An Asterisk (*) at the commencement of THE PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (AUTHORISED EDITION) IN THE FOURTH SESSION OF THE TWENTY-SEVENTH PARLIAMENT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND, IN THE THIRD YEAR OF THE REIGN OF HIS MAJESTY KING EDWARD VII. Speech indicates revision by the Member. D TENTH VOLUME OF SESSION. Sir EDWARD LEVY-LAWSON, Baronet, having been created Baron Burnham of Hall Barn, in the parish of Beaconsfield, in the county of Buckingham, was (in the usual manner) introduced. MICHAEL BIDDULPH, Esquire, having been created Baron Biddulph of Ledbury, in the county of Hereford, was (in the usual manner) introduced. GEORGE THOMAS JOHN SOTHERONESTCOURT, Esquire, having been created Baron Estcourt of Estcourt, in the parish of Shipton-Moyne, in the county of Gloucester, and of Darrington in the West Riding of the county of York, was (in the usual manner) introduced. PRIVATE BILL BUSINESS. Seaforth and Sefton Junction Railway Bill. Read 3a, with the Amendments; VOL CXXVII. [FOURTH SERIES.] further Amendments made; Bill passed, and returned to the Commons. Ireland Development Grant Bill; Airdrie and Coatbridge Tramways Order Confirmation Bill; Lerwick Harbour Improvements Act, 1877, Amendment Order Confirmation Bill. Brought from the Commons. Lanarkshire Tramways Order Confirmation Bill [H.L.]. Returned from the Commons agreed to. South Shields Corporation Bil. Returned from the Commons, with the Amendments agreed to. East Ham Improvement Bill. Returned from the Commons with the Amendments agreed to, with an Amendment; the said Amendment considered and agreed to. Wick and Pulteney Harbours Order Confirmation Bill. Read 3a (according to Order), and passed. Airdrie and Coatbridge Tramways Order Confirmation Bill [No. 195]; Lerwick Harbour Improvements Act, A 1877, Amendment Order Confirmation Bill No. 196]. Read 1; to be printed, and (pursuant to the Private Legislature Procedure (Scotland) Act, 1899) deemed to have been read 2 (The Lord Balfour); and reported from the Committee; and to be read 3 on Monday next. RETURNS, REPORTS, ETC. COMMERCIAL No. 7 (1903). Reports from His Majesty's representatives on navigable inland waterways in Austria-Hungary, Belgium, France, Germany, and the Netherlands. PRISONS (IRELAND). INTERNATIONAL MERCANTILE MARINE COMPANY AND OTHERS. Agreement, dated 1st August, 1903, between the Admiralty and the Board of Trade and the International Mercantile Marine Company and the Oceanic Steam Navigation Company, Limited, Frederick Leyland and Company, 1900, Limited, the British and North Atlantic Steam Navigation Company, Limited, the Mississippi and Dominion Steamship Company, Limited, the Atlantic Transport Company, Limited, and the International Navigation Company, Limited. PUBLIC RECORDS (IRELAND). Thirty-fifth report of the DeputyKeeper of the Records, for the year 1902. SEA FISHERIES (ENGLAND WALES). AND POST OFFICE SITES BILL. Reported, without Amendment, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House to-morrow. IRELAND DEVELOPMENT GRANT Read 1; to be printed; and to le read 2a to-morrow.-(The Earl of Denbigh). (No. 194.) THE STANDING ORDERS. (The Earl of MORLEY): My Lords, I THE CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEES the functions that the Board of Trade have now with regard to Fisheries, it is quite clear that any notices that are sent to the Board of Trade will be immediately forwarded to the Board of Agriculture in the natural course of things, and as soon as possible next session the Standing Orders will, of course, be amended. The first Amendment of the Standing Orders on the Paper refers to the deposit of certain maps in the case of Bills for the taking of water supply. It is an Amendment that has been asked for by the Local Government Board, and it seems to me to be a very reasonable one. The second Amendment secures, in cases where a parish has no parish council and plans and sections have only to be deposited with the clerk of the district council, that they shall also now be deposited with the chairman of the parish meeting. The next Amendment is of rather more importance. When Lord Newton called attention some time ago to the delay that took place in the progress of legislation at the beginning of every session, I undertook--and I had General report to the Board of Trade intended to take this course for a long upon the accidents that have occurred time-to see if, with regard to private on the railways of the United Kingdom Bills, the period at the beginning of the during the year 1902. session, when nothing could be done, could not be shortened. The object of Presented [by Command], and ordered this Amendment of the Standing Orders to lie on the Table. Seventeenth annual report of the inspectors, for 1902. SALMON AND FRESHWATER FISHERIES (ENGLAND AND WALES). Forty-second annual report of the Inspectors of Fisheries (England and Wales) for 1902. RAILWAY ACCIDENTS. has that in view. Instead of regulating the period for depositing petitions according to the Second Reading of Bills, a fixed date is taken. In the House of Commons the date is 12th February. As I am told that it would cause confusion if the petitions on all Bills presented to Parliament were taken on the same day, I have made it a week later in the case of petitions to this House. All petitions in respect to Bills which are presented for the the first time to the House will have to be lodged by 19th February. I believe that will gain us certainly ten days, and the Opposed Bills Committees will be able easily to start work in the first week in March in future sessions. These are the only important matters to which I need refer, and I beg leave to move that the Amendments be agreed to. 105a. Where any body of persons corporate or unincorporate sufficiently representing a particular trade, business, or interest in any district to which any Railway Bill relates, petition against the Bill, alleging that such trade, business, or interest will be injuriously affected by the rates and fares proposed to be authorised by the Bill, it shall be competent for the Select Committee to whom the Bill is referred, if they think fit, to hear the petitioners or their counsel or agents and witnesses on such allegation against the Bill, or any part thereof, or against the rates and fares propose i to be authorised by the same. '105c. Where the council of any adminis trative county or county borough or being a Joint Committee of Councils of administrative Moved, “That the Standing Orders be counties or county boroughs petition against amended as follows New Standing Order: 25c. Where, under the powers of any Bill, any water may be taken, collected, or impounded for the purpose of a water supply, the Promoters shall, on or before the 30th November, deposit at the Office of the Local Government Board, and also at the Office of the Clerk of the Parliaments, an Ordnance map on the scale of 6 inches to a mile, showing by a distinguishing mark the position of each reservoir, well, conduit, or other work proposed to be authorised by the Bill; and where the proposed source of supply is a river, stream, or lake, an Ordnance map on the scale of not less than 1 inch to a mile, showing by a clearly marked line the catchment area or gathering ground from which the waters are derived. Where, under the powers of any Bill, it is proposed to supply with water any area not previously included within the Promoters' limits of supply, the Promoters shall similarly deposit an Ordnance map on the scale of 1 inch to a mile, showing respectively the existing limits of supply and the area proposed to be added thereto. 29. Where, under the powers of any Bill, any work is intended to be made, maintained, varied, extended or enlarged, or any lands or houses may be taken or used compulsorily, or an improvement charge may be imposed, a copy of so much of the said plans and sections as relates to any of the areas hereinafter mentioned, together with a copy of so much of the book of reference as relates to such area, shall, on or before the 30th day of November, be deposited with the officer respectively hereinafter mentioned, that is to say, in the case of -(d) Any parish in England or Wales comprised in a rural district and not having a parish council, with the chairman of the parish meeting and with the clerk of the district council. '92. No petition praying to be heard upon the merits against any Local Bill or Provisional Order Confirmation Bill originating in this House shall be received by this House unless the same is presented by being deposited in the a Bill, alleging that such county or county borough or some part thereof will be injuriously the Select Committee to whom the Bill is affected by the Bill, it shall be competent for referred, if they think fit, to hear such petitioners or their counsel or agents and witnesses on such allegation against the Bill or any part thereof."(The Earl of Morley.) On Question, Motion agreed to. Standing Orders amended accordingly, and to be printed as amended. (No. 197.) IRISH LAND BILL. House in Committee (according to order). [The Earl of MORLEY in the Chair.] Clause 1. THE EARL OF ARRAN, who had several Amendments on the Paper to Clause 1, intimated that he intended to withdraw them with a view to bringing them up on the Report stage. Amendments, by leave of the House, withdrawn. LORD CLONBROCK moved to insert after the words, "If the foregoing provisions are not complied with, the Land Commission may the following words, "in the case of a holding exceptionally situated," so as to provide that in such special cases the Commission might-subject to the limitations 66 of the Land Purchase Act-sanction the | into a full examination of the case advance. He said that the Amendment with the object of seeing that the did not interfere in any way with the security for the Government is suffiprinciple of the Bill, nor with the cient. In the other class of cases, where arrangements in Clause 1, as it at pre- the reduction exceeds the maximum sent stood. It was only intended to reduction provided for in the zone, make things clear, and was put forward similar examination by the Commiswith a view of increasing the probability sioners will be necessary for the of the correct working of the Bill. Sub- protection of those, besides the owner, section 2 was introduced to meet excep- who have an interest in the estate, tional cases, and, as the noble Duke in and on such examination all who have charge of the Bill had stated on the any interest in the estate, will have Second Reading, it was only intended to a claim to be heard. We believe, apply to inferior classes of holdings. therefore, that in these circumstances His object in moving the Amendment the case will be exceptional, but was to make this quite clear. Seeing nothing would be gained by requiring the maximum reduction in the zone the Estates Commissioners to make a relaxed, the smaller class of tenant purchasers might be induced to press for more favourable terms, which would have to be refused by the landlords. He feared that if the Amendment was not accepted there was a danger of a renewal of agitation. He was in Ireland recently, and everyone to whom he spoke on the subject expressed dissatisfaction at the relaxation of the "zone." He trusted the Government would accept the Amendment. The namely, that these cases shall only second Amendment standing in his name, which he would move after the first had been dealt with, was in the interests of the remainder-man, who might also suffer severely, and in the interests of the public at large. Amendment moved specific declaration that the case was an exceptional one. The circumstances of the exceptional character of the case are proved, in the first place, by the parties having arrived at angreement outside the zone, and in the next place by the fact that the Commissioners have assented to such an agreement, and have advanced the money upon it. That is far more effective security for what the noble Earl desires be treated exceptionally, than any “In page 2, line 5, after the word 'Com- effect of acting prejudicially to the land mission to insert the words 'in the case of a COUNCIL (The Duke of DEVONSHIRE): The Government do not think that the Amendment suggested by the noble Lord would be any improvement upon the terms of the clause. We fully believe that the cases which will come under this sub-section will be exceptional. They will be exceptional for the reason that such cases will be carried through with much more delay and difficulty than the cases which come under the zone, inasmuch as in cases where less than the minimum reduction is agreed upon it will be necessary that the Estates Commissioners should enter Lord Clonbrock. lords, because it would give a handle to anyone who wished to create an agitation to ask that any case which could be ascertained to resemble that which had been declared to be an exceptional one by the Commissioners should be treated in exactly the same way. We believe that the words will be no protection to landlords, but, on the other hand, might act prejudicially. Therefore I regret we are unable to accept the Amendment. THE EARL OF DUNRAVEN hoped the noble Lord would not press the Amendment because it seemed to him that it would rather defeat his own object, which was to make the matter clearer. The Amendment would tend rather to confuse the position. The |