§ MR. SCHWANN (Manchester, N.)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies whether Her Majesty's Government has come to any decision as to the abolition of the Paddy Tax in Ceylon; if so, have instructions been sent to the Government of that Colony to introduce legislation to carry that resolution into effect, and by what taxation is the revenue supplied by the Paddy Tax to be replaced?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (Baron H. de WORMS,) Liverpool, East ToxtethThe Secretary of State has informed the Governor that in his opinion the time has arrived for abolishing the Paddy Tax, but that he does not suggest any interference under existing circumstances with the Import Duty on Rice, nor the imposition of a general Land Tax. It does not appear to be necessary to do more than make certain comparatively slight additions to existing imports in order to make up for the loss of the Paddy Tax, and the Secretary of State has referred this branch of the question to the Governor and the Legislative Council for a further expression of their views.