Lord Temple,according to notice formerly given, moved, "That there be laid before this House, an account of all sums of money assessed under the authority of the commissioners appointed to collect the duty proceeding from the military incomes of all officers on the half-pay, on the staff, or belonging to his Majesty's army, in any regiment of cavalry, artillery, infantry, royal marines, royal garrison battalions, or corps of engineers, or of the militia, from the 5th of April to the 5th of October, 1503, inclusive, so far as the said assessments refer to or concern the subaltern officers on half-pay, or in any of the said corps or regiments." He only wanted an answer to this motion from the chancellor of the exchequer, as he was not quite prepared to bring it forward on a former occasion.
The Chancellor of the Exchequersaid, that he should have been very sorry to have deprived the House, or the noble lord, of any information on the subject, were it not that he knew that the noble lord's object was to relieve the subaltern officers from the tax. To this he felt that it was impossible to accede, and on this ground he must oppose the motion.
Lord Templesaid, that the chancellor of the exchequer had correctly understood the grounds upon which he moved for this account, for it was certainly with a view to found a motion upon it, for relieving the 737 subaltern officers from the effects of the tax. He only wished the question to be put at present, without entering any farther into it.—The question was then put, and negatived without a division.—His lordship then gave notice, that on this day fortnight tie would bring forward a motion, for the House to resolve itself into a committee, to consider the property tax, as far as it related to the proportions to be imposed upon subaltern officers.