VISCOUNT SYDNEYsaid, that a large deputation waited upon the First Minister of the Crown about three weeks ago to invite the Government to take some action upon this subject, and he now wished to ask the Lord Privy Seal, Whether the Government were prepared to bring in any Bill to alter the law affecting the Assessment of Charities?
§ THE EARL OF MALMESBURYsaid, that the subject was one of the very 746 highest importance, and at this moment was attracting a great deal of public attention; but the pressure of public business this Session was so great, and the House of Commons was just now so overwhelmed, that it would be impossible to promise that any action would be taken on this subject during the present Session. The subject was one which required careful handling, because, however hard the case made out on behalf of some of these charities, there were other cases—for example, cases in which the locality derived no advantage from the charity—in which exemption of charities from payment of rates would put the locality to a great disadvantage. There were many other points which he would not mention now because that was not the proper time to discuss them; he wished merely to say that there was great difficulty in dealing with the subject, and that he could not undertake that any Bill should be brought forward this year.