Tuesday night was spent in a debate on the mode
of defraying the expense of the registration of our voters, which Sir M. Lopes proposed to take off the rates and to pay out of Imperial taxation, on the ground that it is not a matter of local concern, but of Imperial concern; and he moved a resolution to that effect. Mr. H. Fowler replied that the Government had already agreed to allow 220,000 out of Imperial taxation towards the expense of registration ; that hitherto the registration had cost 212,000, and that even if the cost were doubled under the new Acts it would only cost £24,000, so that the burden on the local rates would be very greatly reduced; and that it was impossible to settle the subject properly till the whole question of local taxation should be entered upon. In spite of the force of this reply, and the very great concession made by the Government in granting 220,000 out of Imperial taxation towards the cost of the registration, the Government obtained only a majority of 2 (239 against 237).
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