§ COLONEL NOLAN (Galway, N.)I hope the noble Lord will assent to the re-appointment of the Committee, in which I am interested, with regard to town holdings. The Members of that Committee were selected from all parts of the House, and we sat for about six weeks. Now, I think, if the noble Lord will assent to the Motion I am about to make, the Committee would be able to go to Business in three or four weeks, and, therefore, I hope he will not oppose it.
§
Motion made, and Question proposed,
That the Select Committee of last Parliament he re-appointed to inquire into the terms of occupation and the compensation for improvements possessed by the occupiers of town houses and holdings in Great Britain and Ireland; and to inquire into the expediency of giving to leaseholders facilities for the purchase
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of the fee simple of their property; and also into the question of imposing a direct assessment on the owners of ground rents, and on the owners of increased values imparted to land by building operations, or other improvements."—(Colonel Nolan.)
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER (Lord RANDOLPH CHURCHILL) (Paddington, S.)Sir, I very much regret that it is not in my power to meet the views of the hon. and gallant Gentleman. I stated, on a former occasion, that, after careful consideration of all the Motions on the Paper, Her Majesty's Government had come to the conclusion that they could make no distinction whatever, and that they would put a Notice of opposition on the Paper with regard to any Motion which should come forward this evening or afterwards during the present Session. This is a general rule from which it is impossible Her Majesty's Government can depart; and, therefore, I cannot for myself, or on the part of my Colleagues, agree to the nomination of the Committee at this period of the year.
§ MR. CONYBEARE (Cornwall, Camborne)I should like to appeal to the noble Lord in this matter. It is all very well to have a rule of the kind he has stated; but I venture to think that this Motion does not stand on the same footing as the Motions for the Second Reading of Bills. The appointment of this Committee is a serious matter; and therefore, having regard to the small amount of progress made, the importance of the subject, and the fact that we shall be able to get to work at an early date, I trust the noble Lord will assent to the Motion of the hon. and gallant Gentleman.
§ COLONEL NOLANI am willing to withdraw my Motion, after the reply of the noble Lord.
§ Motion, by leave, withdrawn.