HL Deb 24 April 1896 vol 39 cc1612-4

The provisions of this Act shall have full effect notwithstanding any of the provisions of the Metropolis Management Acts, 1855 to 1890, or any Acts amending the same.

LORD MONKSWELL moved to add to the Clause— And after the passing of this Act every vestry, whether it comes under the provisions of this Act as to retirement or not, shall be entitled to fix the date in the month of May on which the election of vestrymen shall take place. He said this was a question on which there had been a good deal of feeling. The vestries had contended that they were legally entitled to fix the date of their own election; and the Local Government Board had had a legal opinion that they were entitled to do it. At first the Local Government Board were determined to abide by their view; but he was happy to find that the Local Government Board had said they would give way if the vestries would adopt this Bill; but there was no reason why a vestry which did not adopt it should be placed in this matter in a different position from one that adopted it. The two classes ought not to be put in a different position; and if the Local Government Board surrendered their claim in one case they should do so in the other. As a matter of drafting, he understood the Local Government Board thought the Amendment might be improved, and he was, therefore, willing to leave the drafting of it to them.

LORD HARRIS

said, the Local Government Board were willing that this power should be given to the vestry. There was no objection to the principle of the Amendment, but he asked the noble Lord to withdraw the Amendment now, and at a subsequent stage he would bring up a new clause more in conformity with the ideas of the Local Government Board as to wording, and also some consequential Amendment in the preceding clause.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn; Clause 5 added to the Bill.

THE EARL OF DENBIGH, in order to give the vestries a little more time, moved, after Clause 5, to insert the following new clause:— 6. That this Act shall come into operation on the first day of October in the year One thousand eight hundred and ninety-six. No time being mentioned in the Bill, it would not otherwise come into force until the following January.

LORD MONKSWELL

said, that in the absence of words to the contrary, the Bill would come into force when it received the Royal Assent. The vestry should be allowed to consider the matter whenever they liked, and pass a resolution when the Act was passed.

LORD HARRIS

said there was no objection to a date being fixed.

LORD MONKSWELL

suggested that the usual course should be followed, and as soon as the Bill was passed, the vestry should have an opportunity of passing a resolution. It was simply a vexatious and harassing condition to delay the power of the vestries.

THE EARL OF KIMBERLEY

asked what possible reason could there be for delay. The Bill was an optional and not a compulsory Measure. The vestries were enabled to make application to the Local Government Board, but they were not compelled to do so immediately. He did not see the object of fixing a date in these circumstances.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

Bill re-committed to the Standing Committee; and to be printed as amended.—[No 60.]