Scandalous immunity
One does not need to be a republican. however, to suggest that a more appropriate attitude for a Select Committee to adopt—and indeed for any Gracious Message to convey—would be to inquire how best the legitimate 'public expenses of our Head of State might be reduced rather than to discover how much more money should be shelled out. t. o. one very desirable reform might be considered and that, of course, is the removal of the immunity from taxation.
This immunity is a gi-eat scandal. It enables the wholly spurious argument to be advanced that the Sovereign, by exchanging his income from his royal estates for a Civil List of less value, is giving a generous ad- vantage to the country. There is no millionaire, no belted earl, no great land- owner, no major donor to the National Trust, who would not do such a deal, did he but know how to fix it.
Previous page
