§ * LORD RIBBLESDALEMy Lords, I rise to call attention to the Custom House regulations with respect to undeveloped photographic plates, and to ask Her Majesty's Government whether they consider the existing regulations reasonable. I have a tale of horror to relate to your Lordships. A friend of mine who landed at Plymouth recently from the steamer Doric, which came from the Canary Islands and other places, had, together with his fellow-passengers, to submit to the dreary farce of having his luggage examined. Among this luggage was a box containing undeveloped photographic plates, and this box the Custom House officials insisted on having opened for examination. Explanation and entreaty proved useless. The officials had apparently taken into their heads that the photographs might be of an indecent or improper character. The passenger asked for a dark room where he might without injury display his plates, but there was none such, and he had to wait in Plymouth until the next day, when the box was opened in the dark room of a local photographer, when nothing was discovered by the suspicious Custom House officers more suggestive than a picnic party lunching on the cratur of an extinct volcano. I have every sympathy with the Custom House officers in their desire to prevent the importation of indecent photographs, but if the precautions that they were determined to take in this instance are deemed necessary, a dark room ought to be provided where passengers with undeveloped plates amongst their luggage might have been examined without their being spoiled. My friend writes to me as a practical man, not at all in anger but in sorrow, complaining that in the Custom Houses there are no conveniences afforded in these cases for carrying out instructions 778 which apparently emanate from some persons in London who are totally ignorant of the science of photography; accordingly, valuable photographs may be irretrievably spoiled, and if these regulations are to be carried out in the Custom Houses, an ordinary dark room should be fitted up for the purpose. I do not wish to say how far it is incumbent on the Government to adopt this suggestion or whether they should establish a dark room in every Custom House in the country; but until this is done it seems to me the regulations are not only exceedingly unreasonable, but exceedingly vexatious, and I should be very glad to hear from the Representatives of Her Majesty's Government that they share that opinion.
LORD DE ROSI am very glad that the noble Lord has brought this subject forward, because it is one of great importance to people who are in danger of having their plates entirely destroyed. Professional photographers visit Switzerland and other countries and bring home plates which are developed in this country. They produce the beautiful photographs which are to be seen in shop windows and exhibitions; and it is very hard that they should have their labour, trouble, and expense wasted by the action of Custom House officials. There should be some means of developing the plates at the different places; or a person should have the opportunity of stating on oath that what he had were bonâfide photographic plates.
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYMy Lords, it falls to my lot to defend the Government on this occasion. I can only say that this particular Customs official appears to be a man of inconceivable stupidity, and I hope that the adventure related by the noble Lord will not happen in the future. This is the first I have heard of the matter. I did not know in the least from the notice on the Paper what was the cause of these sensitive plates being exposed to the light; I imagined that it might be dynamite. The protection of decency is a very worthy pursuit, but it should be pursued with some discretion. However, it is not necessary to make any very elaborate preparation in order to avoid these mishaps in the future. Regulations have been issued to all Custom Houses that if sensitive plates are to be examined they should be examined in a dark room by 779 a red lamp. I do not think it is possible that such a misadventure as that to which the noble Lord has referred can happen again. I am sorry that the knowledge of advancing science has spread so little among certain branches of Her Majesty's Service that it should be necessary to issue such regulations.