§ MR. WODEHOUSEhaving asked leave to withdraw a Notice, relative to returns of the amount of certain local rates, for this day, and to renew it for Monday next,
§ MR. F. T. BARINGbegged to express his opinion that it would be much better if the whole subject of local taxation, its extent and details, were contained in one paper, than exhibited in various returns, such as the one just postponed, He hoped the right hon. Baronet the Secretary for the Home Department, would accede to that suggestion. He did not ask him for any fresh information, but merely to get that information which they already possessed arranged in a proper form by some public department, by which it would be much better performed than in any other way. It was desirable that the whole statement of local taxation, amounting to 16,000,000l., should be laid before the House from the documents already existing; for it would be better to possess the information desirable for them even in an imperfect form, than to be compelled to look through the whole of the various returns 418 on that subject. He did not wish any now return, but wished the right hon. Baronet to have a statement compiled on one sheet from those already existing.
§ SIR J. GRAHAMquite concurred with the hon. Member who had just spoken, in thinking it most desirable that such a document as he had alluded to should be in the hands of the House; but at the same time was of opinion that for such a return to be useful, it was absolutely necessary it should be accurate. His hon. Friend had consented to withdraw his Motion, for the purpose of allowing time to confer with the authorities at Somerset House. Any one who had read the very able Report on Local Taxation would know that there were no less than twenty-two local rates, levying 12,000,000l. a year. Under the head of the burdens on land, therefore, there would not only be those twenty-two local rates, but the borough rates, as well as all the local rates under the various local Acts. To present all those within a fortnight in one accurate view, was far beyond any means which Government possessed, and he was afraid, were they to attempt to carry it out, so far from the result leading to any accurate conclusion, it would impede the judgment of the House in forming any opinion on the subject. The hon. Member for Wolverhampton had moved for an extensive return of a similar nature, and but three-fourths of the necessary documents had yet reached the Home Office. There were about 16,000 different local highway rates levied, and of those the returns of 12,000 only had been obtained up to the present time. The preparation of the return obtained by the hon. Member for Wolverhampton had occupied nearly a twelvemonth, and he thought the hon. Gentleman must admit that a perfect return could not be made out in the course of a fortnight.
§ MR. F. T. BARINGthought that if the information already existing in the public offices could be presented at one view, it would be a very valuable document.
§ MR. HUMEsaid, it was a reflection on the Government that so much confusion should prevail on the subject, and suggested that the 16,000 existing rates might be reduced to two or three.
§ Leave given—Notice withdrawn.