§ BARON LIONEL ROTHSCHILDsaid, he would beg to ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he is prepared to state whether, at the time of the abolition of the Paper Duty, he will grant the Drawback upon all the stocks of Paper in the hands of the Stationers bearing an uncancelled Excise Label?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERsaid, he must remind the hon. Member that the proposition of the Government was to repeal the duty from the 1st of July, on which day the drawback would be allowed on all paper made since the 1st of April which was found in the hands of dealers. The proposal for granting the drawback on whole stocks of paper, irrespective of the date at which they were made, was one which would be attended with great difficulties, and he therefore was not prepared to accept it. But he believed it was possible to meet all reasonable desires in another mode without causing any sensible inconvenience to the country, or any obstruction to the ordinary and regular progress of trade, which would be by postponing to a somewhat later date the absolute repeal of the duty. If the question were renewed in a day or two he should be prepared to state the precise date which might be fixed upon; but it would be a date later by one or more months than the 1st of July.