§ SIR JOHN ST. AUBYNasked the President of the Local Government Board, Whether it is the intention of Her Majesty's Government to endeavour to pass an Act this Session to abolish the exemption now enjoyed by such real property as does not at present contribute towards local rates?
§ SIR MASSEY LOPESsaid, he wished, before the right hon. Gentleman replied, to ask, Whether it is the intention of the Government to introduce a comprehensive measure on this subject as indicated in the Speech from the Throne, and as promised before the end of last Session by the First Lord of the Treasury; or whether the measure intended to be brought forward would be of a piecemeal character? There being now no great question before the House, he 19 wished, also, to know when it is intended to introduce the Bill.
§ MR. STANSFELD,in reply, said, with regard to the Question of his hon. Friend the Member for West Cornwall (Sir John St. Aubyn) he had to state that the Government proposed to introduce, and he hoped they would be able to pass, a measure of which the repeal of the exemption of certain classes of real property from local rates would form a part. With respect to the Question of his hon. Friend the Member for South Devonshire (Sir Massey Lopes) of which he had not received sufficient notice to enable him exactly to anticipate the nature of his Question, all he could say was that he was not able at that moment to define the extent of the measure, one portion of which he had just explained. As far as his individual opinion was concerned, having had no opportunity of consulting his Colleagues, it did not strike him as the most advisable course to endeavour to deal with the whole of the large subject which went popularly by the name of local government and local taxation, in one measure. As to the time when it would be introduced, whatever its dimensions, he was not able to answer the Question of the hon. Baronet on the spur of the moment.