HIGHWAY RATES AND TURNPIKE TRUSTS. (Hansard, 23 February 1849)

§ The DUKE of RICHMOND

could not allow that, the very first opportunity, to pass over without entering his protest against the attempt which was about to be made to saddle the county rates with the whole 8,000,000l. of debt which the turnpike trusts had incurred. This was the very worst period which could be conceived for such a plan—a time when the agriculturists were suffering under so much distress. A time when the agricultural interest was called upon to compete with the foreigner was the very last moment they could have expected that any Minister would come to Parliament with a proposal to add eight millions to the county rates. They might attempt to make that addition, but the time was fast coming when they must either go back to the wise and honest system of protection to British interests, which they must do, or they would be called upon by the voice of the whole country to review their system of taxation—to get rid of the present system which pressed so heavily and injuriously upon the industry of the country. As to the malt tax, he would not give them a year's purchase for it. The farmers could not pay their rates and taxes, if they were compelled to enter into competition with the foreigner, and yet this was the time 1182 when it was proposed to add eight millions to their already heavy burdens. Their Lordships knew that the county rate was paid out of the poor's rate, to which the smallest cottager was called upon to contribute, and he used turnpike roads but little. Why, then, should he be saddled with such an additional load of taxation? He could not allow that—the very first opportunity—to pass without protesting against additional taxation being thrown on the industry of the country.