The Express.
London, England, 1847-06-30 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIANIENI'.
I.
HOUSE OF LORDS.—Tt'ESDAY, JUNE 29. of
The LORD CHANCELLOR wok his seat at Ave O'clock. •
in
PUBLIC BU3INEII3.
SECOND ftrADLSO.—Poor-Laws Admtnietratke Bill. ce
ODMElTTEES.—Quatilleatims of Peers (Scotland); Baths and rat
Washbouses ; Pollee Chimes ; BliP.
llEPORT.—Pmerngers aet Amendment NIL
TRIED HEADINC.—Royal Marine Service BBL
POOR-LAWS ADMINISTRATION BILL.
• The Marquis of LANSDOWNE, in moving the second
reading of this bill, briefly explained, that it continued the tl
powers, bat altered the machinery, of the present low, the
principal alteration being the appointment of one eons- v
missioner at the head of a certain hoard, who would have a 0
seat in
to parliament, and there be compellable to answer ques-
tams re the administration of the law. '
Lord BR UG HAM expressed his admiration of the prin.
eiple of the present law, and hoped the house would not
depart from it. But when they went into committee on the '
bill, he should feel it his duty to suggest some amendments.
He must take this opportunity of offering his tribute of gra-
titude and praise to the conduct of Capt. Nicholls and his
coadjutors, and alto of Mr. Chadwick; but he deeply re-
gretted that the commissioners generally had, owing to a
want of firmness, shown a willingness to sacrifice subordinate
officers to newspaper clamour :
Pm• whom does false honour chsrre or lying stare—
Whom but the faulty and the vile:
Lord REDESDALE objected to that portion of the bill
which provided that the chief commissioner should hove a
mat in parliement. In his opinion the delicate duties which
that functionary had to perform should be kept wholly apart
from party politics
After a few words from the Marquis of LANSDOWNE in
explanation, the bill was read a second time, and ordered to
be committed on Friday next.
BATHS AND WASH-HOUSES BILL.
On the motion of Lord CAMSBILLL, the house went into
esimmittee on the above bill.
Lord CAMPBELL said that in this bill, which was in-
tended to promote habits of cleanliness among the poorer
classes, it was originally provided that all the baths,
hot and cold, should be charged at a uniform and
minimum rate, but subsequently it was thought that
classes immediately above the poorest might be benefited,
H baths at a somewhat higher charge were established, and
that, further, the revenue derived from these latter would
support the baths for the poor, without any increase in the
poor-rate. With this view a clause had been introduced,
authorising in certain Caen a charge of threepence for cold,
and sixpence for warm, baths. It had been objected to this
bill, that it would interfere with private bathing establish-
ments, in which large capitals had been invested ; but he
did not think there was much fear that the customers of
those establishments would come to the parish baths. Be-
sides, works of greet public utility were not to be stopped
on the ground that they interfered with a few private
interests.
LordMONTEAGLE oppceed the clause. as applying a
public rate to that which was not a public purpose. To
establish baths and wash-houses for the better climes at the
public expense would be tantamount to establishing a tenant-
hrmers' ward in the workhouse. There was a good deal of
hardship also in the cases of the private bathing establish-
ments scattered over the metropolis., 50,0001. had been ex-
pended en those establishments; anti the introduction of the
noble and learned lord's clause in this bill would completely
destroy their trade.
The Bishop of LONDON had no fear that the operation of
the bill would go to disturb the rights of property, or to in-
terfere with the interests of trade. Gentlemen who indulged
in warm baths at present, paid two or three shillings for
each, aad it was not at all likely that they would be attracted
by the parish baths. But even if private interests should be
in a slight degree interfered with, he did nut think that that
would justify the house in refusing its assent to a
measure which was intended to promote the health,
the cleanliness, and the morality of the people. Since
800
establishment of the cheap bath-houses no leas than
80,000 persons had taken advaetage of them in the north
western district of the metropolis. It might be safely pre-
dicated that if the lower and middle classes adopted the
practise of bathing, their eaample would soon be followed
the higher classes, and bathing would become fashion-
able, to the great benefit of private establishments of that
class. He trusted, therefore, the bill would be permitted to
pats without being amended as the noble lord had suggested.
Lord BROUGHAM made a few observations which were
totally inaudible in the pillory.
Lord STANLEY said that the principle of the bill ap-
peared to be to furnish the lower orders of the people with
baths at a rate cheaper than that which they cost, and to de-
fray the excess by baring another class of baths charged
at a higher than met price. The principle was unobjection-
able, and in fact it bad been adopted in the county lunatic
asylums, wherein patients were received and treated at a
greater charge than the pauper patients, the county rates
being thereby considerably relieved by the surplus derived
from the richer patients. The fact, however, was, that, ix
the present bill, it was not a question of principle, but one
simply of arrangement, and in order to obviate the difficulty
suggested by the proprietors of private baths, some condi-
tions ought to be imposed on the managers of the baths to be
created under the bill, whereby the higher class baths should
be charged at such prices as not wholly to supersede the
private establishments of that nature, whom existence was
supposed to be endangered by the measure. With this
proviso, the bill would have his perfect approbation and
sanction.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said, that the suggestion
of the noble lord was a good one, and might be adopted with

great advantage.
Alter a few words from Lord Nlwrrnsoms, the clause was
mrreed to.
The house minuted, and the report was ordered to be re-
ceived on Thunder.
Their lordships adjourned at 7 o'clock.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—TUESDAY, JUNE 29.
There being only 16 members present at 4 o'clock, the
house stood adjourned till tomorrow (thu day). The follow-
ing is a list of the hon. members invent, exclusive of the
vsaker:—Memrs. Barnard, Thornely, Brotherton, Duncan,
B. Yorke, Kemble, Cholmondeley, Green, Hamilton, Patti-
son, Christie, Ward, Wakley, Trelawny, and Dr. Bowring.