The Press. — London, England, 1858-06-26 00:00:00

THE PRESS, JUNE 26,1858. tax, it was sufficient ; yet he had no doubt that if this duty were repealed, the other silty-three parts would swell out and cover the deficiency. The remis sion of the paper duty, about a million a year, would do more good to the general interests of the com• munity than an additional million voted for educa tion, while tha abolition of the vexatious excise regulations would give freedom and encouragement to the mannfactur; in which we were now a genera tion behind foreigners. The motion was seconded by Mr. Ingram, and was supported by Mr. Salisbury and Mr. Ayrton, who urged the inconsistency and injustice of many of the exemptions from the tax, and suggested that a reduction of expenditure would furnish a margin for its remission. Mr. CowAN testified to the correctness of Mr. Gihson's statement, that the duty interfered with our export trade in paper. He supported the reso lution. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said the paper duty was one of those taxes which, upon a favour- able opportunity, he should be glad to see removed. He could not, however, assent to the resolution, though to a portion of it he had no objection. He agreed that the .maintenance of the duty as a per manent source of revenue would be impolitic; but be could not agree that arrangements should be made that would enable Parliament to dispense with the tax. This part of the resolution would cripple and hamper the Government. The paper duty was not the only part of our indirect taxation that re quired revision. There was no doubt that, notwith standing the improvements in the mode of raising 'our revenue during the last ten or even twentyfive years, there was still great room for further improve ment, and it would be the duty of the Government during the recess to take both branches of our in direct taxation into consideration, and to offer some proposition to the house. He hoped the house would not, by passing the resolution, hamper the course of the Government, and nripple their efforts for the improvement of that portion of the revenue which is derived from indirect taxation, and that Mr. Gibson would be satisfied with having brought forward this important question, and not press the resolution to a division. Mr. Buiour thought it was not a statesmanlike course to put a million of taxation exacted from the people upon sugar or any other article in comparison with a tax so injurious as the paper duty. When this duty was taken off we should have paper made from straw, and especially oaten straw, and no doubt Ireland offered an admirable field for a very great extension of the paper trade, as well as the agricul tural districts of England. He recommended Mr. Gibson not to press the whole of his resolution, but, in order not to hamper the Government as to the future, to omit the latter portion. Sir G. LEWIS objected to a mere abstract resolu tion, that such or such a duty ought to be abolished. When the income-tax ceased 5,000,0001. of direct taxation would be abandoned, and the question would be, not only whether the paper duty must not be retained, but whether other indirect taxes must not be imposed. He thought it was most objectionable for the house to bind itself to any abstract proposition. When we had a surplus menu it would be time to consider what tax had the first claim to the consider ation of the house. Mr. DRUMMOND observed that simply repealing a tax, without pointing out any means of repairing the loss of revenue, was wronging the public. Lord J. Russ Em. thought that the question of re pealing this or that tax should be left to the Govern ment on a review of the whole of our indirect tax ation. He hoped Mr. Gibson would embrace the offer of the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Mr. GinsoN consented to omit all the words of his resolution after "impolitic," and in this form the resolution was agreed to. On the motion of the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHE QUER, the house then resolved itself into a Committee of Supply upon the Civil Service Estimates, when Mr. ADDERLEY moved the Education vote in a ,witocinct explanatory speech. The discussion in the committee comprehended the various topics growing out of the subject of po. pular education. The vote was agreed to, and ordered to be reported. The house then went into committee upon the Sale and Transfer of Land .4 nd) Bill, but the chairman was immediately: to " report progress." re ni,G rya sfit to The Durham County Pahstisthidadlisdon Bill was read a third time and penal' - On the order for going into committee upon the Nisi Prins Court (Ireland) Bill, an instruction was moved by Mr. GROGAN and agreed to, and the bill passed through the committee. Other bills were forwarded a stage, and, after some further business, the house adjourned at half past I twelve o'clock, 615 HOUSE OF Lord BROUGHAff, at the request of the Lord Chancellor, postponed the second reading of the Independence of Parliament Bill. On the motion of the Earl of MALMESBUBY, a com mittee was appointed to draw up the reasons for ad hering to their lordships' amendments to the Oaths Bill. The second reading of Lord Lyndhurst's Jewish Disabilities Bill, and of the Earl of Lucan's measure on the same subject, was deferred till Thurs day week, in consequence of the indisposition of the Earl of Derby. The Probate and Letters of Administration Bill was read a third time and passed ; an amendment proposed by Lord Sr. LEONARD'S was negatived on a division, in which the contents and nonoontenta were equal-22. The Loan CHANCELLOR declared the non•contents had it. DIVORCE AMENDMENT BILL. On the motion for the third reading of the Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Act Amendment Bill, Lord REDESDALE censured the speed with which some unopposed causes had been decided in the Court of Divorce. Nine cues had been disposed of in one day—one case only occupied the court eleven minutes. Serious objections were made to the manner in which this part of the business of the court was conducted. He hoped it would exercise more caution in future, as no cases were more likely to involve collusion than those which were unopposed. Lord CAMPBELL was astonished that Lord Redes dale should have so rashly and unadvisedly impeached the conduct of some of the judges of the land. He had himself presided in the Court of Divorce, and could say that the cases were fully examined, and justice done in each. The Bishop of OXFORD thought the religious and thinking portion of the community regarded with apprehension the rapidity with which the decisions of the court had been given. Earl GRANVILLE thought Lord Redesdale should have given notice of his intention to censure the judges of the court. Lord CRANIVORTH and Lord ST. LEONARD'S con curred in stating that the old mode of proceeding gave no greater security against collusion than the new one. Lord CAMPBELL, on addressing the house a second time, was called to order, and, after some converse • tion on this point, the bill was read a third time. The LORD CHANCELLOR gave an explanation of the causes of delay in the office of the Chief Clerk of Chancery in a case noticed on a former evening by Lord Lifford. The Lord Chancellor admitted there bad been some delay, but chiefly caused by one of the parties in the case not being prepared with cer tain necessary evidence. The difficulties that cense delay in the office were pointed out by Lord ST. LEONARD'S and Lord CRAM WORTH. Many of them arise from the want of good courts, with convenient chambers for the clerks. A petition from the Society of Friends, praying— but not " humbly " praying—for the abolition of church rates, was therefore rejected as informal. Their lordships then adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS.--TVESDAT. The morning sitting was occupied in committee with the details of the Medical Practitioners Bill (which was ordered to be recommitted) and the Local Government Bill. PAID ADVOCACY OF MEMBERS. "‘" ' In the evening, Lord HOTHAM moved the following resolution : That it is contrary to the usage and derogatory to the dignity of this house that any of its members should bring forward, promote, or advocate in this house any proceeding or measure in which be may have acted or been concerned for or in consideration of any pecuniary fee or reward. He brought forward this motion, he said, upon public grounds alone, having been induced to interfere in the matter by its vast importance to the character and reputation of the house, collectively and individually, and to the character and reputation of the country. He was in no want of precedents ; he asked the house to establish no new principle ; and bOr sited resolutions which be had found in the journals. Of lute years appeals from India had multiplied, and, in consequence, a practice had sprung up regarding which he thought it was the duty of the house to declare its opinion. The public mind Inse deeply impressed with a belief* that the rules wiiicb guarded the purity of that house were evaded, and it was in evidence that it was believed in India that the hervices of members of Parliament might be obtained by money. The resolutions here tofore passed did not apply where a legal member was retained for professional services, and who under-- took to bring forward in the House of Commons the case in which be was professionally engaged. For this reason he proposed his resolution, which was unambiguous, and be appealed to the house, as men of honour, honesty, and common sense, to proclaim, to the people of England and of India and to the World, that while determined to punish cortupti4n rott6inp in Varhantent. HOUSE OF LORDS—MoNnAy. THE INDIAN RESOLUTIONS. The Earl of MmatitssuaY, in reply to the question put by the Marquis of Lansdowne on Friday evening, stated that the Government did not intend to lay on the table the resolutions relating to the government of India affirmed by the House of Commons. They had been made the foundation of a bill, and the whole question could be better discussed when that measure came regularly before their lordships. He hoped the bill would come up from the other house in time to take the second reading by the second week in July. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE had asked the ques tion only from a wish that the discussion should be delayed as little ns possible. Earl GRANVILLE and Earl GREY concurred in the opinion that the course taken by the Govern• went was very inconvenient, and might prevent the bill passing through the House of Lords this session ; but they would not offer any opposi• tion to the mode of proceeding decided on by the Government. EXPORTATION OF COOLIES FROM HONG KONG. The Bishop of OXFORD, in moving for papers bearing on the exportation of coolies from Hong Kong, expressed his fears that from the condition of sorr e of our colonies there was a danger of England being drawn Into tolerating a slave trade in another form. He admitted that the importation of labourers hal succeeded in the case of Mauritius ; but the system must be closely watched, especially in new colonies, to prevent it lapsing into a mere traffic in slaves. The Earl of CARNARVON had no objection to pro duce the correspondence and papers desired. There was a distinction to be made between the emigrants to English colonies and those conveyed to foreign possessions. It was in the transport of the latter class that abuses chiefly occurred ; but every security was taken for the proper treatment of passengers under English control, both during the voyage and on arriving in a colony. He contrasted the condition and treatment of these emigrants with that of the coolies conveyed to Cuba ; they were kidnapped, drugged, and bought in the first place, were bar barously treated on the voyage, and on arriving in the island were subjected to a kind of servitude that was an unmitigated slavery. The whole question was under the consideration of the Government. Lord Buououxm believed the evils of the system could only be remedied by its total prohibition. Over the emigrants to Spanish possessions England could exercise no control, but English vessels might be for bidden to convey them. The Earl of CLARENDON confirmed the statement of the Earl of Carnarvon that the abuses complained of)occurred in the Chinese ports, where England had neither agents nor commercial influence. The motion wee then agreed to, and their lordships adjourned. • winnows bout HOUSE OF COMMONS—MoNDRY. The Commissioners for Exhibition 1851 Bill passed through committee after the clauses had undergone much discussion, in the course of which many points of interest arose with relation to the Kensington estate, and to subjects connected with science and art. THE PAPER DUTY. On the order fur going into a Committee of Supply, Mr. M. GIBSON moved u an amendment a reso lution : That the to4ntitance of thika,aisii on paper, as a per manent source of revenue, would be impolitic, and that such financial arrangements ought to be made as will enable Parliament to dispense with that tax. The reason why he had not brought forward this proposition as a substantive motion, be said, was because it was intimately connected with a large vote to be proposed in the committee for promoting education, and he believed that the repeal of a duty which stood in the way of the diffusion of knowledge would be a means of promoting education. He proceeded to set forth the grounds of his motion. Taxation, be observed, was one thing, revenue another ; and it was possible to repeal taxation judiciously, without permanenlly injuring the public revenue. The paper duty was a most pernicious tax. Paper•mills were diminishing in number, and the manufacture was *tiling more and more into the hands of a few larmeapitalista. The duty did not press upon a large book or a three. volume novel, but it operated as a check upon cheap publications of extensive circulation, and its removal would improve cheap literature, and thereby benefit, morally and intellectually, its numerous readers. It might he said that he should suggest a substitute for this tax ; hut ho protested attainst this doctrine. If he proved that this tax, forming only one sixty fourth part of the public revenue, was a pernicious : •