY OF STATE (Lord SANDHURST),in reply, said: The experiment of allowing mounted men to be attached to Volunteer corps at their own expense is now being tried in six cases. In two cases out of of the six the authority has been cancelled, and in a third it is doubtful whether the scheme can be continued. Therefore the Secretary of State does not think it advisable to further extend the permission until
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  he has gained more experience of the working of the remaining existing companies.

VENTILATION OF THE HOUSE.

  RESOLUTION.
  THE EARL OF LIMERICKrose to move—
  "That the evidence of John Percy, Esquire, M. D, taken before the Select Committee on the Office of the Clerk of the Parliaments and Office of the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod in session 1869, be laid upon the Table, and that the same be printed."
  The noble Earl said, the evidence would be of much value in reference to the lighting and ventilation of the House.
  THE EARL OF CAMPERDOWNasked whether the evidence referred to had not been already printed?
  THE EARL OF LIMERICKsaid, that he understood it had not been printed.
  THE EARL OF CAMPERDOWNsaid, he failed to see what advantage was to be derived from adopting the Motion of the noble Earl, especially as the attention of the Committee had been directed to Dr. Percy's evidence. It seemed to him that the ventilation of the House would be all that could be desired if they would open the windows and dispense with the elaborate system they had introduced.
  THE EARL OF MILLTOWNsaid, he thought the House should be lighted by electricity, and they would then get rid of the heat created by the gas falling on their Lordships' heads, and a great deal of the misery and discomfort suffered by them. The machinery below for pumping up fresh air was of a most elaborate and costly description, and the steam-engine required for it could be utilized to generate the electric light.
  Motion agreed to.
  The said evidence laid on the Table accordingly, and to be printed. (No. 26.)

  ELECTRIC LIGHTING ACT (1882) AMENDMENT BILL [H.L.]
  A Bill to amend and extend the Electric Lighting Act, 1882.—Was presented by The Lord Rayleigh; read 1a. (No. 25.)
  House adjourned at a quarter past Four o'clock, to Thursday next, a quarter past Ten o'clock.