HC Deb 15 July 1873 vol 217 cc400-1
MR. ASSHETON CROSS

inquired what course would be taken with respect to this Bill?

MR. STANSFELD,

in reply, said, that he had placed upon the Paper Amendments in reference to several of the clauses of the Bill, so as to enable the Rating (Liability and Value) Bill to come into operation, without reference to the Valuation Bill, and which he would move on the Report. He could not state to the House at that moment that it would not be possible to pass the Valuation Bill, because he did not recognize any serious objection to the Bill in the Amendments on the Paper. One of the Amendments had regard to the importation of the provisions with respect to the Surveyor of Taxes into the Rating Bill. He had no doubt in his own mind that there was sufficient justification for this proposal, and that he should be able to satisfy the House that this conclusion was a right one. He was not disposed at that moment to give up all hopes of proceeding with the Valuation Bill this Session; but still he had thought it prudent to place upon the Paper Amendments that would make the Rating Bill a perfect Act in itself, without any reference to the Valuation Bill.

In reply, to Mr. VANCE,

MR. STANSFELD

said, the valuation and rating of Government hereditaments in Scotland and Ireland was otherwise provided for. Suggestions were made that they should extend principles contained in other parts of the measure to Scotland and Ireland—such, for instance, as the repeal of certain exemptions from rateability, and the conclusion at which the Government arrived was, that, considering the lateness of the period of the Session which they had reached, it would not be prudent so to widen the scope of this Bill; but they expressed the opinion that the same principles ought to be applied to the rateability of property in Ireland and Scotland as those they had applied to the rateability of property in England; and it would be the duty of the Government at the beginning of the next Session to deal with these subject-matters in separate Bills.

LORD JOHN MANNERS

said, he understood the right hon. Gentleman to say that he would import the provisions with respect to the Surveyor of Taxes from the Valuation Bill into the Rating Bill, and at the same time keep the Valuation Bill on the Paper. But would it not be far more convenient if the right hon. Gentleman were to be content with the importation of the necessary clauses of the one Bill into the other, and to move that the Valuation Bill be taken off the Paper?

MR. STANSFELD

explained that it was in the view of the Valuation Bill not being carried that it was necessary to take care the clauses to which he had referred should be imported into the Rating Bill; but these clauses did not relate to the Surveyor of Taxes. He expected shortly to be able to state whether they would proceed with the Valuation Bill this Session.