On Monday it became known that a compromise had been
agreed to between the Government and the heads of the Opposition, which would carry the Local Government Bill through the House of Commons by January 19th. In consider- ation of the Opposition doing all in their power to facilitate this object, the Government have agreed to accept Sir Michael Hicks-Beach's amendment to Clause 19 permitting every Board of Guardians to co-opt two members, besides the chair- man and vice-chairman, from the former ex-officio members if possible ; otherwise from outside. They have also agreed that
parish rooms which have been maintained for forty years by a fund raised entirely by one denomination, are to be classed as ecclesiastical charities, and exempted from the operation of the Bill. Also amendments by Mr. Chaplin to Mr. Fowler's allotments clause are to be accepted, providing that when an allotment exceeds one acre, and even if it reaches the maximum of four acres, not more than one acre is to be arable land, the remainder being pasture ; also that per- manent pasture may not be broken up for allotments, and that pasture land for allotments may be hired for fourteen years instead of seven; nor shall the landlord, after the termination of any allotment occupancy, be liable for com- pensation for improvements effected by the tenant, or for buildings or fences erected on the lands And there are one or two other small changes which the Unionists or Conserva- tives have proposed, which are also to be adopted.
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