Lords Sitting of 24 June 1902

Preamble
The Marquess of Bute sat first in Parliament after the death of his father.
PRIVATE BILL BUSINESS.
  RICHMOND HILL (PRESERVATION OF VIEW) BILL.
  A printed copy of the Bill and of certain Amendments proposed to be made thereto, so far as the said Bill and Amendments relate to the Dysart Estates, referred to two English Judges.
  WEST HAMPSHIRE WATER BILL [H.L.]
  Commons Amendments considered, and agreed to.
  GREAT CENTRAL RAILWAY BILL.
  Reported, with Amendments.
  TICEHURST WATER BILL.
  Reported, without Amendment.
  YSTRADFELLTE WATER BILL [H.L.] (ON RECOMMITMENT.)
  Reported, with Amendments.
  LANCASHIRE AND YORKSHIRE RAILWAY (VARIOUS POWERS) 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Committee, That the Committee had not proceeded with the consideration of the Bill, the opposition thereto having been withdrawn; read, and ordered to lie on the Table.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 6th and 12th instant discharged; and Bill committed.
  TAFF VALE RAILWAY BILL [H.L.]
  Read 3a, and passed, and sent to the Commons.
  KINGSCOURT, KEADY, AND ARMAGH RAILWAY BILL,
  Read 3a and passed.
BEDFORD CORPORATION WATER BILL.
  SOUTH METROPOLITAN GAS BILL.
  Returned from the Commons with the Amendments agreed to.
WATER ORDERS CONFIRMATION (No. 1) BILL [H.L.],
  GAS ORDERS CONFIRMATION (No. 2) BILL [H.L.],

    ELECTRIC LIGHTING PROVISIONAL ORDERS (No. 6) BILL [H.L.],
    ELECTRIC LIGHTING PROVISIONAL ORDERS (No. 5) BILL [H.L.].
    Read 3a (according to order), and passed, and sent to the Commons.

    TRAMWAYS ORDERS CONFIRMATION (No. 1) BILL [H.L.]
    House in Committee (according to order): Amendments made; Standing Committee negatived; The Report of Amendments to be received on Thursday next.
PILOTAGE PROVISIONAL ORDER BILL,
  PIER AND HARBOUR PROVISIONAL ORDERS (No. 2) BILL.
  House in Committee (according to order): Bills reported without Amendment; Standing Committee negatived; and Bills to be read 3" on Thursday next.
  TRAMWAYS ORDERS CONFIRMATION (No. 2) BILL.
  House in Committee (according to order): The Amendments proposed by the Select Committee made; further Amendments made; Standing Committee negatived; the Report of Amendments to be received on Thursday next.

RETURNS, REPORTS, ETC.
Board of Education—

I. Supplementary regulations for secondary day schools and for evening schools, from 1st August 1902, to 31st July 1903.

II. General Reports of his Majesty's inspectors on elementary schools and training colleges, for the year 1901.

Presented (by Command), and ordered to lie on the Table.

VIVISECTION.
Petition for the suppression of the practice of; of inhabitants of Bristol and Clifton; read, and ordered to lie on the Table.

ILLNESS OF THE KING—POSTPONEMENT OF THE CORONATION.
EARL SPENCER: My Lords, I think the House will quite agree with me that, in the unfortunate circumstances in which the country is placed today, the House will be pleased to hear from the Prime Minister what account he can give of his Majesty, and what he proposes to do on this occasion with regard to our sitting. I am sure it is needless for me to say that this House most deeply sympathises with his Majesty and all the Royal Family, and in fact with all the country, on the very distressing event which has occurred, and which has cast a gloom which one can hardly describe over the Metropolis and the whole of the kingdom.
THE PRIME MINISTER AND LORD PRIVY SEAL (The Marquess of SALISBURY): My Lords, I am sure that the House generally and all his Majesty's subjects will deeply sympathise with the words spoken by the noble Earl, and will recognise how deep a sorrow, and how deep an augury of sorrow, has been cast by the events of the last few hours upon the political, the social, and the affectionate feelings of the people of this country. It is a very great and very deep sorrow that has been cast upon us. All that we can do at present is to hope and pray for the best, and to console ourselves with the knowledge that the distinguished surgeons who have been called in entertain the most satisfactory views with respect to the progress of their distinguished patient. More definite language than that it is impossible for us to use. An operation of singular severity has been performed with success, and leaves behind every hope and prospect of a prosperous issue. We cannot say more than that. We know that for three or four days at least—it may be a day or two longer—there must be uncertainty; and all we can do is to hope and long for the most succesful issue. I believe that under the circumstances matters could hardly have gone better, and that is the great consolation that we have. It is a smaller matter, but yet it is not a matter of small importance, that enormous numbers of people should
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be disappointed on this occasion, and that the hope which they had of expressing in the most formal manner their loyalty and their affection for the King should be unavoidably dissipated and frustrated. It is not possible, of course, to remedy that evil. The great celebrations which were intended in honour of the Coronation—the Naval Review and other similar celebrations—now cannot take place. Some days, some weeks, will in the best event elapse before his Majesty is restored to his usual health. The progress of his disease towards convalescence will be accompanied by the earnest sympathy and sincere and constant hopes and prayers of his affectionate subjects. I do not know that I have anything else to say. It is evident that no action is required on our part or could be taken while matters are still in a position of transition; but I think we have every ground to hope that the issue will be a favourable and a speedy one, and that we shall be able to return to our ordinary avocations and hopes at an early period. I think it would be unnecessary for me to enter more fully into the circumstances of the disappointment which has been so extensively suffered, or to point out in what manner they could be remedied or affected. Such great calamities as have happened, and the much greater calamities that have been threatened, must be looked upon by us with the trustful hope and belief that the health, the strength, and the consciousness of the affection of his subjects, will support our Sovereign throughout the trial which he has been called upon to suffer.
The following Motion stood on the Paper in the name of the Marquess of Salisbury:—" To move that the House at its rising do adjourn to Friday, 4th July next."
EARL SPENCER,calling attention to the Motion, said:—I see the next Order on the Paper is the adjournment of the House till 4th July. I do not know whether the noble Marquess proposes to go on with that Motion or to postpone it.
THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY: I am sorry I did not make myself quite clear. I do not think it would be quite expedient to part with the House for ten days under existing circumstances, but I should propose that we adjourn till Thursday, and then we can make further provision.
THE CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEES (The Earl of MORLEY): That is an adjournment in the ordinary way.
THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY: Yes.
LORD TWEEDMOUTH: May I ask whether anything can be done in the matter of the proposed public holidays on Thursday and Friday. That is a matter of considerable importance and interest to business men throughout the country.
THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY: I hope there is no confusion, but it is obvious that these are matters of Act of Parliament. These holidays will go on.

PAUPER CHILDREN (IRELAND) BILL [H.L.]
Reported from the Standing Committee, without Amendment, and to be read 3a on Thursday next.

IMMORAL TRAFFIC (SCOTLAND) BILL.
[SECOND READING.]
Order of the Day for the Second Reading read.
LORD KINNAIRD: My Lords, the object of this Bill, which has come up to your Lordships from the House of Commons, is to extend to Scotland the Vagrancy Act, 1898, which has been found to work well in England. Many instances have come before the Magistrates lately of male persons living on the proceeds of prostitution in Scotland, and those competent to judge believe that this Bill will be of great value in reducing this nefarious traffic by making provision for the punishment of offenders.
Moved, That the Bill be now read 2a.—(Lord Kinnaird.)
THE SECRETARY FOR SCOTLAND (Lord BALFOUR of BURLEIGH): My Lords, I do not propose to offer any objection to the passing of this Bill. The noble Lord has correctly told the House that it extends to Scotland an Act which was passed for England about four years ago. I understand that those who know say that the effect of the passing of that Act, so far as England was concerned, was to compel a number of extremely undesirable persons to leave the Metropolis. There is a theory that some of them, at anyrate, went to Glasgow, but I have not been able to find any facts in support of it. Another evil has grown up in Glasgow which I believe the promoters of this Bill think they can strike under it. I am advised that they are too sanguine in their anticipation, and that the particular evil aimed at, so far as Glasgow is concerned, will not be affected by this Bill. But as I am assured by the Home Office that the Act as applied to England has been productive of good in the Metropolis, I see no objection to its extension to Scotland.
On Question, agreed to; Bill read 2a accordingly, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Thursday next.

UNIVERSITY OF WALES (GRADUATES) BILL.
[SECOND READING.]
Order of the Day for the Second Reading read.
LORD WINDSOR: My Lords, the object of this Bill is to give the graduates of the University of Wales the same status and privileges as are possessed by the graduates of Oxford, Cambridge, London, and Victoria Universities. The Bill was introduced in another place by Mr. Brynmor Jones, and supported by Welsh members on both sides of the House. It also has the approval of the Incorporated Law Society. The Bill will remove the disability under which the Welsh University suffers in regard to solicitors. At the present moment, solicitors who have graduated in the Welsh University have to be articled for five years instead of three years as at the other Universities, a fact which acts as a drawback upon

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the former. That is the only actual result of the Bill at this moment, but it was drawn widely in order to give the graduates of the University of Wales the same status and privileges as have been granted to the other Universities.
Moved, that the Bill be now read 2a.—(Lord Windsor.)
EARL SPENCER: As I have the honour to be an honorary member of the University of Wales I most cordially support the Second Reading of this Bill. I am sure that your Lordships will all agree that the graduates of this new University should have the same privileges as those of the older Universities, and that you will, therefore, read the Bill a second time.
On Question, agreed to; Bill read 2a accordingly, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Tuesday next.
House adjourned at ten minutes before Five o'clock, to Thursday next, a quarter past Four o'clock.