Lords Sitting of 12 June 1902

The Earl Temple sat first in Parliament after the death of his father.
PRIVATE BILL BUSINESS.
  GREAT CENTRAL AND MIDLAND RAILWAYS (SOUTH YORKSHIRE RAILWAYS) BILL,

    WHITECHAPEL AND BOW RAILWAY BILL,
    YSTRADFELLTE WATER BILL [H.L.]—(PETITION FOR ADDITIONAL PROVISION).
    Examiner's Certificates of non-compliance with the Standing Orders referred to the Standing Orders Committee on Tuesday next.

RICHMOND HILL (PRESERVATION OF VIEW) BILL,
  HUDDERSFIELD CORPORATION BILL, HALIFAX CORPORATION BILL.
  Reports from His Majesty's Attorney-General received, and ordered to lie on the Table.
SWINDON UNITED GAS BILL [H.L.],
  NEWCASTLE AND GATESHEAD WATER BILL [H.L.],
    ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE AND DUKINFIELD CORPORATIONS (ALMA BRIDGE, &c.) BILL [H.L.]
    Commons amendments considered, and agreed to.
    SOUTH WALES ELECTRICAL POWER DISTRIBUTION BILL.
    Report from the Select Committee that the Committee had not proceeded with the consideration of the Bill, the opposition thereto having been withdrawn; read, and ordered to lie on the Table; the orders made on the 12th of May and Thursday last discharged; and Bill committed.
    SALFORD CORPORATION BILL.
    Report from the Select Committee that the Committee had not proceeded with the consideration of the Bill, the opposition thereto having been withdrawn; read, and ordered to lie on the Table; the orders made on the 13th of May and Thursday last discharged; and Bill committed.
    PICCADILLY, CITY, AND NORTH-EAST LONDON RAILWAY BILL [H.L.]
    The King's consent signified; and Bill reported from the Select Committee, with amendments.
    LONDON UNITED ELECTRIC RAILWAYS BILL [H.L.]
    The King's consent signified; and Bill reported from the Select Committee, with Amendments.
CHARING CROSS, EUSTON, AND HAMP STEAD, RAILWAY (No. 1.) BILL [H.L.],
  CHARING CROSS, EUSTON, AND HAMPSTEAD RAILWAY (No. 3.) BILL [H.L.],
    CHARING CROSS, EUSTON, AND HAMPSTEAD RAILWAY (No. 1 AND No. 3.) BILL.
    Reported from the Select Committee, with Amendments.
    CHARING CROSS, EUSTON, AND HAMP-STEAD RAILWAY (No. 2.) BILL [H.L.]
    Reported from the Select Committee, with Amendments.
    NORTH-WEST LONDON RAILWAY BILL [H.L.]
    Reported from the Select Committee, with Amendments.
    BAKER STREET AND WATERLOO RAILWAY BILL [H.L.]
    Reported from the Select Committee, with Amendments.
BARRY RAILWAY BILL [H.L.],
  BEDFORD CORPORATION WATER BILL.
  Reported, with Amendments.
  DUBLIN, WICKLOW, AND WEXFORD RAILWAY BILL.
  Reported, without Amendment.
  GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY (No. 1) BILL.
  The King's consent signified; and Bill reported, with Amendments.
NORWICH CORPORATION (ELECTRICITY, ETC.) BILL,
  LEAMINGTON CORPORATION BILL,

    CROYDON AND DISTRICT ELECTRIC TRAMWAYS BILL,
    RICHMOND DILL (PRESERVATION OF VIEW) BILL.
    Read 2a, and committed.

    BOURNEMOUTH GAS AND WATER BILL.
    Read 2a, and committed for Tuesday next.
    PRESTON CORPORATION BILL.
    Read 3a with the Amendments; a further Amendment made; Bill passed, and returned to the Commons.
CAVEHILL AND WHITEWELL TRAMWAYS BILL,
  RATHMINES AND RATHGAR URBAN DISTRICT COUNCIL BILL,

    EDUCATION BOARD PROVISIONAL ORDER CONFIRMATION (LONDON) BILL [H.L.],
    ELECTRIC LIGHTING PROVISIONAL ORDERS (No. 5) BILL [H.L.],
    ELECTRIC LIGHTING PROVISIONAL ORDERS (No. 6) BILL [H.L.],
    TRAMWAYS ORDERS CONFIRMATION (No. 2) BILL [H.L.],
    CLEETHORPES IMPROVEMENT BILL,
    LANCASHIRE AND YORKSHIRE RAILWAY (VARIOUS POWERS) BILL.
    Report from the Committee of Selection, That the following Lords be proposed to the House to form the Select Committee for the consideration of the said Bills; (viz.),
    L. Clonbrock,
    L. Hylton,
    L. Seafield (E. Strathspey),
    L. Crawshaw,
    L. Newton (chairman);
    agreed to; and the said Lords appointed accordingly: the Committee to meet on Tuesday next at Eleven o'clock; and all petitions referred to the Committee, with leave to the petitioners praying to be heard by counsel against the Bills to be heard as desired, as also counsel for the Bills.

GAS AND WATER ORDERS CONFIRMATION (No. 1) BILL [H.L.],
  TRAMWAYS ORDERS CONFIRMATION (No. 1) BILL [H.L.],
    GAS ORDERS CONFIRMATION (No. 2) BILL [H.L.]
    Committed to a Committee of the Whole House.
GAS AND WATER ORDERS CONFIRMATION (No. 2) BILL [H.L.],
  ELECTRIC LIGHTING PROVISIONAL ORDERS (No. 7) BILL [H.L.],
    ELECTRIC LIGHTING PROVISIONAL ORDERS (No. 8) BILL [H.L.]
    Committed: the Committees to be proposed by the Committee of Selection.
MILITARY LANDS PROVISIONAL ORDER (No. 2) BILL,
  DRAINAGE AND IMPROVEMENT OF LANDS (IRELAND) PROVISIONAL ORDER BILL.
  House in Committee (according to order): Bills reported without Amendment: Standing Committee negatived; and Bills to be read 3a Tomorrow.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT PROVISIONAL ORDERS (No. 4) BILL, (No. 98),
  LOCAL GOVERNMENT PROVISIONAL ORDERS (No. 8) BILL, (No. 99),

    LOCAL GOVERNMENT PROVISIONAL ORDERS (No. 9.) BILL, (No. 100),
    LOCAL GOVERNMENT PROVISIONAL ORDERS (No. 10) BILL, (No. 101),
    LOCAL GOVERNMENT PROVISIONAL ORDERS (No. 14) BILL, (No. 102),
    LOCAL GOVERNMENT PROVISIONAL ORDERS (No. 15) BILL, (No. 103),
    LOCAL GOVERNMENT (IRELAND) PROVISIONAL ORDERS (No. 2) BILL (NO. 104),
    LOCAL GOVERNMENT (IRELAND) PROVISIONAL ORDERS (No. 3) BILL (No. 105),
    LOCAL GOVERNMENT (IRELAND) PROVISIONAL ORDERS (No. 4) BILL (No. 106).
    LOCAL GOVERNMENT PROVISIONAL ORDERS (HOUSING OF WORKING CLASSES) BILL, (No. 107),
    LONDON (POPLAR) PROVISIONAL ORDER BILL, (No. 108),
    PIER AND HARBOUR PROVISIONAL ORDERS (No. 1) BILL, (No. 109),
    PIER AND HARBOUR PROVISIONAL ORDERS (No. 2) BILL, (No. 110),
    PILOTAGE PROVISIONAL ORDER BILL (No. 111).
    Brought from the Commons; read 1a; to be printed; and referred to the Examiners.

RETURNS, REPORTS, ETC.

  BOARD OF EDUCATION.
  I. Associations constituted under the Voluntary Schools Act, 1897.
  II. Associated Schools and amounts of aid grant paid.
  III. Unassociated Schools and amounts of aid grant paid, 1900–1901.

  WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA (ARMY EXPENDITURE, 1902–1903).
  Statement showing approximately, under principal subheads, the sums still required to be expended on the Army in South Africa in 1902–1903.
  Twenty-sixth Annual Report of His Majesty's Inspectors of Explosives, being their Annual Report for the year 1901.

  TRADE REPORTS: ANNUAL SERIES.
  No. 2817. France (Bordeaux).
  No. 2818. Africa (Congo).
  No. 2819. Germany (German East Africa).
  No. 2820. Italy (Genoa).

  STREET TRADING CHILDREN COMMITTEE (IRELAND).
  Report of the Inter-Departmental Committee on the employment of children during school age, especially in street trading in the large centres of population in Ireland.
  Presented (by command), and ordered to lie on the Table.

  SUPERANNUATION.
  Treasury Minutes, dated 5th June, 1902—
  I. Declaring that for the due and efficient discharge of the duties of the office of inspector of technical instruction in the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction for Ireland, professional or other peculiar qualifications not ordinarily to be acquired in the public service are required.
  II. Declaring that James Harris, Royal Laboratory, War Office, was appointed without a civil service certificate through inadvertence on the part of the head of his Department.

  DISEASES OF ANIMALS ACTS, 1894 AND 1896.
  Order, dated the 6th of June, 1902, revoking one of 23rd day of April, 1902, defining a part of the port of Harwich as a foreign animals quarantine station.
  PENAL SERVITUDE ACTS, 1853 TO 1891 (CONDITIONAL LICENCE).
  Licence granted by His Majesty to Mary Quinn, a convict under detention in Aylesbury Prison, permitting her to be at large on condition that she enter the East End Refuge, Finchley, N.

  SUPREME COURT OF JUDICATURE ACT (IRELAND), 1877 (RULES).
  Order in Council, dated 10th June, 1902, giving effect to a Rule of Court.
  Laid before the House (pursuant to Act), and ordered to lie on the Table.

  FEE FUND OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS.
  The LORD CHANCELLOR acquainted the House that the Clerk of the Parliaments had laid on the Table the Annual Account of the Fee Fund of the House of Lords. The same was ordered to lie on the Table, and to be referred to the Select Committee on the House of Lords Offices.
LANDS VALUATION (SCOTLAND) AMENDMENT BILL [H.L.]
Amendments reported (according to order), and Bill to be read 3a tomorrow.
WILD BIRDS PROTECTION ACTS AMENDMENT BILL [H.L.]
Read 3a (according to order), and passed, and sent to the Commons.

PAUPER CHILDREN (IRELAND) BILL [H.L.]
[SECOND READING.]
Order of the day for the Second Reading read.
LORD MONTEAGLE OF BRANDON: My Lords, this is a Bill of a very simple character, and I need not detain your Lordships more than a minute in explaining its provisions. The necessity for the Bill arose in consequence of there being no definition in the poor law of Ireland of the terms "orphan"

475
and "deserted," as the result of which the Local Government Board in Ireland has been precluded from admitting a considerable number of children to the benefits of "boarding out." The English Local Government Board has power to make regulations in the matter and they have exercised it, but the Irish Local Government Board possesses no corresponding power. Therefore it became necessary, to attain the object in view, that there should be legislation to define the terms "orphan" and "deserted," and the definition embodied in his Bill is precisely that which has been adopted by the Local Government Board in England.
Moved, "That the Bill be now read 2a."—(Lord Monteagle of Brandon.)
LORD CLONBROCK: My Lords, I rise to support this Bill, the object of which is to assimilate the law of Ireland to that of England in respect to the boarding-out of pauper children by giving a wider interpretation to the word "orphan." If one parent of a child is dead and the other in penal servitude or in a lunatic asylum, the child is just as much an object of compassion, and is in the same position as if both the parents were dead. This Bill will enable Guardians to board out children where they are now unable to do so. The boarding out system has been tried with great advantage in many parts of Ireland, and it is very desirable to extend it.
THE EARL OF MAYO: My Lords, in rising to support the Bill of my noble friend, and to express the hope that there will be no opposition to the Second Beading, I would take this opportunity of saying that we in Ireland are very much indebted to Lord Monteagle for his efforts in regard to workhouse reform and the amelioration of the condition of those who come within the scope of the poor law.
THE EARL OF DENBIGH: On behalf of the Irish Government, I have only to say that there is no objection to the Bill, but of course it is impossible to say definitely what are the prospects of passing it into law this session.
On Question, agreed to; Bill read 2a, according to order, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Tuesday next.

Queen Anne's Bounty Board.
VISCOUNT CROSS: My Lords, I beg to ask His Majesty's Government whether it is intended to give legislative effect to the recommendations of the Joint Committee on Queen Anne's Bounty Board, and, meanwhile, whether any provisional appointment has been made to the joint office of Treasurer and Secretary of that Board.
THE LORD CHANCELLOR (the Earl of HALSBURY): My Lords, in reply to the first part of the Question of my noble friend, I have to say that the Government have prepared a Bill, which will be almost immediately introduced, dealing with the question in pursuance of the recommendation of the Committee. With reference to the second part of the Question, they have found it possible to continue the work of the office without making such an appointment as that suggested. How that has been done I am not able to explain, but I am told there was no practical difficulty about it. The Bill which will be introduced will get rid of any difficulty in respect of the payment of proper dues. I wish to express my apology to my noble friend for not replying to the Question when it was asked upon a former occasion. It arose from a misunderstanding as to whose duty it was to answer the Question. I thought that the noble Marquess at the head of the Government was familiar with the facts and would answer it, but the attention of the noble Marquess had not been called to the matter. I hope the noble Viscount will accept my apology.
VISCOUNT CROSS: I am glad I have got an answer at last. I think the apology is due to your Lordships rather than to me, for if a Question is asked in proper form, and after due notice, on a matter of public business, we are entitled, I maintain, to have an answer from the Government. It so happened that a few days ago a similar Question was asked in another place, and an answer was given without the slightest hesitation, which made it very difficult

477
to account for the solemn silence and mystery with which the Question was first received in this House.
LORD BARNARD: I only rise to say that last session I put a Question on the same subject and to the same effect, and received no answer.
House adjourned at a quarter before Five o'clock, till Tomorrow, half-past Ten o'clock.