HC Deb 06 March 1902 vol 104 cc570-1

Order for Second Reading read.

Motion made and Question proposed "That the Bill be now read a second time."

Mr. GROVES (Salford, S.)

said he wished to call attention to a case of great hardship affecting a certain number of his constituents who occupied shops in the neighbourhood of Talton Street, a thoroughfare scheduled in the Bill under consideration. These tenants had occupied these premises for some twenty or thirty years, and the great majority of them were in the unfortunate position of being weekly tenants, and consequently had no locus standi before the Committee. This was a position of affairs which he thought required some legislative remedy. Many of these individuals had invested hundreds of pounds in their businesses. The street in question was the only shopkeeping street in a large working class neighbourhood, and if these people were dispossessed, great inconvenience would be caused to their customers, for there was no other place near to which the businesses could be transferred. One man had got a business, the goodwill of which he could easily sell for £500, yet if this Bill were passed that would be swept away, and he would have little chance of getting any compensation from the promoters of the Bill. He wished that these people could be allowed in some way to appear before the Committee, and he hoped some means would be discovered of enabling that to be done.

Amendment proposed—

"To leave out the word 'now,' and at the end of the Question to add the words upon this day six months.' "(Mr. Groves.)

Question proposed, "That the words proposed to be left out stand part of the Question."

SIR J. FERGUSSON (Manchester, N.E.)

thought it a great hardship on a company which had complied with all the Standing Orders and regulations of the House that its scheme should be postponed merely because in the opinion of the hon. Member the law was defective. The scheme dealt with in the Bill had been before Parliament some years, and after many difficulties had been overcome. Authority was given for constructing the Mono Railway between Liverpool and Manchester. Some deviations in the original scheme had since been found to be necessary, and this Bill was brought forward in order to sanction them. But surely the measure ought not to be delayed simply because in the opinion of the hon. Gentleman a certain class of persons suffered injustice by not having a locus standi If the general law governing these matters dealt hardly with any particular class, another opportunity should be sought to remedy it, but it was not fair, and it would be contrary to the practice of the House, to postpone a measure which in every other respect was unobjectionable.

MR. GROVES

Is the right hon. Gentleman prepared to give an undertaking on behalf of the Company that they will take only one side of the street? I believe there is an almost official understanding to do that, and that, at any rate, would get rid of one half of the difficulty.

SIR J. FERGUSSON

I believe it is the case that one side of the street in which my hon. friend is more particularly interested will not be taken.

MR. GROVES

Then I beg to ask leave to withdraw my opposition.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

Original Question put and agreed to.

Bill read a second time and committed.