The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1821-04-04 00:00:00

PI 1 ~ "repeal of I*. Q. per bushel on all malt, t ngliqh, iri.h, and Scotch. That duty was a war duty, and it was only becoming the good faith of Parlia ment to remove it in time of peace. He moved that the Order of the Day should be then read. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, though he would oppose the second reading, admitted that the case of Scotland was a, props: one for in gamy, and repressed his willminess to have it subjected to a parliamentary examination. told A. HAMILTON said, that tat the laying on those duties,. he had drawn tip sea volutions, to whew the unfairuess of the r respecting Scotland. The average crops of Scotch barley were poor, and could not bear melt high duties as those of .England. He now considered the cause of Scotland hopeless. If, by joining the English gentle Men, who chiefly guarded the land ed interests of the country, he could obtain a ge neral repeal of Is. 2d. per bushel—that at tiny rate would be so much done for Scoalacol. He would vote for the motion ; he had heard that an Hon. Friend of hit. behind him objected to the advati loge before enjoyed by Scotland. Ile wished to learn from the lips of his Hon. Friend whether he might hope on some future occasion lOr his assist tome in endeavouring to obtain some measure of relief for the agrieulture of Scotland. Mr. CONE, having been appealed to, had no he-. sitation in replying to the appeal. He thought that the Scotch Members who usually soppoi led Millis. tors would do better to desert the RI& floe. Gen tleman ors this ofecosiort than own to any after proof peet of relief. The House could never do any good while it was so divided in parties, nor unfil the parties could all act as one man would there in. any reduction oT taxes. As to Scotch barley, he aditsitted that the ling Kerley was very inferior, but in other oortstfhe Scotch crops were not worse than they were in many of the lands in Northumberland. Lincolnshire, sod Norfolk. Ile wished for a union of the House to throw off the tax slrogether, and afterwards he would have no objection to a Cony suttee to confider the peculiar rase of Scotland. His °potion was that the less taxation the better, and he was anxious to reduce its present enormous amount. 11 r~ Ordtr of the Day was then read. Jr. Wa rßaw moved that the Bill be now read a second time. Sir .1. SHELLIY would vote for the 'notion, be -visits, it went to relieve the country from burdens .which could no larger he borne. lie described 'the state of agriculture to be most distressed—many farms, and those not bud lands, but of very lung cultivation, trot being able to retnunerote the ex penses of cultivating them, and the taxes and poor rates. A great deal had been said about hoinerr haviog lived like gentlemen in their !prosperity, and the necessity toe their returning to the rank which they before held. But it all amounted to this, that farmers who had not much capital were quite• • ruined by the cultivation of the land. If the *vs.; rein went on, the owners must be cement with a very different tenantry. from the respectable per sons also had hitherto lielid'their estate,. After the American war the Government assisted the distresses of the merchants. Why then not assist the agri culturists, whose claim was equally urgent ? lie wished at any rate to see the - taxes more equally borne by all. Ha was therefore in favour of a small property, such as two per cent. rather titan the continusAce of Ibis malt tax. He aupported the motion. Mr. • s i _s 4111 A • NIA the subject under three point, oil Aim, ett•fienta , That of going on with the , present ispthitillttee, aetompanied with the repeal of Chia tax; Second, That of reducing the expen diture to the amount of the tax to be repealed ; Third, That of laying on a more equal tax in its . place. Arta the first, it was too intricate and scientific a subject for him to enter into. It implied, of -course, the alienation of the Sinking Fund, Ile did • not approve of this. because after all that had been • raid shout the establishment of the finances, it would look so iike.vacillation. Some pelsons, it was true, • represented the Sinking Fund as a fallacy—one Hun. •••=bleinber had described it by a coarser epithet. If it - was a fallacy, it hod deceived the greatest nation in the world, and the wisest statesmen that ever existed in that nation: no delusion had ever been so gene ral, for it had been implicitly confided in by the people of this country for thirty-five years past, and among them by Mr. Pitt and Mr. Fox. lie could • out consent, fur his owu part, to do away with the Sinking Fond. .As to retreoelanents, as far as he • - ' -had beard them proposed, they went to a consider i'• • -able reduction of the establishments, which, he . . ' thought, ought not to be lowered. The peac e of • , -Europe had been already violently interrupted, . • and could only be preserved, as far as this country was concerned, by retaining arms in their • blotto. The ambition of monarchs and the yen . geance of the people might yet embroil Europe in a considerable degree of difficrulty. As to the • 'income Tax iu any shape, the Hon. Baronet could ~ • • ecereely hop* that it would be borne more patiently, ...1.•• •or be felt as lightly by the agriculturists as the Mart`Tax. The machinery of the Income Tax had -been described as inquisitorial and vexatious. He • tied .an inclination to restore it. What was he to . • o do then ? As he thought the taxes essential to the enanitertince of the establishments, and that the ' .•a • • est.ohlishments were indispensable, lie hoped he • would be excused if he should continue to support -the Molt tax untilirome better substitute should •, 'be offered. Their only choice lay then between the reduction of the establishments and shaking the •• 'foundation of the financial system. The friends of Governmen!„..who had supported them in every wear:airy of expenditure, ought not to desert them now. It was ouly for those who were generally Ism tile to the ineaeures of Ministers to Ise üble.con aistenily to starve them as to means. Mr. GilE/IFSLL had no faith iu a Sinking Fund kept up by - . borrowing. He thought that a great delusion. Hit waist Mend, however, to a Sinking Fund, when the, principle of that fund was, what only a true Sinking Fund could be, the excess of income over expenditure; that was the character of the present Snaking Fund, and *niters should • • do all iu their power to augmeut too-resources as . .well by retrenehearet a, by every other mesh,. wasdie d sorry to be obliged to differ from his lion. " . nen s near him on the present occasion. lie was . • . one of those who, is 109, gave 100 humble vote . • . fur the levying of new taxes to put the nuances '.of the coit," al' on, their o 'best footing. .It Rould ;bit greatest `ineossisteacy in him to vote fur 4.. economy. This was beginning at Ilia wrong etscl, Ministers were as likely to adopt those tneasniell • - • --- - would they say of at privete Geutlenm, who, has- ing resolved on retrenching his expenses,'cut short his income as the 6rsi step towards it ? lie depre cated the frequent introduction of suggeatious as to a breach of the public faith. Ile did not know how it was, but these hints came inure frequently from landed proprietors in that House than from any other class. He would have them be aware, that in proposing the invasion of the funded property they were endangteriog their own. They ought to know that the fuodholders had as good a right to propose the invasion of the landed property, as the landholders had to propose the invasion of funded property. Ile did not think the malt duty the first tax which ought to be repealed ; he thought ' the salt tux was much more oppressive, and ought to be the list repealed. Ile cousidered, it as e complettt mistake to suppose that the repeal of the malt tax would give any relief to the agricul turiste. Mr. LOCKHART corrected the understanding which his lion. Friend near him hid taken sip, of any suggestions us to the treatment of the funded property. lie had never heard among all the sug gestions of any owe violent than a proposition for laying a small tax on that property, and insking the holders take their fair share of tile burdens of the State. This was securing, instead of rod/qu eering their property, for it was impossible that tholes could go on much longer as at present—one party nominally !bolding the pro perty of the lands, while the reduce of it was •II gathered up awl given to another patty, to which the first were but, as it were, adseripti gleba, mere wit, to pith the ri ;i:s fur the ad vaistage of the fundholders. It was not the reduction of the establishments which he and his Hon. Friends cent- • tended for, but a reduction of the experrom of the establishments. Was it not out of all reason, that, when the necessaries and luxuriee of life were all reduced in value, the expensed of those establish ments remained the same ? Great eulogium had been passed on the Sinking Fund, but the Hon. 31ember oho made that enlogium was in reality reproving the Right lion. Gentleman whom he wished to support. That Right lime Gentleman had redocid the Sinking Fund of 17 millions, left by his predecessors, to ey millions. lie would vote for the repeul of this tax, because he was con vinced that agriculture would get tin other re lief. The Committee had been sitting :bud listen ing to details of distress pet fectly well know berme. The only use of the Petitious on this sub• ject was to give the House some information, and to shee t that the lasidloids were receiving no wills, the farmers were making no profit, and that the la..r pourers must be seithont employment. The clergy,: the maeistricy, and the 3 eomaiiry reduced, where! were t hey to look for the means of securing the / tranquillity of the country ? Commodities had de. teriorated 50 per cene.—tuxes ought to be reduced in the like proportion. As to the argumetit of• Ministers, that all theft things would right them- ' calves, he requ•red to know by what !worts.? How was property to be secured, how was order to be pre served when thedial iris of the farmers was as great as if an invading army had marched through the land? He would beg to rs mind the. Right lion. Gentle-, Won (the Chaneellor of the Exchequer) that in 1816, lie himself gave up as a boon to the poor, when the Proverty Tax was repealed, this tax which he now proposes to restore. This tax presses peculiarly bard on the puor. The quality of the beer is considerably deteriorated, and teen the mea sure is not fairly regulated, in tenacqueeee of the monopoly of publicans. if it acre repealed, the ' poor would have this useful commodity at a much more reduced rate, and in u better condition, which would add cousiderably to their comforts. Jle really did not believe that the Ministers were suf ficiently conversant with agricultural millers; if j they were, they world taker some steps to relieve it. The rent of the farmer is paid one of his capital, and it must appear qinte obvious that such a sys tem cannot be of how coutieuence. The agri culturist has made every rut rilier that could be made, and it was the duty of the Minister* to in. terfere, and make every part of the State bear the 1 , burdens, and restore the equdihrium ; arid here he could (301 avoid expressive his sorrow and regret at the hingnage he heard held by sonic Gendenien iu thst. House, lie had heard it said that the eg-ricul- • turists have had their day, Oise they contributed to sopport the war, mud must now submit to the con sequences of it. But he repudiated that do c trine on these rounds these agriculturists are not the same now • for aught he knew, they have com pletely ch anged sides, dild NOW become the capital ists. But he spoke of time who were now the land holders ; he rook, of the three millions who were now in the deepest distreas, and were stretching oat their binds to grr , assistaxece.--t Beer, bess.) He looked upon their condiliou at present to 1w the most 'silverside and degrodiag that ten well be imagined. He therefore sineeKly trusted the Hattie would turn their most serious attention to the ques tion, pod not be misled by the speech of the Hon. Gentleman opposite (Mr. Wart!). who seemed merf - ly to address himself to those Gentlemen wl o had been the supporters of Mr. 1 1 1 J, as if Gentlemen were to shut their eyes to decency and justice. He did not think that having been a member of • Pitt Club. or on account of any prior vote a 111411 may have given, lie should now feel reluctant to change bia opinions, and manfully avow them.— (Hear.) Mr. Js SMITH said he had examieed the o bole of the case uuw before the House with she utmost at. tention, and bad arrived at quite dbfferent concha. sierra from the Hon. Gentleman that just sit down. lu common with many others who were holders of land, he felt the great distress that intended, end of be thought that the repeal of this tax could afford any material relief he should most certainly vote for rt. But he would appeal to au Hon. Baronet opposite, Member for Kent (Sir E. Knatchbull), who lead cuusiderahle issfortentrion on these sub jects. whether he thought It would afford any great relief. lu ovule part.culer parts it may regime gal distress, but it would be by no eneral. But there was a still greater °ti the. that. We have been told - that if • of Br. a quarter on malt took place, yet beer or ale would not be reduced one '—so that, in fart, all the advantages of Ire would fall into the ,pocket of the I'ub- id private brewer. There were no classes of men had stronger claims on mar sympathies than the labouring poor; but even if this tax were re pealed, it could not afford thent any material relief. There was another question to which he wished to call the attention of the House—he meant the Poor Law., In these laws lie thought some alteration might be made that would afford great relief; in. devil he felt convinced it. was the only mode in which any real or substantial relief could be extend ed. Several opinions haire been given on ibis sub ject. He thought that if the poor were employed in the cultivation of the land, inateed of receiving money, it would be a considerable improvement. And he had no doubt if the Right Honourable Gentleman opposite (Mr. S. Bourne, we-presume), to whom the country is so much indebted; would bring forward some each measure, he had no doubt he should he met with the good' wishes of the Parliament and the country.—(Dear, hear.) — There was no man in T h at House a more.strenuous advocate than he was for the most rigid s)stern of economy. We are very much in the habit of in dulging in opinions about the extravagance of Ministers, but lie did not think that they were alone to blame. Gentlemen on his side of the `House were as culpable as others for their ellpine :less and sloth in giving their support to the squan dering of million.. There was the Penitentiary lately erected, the canal in Scotland, slid Inc never yet heard • man speak of that Caledonian cinul, that did not say it was the most absurd thing that ever was done. There were also the works at Sheeniest', Woolwich, Milford Haven, and others, on which millions have beet' expended. It was impossible then, uuless we retrace our steps, that the country can be restored to any thing like a flourishing condition. This country has always been distinguished for cherishing the principles of liberty, for all moral as well as mental improve meet, and for holding up to other nations an example of all that was great and good. It was for this reason he felt the great regret be did at the sentiments of some Gentlemen. Ile al luded to the fears that were entertained about the national debt. He had heard it said, it was idle to talk of preserving the national honour, and that it was impossible to preserve it by the course we were now pursuing. Nothing could be more erroneous than those opinion., nor there never was • time more badly chosen for them them the present. The fororoulKatiou of these senti menu' had a considerable tendency to withdraw the confidence of other countries from Eng land. Ile had heard a gentleman of the first distinction, in another country, say, " Is it possible that Great Britain, after having been the bulwark of other countries, should now in the tiwe of peare desert its own principles ?"—(Hear.) But did Gentlemen consider the COOSeqUelleeS of such an act ? There are now eight or nine hundred thousand stockholders in the country, be sides the number of corporations, insurance corn nice, other., whose property is so vested, that it must actually appear little short of madness to entertain such an ides. England has always been considered the asylum of property throughout the world ; and to the everlasting honour of this coun try be it said, that during t he war, when we were taxing ourselves to defray our expenses, we care fully and religiously abstained from taxing the pro perty of forrignem.—(Hear.)—lle knew of nothing more highly creditable to the national character. With respect to the present tax,' he thought the repeal of it could not relieve the distress, and would considerably diminish our revenue. There was but one way to remove the national distress, and that was by reducing our expenses is every possi ble way, and lie thought that Ministers would edit strength and vigour to themselves, end have a much wester prospect of ret • g their places, if they introduce a system of. retrenchment : any thing else cannot be effectual. Retrenchment in every department, both io the army and navy, should be resorted to. With respect to the latter, in the proper time, when the estimates were before the House, he should be able to spew that a con siderable reduction nosy and must take place in that depart:neut.—ll/ear, hear.) Sir J. BOUGHEY could nut support the motion for the repeal of the Malt Tax, n lear the Gen tlemen alto advocated it, could give hint some assurance that it was a measure of economy, and would not be substituted by some other tax. Mr. Cuawax wished t h at his Hon. Friend (Mr. Sin th), who had gone so fully into agricultural dis tress, and yet who opposed the repeal of the pre. sent tin., would 'thew some practical mode of re moving it. There has been for some time a Com mittee billing out this question, and he had nu doubt tbat such a body of evidence had been sub mitted to them, a most distressing case of agricul tural distress would be made out. With respect to the Poor Laws, it would undoubtedly be most desirable that some favourable change should be effected, but he was quite at • loss to know how that could be dune. the expenses of the land holder were enormous, and lie begged the at tention of the Ilouse to it. He payed 20 per cent. poor rates, 5 per cent. county rates, S per cent. repairs, and per cent. for collection, making. the whole 34 per cent.--(Hear, hear.) --Was it then it' the nature of Things that the homer could keep lend on such conditions? The country is every day getting into a worse and worse condition. The fuodholder should be made to bear his share of the burdens. He dud not mean to diminish his interest or security, all he wished for was, that there should be something like a fair pro portion. With respect to the present ten, it bears particularly hard on the pourer clamors, and the re moval of it would add considerably to their com forts. He, therefore, hoped that Ministers would consent to its repeal, and look fairly at the state of the country ; for they must be prepared to prove that the country is in a state of prosperity and plenty, before they can ask us to continue this tax ; unless they could do that he should vote alpinist it.—(Hear, hear.) Mr. BENETT (of Wiltshire) felt anxious to pre serve a good understanding between the landholder cud fustelbolder, fur he considered it of the utmost • importsaee. It he were to ask a corniaereial man whether the agriculturists were not his best cus tomers, he would answer in the affirmative; and should he ask the agriculturist the same question, he would undoubtedly get •ii , similar answer. It must therefore appear wise and politic to pre serve the counexton.-1 Hear, hear, hear.) — He was aware that a Committee was sitting on the subject of agricultural distress, but lie really did not hope for much relief from those qUiliterS. After the deliberations they had had ou various questions, after the able and eloquent speech they had heard the other night on the subject of bul lion from the Hon. Member for Taunton (Mr. Be ring), and when he saw the conclusion they came to. and when they were told that no taxis were to tie repealed, he almost despaired of any relief. He felt as much pain as any mon in that House at some observations that had been made on the na tional credit ; but he must say, that if we are to maintain the national 110110 Ur. the country should be put in a condition to enable them to sustain it. If we were once rid of this national debt, that mill stone that is tied round nor necks, be defied any political economist to assert that the country would not be again in a flourishing condition. Gentlemen have asserted that this tax is riot a pressure on the country ; but that theory is no better than if lie presented a sword to a inan's breast, and told him the point had no sub.tanre, and could not hurt hint. The repeal of this tax %sould give the greatest re lief to the loner classes. For, who are the Coll furriers? The industrious labourer, who by this tax is deprived of this, Ids only luxury. Within his memory every labouring man made beer within lots own home, and when lie returned from his work, could enjoy it comfortably at his own ti:e side ; but now he can't do so, he is obliged to go to the public house on his way home, and this brings on dissolute habits, indepeedent of the tape/roe attending i', all of which would be rentoVed by the repeal lif this tax. We would be met by and by with a statemeut of the less of revenue of It ur 1,300,000/. ; but Ise did not think it was so much. If we repeal the tax, we have a right to anticipate juror:tried consumption, end he therefore thought the diminution in the re venue, if any, would be very inconsiderable. He was most anxious to support every species of economy, and should rapport the repeal of this las. Mr. KEITH DOUGLAS observed, that the Hon. Gentlema) who had just sat down lied gone through every question connected with agricultural distresa, and neglected the immediate question before the House. There was no man inure fully sensible of the distresses of die country than he was, but he had not heard ariy one Gentleman that had yet spoken say that the repeal of this tax would *flood ally immediate relief—nor could lie really conceive how it should. The consumption of malt was note just us great as it had been on any former occasion. He concluded by saying that lie should oppose the measure. Mr. BRIGHT &till he should support the motion. He thought the immense army we had was not lIV. ces , ary to the country. and the still enormous &ti mid?a might be curtailed rufftctently to equal this ehorinous malt tax. He denied that the commer cial ;were,' was not equally distressed with the agriculturists, and therefote lie could not give his consent ►o tax the funds to relieve the land. The landed intere►t had no right to shake off the burden of tithes or poor's ratty, se they held their estates subject to those burden.. He trusted the House would follow the example set them by the Hon. Member for Aberdeen, and narrowly look into the E•timates, which were ►till to come before them. Mr. BIM WIT and Mr. —BRIGHT mutually ex plained. Colonel WOOD admitted that the tax pressed upon the coquinas of the poorer classes, but thought the repeal of the tax would not benefit them to any extent ; and, judging from what took place in 1816, he did not think the brewers would reduce the price of their beer, even if the tax were to be repealed—and should they reduce the price equal to the duty taken off, it would not amount to a forthiog per pot of porter. He thought the Bill was not quite fair towards the Agricultural Commit tee; it would, in his opinion, have been proper to have waited to see what they would propose to the House. He would be willing to-morrow to vote for the re peal of the whole of the Malt Tax, if lie could see a moth:led Property Tsx; butt at present he could not consent to re peal a tax by which so much of the income of the country as 1,500,0001. (which this tux produced) would he broken down. For these reasons, and because it was a lislf measure, he should vote against it. Mr. F. Lewis thought it was wise to have got rid of the Property Tax, both on account of its amount and the mode of its operation. The great fault of that tux was being on too narrow a basis. The Malt Tax was not liable to that objection, as it spread itself over a much wider surface. if he could think the repeal of the tax would be a relief to agriculture, that would have great weidit with him ; but he never would, in any vote which lie should give in that House, confine himself to the consideration of one interest only. But he &Mid that it would operate as an immediate relief to the distress which was felt. It might operate on a long average of years, but the question was how to give relief directly, and it was saying soothing, there fore, to affirm that this measure would he a reloef in len or fifteen years. If be - were called upon to give an opinion as to what tax would operate the greatest relief to the hooded interest, he should say, relieve them front the pressure of stamps: the stump duties, in his opinion, were must oppressive on the landed interest. Colonel Wont) explained. Captain GORDON rose to corroborate the account *lnds hail beets given of the distressed stale of the north of Scotland. He objected to the Bill, be cause the duties imposed by it were the same fur Scotland as for this country. He objected to the Bill, therefore, on the ground that justice would not he done by it to the hitter country. Mr. SMYTHE conceived the best preparation for war was to husband our resources ; he should there fore vote for the repeal of the lax. Lord CASTLEREAGH moved, that the resolution of the Finance Committee of 1818 be read, which was accordingly douse by the clerk at the table. It stated, that, ►n the opinion of the Committee, that fur the purpose of supporting public credit, a clear surplus of income above the expenditure of not leas than five millions Was necessary, and for that pur- • k . '. . \ • ii. • 1 , ' . pose it was npetilent to inert.ttse the taxes to the amount of three millions. Lord CASTLEREAGH then rose and said, that as he had declared immediately after the vote was taken for the introduction of this Bill, that he should give it his most strenuous opposition in its future stager, he now rose to redeem his pled r. Ile could assure the Hon. Mover that it oil with considerable pain, standing is, the situation which he did, to resist...aLn_ moment ef wklsk pressure, a proposition for W. relief, made by PS re spectahle a Member ; hut he felt it art a pittlic duty towards every portion of the commuttily. and to none more this. that class for relief the MlS sure was particularly intended, and lie could 'satire, the Honourable Nlover dirt there was no iater.st is, the community to which be looked up with mote respect than the lauded Micro-mt., and if be cosh' pesetrade himself that they could have ■ seperate interest ftom the rest of the community, or that this measure would he a relief to them, he should f-el the duty which he had imposed on himself Mill more arduous and !rainfall than it was ; but he was persuaded, that the integret of the public was the interest of the landholder, and further, that this was not the tax fur the rebel of the latter, even on the ground where it hat been placed by the advocates of the measure. Ile had heard much which had given him pain on the topic which had been urged, but lie thanked Gud that the time was trot arrived when any principle incon sistent with public credit could lie heard with favour in that House. It appeared to him that even the proposers of ouch measures recoiled from them, contenting themselves with merely throwing them out fur the consideration of the House, doing homage thereby to the publoc jwitice of the country. Ile was not afraid of the deliberate deterinliestion of a British l'arltameut giving any sanction to a breach of faith, if brought Wrote theta in a direct shape ; hut lie wilted to caution the House nut to stiffer that to be Josue by asp, which they would oat peewit to he dime by open assault. If the revenue were destroyed, imbhe tretlit ivoold be as effec tually ruined as it we were arrived at that immoral era when we should relieve one interest at the expense of another. As the surplus of revenue was out eufficient to redeem the pledge given to the fussilholder in 1819, it certainly was not sufficient to enable the House to remit any taxes for the sake of relieving the hartleiis on the people. The Tian tum of relief "which the hill ! imposed io give would not be sufficient benefit to the tanning interest to justify whet lie should consider en infraction of the public faith. lie should confine what lie had to bay in en few word, possible, anti would direct the attention of the House In I love pnitos: let, W he flier the revenue of the country was in a state to remit ally tax ? Secondly, Whether this was the lax t.. tamd the relief which was de-ired ? told, lastly, liVliether there was any finsocial motive for repeal ing the tax Ile thought the (Lime would go along with hint in cotoidering that nothing could be more nowise than laying on a tax on one day, trod without reason repealing it at another. This tax was laid on, after mature deliberation, as pert of • great s 3 stem, of which the malt tax was the corner stone. As to the tax bearing plant agriculture.. fie would inquire what reasons there were for suppos ing that any redaction had been occasioned by it in the consnuiption of bay ley, fur the I lonourable Mover would allow that if the consutnption were not narrowed, no injury bad been sustained by the ogricultoraliet, and if cow repealed it would therefore give no relief. 11'ith respect to the market fot barley, it appeared that the qoaatity of malt made last year exceeded the average of the last thirty years by six or seven hundred thousand bushels; it exceeded the averiage of the last four years, during two of which the tax had been in operation. li - , then, the quantity had not been oat rowed, where del the Honourable Mover find evidence that the colisniner wanted relief He thought lie could slew that since the tilt was laid on lir 1819, wheii his 'tight Hon. Friend (the Chancellor of the Fehequer) predicted it would not oce ision any additional Itres.tite on the country, and the fact was, that so far from it, the price of beer hid twice hero reduced since the tax was laid on ; so that the tax lied in fact been productive io the Exchequer, without any additional pressure on the consumer. If the tax were taken off, could the Hon. Mover guarantee that it should remain off for two years, or even that this public would reap any benefit from the reps al ? The amount of the duty, if repealed, would be id. per gallon on porter ; but how was it possible for the retail consumer to be relieved from three farthings a gal lon, when he paid for his beer by the quart ? Since the tax had been laid on, the quantity of beer brewed exce;_nled by 1,2n0,000 barrels, the average of forgoer years, and the Excise duty had increased boils in town and country. Ile would venture to :insert, thi,!, jud 4 ing by the ex perience of the list thirty were, the consumption of wall was not so much regulated by the amount of duty as by the state of the memo') and other oncost'. stances. It 1916, when the duty was 4s. 4d. per bushel, the consumption of malt w a s twenty-six millions of bushels. Jo 1817 theduty was reduced, and the consumption was seventeen, millions of bushels. In 1841, when the duty was reduced to 3s. 6d. per bushel. the consumption wait 24,300,000 bushels. He would resist the repeal of the tax in justice to the lauded interest, which he loved.—(4 leargh.)—.lle satiated that it meld be a great misfortune to the landed interest to hese the reproach of breaking down the finances of the country, and in his opinion there were no perform less interested in opposing the tax than the landholder. If the House could, consistently with the faith it owed to the country. vote for a remission of taxes to this amount, the Malt Tux was not that which could best be dispensed with, or which it would be most advisable to remove. If such a measure were to be entertained in any shape, as that brought forward on a former night by the lion. Member for Abingdoli, as a general proposition, that relief should he given to the country, by the remission of taxes to the amount of • million and • half, he had much rather that the amount should be taken off in Window Tax or House Tax, and he was sure that the landed interest itself would take much more relief in that way than from the measure now proposed. There were, indeed, other taxes which it would be far better to remove; hut to suppose that any relief could be derived from the reduc tion of the Malt Tax, was one of those delusions against which he must and always should protest. *toi l the repeal or one of those taxes, when his • , some part • 1 nions hod undergone no Fhange. It soisallt• means Beni • gross disitilileo474lol4o o POses OS • , jection the reading awe ii4,- . .., A'.. at asany f ieplenfied ' reduction s bees isdrediterill im* •th s Vit i nesis :•shit Sala• the price e ject.• lilted bees* Adlecres a reason to ilietWy the halfpenny- repeal or this tax, the, by reducing the inuisae, this measui