§ SIR BALDWYN LEIGHTONasked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether it is the intention of the Government to proceed next Session with the measures for the relief of Local Taxation indicated in the Speech from the Throne, at the 766 beginning of the Session, and to give effect to the recommendations of the Royal Commission on Agriculture, with reference to the incidence of local burdens; and, as regards the Treasury Subvention for Roads, and the amount voted by this House (namely, £250,000), whether, in case of a considerable surplus after payment of the Subvention on the scale proposed, the rest of the money will be applied for the purpose for which it was voted?
MR. GLADSTONESir, my hon. Friend may understand from what the Government have said, and have advised to be said, in Her Majesty's Most Gracious Speeches from the Throne, what is the general position in which they consider the question of local taxation stands; but as to any positive engagement with regard to the measures which it would be their duty, or may be their duty, to introduce next Session, the Cabinet will not think the time to have arrived for making any such engagement, until they know more exactly what are to be the Rules of Procedure under which they will have to ask the attention of the House to those subjects. As to the latter part of the Question, the hon. Member asks—
Whether in case of a considerable surplus after payment of the subvention on the scale proposed the rest of the money will be applied to the purpose for which it was voted?Whatever the ordinary rule is, it will be applied. The form of Vote is "A sum not exceeding" the given sum; but as far as the facts are made known, there is no reason to believe that there will be a surplus such as the hon. Member appears from his Question to imagine.