The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1861-03-05 00:00:00

Emprrial parliament.

4-- -
HOUSE OF LORDS.-THURSDAF.

THS eVILB OF ItstILWAT ILITENNIoN IN ?HIE NNTROPOLIa.
The L orol Cli.oncelloor moved the second reading of the
Btotoote Law Revision LbII, the object of which he
briefly stated.
The Bill warn read a arixond time.
Lord Derby, in calling the attention of the House to
the displaoemo•nt ot labourers in consequence of great
public works in the metropolis. said ho olid not intend
to 1,r0P0,10 any remedy for the evils which he de•
flounced, hut wished the inatter to receive the serious
consideration uf their Lordship*. Numerous Railway
Bills were now awaiting the consent of Parliament, by
wraps of some of which it was *ought to drive 00 or 70
wiles of new lines through the very heart of the metro.
polis. One of these lines, the Metropolitan Eaten-don
Railway, between Finakury-circas and Bouithfield,
which would cut through • must crowded part of the
town, propose.' tloe demolition of 600 houses, inhabited
by shout 5,000 people, of whom 2.000 were already
under notice to quit. Ile thought the appointment of a
committee would be of advantage, to anouini into the
effete upon the population and the social condition of
the metropolis by the great extension of railways.
Lord Shafteabury atateol the efforts which he had
made at various times to oppose the evil compleined of
by Lord Derby, by making railsay companies ntsponsi-
hie to the parties whom thee displaced. The demo-
litions effected under these Bills were as great as if a
foleiett army had invaded the country. Lord Shaftes-
bury then depicted in terribly simple terms the evils
caused by sudden orders to quit on a large neighbour-
hood. and quoted statistics, which he had collected in
person, to show the horribly crowded state of the ponds
and eller of the city in consequence of the pulling
down of Fielol.lane and its immediate neighbourhood.
It was irsi o,aible to describe the effects of this over.
crowolingo n the health and morale of the population.
He protested against any further sanction to the wild
schemes by which these poor people were turned out of
their abodes. •
The Bishop of London expressed his gratitude to the
two noble Lords for calling attention to this matter
and observed that, although it was supposed that over.
crowding existed in the mot of London only. in the
pariah of St. John, when Victoria-street was formed,
the very evils now complained of were observed, and
5.000 persons were displaced by the demolition of their
houses. He cordially concurred in Lord Derby's seg.
gestion that • committee to investigate the subject
should be appointed.
Lord Granville begged the House to remember that
some of these lines would be of the grealeat advantage
to the pourer Owe- and to the metropolis, because, if
properly constructed, they would increase capital, the
fund out of which labour had been paid, and increase
the aalubrity of the metropolis. any of the streets
and alleys threatened with destruction were the dens
of the criminal elegies., and he was not sure that it was
not • oesitive not of knoolneu to the poor to tensors the
worst of these houses. He dolibted whether the appoint-
ment of a select impunities would be productive of
benefit.
Lord Grey agreed with the snggestion that the new
railways should be made the means of affording relief to
the labouring classes in reg.ord to house communication.
and was extremely sorry to find that the Government

had no remedy to prop.ose.
After moue rem.rks (rem the Marini' of Bath. Lord
ktedesiale, &NI Lord Stanley of Alderley, the subje,t
dropped, and
Their Lordships adjourned at 25 minutes to eight
o'clock.