§ MR. J. L. WANKLYN (Bradford, Central)I beg to ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has received a memorial from the Incorporated Law Society praying that a grant should be made to them in respect of the increasing cost of the judicial duties imposed upon the society by recent legislation; and whether, having regard to the favourable reply which he gave last year to a similar request, he will favourably consider the application?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERYes, I have received the request alluded to, and last year I proposed a clause in Committee on the Budget Bill to give effect to it. This, however, was opposed, and I was unable to proceed with it. I do not think it advisable to repeat the proposal, and am not at present prepared to deal with the matter in any other way.
§ SIR HENRY FOWLER (Wolverhampton)May I ask whether the opposition to the proposal of last year was founded, not upon any objection to the merits of the scheme, but to the method of procedure in intercepting the tax before it reached the Exchequer, and whether representations have not been made to the Chancellor of the Exchequer that the proposal to make this annual grant upon the Estimates would receive a large amount of support from hon. Members on both sides of the House?
§ MR. T. GIBSON BOWLES (Lynn Regis)asked whether the opposition of the right hon. Gentleman for West 733 Monmouth did not go to the merits of the proposal?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERThat is my recollection. I am aware that there is a feeling in the House in favour of the proposal, hut as I understood the right hon. Gentleman, the Member for West Monmouth to object to it altogether, I should like to have an expression of opinion from the House before I should be prepared to deal with the matter.