VISCOUNT DUNCANbegged to put a question to the noble Lord the First Commissioner of Woods and Forests, in connexion with the Bill which had been laid on the Table for the improvement of the health of towns. The question he had to put was this: if any alteration were contemplated in the present mode of assessing and collecting the window tax in the measure which was introduced? He had seen the noble Lord's opinion as a director of the Health of Towns Association, in which it was stated that the directors highly disapproved of the window tax; and he confidently hoped that an alteration in the mode of collecting the window tax would be shortly effected.
§ VISCOUNT MORPETHquite agreed with his noble Friend that the subject of the window tax did enter into what was called the sanitary regulations; but his noble Friend must admit with him that there was connected with it a financial question besides; and with respect to the forthcoming Bill, he had received no intimation from the Chancellor of the Exchequer that he was at liberty to interfere with the window tax.