Lords Sitting of 5 March 1886

MINUTES.
PUBLIC BILLS—Second Rending—Drill Grounds (24).
Third Reading—Marriages Validity * (11), and passed.
Royal Assent—Land Registry [49 Vict. c. 1].

DRILL GROUNDS BILL.
(The Lord Sandhurst.)
DRILL GROUNDS BILL.

  (NO. 24.) SECOND READING.
  Order of the Day for the Second Reading read.
  THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (Lord SANDHURST), in moving that the Bill be now read the second time, said, as this was his first endeavour to pilot a Bill through their Lordships' House, he had to ask their Lordships to regard his shortcomings with, leniency; and, on the ground of his inexperience, to forgive any errors of which he feared he must inevitably be
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  guilty. The Bill which he asked their Lordships to read a second time was of a very simple nature, and he should have to occupy them but a very few minutes. The Bill was one—
  "For extending, with amendments, to grounds for drill and other military purposes the enactments relating to the acquisition and regulation of rifle ranges."
  He must, therefore, refer to the two Acts of which this Bill was to be the extension. One was the Volunteer Act, 1863; the other the Artillery and Rifle Ranges Act, 1885. In the first of these, a power was given to Volunteer corps, with the assent of the Secretary of State, to acquire land for artillery and rifle ranges; and it was now contemplated to extend this power in order to acquire land for drilling purposes for Volunteers and all other military forces. These powers related merely to the acquisition of land. The Act of 1885 contained power for the Secretary of State to make bye-laws which should secure the safety of the public, and, at the same time, prevent any intrusion on the ranges to the incon-

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  venience of the corps using them. It was intended to embody powers to that effect in this Bill, with the slight difference and addition that, if necessary for the safety of the public and to secure the body of troops exercising from molestation, the grantors of the land should themselves make the bye-laws, subject always, of course, to the sanction of the Secretary of State. Of course, the ordinary law of trespass was sufficient for drill grounds in the possession of the Secretary of State or of the corps. Public Parks being public property, there was no power to exclude anyone, or to inclose any plot of ground temporarily during military exercises. He might add that he had reason to believe that many Corporate Bodies were most anxious to give them these facilities; but they had no power to do so. They therefore proposed by this Bill to give them this power. Their Lordships, especially any noble Lords who had served either in the Regular or Irregular Forces, must know how difficult it was, not to say impossible, to manœuvre a regiment when surrounded and pressed by a crowd of enthusiastic spectators. With the new Infantry extended order, he ventured to say it was impossible. The provisions of this Bill would inflict no injury on the public by temporarily excluding them from a small plot of ground during the short time of drill. The Volunteers were very enthusiastic and zealous for instruction. Their efficiency was already at a high standard. This Bill would give facilities for raising that standard; and as he knew there were few warmer sympathizers with the Volunteers than their Lordships, he had every confidence in asking them to read it a second time.
  Moved, "That the Bill be now read 2a"—(The Lord Sandhurst.)
  VISCOUNT CRANBROOKsaid, he must compliment the noble Lord opposite upon the exceedingly clear and able manner in which he had moved the second reading of the Bill. He should give the noble Lord every assistance in his power in carrying the measure into law, as he entirely approved its principle.
  Motion agreed to; Bill read 2a accordingly, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Monday next.

FEMALE INSPECTORS OF WORKSHOPS.

  QUESTION. OBSERVATIONS.
  VISCOUNT ENFIELDrose to ask, Whether in any future appointments of Factory and Workshop Inspectors Her Majesty's Government would favourably consider the possibility of selecting a certain number of female Inspectors for those factories and workshops where women only are employed? Considering the interest taken in the various fields that were now open for female industry and ability, he was anxious to ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Home Secretary could see his way to act in the sense of his Question on the Paper; and he did so for two reasons—first, because steps had been taken in this direction with, he believed, very advantageous results by the appointment some years ago of a talented lady, now, unhappily, no more, the late Mrs. Nassau Senior, as an Inspector of district and workhouse schools; and last year, on the action of the late President of the Local Government Board, two ladies of distinguished personal abilities and high social standing received somewhat similar appointments within the Metropolitan area; and, secondly, because he believed also that in many instances women were great sufferers from the pressure of work and defective sanitary arrangements in workshops; and on this head he should like to quote certain expressions which appeared in the letter of an artizan to one of the public journals not very long ago—
  "The sanitary condition of factories is a subject which may well engage the attention of trade unionists; the greatest sufferers from overcrowded factories at present are women; there is much sentiment written and spoken about female workers, and probably a genuine desire to make the everyday life of factory women a little less dreary than it is; but there has been as yet no vigorous effort made in the direction of such a piece of practical reform as the appointment of female Factory Inspectors. Women's eyes can see women's grievances quicker than men's can, and there is no sound argument against the appointment of women to inspect factories where women only are employed. Sir William Harcourt has recognized the claims of working men to be represented among Factory Inspectors, and deserves their gratitude; but he should go a little further, and recognize the claims of working women as well."
  Since 1881 seven appointments had been made of persons who, from their previous practical working experience in various

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  trades, were duly qualified to act as Factory and Workshop Inspectors with every prospect of their utility; and he should hope that a certain number of intelligent women conversant with the duties and requirements of their sex in various trades would prove valuable auxiliaries to the present Inspectors.
  LORD THURLOW, in reply, said, that the question raised by the noble Viscount's Question was one of great interest; but, at the same time, it was one of extreme difficulty. The subject had occupied the attention of the Home Department for several years, and it was still under consideration. The difficulties in the way of following the suggestion of the noble Lord were greater than at first sight one might be inclined to fancy. There was a great difference between the duties of a Poor Law Inspector, which Mrs. Senior discharged, and those of a Factory and Workshop Inspector. This subject had been dealt with at considerable length in the Report of the Chief Inspector of Factories for 1879 and 1880; and that official expressed the opinion that the duties which devolved upon a Factory Inspector could not be discharged by a lady. The Chief Inspector said the day's work of a Factory Inspector sometimes extended from 6 or 8 in the morning to 8 and 10 o'clock at night; and he was forced to the conviction that it was work for a man and not for a woman, the multifarious duties being really incompatible with the character of a woman. In a previous Report the Chief Inspector referred to the exposure to which Inspectors were subjected, and the necessity for examining machinery in workshops could not be undertaken by women. Those were some of the difficulties which stood in the way of carrying out the suggestion. He was instructed to say that at the present moment, at any rate, there was no intention to appoint a female Inspector of Factories and Workshops. The subject, however, remained under the attention of the Home Office, and from time to time it would be considered to what extent and how far the suggestion could be carried out.
  House adjourned at a quarter before Five o'clock, to Monday next, a quarter before Eleven o'clock.