Mr. JOYNSCTN-HICKSasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that in 1803 the Land Tax Commissioners sold the Land Tax charged on the Oxfordshire estates of the Dashwood family to Robert Scott, by contracts numbered 18, 19, 20, and 21; whether in consequence of such sales the Land Tax has been collected by the representatives of the said Robert Scott; whether, seeing that it is impossible for the owners of the land to redeem the tax in the same way as other owners can redeem their Land Tax, and that these owners are deprived of the benefits of the concessions made regarding Land Tax in the Finance Act of 1896, and having regard to the fact that such sale in 1803 was made for the convenience of the Government and in no way for the benefit of the owners of the land, he will take the opportunity of inserting clauses in the Finance Bill now before Parliament to remedy the 745W grievances of the owners of this and all similar land?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEUnder the contracts referred to the lands affected were wholly freed and exonerated from Land Tax and all further assessments thereof. The answer to the second part of the question is, therefore, in the negative, and the third part does not arise. Possibly the hon. Member has in mind a perpetual fee farm rent issuing out of this land.