§ Bill considered in Committee.
§ (In the Committee.)
§ Clauses 1 to 3, inclusive, severally agreed to.
§ Clause 4 (Water not to be cut off where the water rate is payable by the owner),
§ MR. FORREST FULTON (West Ham, N.)The clause as it stands provides that the interest should run from the expiration of one month from the time the claim has been sent in by the Company. It seems to me, on consideration, that perhaps some legal difficulty might arise from time to time, in the way of proving when the claim had actually been made, and that it might 895 be fair to the Water Company if I expunged the words "from the expiration of one month," and substituted the words "has become due to." The effect of that Amendment would be that the rate of interest would run from the time the money became due, instead of a month after the time.
§ Amendment proposed, in page 1, line 26, to leave out the words "from the expiration of one month."—(Mr. Forrest Fulton.)
§ Question proposed, "That the words proposed to be left out stand part of the Clause."
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. RITCHIE) (Tower Hamlets, St. George's)I must ask my hon. and learned Friend to adhere to the Bill as it stands. I think, if the interest is to run at 5 per cent, it would act as a premium on the Water Companies in sending in their claims. I do not say they would take advantage of it for such a purpose; but I think it is only fair that they should be bound to send in their claim, and that the interest should only run from a reasonable time after the claim had been sent in.
§ Question put, and agreed to.
§ MR. FORREST FULTONAs the clause stands, it is required that notice should be given "to him"—that is to say, the occupier. It is, probably, desirable that the words I propose as an Amendment should be added—namely, "or left at his dwelling house." That is the usual form in these cases.
§ Amendment proposed, in page 2, line 6, after the word "him," to insert the words "or left at his dwelling house."—(Mr. Forrest Fulton.)
§ Question "That those words be there inserted," put, and agreed to.
§ MR. FORREST FULTONThe next Amendment I wish to propose is in line 7, to leave out "next," and insert "thereafter." It occurred to me that the words "next become due by him" would probably raise a difficulty in the case of weekly tenants, and that, probably, the best way would be to use the word "hereafter" in place of "next."
§ Amendment proposed, in page 2, line 7, to leave out the word "next," and insert "thereafter."—(Mr. Forrest Fulton.)
896§ Question, "That the word 'next' stand part of the Clause," put, and negatived.
§ Question, "That the word 'thereafter' be there inserted," put, and agreed to.
§
On the Motion of Mr. FORREST FULTON, the following Amendments made:—In page 2, line 9, after "recovered," insert "at any onetime;" and in line 10, after him," insert—
Or which shall have accrued due from him since such notice shall have been given or left as aforesaid.
§ Clause, as amended, agreed to.
§ Bill reported; as amended, to be considered To-morrow.