The Express.
London, England, 1867-04-06 00:00:00

PROPOSED REGULATIONS AS TO RATING.

In the parliamentary order book for the ensuing
week notices of motion in connexion with the Reform Bill
occupy eight pages. Of these motions 9 are to be proposed
on going into committee, the members proposing them
standing in the following order : Captain Hayter, Mr.
Buxton, Mr. H. B. Sheridan, Mr. Scrape, Mr. Berkeley,
Mr. Darby Griffith, Mr. Baillie, Mr. Coleridge, and Mr.
J. S. Mill.

In committee, amendments, insertions, or omissions, are
to be moved by Mr. Torrens, Mr. Roebuck, Earl Grosvenor,
Mr. Watkin, Mr. Rardcastle, Mr. Dillwyn, Mr. J. 8. Mill,
Mr. Fawcett, and others.
The following are the new regulations as to rating which
are proposed by the Chancellor of the Exchequer :
"Clause to follow Claim 35—(Regulations as to Rating) :
"The following enactments shall be made for the par-
paw of giving facilities to occupiers desirous of acquiring
the franchise under this act in respect of dwelling-houses in
boroughs in which the owner is liable by act of parliament
to be rated instead of the occupier:—(l.) The full rateable
value of every house in a borough, and the fall rate in the
pound, and the name of the occupier, shall be entered in
the rate-book. (2.) In every borough forms of claim to
be used by an occupier desirous of being rated for the
purpose of acquiring the franchise under this act
shall be obtainable, free of charge, at every post-ofttee in
the borough at which money orders are issued. (3.) The
form of claim shall have printed thereon the addressor the
overseers, and when signed by the claimant shall be
transmitted free by the post to the overseers. (4.) On
the receipt of any such claim the overseers shall return an
answer stating the amount of rate, if any, doe in respect
of the premises. (1.) The overseers on the receipt of the
claim and on the payment of the rate, if any then due,
shall make an entry in the rate-book declaring
the liability of the occupier to be rated and pay rates in
respect of such house, and such occupier shall be liable
accordingly, and the overseers shall give notice to the
owner that the occupier has so claimed as aforesaid, and
thenceforth the owner shall be discharged from his liability
to be rated or pay any rate in respect of such house until
the occupier makes default in payment of such rate
as hereinafter mentioned. (6.) Where the occupier of
any dwelling-house that has been let to him free from rate
claims to be rated, and to pay the rites for the purpose of
acquiring the franchise under this act, he may deduct
from any rent due or accruing due from him to the owner,
any sum which the owner would have been liable to pay
if the occupier had not paid the rates in pursuance of
such claim as aforesaid. (7.) Where the occupier of any
house having claimed to be rated and to pay rates as
aforesaid in respect of a dwelling-house makes default
in payment of the rates due from him, the
overseers shall give notice of such default to the
owner, and thereupon the liability of the owner
to be rated and to pay rates in respect of such
house shall revive in the same manner in all respect. as if
no claim had been made by the occupier ; but the owner
shall be entitled, if the occupier is liable under a contract
with him to pay the rate, to compensate himself for the
default so made by the occupier by adding to
any rent due or accruing due from the occupier any sum
which he as owner has thus become liable to pay on
account of rate by reason of the default of the occu-
pier, and shall have the same remedies for recovering the
same as if it were rent in arrear ; but no notice shall be
given to the owner by the overseers under this section of
the default of the occupier until the overseers have served
notice on the occupier stating their intention to apply to
the owner for payment of the rate due, and the occupier
has made default in paying such rate for seven clear days
after the receipt of such notice. All expenses incurred by
the overseers under this section shall lie deemed to be
expenses incurred in the registration of voters, and shall
be allowed accordingly."
The practical effect of the proposed arrangement would
be that every occupier of a house rated under the com-
pound rating system, who wished to secure a right to vote
would do so by paying to the overseer the amount of the
rates, and would receive back from his landlord the amount
which be hail paid, aa tenants who have paid the income
tax now deduct it, in the settlement of the rent.