§ SIR BALDWYN LEIGHTONasked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Whether, in the readjustment of the taxation on real property referred to in the Speech from the Throne, it is the intention of the Government to deal only with local rates, or with all such taxation as can be shown to be inequitably charged on land or houses; such as the incidence of the land tax formerly levied equally on personalty under the Act 4th William and Mary, cap. 1; the inequalities of income tax on lands and houses under Schedule A, levied on the gross income, whether paid or not; the cost of public 1295 prosecution charged on the sheriffs of counties; the Succession Duties in certain cages; and other unequal taxation; and, if not, whether, in view of the great agricultural depression, he will give his attention to the same with a view to equitable and early relief?
THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER (Mr. GLADSTONE)Sir, the Question of my hon. Friend opens the entire subject of direct taxation in its application to land, and invites me to deal with it during the present Session. It is a subject so large and complicated that I really doubt whether it could be dealt with at once under even the most favourable circumstances as to time, and when everything was quite ripe for handling it. At present I do not think that time has arrived, and I cannot hold out any expectation of such an event.