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proceeds of this taxation made up by Land rents, Police Cases, Licenses, Fines, Fees and Forfeitures, it's made to Police Constables, with the exception of payments not expended on the improvement of the colony, but go to meet the Salaries and Allowances of Officers forming an expensive local Government, to support which the Residents are called upon to pay a sum of about £25,000 annually.
During the year 1848 the ground rents only amounted to £12,616, while the amount collected for 1849 was £10,295. After giving the subject the most mature deliberation, I most strongly recommend this mode of raising Revenue to be abolished, and a System of assessment to be substituted, similar in principle to that set forth in a letter from 15th Novr 1847, Mr. Hillier, which came before the Committee.
If "we take the estimated value of property in the Colony, as shown by the Books in the Land Office, deducting the value of that unoccupied, on which we would not propose to levy a tax, we arrive at a sum of £320,000; three hundred and twenty thousand pounds of occupied property, which, if assessed at two percent (2%) would yield an annual income of £6,400.
By this computation, we proposed to substitute for a tax on Land amounting on an average for the last two years to, say £11,400 an assessment on property to the extent of £6,400 showing a deficit of £5,000 which deficit we think might be met by a reduction in the expenditure.
In touching this subject of reductions of expenditure, it seems to us so intimately connected with the matter of inquiry and the progress of the Colony, we trust we shall be excused for having done so, and it having been mentioned, to avoid misconception, we do not wish to be understood as stating the sum of £5,000 the limit to which reductions should be made.