Lords Sitting of 11 May 1909

ALLIANCE AND DUBLIN CONSUMERS GAS BILL. [H.L.]
Reported from the Select Committee, with Amendments.
NORTH METROPOLITAN ELECTRIC POWER SUPPLY BILL.
Reported from the Select Committee, with Amendments.
WAKEFIELD CORPORATION BILL. [H.L.]
Reported from the Select Committee, with Amendments.
SOUTH STAFFORDSHIRE WATER BILL. [H.L.]
Reported from the Select Committee, with Amendments.
THAMES TUNNEL (NORTH AND SOUTH WOOLWICH) 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Committee that the Committee had not proceeded with the consideration of the Bill the opposition thereto having been withdrawn; read, and ordered to lie on the Table: The orders made on April 27 last discharged, and Bill committed.
RISCA URBAN DISTRICT COUNCIL BILL [H.L.]
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Committee, That the Committee had not proceeded with the consideration of the Bill the opposition thereto having been withdrawn; read, and ordered to lie on the Table: The orders made on March 2 and 22 last discharged, and Bill committed.
SOUTHPORT AND LYTHAM TRAMROAD (ABANDONMENT) BILL. [H.L.]
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Committee, That the Committee had not proceeded with the consideration of the Bill the opposition thereto having been withdrawn; read, and ordered to lie or the Table: The orders made on March 2 and April 26 last discharged, and Bill committed.
ALEXANDRA (NEWPORT AND SOUTH WALES) DOCKS AND RAILWAY BILL. [H.L.] RIO TINTO COMPANY BILL. [H.L.]
Reported, with Amendments.
LITTLEHAMPTON GAS BILL.
Read 3a with the Amendments, and passed, and returned to the Commons.
RAILWAY RATES AND CHARGES (PROVISIONAL ORDER (WESTON, CLEVEDON, AND PORTISHEAD LIGHT RAILWAYS) BILL.
Brought from the Commons.
YORK TOWN AND BLACKWATER GAS (ELECTRIC LIGHTING, &c.) BILL. GREAT CENTRAL RAILWAY (VARIOUS POWERS) BILL. ALDERSHOT GAS AND WATER BILL.
Brought from the Commons; read 1a; and referred to the Examiners.
WIRRAL RAILWAY (EXTENSION OF TIME) BILL. [H.L.]
Returned from the Commons, agreed to, with Amendments.
ANGLO-ARGENTINE TRAMWAYS COMPANY BILL. [H.L.]
Returned from the Commons, agreed to, with Amendments: The said Amendments considered, and agreed to.
RAILWAY RATES AND CHARGES PROVISIONAL ORDER (WESTON, CLEVEDON, AND PORTISHEAD LIGHT RAILWAYS) BILL.
Read 1a; to be printed; and referred to the Examiners. (No. 52.)
REGISTRATION OF FIRMS BILL. [H.L.]
A Bill for the Registration of Firms and, Persons carrying on business under Trade Names—Was presented by The Lord Brassey; read 1a; to be printed; and to be read 2a on Tuesday the 18th instant. (No. 53.)
HOPS (No. 2) BILL. [H.L.]
A Bill to prohibit the use of hop substitutes in brewing, and the importation of hops except in bags properly marked—Was presented by the Lord Pentland (for the Earl Carrington); read 1a, and to be printed. (No. 54.)

MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS (QUALIFICATION OF CLERGYMEN) BILL. [H.L.]
Order of the Day for the House to be put into Committee, read.
Moved, That the House do resolve itself into Committee.—(Lord Monkswell.)
On Question, Motion agreed to.
House in Committee accordingly.
[The EARL OF ONSLOW in the Chair.]
THE CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEESDoes the noble Lord propose to move any Amendment?
LORD MONKSWELLWith regard to the Amendment standing in my name on the Paper to insert a new clause providing that the Bill shall not apply to Scotland or Ireland, I may explain that I propose to exclude Scotland on the advice of my noble friend Lord Balfour of Burleigh, and I exclude Ireland—
THE CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEESI beg the noble Lord's pardon. From a private communication I understood that the noble Lord did not propose to move his Amendment at this stage.
LORD MONKSWELLMy suggestion is that I should be allowed to insert the Amendment on the Third Reading, so that your Lordships may not be troubled with the Report Stage of the Bill. But if the Lord Chairman will put the first clause, I will explain my Amendment.
THE CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEESI am afraid that if the Bill is amended to-day we shall have to have the Report Stage.
LORD MONKSWELLI am entirely in the hands of your Lordships. But if no noble Lord objects, I propose to let the Bill go through Committee to-day without Amendment and to move on Third Reading my Amendment excluding Scotland and Ireland from the operation of the Bill.
Bill reported without Amendment: Standing Committee negatived, and Bill to be read 3a to-morrow.

ELECTRIC LIGHTING ACTS (AMENDMENT) BILL. [H.L.]
Order of the Day for the Third Reading read.
LORD HAMILTON OF DALZELLMy Lords, in moving the Third Reading of
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this Bill I think I ought to allude to a circumstance which arose on the last stage. Your Lordships will recollect that the Lord Chairman proved an Amendment to Clause 5, and that the noble Marquess opposite—Lord Salisbury—in saying that he thought Lord Onslow's Amendment might be withdrawn, asked for an undertaking from me that the Board of Trade would pursue a certain course. As I said at the time, the matter had not arisen before I came to the House, and not having plenipotentiary powers I was unable to deal with it. But since then I have consulted my right hon. friend, and I am authorised to say, on behalf of the Board of Trade, that in the case of any applications being made to them under subsection (1) of Clause 5 they will carefully consider all the circumstances of the case before giving their consent, and in particular will endeavour to prevent any extravagant speculation on the part of local authorities which might injuriously affect the interests of ratepayers or consumers of electricity within their district. I hope that will meet the point raised by the noble Marquess.
Moved, That the Bill be now read 3a—(Lord Hamilton of Dalzell.)
THE CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEES (THE EARL OF ONSLOW)My Lords, as far as local authorities are concerned the statement which the noble Lord has just made is perfectly satisfactory; but I would like to point out that the clause authorises any undertaker, whether local company or private company. Now a private company might obtain powers to supply a village with electricity while all the time it might have the intention at the back of its mind, or it might even possess a contract in its pocket, to supply a great railway company with electricity for the whole course of the line. It is in regard to that sort of thing that we require the Board of Trade to exercise vigilance. It is just as necessary to keep a vigilant eye upon private undertakers as it is upon local authorities, and I hope the noble Lord will convey this fact to the officials of the Board of Trade. So far as my Department are concerned, we are anxious to see that private companies or even individuals do not get extensive powers granted to them by the Board of Trade for purposes which, perhaps, would not be-sanctioned if the extent to which they

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intended to make use of the powers were known.
THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYMy Lords, I desire to express, on my own behalf, thanks to the noble Lord for the courteous way in which he has followed the suggestion I ventured to make on the last stage of the Bill. I am bound to say that I was more interested in the question of restraining undue zeal on the part of a local authority than of a private company, but no doubt what my noble friend who has just sat down has said is true, that it is advisable that the Board of Trade should exercise vigilance in the case of a private undertaker just as in the case of a public undertaker. I think I speak on behalf of many noble Lords who sit on this side of the House when I say that we were specially interested on the last occasion in preventing undue speculation on the part of local authorities by which the ratepayers' credit and the ratepayers' money might be prejudiced; and we desired, therefore, to have a formal assurance on the part of the President of the Board of Trade that the Board would exercise great vigilance in the matter. I am much obliged to the noble Lord for the statement he has made.
On Question, Bill read 3a.
THE CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEESMy Lords, I am sure your Lordships will hear with regret that the noble Lord in whose name an Amendment stands on the Paper and who has taken great interest in this Bill (Lord Avebury), is prevented from being present this evening owing to sudden family bereavement. I am not, of course, responsible for the Amendment which the noble Lord has drafted, but inasmuch as it was framed to meet some objections which I took to the undefined nature of the word "contractor," and, I think, to a great extent does so, I have pleasure, in the absence of the noble Lord, in moving his Amendment, and I hope His Majesty's Government will agree to it.
Amendment moved—
"In Clause 24, page 13, line 18, after the word 'places,' to insert the words 'The expression
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"contractor" shall mean any person company or firm habitually engaged in the carrying out of contracts pertaining to the supplying fixing repairing and removing of wires and appliances to be used for the consumption of electrical energy.'"—(The Earl of Onslow.)
LORD HAMILTON OF DALZELLMy Lords, I should like to join with the noble Earl in expressing regret at the cause which prevents the noble Lord in whose name this Amendment stands from being in his place to-day. I have only to say that the Board of Trade accept this Amendment.
On Question, Amendment agreed to.
Bill passed, and sent to the Commons.

THE WHITSUNTIDE RECESS.
EARL CAWDORI should like to ask the noble Earl the Leader of the House whether he can give your Lordships any information with respect to the Whitsuntide Recess.
THE LORD PRIVY SEAL AND SECRETARY of STATE FOR THE COLONIES (THE EARL OF CREWE)Before I answer the question put to me by the noble Earl, I hope he will allow me to express my regret that the noble Marquess who leads the Opposition is not in his place. We all hope that he will not be long kept away from our deliberations. As regards the Whitsuntide recess, it is common knowledge, I think, that we may be kept somewhat later in the year than we were last year, and in those circumstances we may fairly claim, and I think it would be in consonance with the general sense of the House to suggest, a somewhat longer adjournment than usual at Whitsuntide. Therefore, if your Lordships agree, we should propose that the House should adjourn after its sitting on Thursday, May 27, and that it should meet again on Wednesday, June 23.
House adjourned at a quarter before Five o'clock, till Tomorrow, a quarter-past Four o'clock.