§ MR. STORERsaid, the object of the Amendment he had placed on the Paper was to allow drainage when not costing 409 more than £20 to come under Part I. of the Schedule. He did not insist on the particular figure of £20—perhaps £10 would do; the object being that the tenant should not drain without the sanction of the landlord. In many parts of the country it was the custom for landlord and tenant to do the work between them, the landlord finding the tiles and the tenant putting them in, but subject to the supervision of the landlord or someone appointed by him. He had known drainage work done by a tenant in an inferior manner, but in such a manner that no valuer, when the tenant went out, could tell whether it was well done or not. he hoped the Government would accept the Amendment. It seemed to be the general opinion that a tenant should not be allowed to drain any land indiscriminately without the consent of the landlord but the tenant would, under the Amendment, be allowed to do anything to the extent of £20, and this was only reasonable, because it might be necessary to repair a drain or outfall quickly, and this might be required to be done almost before the consent of the landlord could be obtained.
§ Amendment proposed, in page 12, line 18, to leave out Part II., and insert "Drainage where the total sum expended amounts to more than twenty pounds."—(Mr. Storer.)
§ Question proposed, "That Part II. stand part of the Schedule."
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURsaid, he should have been tempted to vote with The hon. Member had the Bill remained in the same condition in which it had entered Committee; but protection had been given the landlord by two Amendments which had been inserted—the one, the Amendment to the 1st clause which he had moved, and which he understood' the Government would endeavour to dispose of at another stage; and, in the second place, there was the protection of the rate of interest the landlord might charge if he did the work himself. As the Bill was brought in, the tenant could do the work himself or compel the landlord to do it; but now a landlord, if he disapproved of the system the tenant meant to adopt, would be at liberty to do it in his own way, and to charge a rate of interest to the tenant for so doing. The landlord, therefore, would 410 be sufficiently protected, and he hoped the hon. Member would not press his Amendment to a Division.
§ MR. DODSONsaid, he would not follow the hon. Gentleman into his argument; but he must not suppose he admitted what was said because he did not controvert it now. The whole of this question was amply discussed on Clause 4, and he hoped the hon. Member would not insist upon the Committee going over the same ground again; and, in fact. it appeared to him it would not be in Order to do so.
§ SIR BALDWYN LEIGHTONsaid, it appeared to him that, under the circumstances, Part II. was absolutely necessary; and he appealed to his hon. Friend not to press his Amendment, as otherwise he should support the Government clause as it stood, if it came to a vote.
§ Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.