§ MR. H. HOBHOUSE (Somerset,E.)I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board if a Circular Letter was issued to Boards of Guardians on or about the 26th January last, asking for information respecting the extent of the practice of compounding for rates under 474 Sections 3 and 4 respectively of the Act 32 & 33 Vict. c. 41; and if he will give this House any further information on this subject before it is considered in reference to the Lords Amendments?
§ *THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. H. H. FOWLER,) Wolverhampton, E.A Circular Letter was issued to the Clerks to the Boards of Guardians on the 26th January, with the view of obtaining information with regard to the arrangements made in the several parishes under the provisions of Sections 3 and 4 of the Poor Rate Assessment and Collection Act, 1869. I have received Returns in respect of 393 rural sanitary districts, comprising 8,248 whole parishes and 449 parts of parishes. I find that in 1,353 whole parishes and 124 parts of parishes voluntary arrangements are made for the payment of the rates by the owners under Section 3 of the Act, and that in 2,416 parishes and 252 parts of parishes owners are rated instead of the occupiers under Section 4 of the Act.
§ MR. H. HOBHOUSEDo I understand the right hon. Gentleman to say the information be has obtained already refers to the practice of compulsory or of voluntary compounding?
§ MR. H. H. FOWLERBoth.
§ MR. H. HOBHOUSEAnd according to the partial information obtained, is compulsory compounding enforced in about one-half of the parishes?
§ MR. H. H. FOWLERNo, Sir. Both compulsory and voluntary compounding obtains in one-half of the parishes, the compulsory prevailing, however, to a much larger extent than voluntary.