THIRD READING. (Hansard, 3 August 1899)

§ * THE EARL OF WEMYSS
My Lords, the noble Earl (the Earl of Selborne), when he moved the Second Reading of this Bill, said the Bill was on the lines of the measure introduced by the noble Lord the Marquess of Londonderry. I should like to point out that it differs materially from the Bill that was brought in by the noble Marquess. To begin with, it has a different title. The title of Lord Londonderry's Bill was a remarkable one; it was "To Enable Working Men to Acquire Their Own Houses." I do not see why, if they had their own houses, it was necessary to give them money to acquire them. Lord Londonderry's Bill also differed from this Bill inasmuch as it was only for working men. This Bill is more general in its character. I object altogether to this kind of legislation, which compels people who do not want to buy their own houses to be taxed for those who do. There is a limit of expenditure in the Bill of a penny in the £, but we know what these limits eventually come to. We have an example in the School Board rate. This is the fourth or fifth of the seven lollipops promised by Mr. Chamberlain at the last General Election. I quite admit that opposition to anything proposed by the Government at the hands of Mr. Chamberlain is useless, but at any rate I shall enter my protest against the Bill.

§ THE EARL OF SELBORNE
I am afraid the noble Earl has not read the Bill. There is no compulsion whatever in it, and there is not the slightest intention to lay any charge on the ratepayers. The penny limit is put in in case the local authority should so mismanage the affair that an expense is incurred; but the whole object of the Bill is that there shall be no expense at all.

§ * THE EARL OF WEMYSS
Whatever my noble friend may say, I dare him to deny that there is in the Bill, no matter 1238 for what purpose, a power of rating up to a penny in the £.