§ MR. HOPWOODasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether his attention has been called to the Improvements Bill at present 1175 being promoted by various Municipalities, in which it is proposed to enact laws for those places inconsistent with the general laws of the land; and, whether he would, under the circumstances, refer the Bills in question to a Select Committee specially chosen, as was done in the Session of 1882?
§ SIR WILLIAM HARCOURT, in reply, said, that the Local Government Board were engaged in reporting on these Bills. He agreed with his hon. and learned Friend that the Committee of 1882 served a very necessary and useful purpose in placing these Bills on one uniform principle; and if it should turn out that the Bills this year were sufficiently numerous to justify the appointment of a Committee, he should be prepared to support a proposal. He was already in communication with the right hon. Gentleman opposite (Mr. Sclater-Booth), who so ably presided over the Committee of 1882.