§ The Chancellor of the Exchequerobserved that an order had been made, on the Motion of the hon. Member for Manchester, for a return of the names of the Commissioners under the Income Tax, and the number of their attendances, but as it was found that this could not be conveniently made, he would now move to discharge it.
§ Mr. Fieldensaid, that there could be no difficulty in getting such a return He then objected to the present mode of assessment. When a party made a return, and that return was objected to, the Commissioners never furnished him with any reason why they doubted the return, although it was made upon oath. This was both scandalous and unjust. He had been so treated, and he knew others who had been similarly so. The hon. Member then went into a detail of the circumstances connected with the last appeal made by himself against the assessment made upon him; and assured the House that the question could not rest where it now was, as he would, early next Session, bring forward a Motion upon the subject. He hoped that, in the meantime, the public would be alive to the subject, and that all who, like himself, had been aggrieved, would come forward at the proper time, and cordially co-operate with him.
Mr. Scottwished for the names of the places at which the Commissioners met. In some places they met at public-houses, in portions of the country not populous. At Wolverhampton, the people had to go five miles distance, to the great public inconvenience. It was also remarked that the Commissioners were generally of one line of politics.
§ Order read and discharged.
§ House adjourned at a quarter past eleven o'clock.