The BISHOP of OXFORDhaving presented several petitions from charitable institutions, for the remission of the legacy duty on Charitable Bequests, said he wished to call their Lordships' attention to the fact that the whole of the duty levied in this way amounted to between 10,000l. and 15,000l., which was no very great advantage to the revenue, while it was a very great injury to charitable bequests.
§ The MARQUESS of LANSDOWNEconsidered that those petitions were eminently entitled to the attention of the House, inasmuch as they came from a numerous and most respectable class of persons, who had contributed much by their exertions through the country to relieve the misery and distress of the people. He felt assured, from the manner in which those charitable institutions were generally administered, 892 that their management was highly honourable to those to whom their administration was entrusted. But he need not say that it would he impossible for him in that House—where no proceedings could originate for the purpose of giving relief to those parties—to state what might be the disposition in the other House, or even the disposition of Her Majesty's Ministers in another place, without communicating with them on the subject. This, however, he would say, that whatever might be the merits of the case, as collected from the parties who made the application, the times were peculiarly unfavourable for making any application for the remission of any duty or tax whatever. However, if the time should ever arrive for a remission of the tax, he was sure that the suggestions of the petitioners would receive the most favourable attention.