Lords Sitting of 27 April 1903

PRIVATE BILL BUSINESS.
The LORD CHANCELLOR The LORD CHANCELLOR acquainted the House, That the Clerk of the Parliaments had laid upon the Table the Certificates from the Examiners that the further Standing Orders applicable to the following Bills have been complied with:—
Dublin Improvement (Bull Alley Area); Great Western Railway (Pension Fund).
North-Western Electricity and Power Gas Bill [H.L.]. Petition for additional provision; of the Promoters of the North-Western Electricity and Power Gas Bill; together with the proposed Amendment annexed thereto; read, and referred to the Examiners.
Salford Corporation Bill [H.L.]. Petition for additional provision; of Salford Corporation; together with the proposed clause annexed thereto; read, and referred to the Examiners.
Dublin Improvement (Bull Alley Area) Bill. Report from His Majesty's Attorney-General in Ireland, received, and ordered to lie on the Table.
Manchester Southern Tram ways (Lancashire) Bill [H.L.]; Manchester Southern Tramways (Cheshire) Bill [H.L.]. Leave given to the Select Committee to consolidate the Bills into one Bill if they think fit.
Glasgow Corporation (Police) Draft Provisional Order; ordered, that the evidence taken before the Committee of this House on the Glasgow Corporation (Sewage) Bill, 1896, be referred to the Commissioners appointed under the Private Legislation Procedure (Scotland) Act, 1899, to inquire into the Glasgow Corporation (Police) Draft Provisional Order.
Cleveland and Durham County Electric Power Bill [H.L.]. Reported, with Amendments.
Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal Bill [H.L.]; Reported from the Select Committee, with Amendments.
Wirral Railway Bill [H.L.]; Harrogate Water Bill [H.L.]. Committee to meet on Thursday next.
Pelican and British Empire Life Office Bill [H.L.]. The Chairman of Committees informed the House that the opposition to the Bill was withdrawn. The orders made on the 12th and 26th of March last discharged, and Bill committed for Thursday next.
Wellington (Salop) Gas Bill [H.L.]. The Chairman of Committees informed the House that the opposition to the Bill was withdrawn. The orders made on the 12th and 26th of March last discharged and Bill committed for Thursday next.
Harrow and Stanmore Gas Bill [H.L.]. The Chairman of Committees informed the House that the opposition to the Bill was withdrawn. The orders made on the 16th and 26th of March last discharged, and Bill committed for Thursday next.
South-Western and Isle of Wight Junction Railway Bill [H.L.]. The Chairman of Committees informed the House that the opposition to the Bill was withdrawn. The orders made on the 12th and 26th of March last discharged, and Bill committed.
Southampton Harbour Bill [H.L.]. The Chairman of Committees informed the House that the opposition to the Bill was withdrawn. The orders made on the 9th and 26th of March last discharged, and Bill committed.
Bristol Corporation Bill [H.L.]. The Chairman of Committees informed the House that the opposition to the Bill was withdrawn. The order made on the 9th of March last discharged, and Bill committed.
Gosport, Fareham, and Cosham Tramways Bill [H.L.]; Wakefield and District Tramways Bill [H.L.]; Bangor Corporation Bill [H.L.]; Tynemouth and District Tramways Bill [H.L.]; Committed. The Committees to he proposed by the Committee of Selection.
Life Association of Scotland Bill [H.L.]; Hexham Gas Bill [H.L.]; Lima Railways Bill [H.L.]; Indiarubber, Guttapercha, and Telegraph Works Company Bill [H.L.]; North's Navigation Collieries Bill [H.L.]; Faversham Gas Bill [H.L.]; Exeter Railway Bill [H.L.]. Read 3a, and passed, and sent to the Commons.
South-Eastern and London, Chatham, and Dover Railways Bill [H.L.]; Sutton

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Coldfield Corporation Bill [H.L.]; Cardiff Railway Bill [H.L.]; Manchester Southern Tramways (Lancashire) Bill [H.L.]; Manchester Southern Tramways (Cheshire) Bill [H.L.]; South Lancashire Tramways Bill [H.L.]; Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Tramways Bill [H.L.]; North Cheshire Tramways Bill [H.L.]. Report from the Committee of Selection, That the Lord Denman be proposed to the House as a member of the Select Committee on the said Bills in the place of the Lord Wandsworth; read, and agreed to.
Winchester Water and Gas Bill; Market Drayton Gas Bill; Ipswich Gas Bill; Great Northern and City Railway Bill; Burgess Hill and St. John's Common Gas Bill; Broadstairs Gas Bill; Bath Corporation Water Bill; Bridgwater Gas Bill; East Ardsley Gas Bill. Brought from the Commons; read 1a; and referred to the Examiners.
Stoke Newington Borough Council Bill; Sutton District Water Bill; Midland Railway Bill; London Hydraulic Power Bill; North Middlesex Gas Bill; Maidstone Gas Bill. Brought from the Commons; read 1a; and referred to the Examiners.

RETURNS, REPORTS, ETC.

  MUNICIPAL TRADING.
  Message from the Commons that they have come to the following Resolution, to which they desire the concurrence of this House, viz.: That it is expedient that a Select Committee of this House be appointed to join with a Committee of the Lords to consider and report as to the principles which should govern powers given by Bills and Provisional Orders to municipal and other local authorities for industrial enterprise within or without the area of their jurisdiction.
  The LORD CHANCELLOR The LORD CHANCELLOR acquainted the House that the following Papers having been commanded to be presented to this House by His Majesty had been so presented on the following dates by delivery to the Clerk of the Parliaments, pursuant to Standing Order No. CXI., viz.:

  CHARITY COMMISSION.
  Fiftieth Report of the Charity Commissioners for England and Wales. (April 1.)

  TREATY SERIES.
  No. 4. (1903)—Convention between the United Kingdom and the United States of America for the adjustment of the boundary between the Dominion of Canada and the territory of Alaska. Signed at Washington, 24th January, 1903. [Ratifications exchanged at Washington, 3rd March, 1903.] (April.1)
  No. 5. (1903)—Convention between the United Kingdom and Denmark for regulating the fisheries outside territorial waters in the ocean surrounding the Faröe Islands and Iceland. Signed at London, 24th June, 1901. [Ratifications exchanged at London, 28th May, 1902.] (April 17th.)

  TRADE REPORTS.
  I.: Annual Series.
  No. 2947. Greece (Thessaly). (April 2.)
  No. 2948. Somaliland Protectorate. (April 2.)
  No. 2949. France. (Brest and District). (April,2.)
  No. 2950. Turkey (Constantinople). (April 4.)
  No. 2951. Mexico (Mexico). (April 4th.)
  No. 2952. United States (Chicago). (April 20.)
  No. 2953. Greece (Morea and the Provinces of Acarnania and Ætolia). (April 20.)
  No. 2954. Portugal (Foreign Trade). (April 20.)
  No. 2955. France (Cherbourg). (April 20.)
  No. 2956. Germany (Chemnitz). (April 20.)
  No. 2957. Greece (the Cyclades). (April 22.)
  No. 2958. Servia. (April 22.)
  No. 2959. Germany. (April 24.)
  No. 2960. France (Havre). (April 24.)
  II. Index to Reports of His Majesty's Diplomatic and Consular Representatives Abroad on trade and subjects of general interests (with Appendix), 1902. (April 22.)

  RUSSIA (NEW GENERAL CUSTOMS TARIFF).
  Translation of the New General Customs Tariff for the European Frontiers of Russia, with comparison, as far as possible, of the rates of Customs duty contained in the tariff with the rates at present in force on imports into European Russia from the United Kingdom. (April 2.)
  POLICE (SCOTLAND).
  Forty-fifth Annual Report of His Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary for Scotland, for the year ended 31st December 1902. (April 2.)
  LUNACY (SCOTLAND) ACT.
  Forty-fifth Annual Report of the General Board of Commissioners in Lunacy for Scotland. (April 4.)
  PRISONS (SCOTLAND) ACT, 1877.
  Twenty-fifth Annual Report of the Prison Commissioners for Scotland, being the Sixty-fourth Annual Report on Prisons in Scotland. (April 4.)

  EDUCATION (SCOTLAND).
  Return showing—

  I. The expenditure from the grant for public education in Scotland in the year 1902

  II. A list of day schools aided from parliamentary grant, with statistics relating thereto, for 1901–1902, and supplementary list of schools, &c.

  III. Summarised statistics of day schools in receipt of annual grants under the Code, for the year ended 31st August 1902. (April 4.)

  EXPLOSIVES (IGNITION OF POWDER AT THE E.C. POWDER COMPANY'S FACTORY, AT STONE, NEAR DARTFORD).
  Report to the right hon. the Secretary of State for the Home Department by Captain J. H. Thomson, His Majesty's Chief Inspector of Explosives, on the circumstances attending an accident which occurred in the drying house for smokeless powder at the factory of the E.C. Powder Company, Limited, at Beacon Wood Stone, near Dartford, on the 3rd March, 1903. (April 6.)

  ARMY.
  I. Report of Committee on expenses incurred by officers of the Army. (April 7.)
  II. (Medical Department)—Report for the year 1901. (April 17.)

  MUNICIPAL ELECTION PETITION (BOROUGH OF SHREWSBURY).
  Report made by Morton William Smith, Esq., Barrister-at-Law, the Commissioner appointed for the trial of the Petition against the election of a town councillor for the Castle Fields Ward of the borough of Shrewsbury, holden on the 1st day of November, 1902. (April 7.)
  BANKING AND RAILWAY STATISTICS (IRELAND).
  Report for December, 1902. (April 7.)
  FISHERY BOARD FOR SCOTLAND (SALMON FISHERIES).
  The cause of salmon disease; a Bacteriological Investigation, by Mr. J. Hume-Patterson, of the Bacteriological Laboratory of the City of Glasgow. (April 8.)
  EGYPT, No. 1 (1903).
  Reports by His Majesty's Agent and Consul-General on the finances, administration, and condition of Egypt and the Soudan in 1902. (April 17.)

  FISHERIES (SCOTLAND).
  Twenty-first Annual Report of the Fishery Board for Scotland, being for the year 1902—

  Part I. General Report. (April 17.)

  Part II. Salmon Fisheries. (April 17.)

  NATIONAL GALLERY, &c. (SCOTLAND).
  Ninth Annual Report to the Secretary for Scotland by the Commissioners and Trustees of the Board of Manufactures in Scotland, for the year ended 30th September, 1902. (April 17.)
  REFORMATORY AND INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS (GREAT BRITAIN).
  Forty-sixth Report, for the year 1902, of the Inspector of Reformatory and Industrial Schools. Part I. List of schools and detailed reports. (April 17.)
  LOCAL GOVERNMENT (SCOTLAND).
  Return of the areas, population, and valuation of counties, burghs, and parishes in Scotland. (April 17.)
  ROYAL OBSERVATORY (EDINBURGH).
  Thirteenth Annual Report of the Astronomer Royal for Scotland. (April 17.)
  CYPRUS.
  Report for 1901–1902. (April 20.)

  SOUTH AFRICA.
  I. Papers relating to the administration of martial law in South Africa. (In continuation of [Cd. 981]). (April 22.)
  II. Papers relating to (i.) the finances of the Transvaal and Orange River Colony; (ii.) the progress of administration in the Transvaal and Orange River Colonies. (In continuation of [Cd. 1463], February, 1903.) (April 22.)

  RAILWAY ACCIDENTS.
  Return of accidents and casualties as reported to the Board of Trade by the several railway companies in the United Kingdom during the year ended 31st December, 1902, in pursuance of the Regulation of Railways Act (1871); together with reports of the inspecting officers, assistant inspecting officers, and sub-inspectors of the Railway Department to the Board of Trade upon certain accidents which were inquired into. (April 22.)
  AGRARIAN OUTRAGES (IRELAND).
  Return for the quarter ended 31st March, 1903. (April 22.)
  AGRARIAN OFFENCES (PROVINCES) (IRELAND).
  Return for the year ended 31st December, 1902. (April 22.)
  IRISH LAND COMMISSION (PROCEEDINGS).
  Return for the month of February, 1903. (April 22.)
  WAGES AND HOURS OF LABOUR, BOARD OF TRADE (LABOUR DEPARTMENT.)
  Report on changes in rates of wages and hours of labour in the United Kingdom in 1902, with comparative statistics for 1893–1901. (April 22.)

  BOARD OF EDUCATION.
  Statement of schemes for the formation of education committees approved up to 31st March by the Board of Education, under Section 17 of the Education Act of 1902, showing—

  Name of local education authority.

  Number of members of the council of the local education authority.

  Number of members of the Education Committee.

  Number of members of the Education Committee who are necessarily members of the Council.

  Number of women who are necessarily on the Education Committee.

  Forms of educational experience to be-represented on the Education Committee.

  Recommendations or nominations (if any). (April 24.)

  LAND LAW (IRELAND) ACT, 1887 (EVICTION NOTICES).
  Return of the number of eviction notices filed during the quarter ended 31st March, 1903. (April 24.)
  COMMITTEE ON BRITISH FORESTRY.
  Minutes of evidence taken before the Departmental Committee appointed by the Board of Agriculture to inquire into and report upon British Forestry; with appendices and index. (April 24.)

  AFRICA, No. 2 (1903).
  Correspondence relating to the recruitment of labour in the British Central Africa Protectorate for employment in the Transvaal. (April 25.)
  The same were ordered to lie on the Table.

  CONGESTED DISTRICTS (SCOTLAND) ACT, 1897.
  Fifth Report of the Congested Districts (Scotland) Board to the Secretary for Scotland.
  EVICTIONS (IRELAND).
  Return of evictions in Ireland for the quarter ended 31st March, 1903.
  SOUTH AFRICA.
  Further Papers relating to the progress of administration in the Transvaal (in continuation of [Cd. 1551], April, 1903).
  QUEENSLAND.
  Correspondence relating to the Pacific Island Labourers' Act, 1901, of the Commonwealth of Australia (in continuation of [Cd. 1285], 1902).

  TRADE REPORTS: ANNUAL SERIES.
  No. 2961. Argentine Republic (Buenos Ayres).
  No. 2962. Turkey (Palestine).
  No. 2963. Nicaragua.
  Presented [by Command], and ordered to lie on the Table.

  UNIVERSITIES (SCOTLAND) ACT.
  I. Annual statistical report by the University Court of the University of St. Andrews to the Secretary for Scotland, under the provisions of the Act, for the year 1901–1902.
  II. Annual report on the state of the finances of the University of St. Andrews, under the provisions of Section 30 of the Act.

  COURT OF SESSION (SCOTLAND).
  Act of Sederunt anent regulating the places in counties in Scotland at which commissary business shall be conducted.
  LIGHT RAILWAYS ACT, 1896.
  Report of the proceedings of the Board of Trade up to the 31st December, 1902, and of the proceedings of the Light Railway Commissioners up to the same date.
  LIFE ASSURANCE COMPANIES.
  Statements of accounts and of life assurance and annuity business, and abstracts of actuarial reports deposited with the Board of Trade under Section 10 of the "Life Assurance Companies Act, 1870," during the year ended 31st December, 1902.
  POLICE (COUNTIES AND BOROUGHS, ENGLAND AND WALES).
  Reports of His Majesty's Inspectors of Constabulary, for the year ended 29th September, 1902.
  INDIA.
  Return of all loans raised in England, under the provisions of any Acts of Parliament chargeable on the revenues of India, outstanding at the commencement of the half-year ended on the 31st March, 1903, with the rates of interest and total amount payable thereon, etc.
  CREMATION (ENGLAND AND WALES).
  Regulations made by the Secretary of State for the Home Department under Section 7 of the Cremation Act, 1902, with reference to the maintenance and inspection of crematoria, the conditions under which cremations may take place, etc.
  CERTIFIED DAY INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS (PARLIAMENTARY GRANT).
  Recommendation of the Secretary of State for the Home Department that the sum contributed out of moneys provided by Parliament to managers of any certified day industrial school shall, under certain conditions, continue to be paid in respect of children absent owing to an epidemic.
  GOVERNMENT INSURANCES AND ANNUITIES.
  Account of all moneys received on account of contracts for the grant of deferred life annuities, and for payments on death, under the provisions of the Acts 27th and 28th Victoria, chap. 43, 45th and 46th Victoria, chap. 51, and 50th and 51st Victoria, chap. 40, and of the disposal thereof, and of the contracts made, for the year ended 31st December, 1902.
  EGYPTIAN GUARANTEED LOAN OF 1885.
  Account up to 31st March, 1903.
  GREEK LOAN OF 1898.
  Account up to 31st March, 1903.

  SUPERANNUATION.
  Treasury minutes dated—

  I. 26th March, 1903, declaring that for the due and efficient discharge of the duties of the office of Director of Naval Education, professional or other peculiar qualifications not ordinarily to be acquired on the public service are required.

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  II. 27th March, 1903, declaring that Mrs. Charlotte Ann Reynolds, postmistress, Daventry Post Office, was appointed without a Civil Service certificate through inadvertence on the part of the head of her department.

  III. 28th March, 1903, granting a retired allowance to George F. Laidlaw, rural postman, Christchurch Post Office, under Section 12 of the Superannuation Act.

  DISEASES OF ANIMALS ACTS (1894 AND 1896.)
  Two Orders, numbered 6641 and 6648 respectively, relating to the landing of foreign animals in Great Britain.

  SEA AND COAST FISHERIES FUND (IRELAND) (NON-CONGESTED DISTRICTS).
  Account for the year ended 31st December, 1902;
  Statement of the total amounts advanced and the total repayments, the amounts of promissory notes given as security, to 31st December, 1902, together with the balance outstanding;
  Laid before the House (pursuant to Act), and ordered to lie on the Table.

  ENDOWED SCHOOLS ACTS AND AMENDING ACTS.
  Scheme for the Amendment of the management of Chew's Foundation in the Parish of Dunstable, in the County of Bedford, founded by deed of 16th December 1724, and regulated by a scheme made under the Endowed Schools Acts on 28th June, 1880;
  Laid before the House (pursuant to Act), and to be printed. (No. 29.)

PETITION.
  SHOPS (EARLY CLOSING) BILL [H.L.]
  Petition in favour of; of the Airdrie and District Merchants Association; read, and ordered to lie on the Table.
  BERWICKSHIRE COUNTY TOWN BILL.
  Read 1a; to be printed; and to be read 2a on Monday next—(The Lord Balfour). (No. 30.)
  NAVAL FORCES BILL.
  Read 1a; to be printed; and to be read 2a on Thursday next—(The Earl Selborne). (No. 31.)
  CONTRACTS (INDIA OFFICE) BILL.
  Read 1a;.and to be printed. (No. 32.)
OUT-DOOR RELIEF (FRIENDLY SOCIETIES) BILL.

  SECOND READING.
  Order of the day for the Second Reading read.
  LORD JAMES OF HEREFORD: My Lords, I find, on inquiry, that it will not be convenient to some members of your Lordship's House who are interested in this Bill to take the Second Reading today. I therefore propose to postpone it, probably till this day fortnight.
  Second Reading postponed accordingly.

  ARMY ANNUAL BILL.
  Bill brought from the Commons and read 1a(according to order).
  The UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (the Earl of HARDWICKE): In order to pass this Bill through all its stages to-morrow I shall ask your Lordships to agree to suspend the Standing Orders.

  LOCAL GOVERNMENT (IRELAND) PROVISIONAL ORDERS (No. 1) BILL.
  Read 1a; to be printed; and referred to the Examiners (No. 34).
  House adjourned at twenty-minutes before Five o'clock, till To-morrow, quarter past Four o'clock.