RATING NOT A PARTY QUESTION 83 



it has already expressed as to the great injustice in principle 

 of the present entire ratal system, it must withhold its support 

 from any measure which provides merely for the perpetuation of 

 that system by a costly and cumbersome machinery." 



Again, on 8th June it was-, agreed 



" That the Chamber approves the principle of the County 

 Administration Bill in introducing the representation of rate- 

 payers into the administration of county finance, but considers 

 that the proportion of elected members should be greater than is 

 proposed by the Bill." 



This same day the Committee presented their first report, 

 which concluded as follows : 



" Your Committee cannot too strongly express their opinion 

 that this is a question which should be entirely removed from 

 party politics. The most distinguished statesmen on both sides 

 of the House have admitted that the present mode of assessment 

 is unjust and anomalous, and agree that it is a subject which 

 must very shortly occupy the serious attention of the Legislature. 

 It was never originated as a party measure, and its promoters 

 are most anxious to divest it of all party feeling, in order that it 

 may bo fairly, fully, and impartially considered and discussed." 



1870. 



In February the Committee reported that they had offered 

 a prize of 50 for the best essay on " The Injustice, Inequalities, 

 and Anomalies of the Present Poor Rate Assessment, and of 

 the Incidence of other Local Burdens of England and Wales," 

 that there were sixteen competitors, and that the prize was 

 awarded to Mr. C. F. Gardner, B.A., who sent it under the 

 motto, " This is not the cause of faction, or of party, or of 

 any individual, but the common interest of every man in 

 Britain " (Junius). His motto was afterwards adopted by 

 the Committee and printed in front of all their reports. 



The same report contained a form of petition, and local 

 Chambers were asked to obtain signatures to it. 



On the same day the Chamber discussed another resolution 

 on Turnpike Trusts, but as Mr. E. H. Knatchbull-Hugessen, 

 M.P. (then Under Secretary for the Home Department, and 

 afterwards Lord Brabourne) was present, and announced 

 that the Government had prepared a Bill extending the 



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