1^ AGRICULTURE AND TARIFF REFORM. 



that it was " expedient to amend the Highways 

 Acts of 1878, so that part of the maintenance of 

 roads may be defrayed out of other sources than 

 the county rate." In 1882 the Queen's Speech 

 contained the assurance that Parliament would 

 be invited in connection with local government 

 reform to consider " the proper extent and the 

 more equitable and provident form of contribu- 

 tion from Imperial taxes in relief of local 

 charges." As apparently no steps were going to 

 be taken to put this assurance into effect, Mr. 

 (afterwards Sir Richard) Paget brought forward 

 a resolution on the subject. He was defeated by 

 110 to 105 votes. Three days later it was pro- 

 posed to move " for relief to ratepayers from the 

 present incidence of rates for the maintenance of 

 main roads." Mr. Gladstone, who, of course, 

 noted the close division on Sir Richard Paget's 

 motion, acted wisely. He urgently appealed to 

 the member who was going to move the motion 

 in question; and, on certain explicit assurances, 

 it was not brought forward. The explicit assur- 

 ances resulted in a grant being made of £250,000 

 a year for main roads. On April 17th, 1883, in 

 consequence of the failure of the Government to 

 redeem their promise to deal with local taxation 

 and local government reform, Mr. Albert Pell 

 brought the question forward, and in a House of 

 450 members he was only defeated by twelve votes 

 on an amendment moved by Mr. Albert Grey. 

 Mr. Gladstone was immediately approached by 

 thirty-one supporters of his Government, who 



