§
Resolution reported,
That, in addition to the Ordinary Stamp Duty, there shall be charged an ad valorem Stamp Duty of seven shillings upon every hundred pounds of property comprised in every Trust or other Heed or Instrument required to be registered by an Act of the present Session for amending the Law relating to Bankruptcy and Insolvency in England.
§ MR. CRAWFORDsaid, he had had several representations made to him during the day on the subject of the amount of stamp duty, and he believed if the hon. and learned Attorney General would consent to a reduction of the duty to 5s., and a limitation of the amount to £200, that that would meet general expectation. It was said that a duty of 5s. would produce a much larger amount than the Attorney General expected. He hoped, therefore, under those circumstances, it would not be asking too much for the Attorney General to give an assurance that, if the amount should be larger than he expected, he will be prepared at some future time to propose a reduction.
THE ATTORNEY GENERALsaid, the Bill had been accidentally printed with 7s. instead of 5s., the amount which he desired. The Bill provided that an accurate financial statement of the affairs of 212 the Court should be laid before Parliament every year. If the Report, at the end of the first year, showed that the stamp duty had been more productive than he at present expected, it would give him great pleasure to propose a reduction; but at present it would not be consistent with ordinary prudence to propose a less amount than 5s., which sum he should propose as an Amendment to be introduced into the Resolution instead of 7s.
§ Resolution read 2o, and amended, by leaving out "seven," and inserting "five" instead there of.
§ Resolution, as amended, agreed to.