The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-06-19 00:00:00

. THE NATIONAL DEBT BILL.

The Third Reading of the National Debt Bill was postponed
for the third time, in consequence of the absence of Mr.
Lowe, who, it was said, desires to make a statement on it.
Mr. Fawcett asked to have it fixed for the first Order some
night, but was informed by the Secretary to the Treasury
that this was impossible.

MEDICAL ACT AMEND.MENT (COLLEGE OF SURGEONS)
BILL.

The Medical Act Amendment (College of Surgeons) Bill
was passed through Committee; and Lord Sandon, at the
invitation of Mr. Stansfeld. stated that it would not affect
the status of Female Medical Education, and that the Govern-
ment had formed no opinion as yet on the merits of that
question.

The Education (Scotland) (Sutherland and Caithness) Bill
was discussed for a short time, and Mr. Vans Agnew was
speaking against it when the House adjourned.

PROPOSED HOSPITAL AT HAMPSTEAD.

At the Evening Sitting, Mr. Coope called attention to the
action of the Metropolitan Asylum Board with reference to
the proposed erection of a permanent Hospital for conta-
gious diseases near Hampstead Heath, and moved for a
Select Committee to inquire into the Clauses of the Metro-
politan Poor Act ghing powers to the managers of asylums
to take, hold and dispose of lands and other property for the
purposes of the Act
Mr. Forsyth, in seconding the motion, dwell, on the
obstinacy of the Metropolitan Asylum Board, and pointed
out that the objectlon of the Hampstead people was not so
much to having a Hospital in their neighbourhood as to the
site which had been chosen.

Mr. Torrens argued against the congregation of the sick
in large Hospitals, and preferred treatment of fevers, ctc., in
small temporary Hospitals or at home. He moved as an
amendment that the Committee shall inquire whether any
new general Hospital for infectious diseases is necessary.
Mr Gordon advocated inquiry into the powers and the
constitution of the Asylum Board.

Mr. Sclater-Booth, sneaking on behalf of the Government,
said they wished to keep themselves neutral in this matter,
and would not oppose a Committee if it were the wish of the
House that there should be an inquiry into the manner in
which the Managers had exercised their powers. But he
pointed out that the Clauses in Mr. Hardy's Act which the
motion assailed had been of the greatest value, and he
narrated and eulogized the services and sacrifices made by the
Asylum Board in the discharge of their onerous duties. It
was a bad precedent, too, to overhaul the transactions of a
local Board by a Select Committee, for there was no reason
why this interference should be confined to London. Mr.
Sclater-Booth's personal opinion was that the pleasure-
seekers on Hampstead Heath would be no more injured by
the Hospital than people in Kensington Gardens. It was a
delusion, too, thf.t it was intended to build a permanent
Hospital at Hampstead It could not be done without his
consent, and he had no intention of giving his sanction to
such a proposal.
Mr. J. G. Talbot, as a member of the Asylum Board, in
narrating and vindicating its conduct, remarked that the
House was descending to-night rather to what Mr. Disraeli
called the " vdstry " portion of its duties. The Board did
not object to a Committee, though it would be a great waste
of public time on a purely local affair.

After some remarks from Mr. Chadwick, the amendment
of Mr. Torrens was negatived, and Mr. Coope having with-
drawn his original motion, a motion was substituted fun a
Committee to inquire into the conduct of the Asylum Board
with regard to the erection of a Hospital at Hampstead.
This was agreed to with a protest from Mr. Bathbune against
the precedent of interference in local affairs.
Dr. Kfnealy was moving for the introduction of a Bill to
establi,h Triennial Parliaments when the House was counted
out at twenty minutes past eleven o'clock.