LORDS, THURSDAY, JUNE 20. Moved, "That the Bill be now read 2","-(The Lord Bishop of Exeter) Motion agreed to:-Bill read 2" accordingly, and committed to a Committee METROPOLIS-COFFEE STALLS IN THE STREETS-Question, Mr. P. A. Taylor; - THE FRANCHISE MANUFACTURE OF FAGGOT VOTES-EXETER Question, MINES REGULATION ACT, 1872-THE HAYDOCK COLLIERY ACCIDENT- ARMY-THE MEDICAL SERVICE-Question, Mr. Mitchell Henry; Answer, CRIMINAL CODE (INDICTABLE OFFENCES) BILL- Williams; Answer, The Attorney General POST OFFICE-POST OFFICE SAVINGS BANKS-Question, Mr. Muntz; Answer, The Chancellor of the Exchequer THE BRITISH BORNEO COMPANY-THE CONSUL AT SINDAK-Question, Sir Charles W. Dilke; Answer, Mr. Bourke THE BOARD OF WORKS-REPORT OF THE COMMISSION-Question, Mr. Gray; Answer, Sir Henry Selwin-Ibbetson IRELAND THE DISFRANCHISEMENT OF CASHEL AND SLIGO-Question, Mr. THE "LARK" -Question, Mr. Serjeant INLAND REVENUE-OUT-DOOR LICENCES-Question, Mr. Mundella; Answer, POST OFFICE (IRELAND) TELEGRAPHIC DEPARTMENT-COMMUNICATION WITH GRANARD Question, Mr. Errington; Answer, Lord John Manners POOR LAW-CASE OF ELIZA LITTLEHALES-Question, Mr. A. H. Brown; SOUTH AMERICA-BRITISH CEMETERY AT MONTE VIDEO-Question, Sir H. Drummond Wolff; Answer, Mr. Bourke.. POST OFFICE-EASTERN MAIL SERVICE-Question, Mr. Anderson; Answer, THE CUSTOMS DEPARTMENT-APPOINTMENT OF SIR CHARLES DU CANE Question, Mr. Baxter; Answer, The Chancellor of the Exchequer PARLIAMENT PUBLIC BUSINESS-Question, Mr. Dillwyn; Answer, The ORDERS OF THE DAY. Roads and Bridges (Scotland) Bill [Bill 4]- Bill considered in Committee [Progress 18th June] After long time spent therein, Bill reported; as amended, to be considered 1888 After short time spent therein, Bill reported; as amended, to be considered To-morrow, at Two of the clock. Corrib (Galway) River Bill-Ordered (Sir Henry Selwin-Ibbetson, Mr. James Lowther); Ordered, That the Select Committee on Parliamentary Reporting do consist of Seventeen Members: That Sir HENRY HOLLAND, Mr. HUTCHINSON, Mr. CowEN, and Major ARBUTHNOT be added to the Committee,-(Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer.) The Viscount Melville, after the death of his Brother. HANSARD'S PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES, IN THE FIFTH SESSION OF THE TWENTY-FIRST PARLIAMENT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND, APPOINTED TO MEET 5 MARCH, 1874, AND THENCE CONTINUED TILL 17 JANUARY, 1878, IN THE FORTY-FIRST YEAR OF THE REIGN OF HER MAJESTY QUEEN VICTORIA. FOURTH VOLUME OF THE SESSION. HOUSE OF LORDS, Thursday, 16th May, 1878. Trades' Council, from the United Chainmakers' Association, and others praying that the Bill might be amended by the insertion of a clause providing that no girl under 16 years of age might be engaged in that work, said, that the MINUTES.]—Sat First in Parliament-The observations he was about to offer were, Lord Somerhill, after the death of his father. by no means, by way of obstruction to PUBLIC BILLS-First Reading-Public Health the Bill-on the contrary, he was most Act (1875) Amendment* (85). Second Reading Elementary Education Provi- anxious that the Bill should pass; but sional Order Confirmation (London) (67); he must say there was a serious omission Elementary Education Provisional Orders from it, inasmuch as the nail and chainConfirmation (Birmingham, &c.) * (68); Cus-makers were not included among the toms and Inland Revenue *. * Third Reading-Factories and Workshops (57), and passed. FACTORIES AND WORKSHOPS BILL. (The Lord Steward.) (NO. 57.) THIRD READING. BILL PASSED. Bill read 3a (according to Order) with the Amendments. On Question that the Bill do pass, THE EARL OF SHAFTESBURY, who had presented Petitions from the Walsall VOL. CCXL. [THIRD SERIES.] trades subject to its provisions. They were a large body, especially in the neighbourhood of Walsall, and much of their work was done by women and girls; yet for girls under 16 engaged in nail and chain-making there was no protection in the Bill. On a former occasion, he had expressed his opinion that the provisions of the Bill were very valuable, and that for such legislation Mr. Cross deserved great credit; but, before the passing of the Bill, he thought B it right to say that on a future occasion the nail and chain-makers would make application to Parliament to be included within the protective clauses of the Act. He should be glad to learn the reasonif there was any-for this omission. The noble Earl then proceeded to say: Now, my Lords, with the permission of the House, I will make a passing observation upon the melancholy and awful state of things now prevailing in certain districts of the County of Lancashire. I do not presume to give an opinion-if, indeed, I have one-on the respective position of the two parties-the employer and the employed. I believe, however, that each side is fully and conscientiously convinced that it is in the right. I wish to say a word or two in respect of the operative class-that operative class with which I have so long associated, and which I have so long known-and my main object is to express a decided opinion and here, at least, I may be allowed to have one-that the sad disorder and outrages which have disgraced those localities were the work of the idle, the vagabond, and the worthless, of which there is everywhere so large a supply-especially in our large towns and cities. I verily believe the vast bulk of the operatives whom I have so long known and valued are most anxious to obtain their ends by just and peaceful means; but, at the same time, I feel bound to say of them, as their old friend and associate, that it is the duty of the mass of operatives, who are peacefully disposed to render every assistance to the constituted authorities, and to come forward at once and declare that they have not had, and that they will not have, any measure in the line of conduct which can only bring on universal disgrace and ruin. LORD WINMARLEIGH said, he fully concurred in the observations of the noble Earl, who had had for so many years the interest of the working classes at heart, and felt sure that the words he had uttered that evening would have the happiest effect in putting an end to the disturbances that were now occurring; indeed, he was firmly convinced that had the operatives of Lancashire listened to the observations of their intelligent leaders, the disgraceful proceedings which had taken place at Blackburn, and elsewhere in Lancashire, would never have occurred. The Earl of Shaftesbury He LORD BALFOUR OF BURLEY said, that as a Member of the Commission which had sat to inquire into the operation of the Factory Acts, he should like to say a word or two on the first part of the noble Earl's speech. knew very well the high authority which the opinion of the noble Earl carried with it; but he ventured to think that the Commissioners were justified by the evidence in making the recommendations they had, and that Her Majesty's Government were perfectly right in having drawn the Bill in the shape in which it was put before them. In regard to the nail and chain-makers, the Commission had a considerable conflict of evidence before them as to the effect of the trade of nail and chain-making on health. They sat in various towns in the Black Country, and took a great deal of evidence upon the question; and the general effect of it seemed to be that the occupation in question was not, on the whole, detrimental to the health of those engaged in it, and it was not carried on in large factories. But it was to be remarked that the great mass of the evidence they received in favour of extending the restrictions to those young women engaged in those trades came from men. The men felt that the women were competing with them, and they openly admitted it was a wages' question. The Commission considered, also, whether they could draw any distinction between the various kinds of nails made, and they considered the question whether they could get any line of distinction between the heavier and lighter kinds of chains and nails. After a lengthened investigation, they came to the conclusion that they could not prohibit altogether the employment of women and young persons in those trades, provided the hours were not excessive. He did not think the noble Earl was correct when he said they had no protection. The Bill they were now about to pass extended the provisions of the Act under which they were now working, by which young persons must be employed between 6 in the morning and 8 in the evening. By the Bill, their work must now begin at 6 or 7 in the morning, and end at the same hours in the evening, and they were to be allowed during the day an hour and a-half for meals. The Committee came to the conclusion that the hours were not excessive. He thought the Bill would meet the require- | fixed allowance would be given to the ments of the case, and would give great wives and children of those Reserve satisfaction. men, and that the sum so fixed was 6d. Bill passed, and sent to the Commons. child. Now, it seemed to him that those a-day to the wife and 2d. a-day to each sums could hardly be considered ade ARMY RESERVE — ALLOWANCES TO quate as a means of support, and he FAMILIES OF RESERVE MEN. EARL DE LA WARR rose to move for recent Correspondence between the War Office and Boards of Guardians with reference to the allowances to the wives and children of the Army Reserve men who have been called into active service. In the few remarks which he wished to make on this subject, it was not his intention to ask Her Majesty's Government to anticipate what they might propose to communicate to Parliament at a future time; but it was, he thought, desirable that Parliament should know on what grounds the allowances proposed to be given had been fixed; and he thought, also, it would assist in giving this information, if the Correspondence to which he referred in his Notice of Motion were laid upon the Table of that House. The case, as their Lordships were aware, was a new one. It could not have occurred before in its present form, as this was the first occasion on which the Act of Parliament, under which the Army Reserve was called out, had been put in force. There arose, therefore, a new question-What was to be done to provide for the families of those men? It might be argued that they should be treated in the same way as the families of other men in the Army were treated. But it must be remembered that those men, in many instances were, when they were called out, in a different position from what they were when they first entered the Army. Since they had retired into the Reserve, not a few had become settled in comfortable homes, and were engaged in employments where they were in the receipt of good wages. Many, for instance, were servants of railway companies, and were filling places of trust. But, by the summons which they had received, and which had been so readily responded to, much had of necessity been given up, and their families had become dependent upon other means of subsistence. It had been communicated officially by the Secretary of State for War that a did not believe it would satisfy the country as sufficient. In consequence, applications had been made to Boards of Guardians for further assistance, and a question had arisen whether out-door relief from the poor rates should or should not be given, and whether what was called the workhouse test should be applied? Now, he must say he was one of those who thought that this question ought not to have arisen. He could hardly conceive anything more detrimental to the well-working of the system of the Army Reserve than this Но that the family of a man, who had readily and cheerfully obeyed the summons to serve his country, should be compelled to resort to parish relief, and even, perhaps, to the workhouse, to mingle with the idle and, it might be, with the worst class of the population. Not only, moreover, would it be a burden which ought not to be thrown upon the ratepayers, but he did not believe that the country would look with any degree of satisfaction upon such a result. But it must come to this if the allowance were not increased. would ask-Was it possible that a woman could live on 6d. a-day and a child upon 2d. a-day in decent respectability to provide everything? and if there were small children to be taken care of, nothing more could be earned. Even if the husband should be able to save something out of his pay, it could not be more than would suffice for the house rent. It seemed to him that the case should be regarded as exceptional, and might be dealt with in an exceptional manner, without establishing any inconvenient precedent. was considered so by the Act of Parliament, which treated it as a case of emergency. The country desired that adequate provision should be made for the families of those men, to enable their families to remain in comfortable circumstances until they could return to the position they had formerly occupied. It Moved, That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty for recent Correspondence between the War Office and Boards of Guardians |