The Express.
London, England, 1867-05-28 00:00:00

LORD DERBY AND THE COMPOUND HOUSE-

HOLDER QUESTION.

A very large and influential deputation, repre-
oratative of nearly the whole of the metropolitan
parishes. waited upon Lord Derby yesterda at his official
residenoe in Downing-street to urge his lordship to oppose
the proposed rating of the occupiers instead of the owners
of property. The deputation was introduosd by Mr. H.
Lewis, H.P. yr. Disraeli was present.

Several gentlemen having etated their views,
Lord DIRBT said the immediate object of the deputation
was more within the province of the Chancellor of the
Exchequer, as representing the House of Commons, than
his, but at the same time it was one in which the
government were highly concerned, and the propositions
which had just been discussed bad been discussed and
considered at large by the cabinet. In the first place he
would wish to say that in the Reform Bill which they had
introduced in deference to the general feeling of the
country. with a view to the permanent settlement of the
question, the main principle they. laid down was this—
that without considering a particular amount, without
drawing what had been called • hard and sharp line be-
tween 10/. and 91., or 61. and 5/., they would base the right to
exercise the franchise uponthe liability to boar the burden
imposed by the taxation of the country. All those who
had given • proof of their solvency and respectability and
position by being trusted by the local authorities for their
rates, and had paid the rates, and had resided in one place
for a given penod, would receive the franchise. He be-
lieved it was • sound principle to go upon, and one which
afforded a basis upon which they could effect a perma-
nent settlement of the question, and not per
agitations for the reduction of the figures
ten, nine, or six. They tame to him considering
the financial question only, but the government were
bound to consider its political bearing, and they had laid
down the broad principle that the man who paid rates
alone should exercise the franchise. He had no doubt
that the arrangement by which the compound boate-
-1 holder, or rather the landlord of the compounding taw
ments, was allowed o certain deduction in consideration

of paying for all the houses whether occupied or not, and
whatever the character of the tenant, was conaidered
convenient to the parish. The landlord might or might
not make a good bargain. The question, however, was
very different when it came to who should have the
political franchise, and he must again lay strew; upon
their main point, that the man who paid rates
should alone enjoy the franchise. It had been
urged that the compounding householder paid rates
in the shape of rent, but he was not respon-
sible to the parish or the public for them. It was a
matter between himself and his landlord, and if the latter
agreed to receive only three-fourths, two-thirds, or one-
half, was that man to be treated the same as the
householder who was liable for the whole ? No,
and they did not contemplate making any arrangement
by which it should be so. In response to Mr. Hodgkineon's
amendment the House of Commons said, let every man
pay the full amount of rates, se those who paid in full were
liable in their own persons. The Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer seeing the strong feeling there was in the house
felt bound to listen to it. It was no secret that the
pvernment were not in the position of other governments.
They had no absolute majority which would carry them
through thick and thin, and they were desirous of bring-
ing the matter to an amicable settlement, and he did not
think there was anything hamillating or degrading in so
doing. Bat come what would they could not andwould not
dispense with the mein feature of the bill—personal payment
of rates. The Chancellor of the Exchequer admitted that
the occupier should be made primarily responsible, and in
adopting that principle they endeavoured by the third
clause to mitigate as far as possible the difficulty the
parishes would undoubtedly be in. That clause pro-
vided that by mutual agreement the owner and not the
occupier might be rated, but the tenant had to choose be-
tween paying the rates and having the franchise or leav-
ing his landlord to pay the rates and not having the Iran-
cluee. The gentleman who mentioned Miss Burdett
Coutta's Building laboured under a misapprehension.
There wan a clause which provided that no teuemeot
wholly let out in separate lodgings should be rated to the
occupiers- He believed he had given them plainly
and clearly the provisions of the bill founded on
the principle of the payment of rates, from
which, under no circumstances, could they shrink.
In conclusion his lordship said no doubt great
inconvenience would be caused, especially to metro-
politan parishes ; and if they hereafter made out a case
showing themselves entitled to be exempt from the general
provision, it would, he could answer, be taken into con-
sideration by the cabinet. But supposing they were ex-
empted it would be on this condition only, that those
who were not personally rated would not have the fran-
chise. • They would have to choose between the payment
of rates and the possession of the franchise and the non-
payment of rates end the absence of the franchise. They
must clearly understand that ; and they must also under-
stand that he did not ple lge himself that the cabinet
would even accede to the option he had suggested.
Mr. DISRAELI fully endorsed what bad fallen from his
noble colleague, and
The deputation, after thanking Lord Derby for his atten-
tion, withdrew.

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