On the failure of the Contagious Diseases Acts : as proved by the official evidence submitted to the Select Committee of the House of Commons, 1879, 1880 and 1881 / James Stansfeld.

  • Stansfeld, James, 1820-1898.
Date:
[1881]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the failure of the Contagious Diseases Acts : as proved by the official evidence submitted to the Select Committee of the House of Commons, 1879, 1880 and 1881 / James Stansfeld. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    fl again renewed, said:—Ladies and gentleman, I took upon myself to call this Conference that I might speak to you in an informal manner, and perhaps you will now allow me to occupy the chair without being formally voted to that oflSce. I am not going to make an oration; I am here to make a plain, business statement; to tell you that the time for action, or what I call business—for I like that old English word—is at hand. It is true that the Committee of the House of Commons, which has sat for three sessions on the Contagious Diseases Acts (and of which I am a member) has not yet reported, and does not appear to be very near to the point of making a report. Nevertheless, before the close of the last session of Parlia- ment, I thought it my duty—exercising that full and free liberty of judgment and discretion upon which terms alone I undertook the conduct of this question in the House of Commons—I felt it my duty to give notice that during the next session of Parliament I would introduce the subject; that I would invite, and I would obtain, if possible, a decision of Parliament upon this question. While I have to justify that proceeding to you, I do not affect to believe that you will be a jury particularly difficult to convince. Because—if I read your minds aright—you have been waiting with some degree of impatience—(hear, hear)—and even bewilderment for the time of action to arrive. (Hear, hear.) But I have to justify it, because within the limits of Parlia- mentary action, I am responsible, and it is an exceptional step to take, to announce, as I have announced, that even if the Com- mittee which is sitting upon these Acts, and of which I am a member, should not have reported before the expiration of next session, I will so far as I may be able, appeal to the judgment of Parliament on the subject. (Hear, hear.) Well, now, I proceed to justify that course to you. First, let me give you some of the dates and history of this Committee. The Committee was appointed on the 11th of June, 1879. I am not responsible for its appointment, but I have been a member of it and have borne on the whole, as I believe, the most laborious part. (Hear, hear, and cheers.) It sat for one month in that session ; was re-appointed in February, 1880, and then sat twice, to hear Dr. Nevins evidence, before Parliament was dissolved. It was ro-appointed in the first session of the new Parliament but, after repeated delays, it adjourned without having once met for business.