| Title | Draft letter to Sir Massey Lopes [Right Honourable Sir Massey Lopes, 3rd Baronet, Member of Parliament for Westbury, later Civil Lord of the Admiralty 1874-80] on Local Taxation, to which parliamentary attention was called on 27 February and 24 April, with a copy letter of 26 April 1871 arguing that personal property should contribute to Local Tax, that lack of precedent is no plea because Church rates were recently abolished and Tithes which were never a parliamentary tax were commuted for a general tax on all land instead of being chiefly limited to a claim on corn and hay, so diminishing taxes on land appropriated to corn and hay by above half, and old Pasture Land which was never subject to tithe suffered in proportion; adding that the policy of reduction of indirect taxation to its present point is unwise and in its effect unjust |