§ MR. DONALDSON-HUDSONasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether, in the event of the Hares and Babbits Bill becoming Law and so depriving the landlord of the exclusive right of sporting, it is the intention of Her Majesty's Government to modify or repeal the sixth section of the Act of Victoria, 37 and 38, entitled—
An Act to amend the Law respecting the liability and valuation of certain Property for the purposes of rates,whereby the landlord pays the whole of the rate to the poor in respect of such sporting rights?
§ SIR WILLIAM HARCOURTAs far as I understand the matter, it will certainly not be right to repeal or modify this Statute. The hon. Member and myself read the Act in totally different ways. In the 6th clause of the Statute the law assumes that the whole of the game belongs to the tenant, and the consequence is that the tenant is rated in respect to the game; but he may recover that rate from the landlord if the latter reserves the game. If the Hares and Babbits Bill passes into law and the tenant claims a portion of the game, of course he will not be able to recover from the landlord in respect of such portion. Therefore, the law will remain exactly as it is now. In a sub-section of Clause 6 it is provided that where the right of sporting is severed from the occupation of the land, either the owner or the lessee may be rated as the occupier thereof. Therefore, the landlord will be rated only in respect of that portion of sporting rights which he enjoys. These being the circumstances of the case, I think no modification of the Statute cited will be required; but, of course, if it be found that any alteration is wanted, the attention of the Government will be turned to it.