§ MR. JEFFREYSI beg to ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, (1) whether it is a fact that in Ireland no house tax or land tax is levied, nor any railway passengers' tax; that no licences are required for keeping carriages or men servants; and that the licence for keeping a dog is 379 only one-third of the similar tax in Great Britain; and, (2) whether, in his next Finance Bill, he will alter these anomalies of taxation in different parts of the United Kingdom?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER (Sir MICHAEL HICKS BEACH,) Bristol, W.I believe that the statements contained in the first paragraph of my hon. Friend's question are, speaking generally, correct, but of course this fact can only be considered as part of the general subject.
§ MR. ARTHUR O'CONNOR (Donegal, E.)inquired whether the land tax referred to in the first part of the question was not a tax levied under an Act of 1798 on a valuation 205 years old?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERI do not think, even if the hon. Member is correct, that rebuts the fact that the Act does not apply to Ireland.
§ MR. T. LOUGH (Islington, W.)asked whether the total amount of these exceptions was only about £150,000 a year, while the over taxation of Ireland as ascertained by the Royal Commission was something like £3,000,000 a year?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERNo one can possibly tell what the amount of the exemptions may be, as the taxes do not extend to Ireland.
§ MR. SPEAKEROrder, order! The hon. Gentleman cannot convert the question into a debate. [A laugh]