Bill to be read the third time upon new clause in lieu of Clause 19 (Site of Thursday.

that commission would sit two laymen selected by the vestries of the two benefices which were proposed to be united, and a third layman would be appointed by the chairman of the quarter sessions of the county. The majority on the commission would consist of laymen appointed by those who were interested in the matter. The evil which this Bill proposed to remedy was one very familiar to many of their Lordships. It was the case of a rich living outside a town, from which probably under the action of the old system of Poor Laws all cottages had been got rid of, and of a poor

of those sites, on the ground that it was a blow to that reverence for the dead which still existed among us, and which it was desirable to preserve. In the Select Committee he had therefore made a Motion the effect of which would have been to prevent the sale of sites; but when they came to a division upon it the Committee was equally divided, and therefore by the technical rule the decision was against him. But in that division he found against him two noble Lords on his own side of the House who were both earnest and distinguished Churchmen. In the circumstances, knowing how the Committee was com-living inside the town with a large and posed, it was evident to him that in some form or other the dominant feeling of their Lordships' House would be in favour of permitting, under whatever safeguards and restrictions, the sale of sites. As the law now stood, any one could introduce a Private Bill into Parliament to authorize the sale of the site of a church which had been pulled down. The Bill, as altered by the Select Committee, substituted the Provisional Order for the Private Bill; and as the clause provided that under the new system all such sales were subject to all the checks and safeguards formerly required-such as the consent of the Bishop and of the Home Secretary, he conceived that if such sales were to be permitted at all it would be impossible to surround them with greater precautions.

Clause agreed to.
Clause 19 agreed to.

Clause 20 (Site of Church pulled down may be sold under Provisional Order of Secretary of State, confirmed by Act of Parliament), agreed to.

Clauses 21 to 31, inclusive, agreed to. Clause 32 (Union of Benefices else where than within any city or municipal borough).

THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY explained that the Bill would extend the union of benefices from boroughs to counties, or to benefices one of which was situated within the borough, the other in the county. The Bishop must consent to a scheme for a union of county benefices, and there would be a commission, as in the case of a borough. On

The Marquess of Salisbury

poor population. The Bill proposed that in such a case the rich benefice should be combined with the contiguous benefice. He was of opinion that the guards proposed by the Bill against abuses were quite sufficient.

Clause agreed to.

Remaining clauses agreed to.

The Report of the Amendments to be received on Monday next.

METROPOLIS (WHITECHAPEL AND
LIMEHOUSE) IMPROVEMENT SCHEME
CONFIRMATION BILL-(No. 120.)
(The Lord President).

COMMITTEE.

Order of the Day for the House to be put into a Committee, read.

THE EARL OF SHAFTESBURY said, he did not interpose for the purpose of delay or of moving any Amendment in the Bill before them-he rejoiced to see it, and heartily approved the alterations introduced by the Secretary of State upon the scheme as propounded by the Metropolitan Board of Works. But as this was the first Bill of a long series which would come before the House for the improvement of the dwellings of the working classes, he desired to make an observation on the provisions of it. First, he desired to press upon the promoters of the Bill the necessity of making provision for those who were ejected from their dwellings while the improvement was in progress-without first ascertaining whether there was sufficient accommodation for them in the neighbourhood. This was a great evil. Since he first brought the subject

to the attention of Parliament, 24 years | them would be far beyond the means of ago, probably not less than 1,000,000 the poorer classes, and if they were not of persons had been turned out of their limited, we should have a repetition of holdings in consequence of metropolitan all the moral and physical evils of overimprovements he himself had witnessed crowded apartments. Therefore, unless the misery caused thereby. Now this they had single rooms at moderate rents might be avoided if they adopted the poor families must be crowded into unplan pursued in Glasgow. He was ac- healthy lodgings. There was a very quainted with that city before it was large population in this metropolis who improved, and having recently visited lived from hand to mouth, and who it, he could say that it was improved in earned wages averaging not more than a manner and to an extent which he from 128. to 148. a-week, and of course had witnessed in no other city. Well, it was impossible for them to pay 58. or that great municipality had made very 68. a-week for their tenements. It was extensive improvements, and in no case not easy to see their way out of these did they remove the people until they embarrassments. Doubtless the best had ascertained that there was lodging had been done. But he must revert to room for them all within easy distances. what was really practicable, and which Now, if they were to proceed on the would tend to moderate, to a great principle of entirely new construction in extent, the troubles and losses of disevery case (putting aside altogether the placement. Long and ample notice improvement and adaptation, when pos- should be given to the inhabitants; by sible, of existing tenements-a system ample he meant something beyond the far better suited for convenience and mere legal notice-every one should be economy to the poor) the erection of made acquainted with it. The demohouses in blocks, ugly and inconvenient litions should be gradual; not more as they were, seemed to be unavoidable, than 500 persons should be removed at so great was the value of the land in one time, nor until it had been ascertained London. They were to rise to heights that adequate lodging was to be had in of even five stories. This, again, might the neighbourhood. The modern sysbe unavoidable; but then there should tems of displacement in London had be on every storey everything that could increased the evil that many wished to be required; water should be laid on, remove. The people had been driven. and a dust-bin provided on every floor, into houses which already contained for if these poor people had to go up more than their due;, and the suburbs and down these high flights of stairs for had begun to be as crowded and filthy these accommodations, it amounted to as the interior of London itself. With real infliction and infinite toil. Now these precautions immense good might this by the Bill was provided for each be done. The law would effect a revolublock, but not for each storey. Health tion-a revolution as beneficial as ever and cleanliness imperatively demanded was effected among 4,000,000 of people. an amendment to that effect. In the THE DUKE OF RICHMOND distribution and character of the holdings GORDON said, he was glad to have the the Secretary of State had acted with advice of one who was so well acquainted much judgment and consideration for with this subject, and who was so greatly the poorer classes. His scheme stood interested in providing dwellings of an thus-Provision was made for 3,870 improved character for the poorer persons in 888 tenements, consisting of classes as the noble Earl. All the topics 121 single-room, 650 double-room, and which the noble Earl had brought for117 three-room tenements, each room ward should be carefully considered, being constructed for the accommodation and as far as they were practicable his of 25 persons. This was a mighty im- suggestions should be adopted. If this provement on the plan of the Metro- measure were properly carried out, it politan Board, which was very objec- would prove a considerable boon to the tionable. Some single rooms were un-working classes. avoidable-indeed, they were necessary; but here a difficulty arose-if the num- House in Committee accordingly; bers in each room were to be limited Bill reported, without Amendment, and according to the proportions laid down to be read 3a on Thursday next. in the scheme, the expense of living in

AND

SLAVE TRADE BILL-(No. 135.)

(The Marquess of Salisbury.)

THIRD READING.

should be glad to hear that the type had not been broken up, and that the errors could be corrected.

LORD SELBORNE, referring to the Returns of owners of land in England,

Order of the Day for the Third Read- said, he could hardly conceive a docuing, read.

THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY, in moving that the Bill be now read a third time, said, there seemed to have been a strange misconception last evening in the mind of the noble Earl who was recently Governor General of India (the Earl of Northbrook) in reference to this Bill. The noble Earl stated that the present Bill had not been referred to the Government in India, which was perfectly correct; but he also appeared to be under the impression that the substance of the measure had not been considered by the Indian Executive. The truth was that, substantially, the proposals contained in the Bill were sug gested by the noble Earl himself, and the Papers which he proposed to lay on the Table of the House would show that this was the fact.

On Question? Resolved in the affirmative.

ment of less value. It was full of mistakes, instances of which the noble and

learned Lord pointed out.

EARL GRANVILLE said, that in his own case he was put down as owning 600 acres of agricultural land in Staffordshire, and that he derived an income from it of £10,000 a-year, or £16 an acre rental, which was certainly the highest rental for such land that he had ever heard of.

THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY

was understood to say that in his case the Return was altogether erroneous; but it was not surprising that there should be inaccuracies, for there was the greatest difficulty in getting the Returns, and very often they had to be got as they best could from vestry clerks and other parish officers not of the most educated class.

LORD BLACHFORD said, it was the same as regarded himself.

THE DUKE OF RICHMOND AND GORDON regretted extremely that the Irish Return was inaccurate; but from

Bill read 3 accordingly, and passed, what they had just heard it was not

and sent to the Commons.

singular, as the same injustice had been perpetrated in regard to the Return for England as for Ireland. The type had

OWNERS OF LAND (IRELAND)-THE not been broken up; but he understood

NEW "DOMESDAY BOOK."

QUESTION. OBSERVATIONS.

THE EARL OF BELMORE, in asking the Lord President, If the type of the Return of Owners of land in Ireland is still standing; and, if so, whether any steps can be taken to amend the inaccuracies in the Return? said, the names of persons had been inserted as owners though they were merely trustees of property; and in other cases persons had been defined as owners in fee though they merely held leases for 99 years, or were renewable, or were rent-charges. He thought that the definition of owners would lead to many mistakes. There were errors in the case of his own property. If the book was intended to be of any real value the numerous inaccuracies should be corrected, and if the type were not broken up that might be done without any very great cost. He

that it would be inconvenient to correct the Blue Book as it now stood. It was now proposed, after some time had elapsed and all the errors had been brought to light, to print an addendum, showing the corrections which had been made.

THE EARL OF LIMERICK said, that there could be no doubt that there were very great inaccuracies in the Return for Ireland, and he referred particularly to the Return for his own neighbourhood.

House adjourned at a quarter past Six o'clock, to Thursday next, half past Ten o'clock.