§ THE MARQUESS OF LONDONDERRYI ask your Lordships' indulgence while I offer a few words of personal explanation. You will have noticed that in the course of the Debate last night in another place my right hon. Friend the Secretary for the Colonies alluded to the fact that I had made proposals to transfer my property in the north of England to a limited company. My Lords, he is quite right in the expressions he made use of, but I think when I have explained to your Lordships the reasons that induced me to take such a course, you will agree with me that there is no connection between the desire to benefit one part of my property, for the benefit of those who belong to that part of my property, and the remarks made by the Colonial Secretary. My Lords, the reason I made this proposal I did was due to the fact that in my property in the north of England I own what is known as the property of Seaham Harbour. Seaham Harbour was constructed 70 years ago for the purpose of benefiting the shipping trade. At that time, you are all probably fully aware, the construction of vessels was very different from what it is at the present time, and the small harbour, suited to the reception of the smaller vessels of 70 years ago, is totally inadequate at the present time for the large vessels used under our more modern conditions of trading along the north-eastern coast. Consequently, on account of the harbour being of small dimensions, the trade of shipping has very naturally declined, and that declension of trade is naturally very damaging to the town. On those grounds, my Lords, I considered it was very important that the shipping trade of that town should be revived in the interests of the inhabitants of this town themselves, from the fact that if a harbour of a certain size were constructed at Seaham, in all probability it might be one of the most important and prosperous ports on the whole of the north-eastern coast. My 266 Lords, you will naturally understand that to construct a harbour of these dimensions would involve a large outlay of capital, and I do not hesitate to say that I am not in the possession, personally, of being able to make any such outlay. Consequently, I decided to sacrifice my own interests as the private owner of town and harbour and to transfer my property to a developing limited liability company. I may say that I decided to do this long before what is known as the Workmen's Compensation Bill was ever introduced into the House of Commons. I did so because I was anxious to meet the wishes and requirements of the inhabitants of the town and neighbourhood, who naturally regretted to see a trade which in past days had been flourishing now languishing for want of a large harbour. My Lords, the reason I published the letter I did in the northern papers was that a number of letters had been published in the local journals, I will not say denouncing me, but, at any rate, complaining that owing to the fact of Seaham Harbour being owned by one individual the shipping trade was languishing. It was to allay these complaints that I published the letter alluded to by the Colonial Secretary. But I repeat I am at a loss to see the connection between my desire to enable a company to develop the resources of Seaham Harbour and the apprehensions I entertained with regard to certain provisions of the Workmen's Compensation Bill as far as it affects the coal interest. I have troubled you with these few remarks because it is my intention on Tuesday next to deal at considerable length with the Workmen's Compensation Bill, which will then be introduced into your Lordships' House. I propose to deal with the Bill from a purely general point of view, and not from a personal point of view any further than that personal point of view is connected with my own personal interests, which have given me practical experience of the working of the coal trade, winch I venture to think will entitle me to trespass on your Lordships' time.