MR. J. A. SMITHsaid, he would beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether, seeing that the whole income and outlay of public Hospitals and Infirmaries is expended in relieving the wants of the poor, Her Majesty's Government will not introduce a Bill to exempt such public Hospitals and Infirmaries from being liable to the payment of poor's rates?
§ MR. BAINESsaid, he would also beg to ask, Whether there is any intention to introduce a Bill to exempt Sunday Schools and Day Schools for the education of the working classes from the payment of rates. He would beg to refer to the precedent in the Act of 1833.
§ MR. GATHORNE HARDYreplied that he quite admitted the importance of the question; but in the present state of public business, quite irrespective of anything else, it would appear to be impossible to attempt to introduce a Bill on this subject. He tried to refer to a Select Committee the exemptions which still remained, but they thought their inquiry had been so protracted that they adjourned without reporting on that branch of the question under their consideration. In addition to the proposed exemption of Schools and Charities, there was also to be considered the exemption of property purchased by the Crown. All he could promise was that the subject should receive his most anxious consideration, in conjunction with that of the Secretary of the Treasury, with a view to the introduction of a measure, if it could be appropriately done, in the succeeding Session, but certainly not in the present one.