§ On or before the fifteenth day of December immediately preceding the application for a Bill for power to take any lands, or houses compulsorily or for compulsory user of the same, or for an extension of the time granted by any former Act for that purpose, or to impose an improvement charge on any lands or houses, or to render any lands or houses liable to the imposition of an improvement charge, application in writing shall be made to the owners or reputed owners, lessees or reputed lessees, and occupiers of all such lands and houses, inquiring whether they assent, dissent, or are neuter in respect of such application; and in cases of Bills included in the second class, such application shall be, as nearly as may be, in the form set forth in the Appendix marked (A).
§ The CHAIRMAN of WAYS and MEANSI beg to move to leave out the words "application in writing shall be made," and to insert instead thereof the words
notice in writing of the application shall be given.
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSI have not the Standing Orders with me, but can the Chairman of Ways and Means give us some explanation of this and the succeeding Amendments, as to whether they relate to notices to householders who are affected by private Bills? There is a Special Order, I know, that requires notices to be given to persons who are affected, for instance, by a proposed Tramway Bill, and if these Amendments relate to those notices, I think we ought to have a little explanation before we pass them.
§ Mr. HOPEMy impression is that the notices to individuals remain the same, and that these alterations apply only to general public advertisements, and not to individuals whose property is proposed to be affected in any way. If the hon. Member has any doubt about it, I will put the remaining Amendments off till tomorrow.
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSI should be glad if they could be put off till to-morrow, as I have not had time yet to look thoroughly into the proposed Amendments.