HL Deb 11 July 1889 vol 338 cc84-5

SECOND READING.

Order of the Day for the Second Reading, read.

* LORD ZOUCHE

My Lords, in moving the Second Reading of this Bill, I may state that it has passed the other House of Parliament. In London, and in many Provincial towns also, vacant ground and great numbers of buildings have been used for many years for purposes of advertisement, and large sums have been derived from that use. But in no case has either the owner or licensee of such ground been rated by the Local Authorities. It is considered that property of that description, which brings in such very large sums annually, should bear a proportion of the local burdens, and that it should no longer be exempt, as it has hitherto been. This Bill, my Lords, as I said before, has passed the other House of Parliament; it has received very considerable support in the country, and Her Majesty's Government is not, I believe, unfavourable to it. It only remains for me to ask your Lordships to allow this Bill to be read a second time.

Bill read 2ª (according to order.)

* LORD ZOUCHE

I now beg to move that this Bill should be committed to a Committee of the Whole House.

The Marquess of SALISBURY expressed dissent.

* EARL BEAUCHAMP

There is very great inconvenience in Standing Committees meeting when your Lordships are sitting. I see no reason whatever why the Committees should not meet on Tuesday afternoons after the rising of the House, and not concurrently. It is quite certain that the Members of your Lordships' House cannot be serving on a Standing Committee, and also doing their duty in the House at the same time. I trust that if the Standing Committees survive another Session, care will be taken not to interfere with the ordinary and proper business of your Lordships.

* LORD ZOUCHE

My Lords, I do not know whether I might put this point to the House. This is a Money Bill, and I do not know whether it is competent to the House to make any amendment in the Bill. I think it is well that there should not be any delay in passing the measure, and that is why I proposed that it should be referred to a Committee of the Whole House.

THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY

This is a rating, not a taxing, Bill.

After short discussion, the Bill was committed to the Standing Committee for General Bills.