§ House in Committee on the County Rates Bill.
§
On Clause 11,
If overseers neglect to make return, or wilfully make a false return or statement of the full and fair annual value of the property within the parish, expenses of Committee to be paid by the parish,"—
§ Mr. Darbymoved—
To insert the words, 'at which the property is rated to the Poor,' instead of the words, 'the full and fair annual value of the property.'
§ The House divided on the Question, that the words proposed to be left out stand part of the Question:—Ayes 43; Noes 11: Majority 32.
§ Mr. Haweswished to inquire of the noble Lord opposite (Lord G. Somerset), who was the only Member of the Government then present, if this Bill was sanctioned by the Government, and if the Government intended that it should pass? It was a Bill which, in his opinion, preserved all the evils of the old County Rates Act, which had led to all the inequalities of assessment which had hitherto been the opprobrium of the system. He was anxious to know if the Bill, as it stood at present, had received the sanction of the Government?
Mr. Grainger, before the noble Lord answered the question of the hon. Gentleman, wished to express his surprise that in a Bill of this nature, so important an element as the returns of the Income and Property Tax should have been thrown out of consideration.
§ Lord G. Somersethad read the clauses of the Bill, and, without going generally into its provisions at that moment, was ready to say that he thought it should receive the approbation of the House.
§ Clauses of the Bill agreed to.
§ House resumed. Bill to be reported.