GOVERNMENT AGAIN DEFEATED 99 



preparation of the Register for Parliamentary Elections is a 

 matter of national rather than local concern, the expenses con- 

 nected therewith should not be imposed on ratepayers in counties 

 and boroughs, and levied in respect of the occupation of a single 

 description of property." 



This motion was only defeated by the Government by a 

 majority of two, the figures being 240 to 238, and the closeness 

 of this division led to a grant being agreed to for that year 

 calculated to relieve the rates from the enhanced charge for 

 registration. In this debate Mr. Pell, Mr. Duckham, Mr. 

 St. John Ackers, and Sir M. Hicks -Beach supported the 

 motion, while Sir Charles Dilke opposed it on behalf of the 

 Government, and Mr. E. Heneage (afterwards created Lord 

 Heneage) also opposed it. 



Notwithstanding Mr. Child ers's undertaking in his Budget 

 speech of the previous year, his Budget for 1885 did propose 

 additional burdens on real property, without offering relief 

 to the rates. On the 8th June, therefore, Sir Michael Hicks- 

 Beach challenged the second reading of the Customs and 

 Inland Revenue Bill. This motion, besides censuring other 

 financial proposals in the Budget, 



" Declined to impose fresh taxation on real property until 

 effect had been given to the resolutions of 17th April, 1883, and 

 of 28th March, 1884, by which it had been acknowledged that 

 further measures of relief were due to the ratepayers in counties 

 and boroughs in respect of local charges imposed on them for 

 national services." 



This was carried against the Government by a majority of 12, 

 the numbers being 264 to 252, and Mr. Gladstone at once 

 placed his resignation in the hands of the Queen, thus quitting 

 office without having made any serious attempt to redeem 

 his numerous promises to reform the incidence of local 

 taxation. 



A noticeable feature of the ensuing General Election was that 

 the manifestos of both party leaders gave prominence to the 

 double problems of reformed local government and the 

 readjustment of local taxation. Lord Salisbury, speaking 

 at Newport, on 7th October, said : 



" All men in proportion to their ability should contribute to 

 the expense of local government. This is now defrayed by what 



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