§
Amendment proposed—
Leave out clause 9."—(Lord Harris.)
LORD HARRISMy Lords, I beg to move that this clause be omitted. It provides that—
Where in any local Act any restrictions are imposed in regard to the promotion of a Bill in Parliament by a council, or any special provision is made for the payment of the costs, charges, and expenses intended to be provided for by the Borough Funds Act, 1872, or this Act, the council may, at their option, either proceed under the provisions of their local Act or under the provisions of the said Act and this Act, and nothing in this Act shall be construed to take away or diminish any rights or powers now possessed or enjoyed by any council under any local or general Act.This clause gives the option of proceeding under any Act of a local character, and there are so many of these that the Local Government Board feel that it would be wise at present to leave the clause out altogether.
§ EARL BEAUCHAMPMy Lords, this is the only Amendment to which I have any objection. Take the case of Birmingham. Birmingham has special privileges, under the local Act, of taking the opinion of the inhabitants in a simple way in the town hall by ballot. If this clause is omitted that will be done away with.
LORD HARRISI have an alternative to propose, and that is that this Act might be read as one with the Act of 1872, which contains the provision that—
Nothing in this Act shall alter or affect any provisions contained in any other Act,and so on.
§ EARL BEAUCHAMPI would prefer the alternative.
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Question put—
That clause 9 stand part of the Bill.
§ Motion agreed to.
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Question put—
That clause 10 stand part of the Bill.
§ Motion agreed to.