§ MR. ANDERSON (Elgin and Nairn) (for Mr. SUMMERS) (Huddersfield)asked Mr. Solicitor General, Whether he is correctly reported as having said at Southampton that, under the Licensing Clauses of the Local Government Bill, "no new tax was imposed upon the ratepayers at all," and "no new burden imposed on the people?" He also wished, before the hon. and learned Gentleman answered the Question, to ask him a Question of which he had given him private Notice, Whether, in the same speech, he (the Solicitor General) did not also say that where licences were forfeited for reasons for which they were forfeited now, not 1s. would be paid; but if, in the exercise of their absolute discretion, the Licensing Committee chose to take the licence away without alleging any ground, and without trying any question which the Justices were bound to try, then compensation would be paid, but paid out of the fund to be created by the extra Licence Duty of 20 per cent imposed on the licence holders?
§ THE SOLICITOR GENERAL (Sir EDWARD CLARKE) (Plymouth)As to the 1172 statements mentioned in the first Question, I did make them in the terms stated. As to the latter Question, I do not think the quotation exactly represents the words I used; but it represents with substantial accuracy what I said, and I shall be quite prepared in Committee to defend the statements which I made on that occasion.
§ MR. ANDERSONasked, if the hon. and learned Gentleman gave the House to understand that he was speaking of the Bill as it stood?
§ SIR EDWARD CLARKEsaid, he was speaking of the Bill as it stood; but in the same speech he referred to matters in reference to which the President of the Local Government Board had already made some suggestions.