§ Mr. George Bankes,in rising to propose the introduction of a measure, having for its object the exemption of the Roman Catholics from a double assessment of the Landtax, hoped that he should meet with the support of the House. It could not be unknown to those whom he addressed, that many Roman Catholics were doubly charged with land-tax; and, by virtue of the same law by which they were originally so assessed, Protestants who had succeeded to their estates were obliged to pay the same tax as the Catholics from whom they inherited. The act by which Roman Catholics were doubly charged with land-tax was passed in the 4th of William 3rd, and continued in force by the enactment of annual bills, until the 33rd of the late king. The bill of William, which was passed at a time when this country was it war with some of the European powers, enacted, that Roman Catholics should, in future, pay a double land-tax; that was to say, that Catholics should pay 8s. where persons of other persuasions paid only 4s. These annual acts of parliament were continued until 1794, when the 33rd of the late king professed to relieve the Catholics 983 from the effects of the former law, by affording them an opportunity of ridding themselves of the double tax already referred to, by the production of certain certificates. From 1794 to 1798, the opportunity thus offered to the Catholics was open to them: but, in the last mentioned year, a clause was added to the bill, declaring that, after the September following, Catholics, who had not taken advantage of the law up to that time, would, in future, be excluded from its benefits. Through negligence, and other causes, several Roman Catholics failed to take advantage of the above law within the given time. The consequence of which was, that they were now subjected to the hardship of paying double land-tax. An action, arising out of the state of the existing law, had lately been tried; but the judge declared, that the law afforded no benefit to the plaintiff, and that the legislature only could grant him relief. The object of the present bill was, to give the Roman Catholics that relief. It might seem strange that he, who uniformly opposed the Catholic claims, should bring in any measure tending to relieve that class of individuals. As long, however, as he had a seat in that House, he should, without any reference to party feelings, adopt that course which he conceived was due to justice. He had been applied to on this subject by several Roman Catholic peers, and other distinguished persons, to bring in some measure of relief; and he conceived that the present bill would fully accomplish that object.
The Solicitor-Generalrose merely to say, that he should offer no objection to the measure proposed by the hon. gentleman; but he would not pledge himself to give it his future support.
Mr. Herrieswas happy to find, that the hon. gentleman had taken up this subject; because it would relieve the Treasury of proposing a similar bill.
Leave was given to bring in the bill.