§ MR. CHANNINGI beg to ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has received copies of resolutions passed by the Northamptonshire County Council and Chamber of Agriculture, drawing attention to the loss to county revenues of the sum of £800,000 proposed to be raised by new taxes on horses and vehicles in 1888, and praying Her Majesty's Government to make provision out of the probable Budget surplus to meet this loss: whether he himself, some years ago, advocated the Inhabited House Duty as a suitable tax to hand over to Local Authorities; and whether he will, having regard to the objections raised to the Wheel and Van and other taxes proposed in 1888, take into consideration the advisability of handing over to the County Councils a portion of the Inhabited House Duty, or an additional proportion of the Probate Duty, to meet the loss sustained by the withdrawal of the taxes proposed in 1888?
§ MR. GOSCHENThe answer to the first question is, Yes. Sixteen, years ago I advocated the transference of the Inhabited House Duty to Local Authorities, and the late Lord Beacons-field denounced the proposal as the transference of Imperial Revenue to obscure vestries. As regards the hon. Member's third question, I must answer, as I have done before, that I am precluded by the approach of the Budget from making any statement as to the application of the surplus.