RATEPAYERS SAVED TWO MILLIONS 91 



political parties during the election campaign. Mr. Glad- 

 stone, in his address, promised that the relief of the ratepayer 

 from exceptional burdens should be the foremost item of his 

 future financial policy, admitting that the time had come when 

 " a further portion of the charges hitherto borne by real and 

 immovable property should, with judicious accompanying 

 arrangements, be placed upon property generally." 



With the new Parliament came a new Ministry, and without 

 delay the Chambers sent a deputation to Mr. Disraeli on 23rd 

 March. He unhesitatingly expressed his concurrence in the 

 views advocated by the Committee, and said that ' ; a system 

 of raising taxation for general purposes from one particular 

 kind of property involves as great a violation of justice as 

 can well be conceived." He added that, short as was the 

 time allowed for maturing comprehensive measures, their 

 grievances would be considered in reviewing the financial 

 position of the country. 



This admission was followed by Sir Stafford Northcote's 

 Budget, which provided for relief in respect of charges borne 

 for Police and Pauper Lunatics, and the transfer of the charge 

 for Prisons to the Imperial Exchequer. This saved the rate, 

 payers the sum of 2,000,000 per annum and led to improved 

 and uniform prison administration. 



Mr. Clare Sevvell Read and Mr. Sclater-Booth carried a 

 further measure this year, extending the rateable area so as 

 to include mines, woods, and sporting rights, which were 

 formerly exempt from rating. 



Another feature of this year was the decrease in the number 



* 



of Bills proposing increases to the rates, there being only 

 five in all. Of these, three were dropped, one was defeated, 

 and another had the objectionable features removed. The 

 last (Registration of Births and Deaths) was a Government 

 measure, but the President of the Local Government Board 

 gave way to the Committee's views. 



Sir Massey Lopes retired from the Chairmanship of the 

 Committee this year, on his acceptance of office in the Govern- 

 ment as a Lord of the Admiralty, and was succeeded by Mr. 

 Albert Pell, M.P. 



