HC Deb 21 June 1855 vol 138 cc2307-9

Order for Committee read; House in Committee.

Clause 124 agreed to.

Clause 125 postponed.

Clause 126 agreed to.

Clause 127 (Provides for three separate and distinct rates for sewers, lighting, and general purposes).

MR. HENLEY

said, he objected to this clause upon the ground that the expenses of recovering the rates would thus be increased. It would be better, he considered, to make one rate, including the poor rate, as was done in St. George's, Hanover Square.

SIR BENJAMIN HALL

said, he must beg to explain, that his object was to enable the local authorities to collect the rates at different times, if they thought proper, so as not to bear so heavily upon the poor ratepayer.

MR. MONTAGU CHAMBERS

said, he begged to ask what would be done with the Inns of Court, and other extra-parochial places?

SIR BENJAMIN HALL

said, that this was not the proper time to explain that part of the measure. He would promise that all the amendments or additions which it was intended to make to the Bill should be printed and placed in the hands of Members on Saturday, or, at latest, on Monday morning.

SIR WILLIAM CLAY

said, he had some apprehension lest, if these rates were demanded along with the poor rate, at one time, the effect might be to disfranchise many of the poorer voters of the metropolis, by calling upon them for a larger sum than could at once be paid. It would be better to levy the poor rate separately.

Clause, as amended, agreed to; as were also Clauses 128 to 133 inclusive.

Clause 134.

SIR HENRY WILLOUGHBY

said, he wished to call attention to the serious importance of authorising, as it was proposed by the words inserted here, the Metropolitan Board of Works to tax any district of the metropolis for the cost of works of drainage, according to their notion of the benefit which the locality would derive from it.

SIR BENJAMIN HALL

said, that the object of the clause and the amendment he proposed was to prevent particular districts from being taxed for sewers when nothing had been spent in those districts, and therefore it was proposed to have, in addition to the general rate, a special district rate.

Clauses 135 to 158 were agreed to, with some verbal amendments.

The House resumed; Committee report progress.

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