NEWS OF THE WEEK.
THE Government have once more been brought into trouble by the hearty indiscretions of Mr. Wheatley. No one could have argued for the Rents Bill, which came up for second reading in the House of Commons on Wednesday, more feelingly than Mr. Wheatley ; but the trouble was that there was nothing to be said on the ground of reason or justice for the clause that would allow an unemployed tenant who does not pay his rent to remain in occupation at the expense of his landlord. The tenant himself might be unemployed, but his children or wife might be bringing in a sufficient income to pay the rent. But in such a case the landlord would have no legal means to enforce payment. Again, the present scale of outdoor relief is Calculated to cover the three prime necessaries of life—food, clothing and shelter—and an allowance is usually made for rent.
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