§ MR. HEALYasked the President of the Local Government Board. Whether, 737 when the promised Local Government Bill is introduced, he will be prepared to amend the section of the Public Health Act which defines property liable to be rated in such a way as to bring Railway book-stalls within the definition?
MR. GEORGE RUSSELL, in reply, said, that under the Public Health Act, only such property as was assessable to the poor rate could be assessed to a general district rate. It was held by the Court of Appeal, in a case which came before the Court in November, 1882, that the occupier of a railway book-stall was not liable to be assessed to the poor rate. When a Bill was pro-pared to alter the law of rating, the question whether such occupations as those referred to should be made liable to assessment would be considered.