Lords Sitting of 4 August 1887

MINUTES.
SELECT COMMITTEE—Report—Rabies in Dogs [No. 208].
PUBLIC; BILLS—First Reading—Turnpike Roads (South Wales)* (207).
Second Reading—Adulteration (199), discharged;Truck (179).
Committee—Criminal Law (Scotland) Procedure (No. 2) * (178–209); Coroners* (177–210).
Committee—Report—Trinidad and Tobago * (195).
Report—Statute Law Revision* (192).
Third Reading—Escheat (Procedure)* (193); British Settlements* (189), and passed.
PROVISONAL ORDER BILLS—Third Reading—Local Government (No. 5) * (146); Local Government (No. 7) * (106), and passed.

CROFTERS' HOLDINGS (SCOTLAND) BILL.—(No. 200.)
(The Marques of Lothian.)

CONSIDERATION OF COMMONS' AMENDMENT.
Order for the consideration of the Commons' consequential Amendment, read.
THE SECRETARY FOR SCOTLAND (The Marquess of LOTHIAN)said, as the Amendment was now modified, no new principle was involved. It simply meant that the object of the Bill should be carried out by the Crofter Commissioners. He hoped their Lordships would consent to it.
Amendment considered (according to Order), and agreed to.

ALLOTMENTS AND COTTAGE GARDENS COMPENSATION BILL.—(No. 155.)
(The Earl of Winchilsea.)

THIRD READING.
Order of the Day for the Third Reading, read.
Moved, "That the Bill be now read 3a"
THE PRIME MINISTER AND SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (The Marquess of SALISBURY)asked that the reading should be put off till to-morrow, because the Government wished to introduce an Amendment.
LORD ELLENBOROUGHsaid, he took the opportunity oil protesting against legislation of this kind. Was it thought it would influence agricultural labourers? If so, he believed a
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great mistake was made; and as for the landlords, they had bettor give up at once the fee simple of the allotments rather than encounter the great litigation which would ensue, and which would cost double or treble the value of the fee simple.
Third Reading put of till To-morrow.

IRISH LEGISLATION.

  QUESTION.
  EARL GRANVILLE: I wish to ask the noble Marquess the Prime Minister, Whether it will be convenient for him to state if it is the intention of the Government to introduce into this House any further Bill with regard to Ireland this Session?
  THE PEIME MINISTER AND SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (The Marquess of SALISBURY): I think I must ask the noble Earl to follow the uniform practice of this House, and to give Notice of the Question.
  EARL GEANVILLE: I sent the noble Marquess a note to-day; but, as he does not seem to have received it, I will put the Question to-morrow.

TRUCK BILL.—(No. 170.)
(The Lord Macnaghten.)

SECOND READING.
Order of the Day for the Second Reading, read.
LORD MACNAGHTEN, in moving that the Bill be now read a second time, said, the Bill came to their Lordships from the House of Commons. Its object was to extend and amend the existing Truck Acts, which, as their Lordships were aware, wore aimed against the payment of wages otherwise than by money. The Bill had met with general acceptance in all quarters, and was intended to remedy the defects of the existing enactments in three respects. First, it provided better machinery; secondly, it was extended to trades which wore exempt from the existing Acts which, e.g., were applicable to iron mines but not to lead mines; and, thirdly, it applied to Ireland. The Bill also provided for the payment of wages every week in Ireland, and every fortnight or oftener in the granite quarries of Scotland.
Moved, "That the Bill be now read 2a"—(The Lord Macnaghten.)
Motion agreed to; Bill read 2a accordingly, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Monday next.

POST OFFICE (TELEGRAPH DEPARTMENT) —TELEGRAPH STATIONS.

  QUESTION.
  THE EARL OF MILLTOWNsaid, he rose to call attention to an application which he had made in regard to the establishment of a telegraph station at a small country town in Ireland. That application was made in December last, at the earnest request of the inhabitants of the town; but he did not receive a reply to his communication until the 16th of June; he did not know whether this was the usual time which was taken to obtaining an answer from the Post Office the reply was to the effect that the request for the establishment of the station could not be complied with; and it staled that the decision in a case of this kind was not based on the size of the town or village to which it was proposed to extend the telegraph, but on whether it was estimated that the revenue would be sufficient to cover the working' expenses or not. In conclusion, he asked Her Majesty's Government, "What regulations were laid down by the Treasury for fixing the amount, if any, of guarantee which had to be given before the consent could be obtained for the establishment of an electric telegraph station?
  THE PRIME MINISTER AND SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (The Marquess of SALISBURY), in reply, remarked that when the Treasury said they did not take into account the size of the town, he did not suppose they meant to say that they did not take into consideration the probable business of the town, for it was obvious that they could form no judgment on the subject without doing so. It appeared to him that their demands were of a very businesslike character. They required that the guarantee should cover the annual working expenses of the proposed office, the annual cost of maintaining the wire and the instruments, the interest on the outlay incurred in the erection of the telegraph, the recoupment of that outlay within seven years, and a margin of a certain per-
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  centage for contingencies. This was to keep the Post Office from loss. If the Post Office saw that the business was likely to increase, and that it was worth while to speculate in the matter, no doubt it would be satisfied with a smaller guarantee. This was not a special Irish grievance, he hoped. He had himself suffered in a similar manner.
  House adjourned at Five o'clock, till To-morrow, a quarter past Ten o'clock,