HL Deb 30 April 1888 vol 325 cc877-8

(The Earl of Camperdown.)

SECOND READING.

Order of the Day for the Second Reading, read.

THE EARL OF CAMPERDOWN ,

in moving that the Bill be now read a second time, said, that in order to remove any objection to it, he would propose in Committee to omit from it all reference to counties.

Moved, "That the Bill be now read 2a."—(The Earl of Camperdown.)

LORD BALFOUR

said, that in consequence of the explanation of the noble Earl, he would not move the Motion which he had on the Paper to reject the Bill. At the same time, he must be allowed to say that the way in which the Bill had been drafted and introduced into the other House of Parliament was a conspicuous example of how a great amount of confusion could be produced from not having a sufficient amount of knowledge. The law as to the maintenance and making of new roads in counties and burghs was different, and the Bill had been drafted by a person knowing the matter as it affected burghs, and not as it affected counties. The Preamble of the Bill was essentially misleading. It did not at all lead anyone to see that two clauses of the Roads and Bridges Act would be affected by the Bill. In fact, it seemed to state that only one clause would be affected. The Bill was introduced into the House of Commons, and, so far as he could learn, was got through in the early hours of the morning without a single word of discussion.

THE SECRETARY FOR SCOTLAND (The Marquess of LOTHIAN)

said, he had no objection to the passing of the Bill after the statement of the noble Earl (the Earl of Camperdown) that he was willing to withdraw the counties from its operation. He understood that the person who drew up the Bill put in the burghs, but that through some slip afterwards the word counties was introduced. By the Act of 1878, all new work in counties fell upon the owners alone, and under the same Act in burghs the assessment for new roads was levied both upon the owners and occupiers. If, however, the word counties was omitted, and the Bill referred only to burghs, he had no objection to it passing.

Motion agreed to; Bill read 2a accordingly, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Thursday next.