Lords Sitting of 24 July 1894

CHIMNEY SWEEPERS BILL.—(No. 132.)

  SECOND READING.
  Order of the Day for the Second Reading, read.
  THE EARL OF DUNRAVENsaid, it would be unnecessary to detain their Lordships for any time in explaining the object of this Bill. Its object was to protect the public from this work being performed improperly and from what amounted to a considerable nuisance. Obviously chimneys must be swept, and it was equally obvious that they should be swept efficiently, and that the persons professing to sweep them should be properly qualified for the work. Accordingly, the Bill proposed to safeguard the innocent householder (who would probably be fast asleep at the time) from being visited by unqualified persons or by others who merely made chimney-sweeping a pretence in order to obtain access to houses for totally different purposes. The Bill had passed through the House of Commons with little comment. A precisely similar measure was introduced in 1892 by Sir John Colomb, and afterwards, in 1893, by Mr. Labouchere, and was passed through the House of Commons, though it did not come up to their Lordships' House. That Bill was backed by Mr. Labouchere, Mr. Jacoby, and Sir Francis Powell. Its sponsors came from each side of the House. He would add that he would have to move an Amendment subsequently to strike out a portion of the clause. He begged to move that the Bill be read a second time.
  Moved, "That the Bill be now read 2a."—(The Earl of Dunraven.)
  THE EARL OF CHESTERFIELDsaid, that the Home Office had no objection whatever to the Bill.
  Motion agreed to; Bill read 2a accordingly, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Friday next.

INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS BILL.—(No. 152.)

  THIRD READING.
  Order of the Day for the Third Reading, read.
  LORD LEIGHsaid, the Home Office had suggested that Clause 1 should be amended to read—
  "And every child sent to an Industrial School, after the passing of this Act, shall, after the expiration of the period of its detention in such school, remain up to the age of 18 under the supervision of the managers of the school."
  Every child sent to an Industrial School after the passing of the Act would be liable to be detained there until the age of 16. The effect of that would be if it continued law that a child committed only up to the age of 14 would be obliged to be detained until 16. That was an oversight, no doubt, which could be corrected by a verbal Amendment.
  VISCOUNT CROSSsaid, he had no objection whatever to the Amendment, but thought the Home Office should have submitted it to the House in print that their Lordships might have seen it.
  THE LORD CHANCELLOR (Lord HERSCHELL)said, he had looked carefully at the Amendment, which was obviously for the purpose of remedying an oversight in the original clause. That oversight, he thought, might be judiciously amended.
  Amendments made; Bill passed, and sent to the Commons.

PAROCHIAL ELECTORS (REGISTRATION ACCELERATION) BILL.—(No. 162.)
Reported from the Standing Committee with Amendments: The Report thereof to be received on Thursday next; and Bill to be printed as amended. (No. 174.)
BOARDS OF CONSOLIDATION BILL [H.L.]—(No. 112.)
Reported from the Standing Committee with Amendments: The Report thereof to be received on Thursday next.
VALUATION OF LANDS (SCOTLAND) ACTS AMENDMENT BILL [H.L.] (No. 163.)
Reported from the Standing Committee without Amendment, and Bill to be read 3a on Thursday next.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT PROVISIONAL ORDERS (No. 15) BILL.—(No. 126.)
House in Committee (according to Order): Amendments made: Standing Committee negatived: The Report of Amendments to be received on Thursday next.
House adjourned at a quarter before Six o'clock, to Thursday next, a quarter past Four o'clock.