Lords Sitting of 9 August 1899

JUDICIAL BUSINESS.
Ordered, That this House do meet on Monday, the 13th day of November next, at Eleven o'clock, for the purpose of hearing and determining Appeals and matters connected therewith, pursuant to the provisions of the "Appellate Jurisdiction Act, 1876"; and that during such meeting of the House leave be given to the Appeal Committee to meet.
MARQUESS OF HEADFORT (CLAIM TO VOTE FOR REPRESENTATIVE PEERS FOR IRELAND).
Ordered and Directed, That a Certificate be sent by the Clerk of the Parliaments to the Clerk of the Crown in Ireland, stating that the Lord Chancellor of the United Kingdom has reported to the House of Lords that the right of the Marquess of Headfort to vote at the elections of Representative Peers for Ireland has been established to the satisfaction of him the said Lord Chancellor; and that the House of Lords has ordered such report to be sent to the said Clerk of the Crown in Ireland: And it is hereby also Ordered, That the said Report of the said Lord Chancellor be sent to the Clerk of the Crown in Ireland.
RETURNS, REPORTS, &c.
  REFORMATORY AND INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS (IRELAND).
  Thirty-seventh Report of the Inspector; presented [by Command], and ordered to lie on the Table.
  FOREIGN JURISDICTION ACT, 1890.
  Order in Council of 8th August, 1899, entitled, "The Ottoman Order in Council, 1899."

  INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT ACTS.
  Orders in Council of 8th August, 1899—

  (i) giving effect to the accession of Japan to; and

  254

  (ii) giving effect to the withdrawal of Montenegro from the International Copyright Union respectively.

  BRITISH SETTLEMENTS ACT, 1887, AND FOREIGN JURISDICTION ACT, 1890.
  Order in Council of 8th August, 1899, entitled, "The Pacific Order in Council, 1893, Amendment Order, 1899."
  WINTER ASSIZES ACT, 1876.
  Seven Orders in Council, of 8th August, 1899, relating to the ensuing Winter Assizes.
  Treasury Order of 19th June, 1898, regulating fees under the Workmen's Compensation Act, 1897.
  SUPERANNUATION.
  Treasury Minute, dated 3rd August, 1899, declaring that Dr. Robert J. Mitchell, Inspector of Registration, General Register Office, Ireland, was appointed without a Civil Service certificate, through inadvertence on the part of the head of his Department.

  ARKLOW HARBOUR.
  Report of Arklow Harbour Commissioners for 1898, and Statement of Accounts.
  Laid before the House [pursuant to Act], and ordered to lie on the Table.

  BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE.
  Standing Order No. XXXIX. considered [according to Order], and suspended for this day's sitting.

  CONSOLIDATED FUND (APPROPRIATION) BILL.
  Brought from the Commons, and read 1a; then (Standing Order No. XXXIX. having been suspended) Bill read 2a (The Earl Waldegrave); Committee negatived; Bill read 3a, and passed.
  House adjourned during pleasure; House resumed.

ROYAL ASSENT.

  COMMISSION.
  The following Bills received the Royal Assent:

  1. Consolidated Fund (Appropriation).

  2. Bodies Corporate (Joint Tenancy).

  3. University of London Act (1898) Amendment.

  4. Anchors and Chain Cables.

  5. Seats for Shop Assistants.

  6. Summary Jurisdiction Act (1879) Amendment.

  7. Isle of Man (Customs).

  8. Manchester Canonries.

  9. Marriages Validity (No. 2).

  10. Metropolitan Police.

  11. Electric Lighting (Clauses).

  12. Commons and Open Spaces.

  13. Improvement of Land.

  14. Colonial Loans.

  15. Inebriates Act (1898) Amendment.

  16. Naval Works.

  17. Telegraphs (Telephonic Communication).

  18. Board of Education.

  19. Elementary Education (Defective and Epileptic Children).

  20. Poor Law Acts Amendment.

  21. Royal Niger Company.

  22. Land Tax Commissioners' Names.

  23. Patriotic Fund.

  24. Reserve Forces.

  25. Military Works.

  26. Lincolnshire Coroners.

  27. Expiring Laws Continuance.

  28. Public Works Loans.

  29. Baths and Washhouses Acts Amendment.

  30. Private Legislation Procedure (Scotland).

  31. Agriculture and Technical Instruction (Ireland).

  32. Sale of Food and Drugs.

  33. Small Houses (Acquisition of Ownership).

  256

  34. Gas Orders Confirmation (No. 2).

  35. Local Government Provisional Order (No. 14).

  36. Tramways Orders Confirmation (No. 2).

  37. Tramways Orders Confirmation (No. 3).

  38. Electric Lighting Provisional Order (No. 20).

  39. Education Department Provisional Order Confirmation (London).

  40. Tancred's Charities Scheme Confirmation.

  41. London and North-Western Railway (Additional Powers).

  42. Renfrew Burgh and Harbour Extension.

  43. Caledonian Railway (General Powers).

  44. Aberdeen Joint Passenger Station.

  45. Leigh-on-Sea Urban District Council.

  46. Moss Side Urban District Council (Tramways).

  47. Stretford Urban District Council (Tramways).

  48. Withington Urban District Council (Tramways).

  49. Weston-super-Mare, Clevedon, and Portishead Tramways Company (Light Railway Extensions).

  50. Yeadon and Guiseley Gas.

  51. South Staffordshire Tramways.

  52. Darwen Corporation.

  53. Warrington Corporation.

  54. Worcestershire County Council.

  55. Glasgow and South-Western Railway.

  56. Great Eastern Railway (General Powers).

  57. Great Yarmouth Water.

  58. North-Eastern Railway.

  59. North Staffordshire Railway.

  60. Wolverhampton Tramways.

  61. Hastings Harbour.

  62. Oystermouth Railway or Tramroad.

  63. Bootle Corporation.

  64. Dublin Corporation (Markets).

  65. London County Council (General Powers).

  257

  66. London County Council (Money).

  67. Clyde Navigation.

  68. Cromer Protection.

  69. Oldham Corporation.

  70. North-Eastern and Hull and Barnsley Railways (Joint Dock).

  71. Fylde Water Board.

  72. Salford Corporation.

  73. Wakefield Corporation.

  74. Belfast Corporation.

  75. City and Brixton Railway.

  76. Gateshead and District Tramways.

  77. London, Walthamstow, and Epping Forest Railway (No.2).

  78. West Metropolitan Railway.

  79. Bexhill and Rotherfield Railway.

  80. Birmingham, North Warwickshire, and Stratford-upon-Avon Railway.

  81. London and South-Western Railway.

  82. Manchester Corporation Tramways.

  83. Paisley and Barrhead District Railway.

  84. Portsmouth Corporation.

  85. Rochdale Canal.

  86. Southport and Lytham Tramroad.

  87. Wolverhampton Corporation.

  88. Workington Corporation.

  89. North-West London Railway.

  90. Brompton and Piccadilly Circus Railway.

  91. Leeds Corporation.

  92. Charing Cross, Euston, and Hampstead Railway.

  93. Newcastle-upon-Tyne Tramways and Improvement.

  94. London Improvements.

  95. Harrow and Uxbridge Railway.

  96. Uxbridge and Rickmansworth Railway.

  97. Derwent Valley Water.

  98. Bradford Tramways and Improvement.

  QUEEN'S SPEECH.
  Her Majesty's Most Gracious Speech was delivered to both Houses of Parlia
  258
  ment by the Lord High Chancellor (in pursuance of Her Majesty's Commands), as followeth:—
  "My Lords and Gentlemen,
  "My relations with other Powers continue to be friendly.
  "The Conference summoned by the Emperor of Russia to consider measures for promoting the maintenance of peace has completed its sittings. Although the result of its deliberations has not fully corresponded with the lofty aims which it was summoned to accomplish, it has met with a considerable measure of success. The institution of a permanent tribunal of arbitration cannot fail to diminish the frequency of war, while the extension of the Geneva Convention will mitigate its horrors.
  "I have concluded a Convention with the President of the French Republic, by which the spheres of influence of the two Powers over a large portion of Northern Africa have been determined. Such an Agreement had become necessary, especially in respect to the Valley of the Nile, in consequence of the successful operations of the Anglo-Egyptian Army during last autumn.
  "I have concluded an Agreement with the Emperor of Russia for regulating the conditions under which either Government will encourage the development of railway enterprise by its own subjects in China.
  "I have received a Petition from a considerable number of My subjects residing in the South African Republic, praying for My assistance to obtain the removal of grievances and disabilities of which they complain. The position of My subjects in the South African Republic is inconsistent with the promises of equal treatment, on which My grant of internal independence to that Republic was founded; and the unrest caused thereby is a constant source of danger to the peace and prosperity of My Dominions in South Africa. Negotiations on this subject with the Government of the South African Republic have been entered into, and are still proceeding.
  "From My Indian Empire I have continued to receive satisfactory reports of the rapid recovery of agriculture and trade from the depression caused by the late famine, but during the last few weeks the rainfall has been insufficient over a portion of Western and Central India, and fears are entertained as to the prospects of the harvests in those regions. My officers are carefully watching the situation, and timely precautions to meet any scarcity, should it occur, will be adopted. I regret to add that the plague, though still confined to the areas affected last winter, shows no signs of abatement.
  "Gentlemen of the House of Commons.
  "I thank you for the liberality with which you have provided for the Naval and Military defence of My Empire.
  "My Lords and Gentlemen,
  "The formal inclusion within My Empire of the territories occupied by the Royal Niger Company will facilitate the good administration of that region, and the effective defence of its frontier.
  "I have had great satisfaction in giving My assent to a Bill for completing the organisation of Municipal Government in London. I do not doubt that the inhabitants of the various portions of this Metropolis will derive from it the benefits which similar institutions have conferred upon other cities and towns in this country.
  "I have also gladly sanctioned Bills for the simplification of private legislation in Scotland, for the encouragement of agricultural and technical education in Ireland, for the better distribution of the supply of water in the Metropolis, for the removal of an injustice in regard to the incidence of rates under which the beneficed owners of tithe rent-charge have too long suffered, and for securing the purity of certain articles of food and drugs. I trust that the Bill which you have passed for consolidating the educational departments, and extending their powers, will tend to the improvement and completion of our educational system. The measures you have passed for facilitating the acquisition of the ownership of small houses by those who occupy them will be
  260
  of considerable advantage to the working classes in many parts of the country.
  "I pray that the blessing of Almighty God may attend upon the fruit of your labours for the benefit of My people."
  Then a Commission for proroguing the Parliament was read.
  After which the lord chancellor said:
  "My Lords and Gentlemen,
  "By virtue of Her Majesty's Commission, under the Great Seal, to us and other Lords directed, and now read, we do, in Her Majesty's Name, and in obedience to Her Commands, prorogue this Parliament to Friday the twenty-seventh day of October next, to be then here holden; and this Parliament is accordingly prorogued to Friday the twenty-seventh day of October next."