376 MISCELLANEOUS 



amended, but on 10th June the Council requested further 

 amendments regarding the incidence of rates proposed to be 

 charged, and urged that further inquiry by a Select Committee 

 was needed before the measure was passed. The Bill was 

 eventually withdrawn. 



In 1881 two Bills were introduced, by the Government in 

 the House of Lords, and by Mr. Magniac. At the February 

 meeting another very useful discussion took place, when the 

 Council expressed their satisfaction with the introduction of 

 legislation, but declared it unjust that lands in no degree 

 benefited by the expenditure should have to contribute to the 

 cost of improving flooded lands. They also objected to a 

 flood rate being levied on the basis of the poor rate, as in their 

 opinion agricultural land should be charged an acreage rate. 

 The request was renewed that both Bills should be referred 

 to a Select Committee of the House of Commons. The Govern- 

 ment measure passed the House of Lords, but on second read- 

 ing in the Commons Mr. Pell moved its rejection on behalf 

 of the Council ; he was defeated by 118 votes to 42, after 

 which both Bills were referred to a Select Committee. The 

 first-named came back to the House in a form still open to 

 the objections previously raised by the Council, so further 

 resistance was offered, and the Government ultimately 

 abandoned it. 



In 1882 the Government reintroduced the Bill in prac- 

 tically the same form as it left the Select Committee in 1881, 

 'but the Council again strongly opposed it on the rating 

 question, and again the President of the Local Government 

 Board had to withdraw his Bill. A fresh one was introduced 

 in 1883 in a somewhat amended form, but it still met with 

 so much opposition on the same ground that it was with- 

 drawn. 



In 1892 Mr. Christopher Middleton raised the question in 

 another form, by moving that the County Councils should be 

 empowered to compel owners to cleanse watercourses and to 

 maintain efficiently all outlets for drainage, or to do the work 

 at the cost of such owners. This proposal was carried. Some 

 correspondence then passed between the Central Chamber 



