Salisbury's ministry,[1] introduced what was called "The Local Taxation (customs and excise) Bill,"[2] intended to empower County Councils to buy up the licences of superfluous public houses, and to compensate the publicans by grants of money. The funds for this purpose were not to be a charge upon the local rates, but to be provided by an increase of the duty on spirituous liquors. Strange to say, this measure was so persistently opposed by the temperance party, aided by others, who for the moment acted with them, that the proposed use of the money, thus raised, was at length abandoned, a considerable surplus, however, being thus at the Chancellor's disposal, after the reduction of several other taxes, the remainder was handed over to the County
St. Mary's Square.
Councils, to be employed in the furtherance of technical education. The money thus set apart was called "the ear-marked money," and the measure enacting it was, somewhat unworthily, termed "The Whiskey Bill." Horncastle benefitted by a sum being placed to the credit of the local authorities for the establishment of a school of science and art; all such institutions in the county being under the general direction of the organizing secretary, Mr. S. Maudson Grant, residing in Lincoln.
