§ The Duke of Richmondwished to say a few words upon the subject of County Rates, previously to submitting to their Lordships the Motion of which he had given notice. He believed that most of their Lordships must be aware, that, within the last few years, the County Rates throughout England had increased, and that this increase was owing, not only to certain burthens imposed by different Acts of Parliament, but to other circumstances, into which it was not now necessary for him to enter. The Ministers, for some time past, had been turning their attention to this subject of local taxation. The increase of the amount of that taxation was indisputable. It was their object to ascertain how it could be diminished. He was of opinion, that a Committee of their Lordships' House ought to inquire into the particulars and details of this local taxation, and to make a Report to their Lordships upon it might be of great advantage in leading to its reduction. He meant, therefore, to move for 755 the appointment of such a Committee. In what he was about to say, he had no intention to attack any county in particular, or any set of gentlemen in any county. He should merely mention one or two instances, to show that the sum thus levied was large, and that it had increased of late years. From the returns before Parliament relating to the County Rates of the county of Middlesex, it appeared that in the year 1822 these rates amounted to 30,833l.; while, in the year 1832, they had increased to 77,772l. He had no complaint to make on this subject; but it appeared to him that when these large sums were taken from the county, some inquiry ought to be instituted to ascertain if they could not be reduced. It ought to be remembered, too, that during this time the debt of the county had gone on increasing, and now amounted to 244,985l. In the same manner the County Rates of the county of Essex had increased by the amount of 4,000l. or 5,000l. a-year, and a similar increase had taken place in the county of Nottingham. Under these circumstances, without making any further observations, he should move (and he had no doubt their Lordships would accede to his Motion) "that a Select Committee be appointed to inquire into every charge upon the County Rates in the different counties of England and Wales."
§ Lord Wynfordthought that the thanks of their Lordships were due to the noble Duke for the Motion he had just brought forward. With respect to the county of Middlesex—and he believed it was much the same with other counties, it was to be observed, that the increase in the amount of their rates was not entirely owing to themselves. Some portion of it had been occasioned by Acts of Parliament, many of which had recently thrown upon the county rates burthens which, in his opinion, they ought not to be called upon to bear. The consequence was, that as the land bore these burthen's, and as some of them were unequally distributed, there was an unfair degree of pressure upon the landed interest, which was now acknowledged to be the most distressed in the country. The noble Duke's Motion should have his cordial support; and he was sure that no noble Lord would go into that Committee with any other feelings than an earnest desire to remedy those evils of which it was the object of the present Motion to ascertain the extent.
§ Motion agreed to, and Committee appointed.