§ LORD ASHBOURNEasked when the Royal Commission on Vaccination was appointed, when it commenced its labours, when its Report was agreed to, when it was sent to the printers, and what is the cause of the delay in its presentation. He observed that the Commission was appointed nearly six years ago, that its Report was awaited with great interest, and that the reason for the delay in presenting it was not understood.
§ THE LORD CHANCELLOR (Lord HERSCHELL)said, that when he became Lord Chancellor he wished to discontinue serving on the Commission, but he had remained a Member of it in compliance with the request of his colleagues. The Chair, when he was away, had been taken by Sir James Paget, than whom no one was better qualified to fill the position. The Commission was appointed on May 29, 1889, and held its first meeting on June 26. No doubt a very considerable time had elapsed since then, but if his noble and learned Friend had seen the Blue-books that had been published from time to time he must have observed how wide had been the field of the Inquiry. It was absolutely necessary that the Commission should prolong its investigations, for it was not thought desirable to shut out evidence, and it was felt to be expedient that no excuse should be given to the supporters or opponents of the present system for saying that they had not been fully heard. The Inquiry, then, had been very exhaustive. Even the Blue-books did not give a complete idea of its extent, because the cases of injury from vaccination that had been brought before the Commission had been specially investigated by a medical man appointed for the purpose, and, of course, the reports that had been received from him had required and received very careful examination. When the Commission was approaching the conclusion of its evidence, and, indeed, since the oral evidence was concluded, there had been in several parts of the country outbreaks of small-pox, and it was thought desirable by the Commission that a careful inquiry should be made by skilled persons into these epidemics. These inquiries necessarily, in order to be of any value, occupied some considerable time, because, of course, they had 937 to range over the whole period of the continuance of the epidemic. The Report of the last of these inquiries was complete, and he believed would be very shortly in the hands of the members of the Commission. Steps had been taken for the preparation of the Report of the Commission, but there was an enormous mass of matter to be dealt with, going often into points of very great detail, which, nevertheless, had to be noticed and considered. Several of the Members of the Commission, moreover, were gentlemen whose time was fully occupied, and it was impossible to make more than a reasonable demand upon their services. But the Commission, individually and as a whole, were desirous to see their labours brought to a close, and the Report would be presented as expeditiously as possible, consistently with its being complete and satisfactory.
§ LORD ASHBOURNEasked for some more definite statement as to how soon the Report might be expected. If the Report was only to be commenced when the last of the supplementary inquiries into different epidemics of smallpox was received, they really might, not see the document for a lifetime.
§ THE LORD CHANCELLORcould assure his noble, and learned Friend that there would be no unnecessary delay, and that the Commission would conclude their labours and issue their Report at the earliest possible period. He could not give any more definite information than that.