§ VISCOUNT CRANBORNE (Rochester)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Agriculture whether he is correctly reported to have stated to a deputation of Essex farmers on the 23rd February, that the Government could not possibly deal with them (the tithes) without further investigation, for the Act passed by the late Government was admitted to be a failure, and that the question would be dealt with by the Select Committee about to be appointed; if he will say in what respect the Act of the late Government is a failure; when the Select Committee is to be appointed; and whether he can yet state what the terms of the Reference will be?
§ MR. H. GARDNERI have not seen the report to which the noble Lord refers, but I gather from his question that it does not accurately embody the remarks I addressed to the Essex deputation. What I did say was this: that inasmuch as several of the speakers at the deputation had declared that the Tithe Act passed by the late Government had been a failure, there could be no doubt that the question was one which could not fail to receive the attention of the Committee which was to be appointed. The terms of the Reference to that Committee were placed on the Notice Paper nearly three weeks ago, and I should be in a position to move for the Committee on Monday next, if the noble Lord would use his influence with the right hon. Gentleman the Member for the Sleaford Division to withdraw his opposition.