§ MR. ASCROFT (Oldham)I beg to ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether any special instructions have been given to the officials at Somerset House in respect to the new duties payable on the capital of limited liability companies, on registration, under the Finance Act, 1899; whether such duties are payable before that Act has received the Royal assent; whether any orders were issued to the officials at Somerset House in 1864 in respect to the duties payable under a similar Act of Parliament; and whether such orders are still in force or have been cancelled?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERA mistake occurred in this matter, for which, of course, I take the responsibility. But some days ago instructions were given to charge this new duty from the date at which the Finance Bill becomes law. With regard to the last two paragraphs, I do not know to what Act of Parliament the honourable Member may be referring; but, so far as I have been able to ascertain, no special instructions with regard to new stamp duties are known to have been issued in 1864.