§ MR. CHANNING (Northampton, E.)I beg to ask the Attorney General whether he is aware that many resolutions have been passed by Farmers' Clubs and Chambers of Agriculture in support of the principle that the tenant of an agricultural holding under mortgage should have the same right of claiming compensation from a fore closing mortgagee as from his original landlord, the mortgagor; whether he is aware that the Chester Farmers' Club unanimously passed a resolution in favour of the honourable and gallant Member for the Wirral Division's (Colonel Cotton's) Tenants Compensation Bill, with the addition of the Amendments of the honourable Member for East Northampton (Mr. Channing), to extend the protection in case of mortgaged farms to rights to compensation under the "custom of the country" and for crops; whether his attention has been given to the Amendments put on the Paper in pursuance of an understanding arrived at between both sides of the House at the Second Reading of the Bill to carry out these objects; and whether, having regard to the period of the Session, and to the large number of agricultural tenants of mortgaged holdings, who need this protection, he will either place these Amendments on the Order Paper without delay, or accept the Amendments now standing in the name of the honourable Member for East Northampton?
§ * THE ATTORNEY GENERAL (Sir R. WEBSTER,) Isle of WightI am informed that considerable interest is felt in the matter referred to by the question of the hon. Member, though the circumstances out of which the matter arose are very exceptional. The question has received the most careful consideration of my right hon. Friend the Minister for Agriculture and of myself, but having regard to the difficulties which surround it, I doubt whether it will be possible to carry through satisfactory legislation during the present Session, but the 81 matter is more for the Minister of Agriculture than for me.
§ * MR. CHANNINGThe hon. and learned Gentleman is aware of the arrangement come to some time ago as to these Amendments. Are we to understand now that Her Majesty's Government are going to offer no aid in passing a Bill giving a protection urgently needed by many tenant farmers?
§ * SIR R. WEBSTERThe hon. Gentleman is to understand nothing of the kind, but owing to the numerous suggestions which have been made by a variety of people it has not been found possible to deal with the question hitherto.
§ * MR. CHANNINGWill it be dealt with this Session?
§ * SIR R. WEBSTERThe hon. Gentleman had better address that question to the Minister of Agriculture.
§ * MR. CHANNINGThen I will ask the Minister of Agriculture if he intends to have the Amendments put on the Paper in time to enable the Bill to be dealt with this Session?
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE (Mr. CHAPLIN,) Lincolnshire, SleafordI do not know what the Amendments are which the hon. Gentleman refers to.
§ * MR. CHANNINGI refer to the Amendments drawn up by the Attorney General and agreed to between the promoters of the Bill and myself with the cognizance of the right hon. Gentleman.
§ MR. CHAPLINAt present I have no information to give.