§ Order of the Day for the Third Reading, read.
§ Moved, "That the Bill be now read 3a."—(The Lord Herschell.)
§ THE EARL OF WEMYSSsaid, the intention of the Bill was to put the landlord in the same position as other creditors. But the effect of this would be to take away from the tenant 2 the credit on which, at present, he could rely. The result would be that the tenant would either have to pay in advance or would have his rent raised. He did not intend to oppose the Bill; but he wished to call attention to the direction in which legislation was now going.
§ LORD HERSCHELLsaid, that he would not have introduced the Bill unless he had received assurances of its usefulness from those who were better able to judge of the matter than himself, and those who had a practical acquaintance with the question had assured him that it was likely to be advantageous, since the present system combined the maximum of hardship to the tenant with the minimum of advantage to the land-lord, because when the tools of a skilled workman were sold they generally fetched very little, while the workman was deprived of his means of working.
Motion agreed to; Bill read 3a accordingly; Amendments made; Bill passed, and sent to the Commons.