The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-08-15 00:00:00

THE TRADE COMMISSION.

Mr. Broadhurst proposed to move the adjournment of
the House in order to call attention to the composition
of the Royal Commission on Trade; but as only 21
members stood up in their places to support his demand,
he was not able to carry out his intention.

THE HOUSING OF THE WORKING CLASSES ETLL.

On the motion to go into Committee on the Housing
of the Working Classes Bill,
Mr. Alderman Lawrence made same general observa-
tions on the bill, cf which he approved, as did also Mr.
Hubbard and Mr. Wharton; Mr. Bryce dwelt on the
dangers of State socialism which he discerned in the
bill ; and Mr. Pell, who deprecated legislation in a.
hurry, examined the effects of the bill in the rural dis-
tricts, contending that it was out of harmony with pre-
vious legislation.
Sir S. Waterlow expressed satisfactipn that an,
attempt was being made this session to carry out some
of the recommendations of the Royal Commissioners;;
but Mr. Hopwaod, who entered upon a long criticism
of the details of the bill, advwated delay. Mr. Bu-
chanan asked for some information as to the applica-
tion of the bill to Scotland; Mr. A. Grey regretted
that it should be passed with so little consideration by
the country; and Mr. Gregory disproved the powers to
be conferred on rural sanitary authorities.
Mr. Thomasson also spoke, and a division being
taken, the motion to go into committee was carried by
50. to 6.

The clauses were then considered, and on Clause 3,
which disposes of the metropolitan prison sites, an
amendment moved by Mr. Hollond, with the object of
deferring the subject until another session, gave rise to
a prolonged and animated discussion, in the course of
which Mr. A. Grey expressed his determination to.
oppose the bill line by line unless the Government
assented to the amendment.

Sir R. Cross proposed, as a compromise, to omit from,
the clause all reference to the price at which the sites
were to be Bold; but this was not considered sufficient
by Mr. Arnold and Mr. Bryce, and Sir R. Cross there-
upon suggested that the sites should be disposed of at at,.
fair market price, to be settled by agreement or arbitra-
tion. In the course of further discussicu, Mr. H. Davey
opposed the clause; Sir S. Waterlow contended that
the sites ought to be sold at the best price obtainable;
and Mr. A. Elliot appealed to the Government to carry
out their pledge not to persevere with contentious
business, and to withdraw the clause.
Mr. Shaw-Lefevre and Sir W. Barttelot joined in this
appeal, and the Chanz:ellor of the Exchequer said be
thought at present there was not sufficient proof that
the question in dispute was substantially what might
be called contentious matter. He suggested that a
division should be taken, when the Government would
be better able to judge as to how far the House was
divided in opinion on the clause.
A division was accordingly taken, and Mr. Iloilo nd's
amendment was negatived by 69 to 20.
After some further conversation the amendment of
Sir R. Cross—providing that the sites shall be sold at
a fair market price to be satled by agreement or
arbitration—was agreed to with the further addition
"having regard to the object for which they are to be
used."

Sir R. Cross next moved an amendment giving power
to the London School Board to obtain sites, and an
addition to this, extending the power to any public
elementary school, moved by Mr. Tomlinson, was carried
by 66 to 32, upon which Mr. Collings moved to report
projess on the ground that a new denominational
element had been introdnced into the bill. This was
negatived by 82 to 22, and further opposition being
offered, Sir It, Cross got over the difficulty by with..
drawing the amendment.
On the question that the clause stand part of the
bill, the objection to its principle were again urged by
Mr. A. Grey, who invited its opponents to join in the
discussion. Sir C. Dilke pointed out that the clause
was necessary to enable the Government to sell the
sites, and that similar powers had been given to owners
of settled property.
Mr. Arnold, Mr. Davey, Mr. Bryce, Mr. Pell, Mr.
Dillwyn, and other members having joined in the appeal
to the Government to withdraw the clause, the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer said that if the division on the
clause showed an increased minority the Government
would not proceed with the clause. •
A. division being taken, 75 voted for the clause. and
29 against it; and the Chancellor of the Exchever,
recognising the increase in the minority, promised to
strike out the provision as to market value on report.
Clauses 4 to 12 were agreed to with the exception of
Clause 9, which was omitted, and Clause 13 was agreed
to with an amendment limiting its operation to habita-
tions occupied by the working classes. An amendment
to Clause 14, providing that the expression " cottage "
should include an acre of garden instead of half an
acre, was negatived on a division by 51 to 16; and ulti-
mately the bill passed through committee.
The report on the Land Purchase (Ireland) Bill was
next taken into consideration.