§ Order for Committee read.
§ MR. HADFIELDsaid, that the Bill proposed to take away an exemption in respect of rating at present enjoyed by houses of a certain small annual value in Sheffield. Two petitions had been presented against the repeal of this exemption, and though he approved the Bill generally, he thought the proper course under the General Local Government Act would be to refer the subject of this exemption and the right of the persons claiming it to a Select Committee, before whom they might be heard. He accordingly would move to this effect if the Speaker was of opinion that he could do so.
§ MR. SPEAKERsaid, that, according to the Act, the proper course was to move that the Bill petitioned against should be referred to a Select Committee.
MR. T. G. BARINGsaid, he wished to ask the hon. Member to move, when in Committee, the omission of Sheffield from the Bill. He would then insert it 1035 in another Bill which was to contain certain opposed Orders, and which was to be introduced to-morrow, and then the question might be referred to a Select Committee.
§ MR. HADFIELDdeclined the responsibility of moving the omission of Sheffield from the Bill. He had no objection to the principle of the Bill, which he wished should be proceeded with; what he wished was that the petitioners should have an opportunity of appealing against the application to Sheffield of the clause he had referred to.
MR. T. G. BARINGsaid, that the effect of opposing the going into Committee on the Bill would be to postpone all the other provisional Orders mentioned in the schedule.
§ Bill considered in Committee.
§ House resumed.
§ Bill reported, with amended Title; as amended, to be considered To-morrow.