§ SIR HENRY JAMES (Bury, Lancashire)asked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether, having regard to the existing uncertainty as to the principles upon which any reform of the law relating to the transfer of land must proceed, the Government will appoint a Royal Commission to inquire into the subject of the transfer of land, and also the tenure of estates on land from which the cost and complexity of transfer arise?
§ THE FIRST LORD (Mr. W. H. SMITH) (Strand, Westminster)Two Royal Commissions and two Select Committees of this House have considered this question already. One Royal Commission was appointed in January, 1854, and reported in May, 1857; the other was appointed in May, 1868, and reported in November, 1869. One Select Committee was appointed in May, 1853, and reported in August of that year; the other was appointed in May, 1878; it reported the evidence only in July of that year; it was re-appointed in December of the same year, and reported in June, 1879. Having regard to these facts, the Government do not consider that any useful purpose would be served by the appointment of a third Royal Commission now, more especially as they do not themselves feel any uncertainty as to the principles upon which legislation should proceed, and as they have been confirmed in their view by the general approval with which the 262 principle of their measure was received this Session in the House of Lords, as well as by the most eminent Legal Authorities in other quarters.