BRITISH PARLIAMENT.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIII, Issue 222, 16 September 1909, Page 4

BRITISH PARLIAMENT.

[press association.]

LONDON, Sept. 15. Mr . Balfour strongly protested' against Mr Lloyd-George's resolution, enabling the Standing Committee' on.' the Development Bill to sit!' simultaneously with the House. The resolution was adopted. Mr Asquith recently hinted that the. Bill might be dropped if opposed, but the present decision to force it through is interpreted as being in, connection with the prospect of a» general election.

The Duke of Portland's Bill to establish a Board of Agriculture for Scotland has been read a first time.

THE TAXATION PROPOSAL^.

The Housing and Town Planning. Bill was read a second time' in the Lords.

In the Commons, Clause 42 of theFinance Bill, increasing the legacy and succession duties, was carried by 192 to 62.

On Clause 43 enacting in regard to-* death duties that gifts and disposi--. tions shall be inter vivos unless made five years before the donor's death, Mr-Balfour remarked that if a donor within five years gave his property to an institution for the preservation of cats the gift would be untaxed r . but if he gave £5000 to start his son in business the Exchequer would demand a toll. . , Mr Lloyd-George, amid cheers, said that, yielding to the criticisms of ■ some of the Liberals, ;fche Government, would reduce the period to three years, and exempt all marriage settlements from. the operation of the clause. .

Mr Balfour, in commenting on Mr Lloyd-George's refusal to treat husbands and wives as one person for • the purposes of the death duties, ■aWthough he treated as one their income for tax purposes, remarked that, having fined the husband and wife • for living together, the Government fines them again because they did nofe. die together. .