It appears from Lord Lingen's statement of finance made to
the London County Council on Tuesday, that this body distributes altogether £2,215,000 a year, of which £1,632,000 comes from the rates. These rates will in 1890 be, for the County outside the City, 13-25d. in the pound, as against 12.53d., an increase of nearly Id., in spite of increasing assessments. This is not much, and improvement must be paid for; but it is, of coarse, only a small proportion of the total amount levied upon Londoners. In the de- bate which followed, great complaints were made of the complexity of the accounts, and Mr. Campbell carried by a large majority a proposal that in future they should be reduced to the form used by Chancellors of the Exchequer. This improvement, if we understand its scope, will be considerable; but we shall not be content till the Council goes a step farther and appoints a Cabinet. Nobody could be a better London Chancellor of the Exchequer than Lord Lingen ; but then, the Finance Committee breaks personal responsibility.
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