TAX COLLECTORS. (Hansard, 28 July 1836)

§ Mr. Wilks

presented a petition from assessed tax collectors of the metropolis and its vicinity, praying for compensation, in consequence of the great reduction in the assessed taxes that had taxen place since the 8th George 3rd. The collectors of assessed taxes received 3d. in the pound on the net amount of their collections. At the lime the Act passed, the amount received for the assessed taxes amounted to 1,500,000l. In 1822 a considerable diminution was made in favour of the county in the assessed taxes, and by this and other things, considerable reductions had been made of the profits of the assessed tax collectors. They did not make complaints of that, but in 1834, the house-tax had been also removed, and the result was, that the amount now to be collected by the 300 persons who filled these important offices did not exceed 500,000l. a year; so that where they before received 74l. they now only received 32l. Yet still their duties were as great as before. Such being the case, the petitioners had made repeated applications to the different Governments, but they had been without effect; the present application had become necessary. The statement of the petitioners was, that 609 they had only half the amount of revenue whilst they had at least the same amount of labour. Under these circumstances he hoped that his Majesty's Government would take the matter into consideration, and that they would be prepared with some measure of redress. If this were not done he should feel it his duty early in the next Session to move for certain papers or the subject.