RETURN MOVED FOR. (Hansard, 27 April 1860)

§ MR. MACAULAY
said, he wished to move for a Return from every Parliamentary city and borough in England and Wales, showing the total number of male persons in each who were charged to any of the assessed taxes, or to the income tax under schedule B and D respectively, for the year 1859–60; how many of such per- 303 sons were assessed to the poor's rate upon a gross rental of £20 and upwards; how many upon a like rental of £10 and under £20; how many on a like rental of £6 and under £10; how many under £6; and how many were not occupiers of tenements rated to the poor. They had already Returns of the total amount of direct taxation paid by each borough, but no return showing the number of persons by whom it was paid, or how many of them were on the registry, or were tenants or occupiers. He understood there would be some difficulty and expense in obtaining the Return; but the information would be so valuable that a little difficulty and expense ought not to stand in the way. These classes of taxpayers were very numerous in all large towns; and, when adding to the constituencies, they could not decently omit them.

§ MR. LAING
said, the only difficulty in acceding to the proposition arose from the fact that the Return from the collectors of the Inland Revenue would occupy a considerable time, and the Revenue officers were not in possession of the poor-rate books or the registry. Still, the Government would not offer any opposition to the Return, believing the information important. Every effort would be made to obtain it as soon as practicable.

§ MR. AYRTON
said, he thought the Return would be perfectly fallacious; it would not identify the recipients of dividends from the Funds, shareholders in public companies, or those who received incomes from personal property. The Return would lead to most erroneous conclusions.

MR. BOUVERIE
contended that the procuring of these Returns would involve a great amount of labour, and necessitate an expenditure of considerable magnitude. Moreover, such delay would necessarily take place that before they could be presented they would be practically useless. He spoke from experience when he stated that it was impossible ever to procure satisfactory Returns of this nature from unpaid officials.

§ MR. MACAULAY
explained that he had no intention to ask for a Return of the names of shareholders in a company. All he wanted to obtain was a list of the persons who were actually visited by the tax-gatherer, from which a comparison could easily be made with the rate-books by experienced persons.

§ SIR FRANCIS GOLDSMID
thought that the Return would involve very con- 304 siderable difficulty and expense, and that it would not be satisfactory when made.

§ MR. MOWBRAY
said, if the right hon. Gentleman (Mr. Bouverie) had spoken as the representative of the department which had more immediate cognizance of the matters referred to in this Return, his opposition to the Motion would rest on intelligible grounds; but, as the Government had intimated no reluctance to the ordering of these Returns, he thought the opposition of the right hon. Gentleman was somewhat uncalled for. No objection whatever had been made on the question of church rates to the collection of information which was procured by unpaid officers; and even if a trifling expense were now incurred by the same course, he did not think the country would be deterred by that consideration from obtaining the fullest possible intelligence with respect to the probable results of the great change which was to be made in the national institutions.

§ VISCOUNT PALMERSTON
I think it is clear that the production of the Return which the hon. and learned Gentleman has called for will be attended with much difficulty and with a considerable lapse of time; and it is possible, also, that when it is produced it will, to a certain degree, be imperfect for the purpose for which it is required. At the same time, on a subject of this nature, and when the information is considered to be desirable in reference to the very important measure which is under the consideration of Parliament, I think the House will not be disposed to object to the production of these Returns.

§ MR. NEWDEGATE
said, great trouble would be entailed on the parochial officers in preparing the required information, and the House would probably not refuse, under the circumstances, to sanction a moderate claim for expenses, if such should be preferred.