LAND TAX COMMISSIONERS BILL. (Hansard, 18 December 1906)

§ THE MARQUESS OF RIPON

My Lords, the object of the Amendment of which I have given notice is this. If your Lordships will look at Clause 1, line 19, you will see that it is directed that notice shall be given to each Commissioner of all meetings of the Commission. It is supposed that as the clause has been drafted that would mean that notice shall be given to every Commissioner in Great Britain and Ireland of every meeting of these local persons. That would be exceedingly inconvenient, and I was last night requested by the Treasury to give notice of the Amendment which I have placed upon the Paper. However, the Treasury have thought better of their Amendment, and they now send me some other words. I quite agree with my noble friend (Earl Beauchamp) who has just said that he does not like moving Amendments which are not in print. But as the matter is so very small a one, perhaps the House will allow me to raise the other Amendment, which I think is preferable, because I think it really carries out the object which the Treasury have in view. What I propose is this—in line 19, Clause 1, after "commissioners" to insert "of the country, shire or place for which he acts." That is the object—that the local Commissioner shall have the information, and not the whole of the British public, and perhaps your Lordships will, in the present circumstances, allow me to insert that Amendment, although I have not laid it upon the Table.