BRITISH TAXES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 554, 8 July 1909, Page 5

BRITISH TAXES.

ASSESSMENTS UNDER LAND CLAUSES. RICHT~OF APPEAL. MINERAL AND LANDED INTERESTS PROTEST. (By Telegraph.—Press Assoelatlon.-Oopyrißht.) (Reo. July 7, 10.35 p.m.) London, July 7. Estate agents, mining engineers, and polioitors representing the bulk of Yorkshire and Midlands coalfields held o conference- at Sheffield and passed a resolution to the effect that t.ho penalties imposed by tho land and minerals clauses of the Budget wore gxcossivo, and that tho Bill wae despotic in not allowing an right of appeal, [Lord Alverstone, the Lord Chief Justice, Bpeakjng at the dinner. given to hi» Majesty's Judges by tho Lord Mayor of Londpn (Sir George Truscott) last month, significantly-de-clared that the. people might rely. pD' tho .protection of the Judges in an impartial cpnstructionof Acts of Parjiament. He added tfaat if any change wa9 required it ought to be made by an Aot of Parliament, and npt by an official. The. statement of'the Lord Chief Justice was considered-to allude to the referee, to whom alone, under tho Finance Bill introduced by Mr. Lloyd-George, a taxpayer was allowed to appeal agaiust arbitrary assessments.] • . ; THE CHANCELLOR GIVES WAY. APPEAL TO BE ALLOWED. (Rcc. July 7, 10.55 p,m.) London, July 7. In the House of Commons, in the debate on tho Finance Bill, tho Chancellor of the Exchequer, in rosponEO to a strong recommendation from' both sides of the Houso, promised to insert a clause allowing an ap- ! peal frorr the decision of the Commissioner regarding the assessment of tho increment in tho value of land. "CONFISCATION, NOT TAXATION." LORD AVEBORY'S VIEW. ■(Reo.'.July 7, 10.55 p.m.) London, July 7. Lord Avebury, in a letter, affirms that the figures quoted by the Chancellor'of the Exchequer (Mr. Lloyd-George) show nothing ifftho Btato of the national finances requiring or justifying so fundamental and revolutionary a change in the system of taxation as is contained in the Budget and tho Finance Bill. Moreover, the proposals in some cases are nottaxation but confiscation.