LAND TAX COMMISSIONERS' NAMES BILL. (Hansard, 4 April 1898)

§ MR. F. STEVENSON (Suffolk,Eye)

Although I do not desire to offer any opposition to the Introduction of this Bill, I must make one or two words of protest against its present form. In spite of the fact that the attention of the Government has been so repeatedly called during the last few years to the anomalies existing in regard to our present Land Tax, the only remedy proposed is a small Measure brought in in what used to be called the usual form, for the purpose of appointing additional Land Tax Commissioners. A justice of the Peace is an ex-officio Land Tax Commissioner, and this Bill is to enable additional Commissioners to be appointed by Members of this House; but the discretion of Members of this House is to be limited by the property qualification, which is very considerable in amount. The fact that it is very considerable in amount has been recognised by the Legislature in the past, when certain of the Welsh counties were exempted from that property qualification for its Land Tax Commissioners. Now it seems to me that, after the discussions which have taken place, if it were necessary for the Government to bring in a Measure of this kind, it might have been without the property qualification, which is introduced into this Bill. In view of the experiences of the past, I should have thought that the right hon. Gentleman would have taken this opportunity of dealing with a very strong desire on the part of many counties throughout England to remove this property qualification, especially in those counties which have suffered from agricultural depression.