§ SIR G. BADEN-POWELL (Liverpool, Kirkdale)I beg to ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has received a Memorial from the Council of the Royal Colonial Institute in reference to the proposed levying of the new Estate Duty on property situate out of the United Kingdom; and, if so, whether he can lay a copy of the said Memorial upon the Table of the House, together with a copy of any reply he has made thereto?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER (Sir W. HARCOURT,) DerbyI have received the Memorial referred to, and have acknowledged its receipt. I see no reason for laying this particular Memorial on the Table of the House. I have received, at the same time, a Paper from a body which calls itself the Imperial Federation Defence Committee, setting forth the inadequacy of the contribution of the colonies to the defence of the Empire and its commerce, in which they state that—
The Navy employed and relied upon for the protection of the whole Empire is provided and maintained entirely at the cost of the people of the United Kingdom, though there are 11,000,000 people of the same race inhabiting some of the richest countries of the world, under the same Sovereign and enjoying the same privileges, who contribute practically nothing to that expenditure. It is for the people of the United Kingdom to call upon their own Government to afford to their countrymen in the colonies the opportunity of taking their just share in the cost and in the administration of the finest defensive force in the world. This is an offer which no Englishman need object to make.
§ SIR G. BADEN-POWELLMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he entirely concurs with the statement which he has read?
§ SIR W. HARCOURTI have very great sympathy with it.
MR. GIBSON BOWLES (Lynn Regis)The Estate Duty does not also apply to estates in other countries under different Sovereigns?
§ SIR W. HARCOURTIf the hon. Member will take the trouble to read the Bill he will see that it does not so apply.