The Sun. — London, England, 1851-07-01 00:00:00

con ,1 3s. a Be a Lace tipte od be d not •eats was 'e gm as es • adivi • ice 1 1 es 1 Ghia ' in the ill the a ship at 11 viga upon dues • eu re Board Ce was t 01:1 1 1 of )it fi cal; tfro' 11.da- d o val ter ti al3 :, Sr 'as d" opos ed le VI as La a , (1° sui fu W ised to Linal 5( 1 antl • whit h ent. time et eve / as to endeC4 be re • -_, RE CHE n this• ember lade seems House House ssed iu be eil bo LEO; ssion Tbi s rations' r f T.l SUN, . LONDON, __nen_ I for factory m that opinion upon this sole, and to me perfectly satis e so ex . . abl and ground, that I cannot believe that a financier ao l aw hld perieneed, ifhe • had contemplated that e B na be a permanent law, would have framed it at his d p i r : a principle which I hope I may induce the house ells " is one so much to be deprecated. I am not about to entrap the House into a barren discussion as to the co mparativ e merits of direct and indirect taxation. In th ese day s we are too apt perhaps to indulge in such clis -21-,sknia I feel persuaded myself that it you have to raise els a count r y lik e England a revenue of the amount which We at Present do raise, it would be quite impossible to ()b -eam such r esu l ts by adhering strictly to any particular mode of raising our public revenue. [ feel convinced that the greeater the number, the more various the means of supply, ren t ..greater will be the facility of raising the revenue ; and far irom laying down any pedantic rule to be adhered to as re mode of raising taxes in nreference to another, all that f the Exche • whatever form i t y quer is, to beware that no tax, sluts- take,. whether that of a customs duty, an excise n or a direct impost,nature be excessive. 33„,althea _ e m s e sa s I will not enter into a discussion as to the fs: e. parative merits of direct or indirect taxation, of this I i, d persuaded, and I can hardly doubt that a majority of th is House will the propoeition, that if direct taxation is sanction c formtien a considerable part, or even the more considerable part, of our financial System, it is of th utmost importance that the principle of that (lir% u t m axation should be a right' on e . (Hear.) New l ec cannot for a moment agree that tn. principle of direct ' should be other than the principle of indirect taxation. of o inion, as I think the highest a taxation. I am . p . 'taxation should be as authorities are of opinion, that direct . as indirect taxation. --~general, not to say as univer s al, been me at%)belving that that must have the opine n the very fact that he establi s h ed in an of Sir Robert Peel, narrow a basis, that he established sis tax upon income on so considerable a scale, con vinces me thatexemptions on so he had no other than in his use of that impost b. et than It t emporary o•ect— e that he had no other o se t 12! 'art that which he expressed in this House, which,andtlea its on proposition, and in the renewal for the at its original proposition, he prepared the House and _ Ccr isi all e tr Y , he was perfectly justified in adopting it with that 1 2 - nY n rary object • I hardly know whether it is ne pet in view. "are', or whether on this occasion I am justified in even touching upon the consequences of adopting any other Prin ciple nn iPle in the application of direct taxation. In fact, if '' co me forward and tell us that the essence of direct taxa tion is that es should be limited to a class, that it should be founded ile s son large exemptions, your impost is not so much a direct tax as a " forced contribution."— (Loud cries of .s Bear hear.") It is a tax upon capital. It is a con stant invasion upon the fund which is employing labour, an if carried to any excess, or continued for any length ande erne, its inevitable consequences must, in my opinion, be "ie impoverishment and misery of the community.— I (Cheers. ) I look then upon the policy which was pursued hy Sir R o b er t P ee l w i t h respect to the income-tax when h e introdu ce d i t, and when, in accordance with tl ' ie first s peech he made on the subject, he three years after conti nued it, to have been perfectly justifiable, because his object being a temporary object, he had then only to consi 'er the Percy and the expediency and the mode of attaining his f asi Pnrary purpose in a manner the most easy and the most easible. But I must call the attention of the House to the fact that the present Ministry, in making a tax upon in °anus the basis of their finance, were not actuated by the 3_ani4a principles as Sir R. Peel, and did not contemplate the Lam e _ e use of the instrument which they introduce to our no xresen With a candour which I cannot too much praise, and ei e h I fully acknowledge, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, 'when he asked for a continuance of the income tax for three .years,w never for a moment intimated that his view of that o'in, the that it was a temporary one. Had the Chancellor "le Excheque forward proposed the renewal of the tax for r come and whether h three years for the fourth time, I still doubt direct • e would have been justified in framing a great impost which had much longer in d ' and which Was than was contemplated by its originator, though Was again to be continued for a considerable a definite t •ofthe Chancellor of the , erm—l doubt the policy ei am i n ,, .Exchequer, even , under these _circumstances, in S u seaX u • the limited b• on which he did fr• Pen income on am a I amt its Bat when the Minister of Finance tells us— time for another to renew years tax upon income for the fourth have another three ," and with a frankness which I ' on informs us at het same time that we on (v 4.1 c ontemplate the term when we shall be able to carry fi t : fi nancial arrangements without the aid of such an e_tr,t,eand framed in such a manner, then I say that that _ , ! 1 . period when the Minister should have come forward, ' t ug: If it had been his conviction that a large direct tax upon he should have laid down the just principle upon which such an e_ am ount of direct taxation could alone , justifiably be ap plied to the pro h (Hear h perty and t e industry of this country.— a l ' ear-) I may be t o ld , as I have b een to l d m Ce that d a y, th at there was no acknowledgment on the Bpart of the Government that in their financial csn timplation th e i ncome-tax was to be a perpetual tax. the t J o speak in th e memory of Gentlemen on both sides of u n re. and I am sure they will justify my statement, achievements in which th e Ch ancellor of the Exchequer in dulged lged n, which he en umerated to an amazed audience, and completion of whi c h a l one was indicated by him as the term When this country could be free from this impost.— (Hear, hear.) Sir, I h e t have great confidence in the vitality of t_ existing Government.---( Hear, hear, and a laugh.) The dangoers which they have successfully encountered, the ca phes which they have evaded, and the crises which n theyl a l_ave baffled - all indicate the possession, if not of im 'Pretel,eyet of enduring qualities.—(Laughter, and cheers.) le t % I ra an assure the Noble Lord and his colleagues, though that I I duty to sit on this side of the table—(A laugh) they tiny recog • th • s which they oec recognise their personal claims to the pos. view s as nleen--(Laugter.) Sanguine as may be their own ‘,...s even to the term of their administration, I do not think r eEn 'e m en the Chancellor of the Exchuer could have con: 'Lilted—prolong' d be his tenure of office —that it Woutu slimeb . De as may . compr e his fortune to achieve all tho objects, eth ac -lat of hd d and an to the usu ve ich he has lai own country as the condition of terminating the tax on property and income as it is now framed. Well, Sir, I think I may truly conclude that the tax, as now framed, is a permattent feature in the financial schemes of her Majesty's Ministers.— e s ear ') N ow, I beg the. House to observe that in anything I ave said lam making no objection to a tax on property a nd income. Wh at I am directing the attention of the Ilene to is this.—and I think it of the utmost importance that this proposition of direct taxation is to form a more considerable portion of our financial system for the future than it has heretofore done, that direct taxation should be founded upon the true principle, and not upon the false one; upon the principle which, in the long run, will be advan tageous to the community, and not upon one which, if it suc ceed, will in my opinion be most pernicious; that the prin ciple which we apply to direct taxation shall virtually be the same as that which we apply to indirect, and that in its application we should attempt to make it general, not to say universal. - (Hear, hear.) That is the only point that I am now enforcing upon the attention. and, I hope, the con viction of the House. It will be observed, then, as far as the financial statement of the Minister this year is con cerned, as far as we have it yet submitted to our analysis, that it was founded upon a false basis, that it assumed that the income.tax, as at pre sent framed, should be permanent ; and upon the assumption of its permanence, or of its continuance, the surplus estimated by the Chancellor of the Exchequer depended. I shall now consider the measures which the Chancellor of the Exchequer brought forward, and which were to be dealt with by the disposition of this assumed surplus —a surplus assumed upon the continuance of a tax, false, dangerous, and perniciou s in its principle, as every tax intending direct impost to a large amount, and the principle of which is not of general application, I maintain is. (Hear, hear.) The Chancellor of the Exchequer proposed three measures of considerabl e importance, and one or two of Minor importance. The first in rank was, no doubt, a prop° - anion for the repeal of the window tax. It is unnecessary for me to dwell much upon this point. The objections to the Window duty as it then existed were financial, cr they were Social, or, as it has been the fashion to call them, sanitary. I must stop to say that if the financial oppression of the window-tax was the great reason for i - s remission, it is to be regretted that the Minister should have attempted only par tially to remit it. It would have been more advantageous, had it been possible, that the tax should be simply and com pletely remitted. Th e fashion has a l ways su b s i s t e d, a the present Gov ernment have followed it, i n th e division of a surplus, very often to fritter away its virtue by apportaon ing apart to vario us i nterests of the community.—(Hear, hear,) Now, in my opinioo, as a general principle, it is much wiser, if you hav e a surplus, to do something that is efficient—(Hear, r e hea s s — to discover what interest is most Buffering, what tax is moat oppressive, and the remission of what duty would give the most elasticity to trade, or add Most to the comfort and the happiness of the community, than to think that as a matter of course the commercial class, the agricultural class, the inhabitants of the town, and the shipbuilder should each have a share ; when it is very Possible that of these four classes three may require no aid, and when it is very possible also that by concentrating your resources upon one subject of assistance, you may afford sub stantial relief and succour.—( liar, hear.) But I do not dwell upon that point —nor will I dwell upon the social reason which might have been and was urged in favour pf a remis 'inn of the window duty, except that as have sanitary ob jects were concerned, I think they might been attained without any loss of revenue. The reason that Ido not dwell upon the subj ec t a t a ll i s, that I d o no t intend,., as I said on the 11th of Ap r il, w h en it was my duty t o solicit the atten tion of the House to subjects similar to the present—that I do not intend a t a ll to dispute the policy of th e repeal of the window-tax. I accept that as a rea li se d result.. I thi n k_ e after all that h as passed, considering the unpopularity o f th tax, considering its injurious character, an d consid eein g an that has occ u r re d in this House u p o n the topic, that nothing I could be more injurious, more inexpedient, or more impolitic than to disturb that remission; and as far as t h e revenue derived from the tax upon whitlows is concerned, I con eider it blotted ou t from the Exchequers--(Hear, hear.) I now proceed to a measure of the Ministers' of a nove character, i n some degree connected with the tax w hi c h I consider as enlirely abrogated, • and that is the proleosi ' tion embodied in the Bill before us—namely, a tax upon houses. Now, I ask the Hous e t o apply that sound prin ciple of finance which, in my opinion, ought to be one of our cardinal principles of finance—namely, that direct taxation should be as general as indirect taxation, to the measure which is now before the consideration of the House. I ask ! them to apply thatsearching principleto the Bill which has introduced been introduced by the Government for imposing a tax upon houses. Sir, that fatal characteristic of the income-tax, Which was perfectly justifiable when it was introduced for a ' temporary purpose by Sir Robert Peel, but infinitely to be deprecated when revived for a permament purpose by the present Government - namely, direct taxation, established on the most limited basis, and partaking in no way of a I general character, without the excuse of the Government 1 having received it fr om th e i r predecessors. I find that f eature in an ag grava t e d f orm in the house-tax. - (Hear, hear.) The Government had a supl us at th e i r command with' which they I might have completely and efficiently dealt with the window-tax. They had a surplus which would have allowed them to remit the window -tax, if they considered the re mission of that tax to be of paramount necessity, and I do not dispute the position. But they do not remit the window tax. It is a commutation—not a remission—(Hear, hear) — and it has this fatal fault, that the commatation is a partial co mmutation—(Hear, hear.) Complet e re mission, or com plete commutation—these are the two principles which a financial Minister should pursue, But the Chancellor of the Exchequer not having the moral courage I will not say, but the financial courage, completely to remit the tax on win dows, Which he ought to have done if he felt the necessity of doing it, takes out from the armoury of the financial minister one of the most inestimable weapons 'and uses it for the most meagre and the meanest purposes.—(Cheers.) He brings forward the instrument which is to impose a tax upon houses—as just a tax in its principle as can well be con ceived, and which every person who reflects upon the pre sent position of our financial resources must have always looked to as a meat valuable aid. He brings it forward, and he does—what? He does -not even effect a complete remis sion of the window duties. He gives you imperfect remis sion and imperfect commutation, and he wastes those great resources which are offered him by a house-tax for a most limited and, comparatively speakiiag, contemptible result. And in doing this he not only does not obtain a complete Gillapensating s tientletie he bed obtain a partial one ; but he violates that important principle which at no period more than the present ought to be cherished by the House of Commons-the right principle upon which direct taxation should be applied.-(Hear.) There were other measures brought forward by the Minister on that occasion. A dimi nution was proposed of the tax upon timber, which we have recenq been discussing in Csommittee, and also of the duty upon coffee. With the permission of the House I will address myself briefly to these subjects., I am not one of those who think that there is any abstract excellence in a Customs duty-I am not one of those who think that, as a rigid rule, or even as a general rule, you should remit an Excise Fury in preference to a Customs duty. All that I would do when the subject of the remission of taxation was concerned would be, to ascertain which duty is most op pressive to the people and most injurious to their comfort and their industry; and whether I found that to be a Cus toms duty or an Excise duty, that is the impost upon which I would lay my finger. Therefore I do not object to these propositions of remission on the part of the Chancellor of the Exchequer because they are Customs duties. Assuming that the Chancellor of the Exchequer could prove to me that the remission of these Customs duties would more bane- fit the subject, would give a greater impulse to trade, would more tend to the advantage of the community than the re mission of an Excise duty, or any direct tax, I should prefer remitting the Customs duties; but any great objecti n to the remission at present of these two duties-though I shall" not now dwell upon this head - is that I do not think we are justified by the state of our revenue to remit any tax, what ever form it may take, and whether it is a Customs duty or an Excise duty ; because I imagine that our ability to do that depends upon the fact of the existence of a surplus or not.- (Hear.) But I mast notice the plea upon which the remis sion of the timber duty has been put forward by the Right Hon. Gentleman. The Right Hon. Gentleman says we owe the remission of the timber duty mainly and principally to the builders of ships in this country. Well, I think that no one will dispute the hardships to which the British ship builder is now subjected-(Hear, hear) - but a partial re mission of the duty on timber does not at all compensate the builder of ships in this country for the competition to which you now exposed him. You are giving up revenue in this case without obtaining the result which you ought to achieve.--(Hear, hear.) Now, if you were to allow the builder of ships in these isles to build in bond, as has before been proposed ; if you permitted him to use freely all the articles that are necessary to the construction of a ship in England, and pay no duty upon them, then you would put him in fair competition with the foreigner who brings a ship duty-free to this country, whilst the British builder is build ing his ship subject to a variety of duties.-(Hear, hear.) That is an arrangement which you ought to have made when you repealed the navigation laws.-(Cheers.) When you did that you ought to have permitted the British ship builder to build in bond; then he would have been placed in a position which I deny that the proposal of the Minis. ter, as far as the British ship-builder is concerned, will tend to place him.-(Hear, hear.) There were other proposi tions in this budget. There were propositions which were intended for the relief of the distressed agricultural interest, and I shall not dwell upon them. They are already familiar to the House. Whatever was their value it is unnecessary for me to calculate them, because no sooner were they offered than they were withdrawn.-( Hear, hear.) But perhaps the House will permit me to make one observa tion upon the position of the agricultural interest with refer ence to the remission of taxation. I ventured to say just now that in the remission of a tax, whatever form it might assume, all that I recognised as the valid reason for its repeal or remission was, that it should be the one which the Minister of Finance thought, on the whole, to be the most injurious to the community. That, I think, ought to be the rule which should guide him in the selection of taxes for remis sion. -(Hear, hear.) Sir, I think there is another rule which ought also to guide a Minister of Finance, who is in the happy possession of a surplus. I think, if there be a particular interest in the country which is subject to great difficulty, is experiencing great distress, and incurring a long and continued depression, that it is the duty of the Chan cellor Of the Exchequer to consider the state of that interet, and to see whether the remission of any tax would tend to relieve it. Now, the House will recollect that at the com mencement of the year we were informed, by the Speech from the Throne, that a very important interest was in a state of great depression, and of continued depression. The Howe will recollect that, shortly after, the minister proposed mea sures, the tendency of which was announced by him to relieve that distressed interest; and without requesting the House to give an opinion now upon a question, to which I refer only in illustration of the financial course taken by the Government this year, and not with any view to obtain an opinion upon the subject from either side of the House, I ask the House to consider the position of the agricultural interest now with reference to the question of remission of taxation. By certain laws-the policy or impolicy of which form no part of our discussion to-night-we have agreed to place the cultivation of the soil in this country in complete competition with the cultivators of the soils of all o her countries. Now, is it not obvious that it is the first duty of the Government in remitting taxation to ascertain whether they cannct dimi nish the cost of production to the British farmer so s i t uated? I ask the House ta concede no more. That was the first duty of a financial Minister, who had counselled his Sove reign to announce from the throne that there was only one interest in the country, and that a most important one, in a state of continued distress. lam not now asking the House to decide whether it was in the power of the Minister or not, but I say it was the duty of the Minister to consider whe ther, in the reduction of duty he was about to propose, it was in his power to reduce the cost of production to the British cultivator of the soil. It was the opinion of myself and of my friends who supported me that it was in the power of the Government to diminish the cost of production. It was our belief that there was ,a pressure of taxation upon the cultivator of the soil which was not shared by the community, and though there might be a difference of opinion as to the degree of that pressure, no gentleman in the House will deny the fact that the cultivation of the soil belongs to a class in this country which pays taxes to which the commu nity at large is not subject.-(Hear, hear.) Following the second rule which I think should guide the Minister of Fi nance into the appropriation of his surplus-the first being that he should remit the taxes:most oppressive to the commu nity; and the second, that he should remit that tax which presses most upon any suffering class-I called upon the dinistry to consider whether it was not in their power to accomplish that result. In doing so, as I do to-night, I in terfered in no manner with that complete remission of the window duty, which I consider to be a realised result, and one which no Government can disturb. I merely urged that it should be borne in mind that the cost of production should be diminished to the cultivator of the soil, and believing that by a wise appropriation of the resources of the Minister the diminution of cost might be materially assisted to take Place. I suggested to the Government several propositions which in a less or greater degree would, in my opinion, have effected that object. In doing so, I pursued, with the ad. vice of my friends, the course I had previously adopted, and I confessed I had other objects in so doing than merely introducing an element which tended to diminish the cost of production to the British farmer. I knew that in matters of finance it is not merely pounds, shillings, and pence that are always to be calculated, but that the feelings and opinions of the people, or of a great class of the community must be considered in the distribu tion of taxation ; and I was profoundly convinced that it wag at that time, as now, equally desirable that any demon stration on the part of this House of sympathy with the cul tivator of the soil-- any expression of a desire to assist him in his terrible struggle-any ,resolution for a vote by this House to assist him (as I considered it to be the duty of the House to do) in his effort to lumen the cost of production, was a course the most politic, and tending, whether a large or small meatture - were adopted-tending to allay asperitiee, to soften animosities, and terminate that conflict between the rival industries of the country which are so much to be de precated, and which so en -anger the institutions of the country. lam not. at all prepared to say that that would not have been a wise and politic measure. On the other band, he might have taken his surplus, and, dealing with that portion of the poor-law funds which is not subject to the control of local administration, the Minister might have brought forward extensive measures of relief, which might have contributed to aid the finances of the farmer, and would have produced an impression on his mind that this House sympathised wita his sufferings-that they were disposed to adapt his position to the altered circumstances in which their legislation had placed him.-(Hear. hear.) That course was not pursued by the Government. I felt it to be my duty to invite their attention to what I considered their duty, and, though I was supported by nearly a moiety of the House, I was unsuccessful. And now I have brought the financial career of the Government down to the, commence ment of the month of April. There was one observation which I wish to make with respect to the motion which I introduced to the House with the object of assisting the British farmer to meet his severe trial. The object. I had always acknowledged to be twofold - namely, not only to ob tain for him some relief from the pressure of taxation, but also to show him that there was in this House a salutary sympathy with his distressed position. The Hon. Member for Berkshire (Mr. Pusey) has lately made some observations _(Hear, hear)-upon my Parliamentary career, which cer tainly would have been less inconvenient, and might have been more ingenuous in him, if they had been made here in my presence.-(Hear, hear.) The Hon. Gentleman is of opinion that the motions which I have brought forward were futile motions; and secondly, that in bringing them forward the mover of theta is insincere. These are very harsh senti ments. It is very probable that the motions which I have brought forward with the twofold object I have mentioned may have been futile, but at any rate motions that have been supported by a large party in the House of Commons have upon their surface prima facie symptoms of not being consi dered altogether insincere. It may be possible that a man who brings forward a motion in the House of Commons may be insincere, but it is difficult to penetrate the bosom of any: man. We should rather give credit for motives more elatural, more charitable, and more obvious. I ma y have "en mistaken and not insincere ; my reason may hav e been misled Y judgment may have been misguided • I may have b een foolish man or a very vain man ; it is bet ter to think -that than must alwayltta,en I should be an insincere man ; at least, it re nion°ce: question of controversy whether our mo tives t • rh ßut what are we to say of a Member of en motions are brought forward which be believes to be futile, by his • d t p iv a e rl s ia a ment a gentleman who econvinced is opportunity of following him into the issamin,seinicoebrbey, omits ar, bear)-and supporting him by his suffrage.- (Hear , hea r ,‘ ; Why, I might turn round on the is for Hon , Member fon .Berk sh ire,_ and say there is scarce an epi thetscarce a phrase of invective, that, under e-ould not be justified in lavishing upon him.-(Hear' ear.) But it is , more agreeable to me such oefirveiutumpsetaraucits, hi I, men are actuated, not only by as it is to most of ns, n the think too harshly of human na ture; motives, 'out often by confused ones, that it is very 'we all know to possible for a man the possession of very considerable ability, to be in have received a remarkable culture, to be in the p ossession of many reputable and some amiable qualities, and „yet to be gifted with such an uncouth and blundering organizatlonethat he is perpe tually doing that which he did not intend, and saying and writing that which he did not mean. ( Hear, hear) and that is the charitable view which I take of the Hon. Member for Berkshire's conduct.-(Hear, hear.) But, Sir, about this time a considerable event occurred. I have analysed the measures brought forward by the Government under their various heads, founded upon an assumed surplus which was to sustain a large measure of direct taxati on , founded upon a fallacious and injurious principle. I have shown you how the window duty, under any circumstances, was repealed, and nobody wishes to disturb tha t repeal. I have shown you 'now few measure were brought forward to diminish your irnport duties. I have reminded you of the measures that were brought forward to relieve the distressed agriculturists. I have reminded you that when Ministers!, after an agitated epoch to which I do not wish to allude, re constructed their Budget, and discarded, in a manner not re markable for courtesy or kindness, the claims of the agricul tural body. I called upon the House to declare their opinion upon that subject; that though I was supported by nearly a moiety of its members, I was not successful in obtaining the object of my denires; and, Sir, I made no further objection to the'Budget of the Minister. I was satisfied with fulfilling what I considered a public duty, and from that moment I was resolved, as far as I was concerned, that the measures which the Miner brought forward undPr such circum stances, and of which I questioned and challenged the pro priety, under those circumstances should not receive our op position. But what disturbed the serenity of the financial r ent? Nothing front this side of the Rouse, The , r e ,e e Hon. Gentleman opposite-a great ornament of this House; formal announcement was ma'le in older that ill similar , that tax ; but though he made a long speech no result could one of its most valued Members, the father of the House- discussions - thighs - be terminated for this session ?I am sure 'b3 drawn from it until another Hon. Gentleman helped him f.r I believe he is looked upon* in a paternal light-a gentle- the Hon. Member for Montrose and his friends cannot have i out, and then it almeared that what he meant w a s," D on 't man whom I may fairly describe as being the most constant forgotten that announcement of the Secretary-at- War -, and I I repeal the window •tax." He (the Chancellor of th e E nc he. and consistent supporter of the Whig Government-who, am quite as certain that the Hon. Member acd his Friends l quer) thought that by the proposition he had made with though he assumes to chide them, chides them in a f r i en dly mean to h o ld th e G o vernment to its engagement-(hear, I respect to tne window-tax great relief would be given to the spirit, and though he assumes to castigate them, c e s tigates hear.) The 'niotion of the Hon. Member for East Surrey, towns, but that that given to the .country would be even them with ' the mest affectionate remarks-(Laught er) -a though it was of itself of a very extensive character, did not greater. The Hon. Gentleman, however, now thought that gentleman who, if you take a comprehensive view of his ca- satisfy Ministers. The Right Hon. Gentleman, the Secre- the public credit was in danger. If so, how did it happen reer, has always stepped forward at the right mome nt to e x- tary-at-War mee it by asking what use there was for so that he had voted for the motion of the Hon. Member for tricate a not ;efficiently strong Government f r om the im- partial and limited a proposal. " Ministers have deliberated Montrose?-(Hear, hear.) If he was of the same opinion then pending catastronhe-this most distinguished su pporter o f well on this eauestion, and the Bight Hon. Gentleman the as he was now, it was rather strange he should have sup the Whig Government (Mr. Hume) was the gentleman who Prime Minister has given you hints before, but as you press ported that proposition, the effect of which mull have been brought forward the motion ,to limit the in co me_tan; w hich me, I tell you the measure will be comprehensive, and not to prevent a repeal of the windote-tax, and to endanger the was to bane been continued for an assured term of three partial and limited like this."-( Hear.) 'Such was the public credit.-(Hear, hear.) A motion had been made not years, to one year only ; and intimated, in a manner which language of the Secretary-at-War. Ministers ate pledged to long ago, which would endanger no lass than 5,000,000/. of has necessarily bonnd the House, that his object in so doing deal with the subject in all its ramitications-aey are the public revenue derived from taxation. The m o ti on o f was to submit that tax to Parliamentary investigation of the pledged to bring ' forward a complete and comprehensive the Hon. Membig for Montrose was made on the 2d of m a y-, most searching character, with the view of terminating those measure, and to the financial measere the Noble Lord pro- and on the Bth the Hon. Member for the West Ridin g ' o f inequalities- those circumstances that lead to fraud in it- poses to add a political experiment, and all to be discussed Yorkshire introduced a motion for the repeal of the malt_ and th a tinguisitorial e roceeding which it seemed to have been in the first week of February next.-(Hear, hear.) Surely, tax. Now, the danger to the revenue was as grc:at on th e acknowledged by almost everybody were believed to be ir- Sir, witn such a prospect, it would be just as well to keep 30th of June as it was on the Bth of May. On the motion, removable. What happened? That motion was carried. hold of 1,800,000/. of revenue if we can without disappoint- however, which on the Bth May endangered 5,0n0,00 01 . of The basis upon which the surptus of the Ch ance llor o f the ing what I acknOwledge to be the legitimate expectations of reventie, he found the 'mine of Benjamin nisraeli in its Exchequer was raised fell fromeunder the su p ers t r ucture; the commuity with respect to the remission of the window- favour-(llear, and laughter)- and now, on the 30th of 1 the fairy p a laceevanished in the night. That was no ordi- tax, which, so far from questioning, is a part of those June, the Hon. Gentleman opposite considered that the nary loss i 0 the Channellor of the Exchequer-that was not measures I wish to recommend for the adoption of her Ma- public credit would be endangered by a sacrificeof 1,500,000 1 - merely a loss of iccome.tax for three years, though that was jesty's Government.-(Hear, hear.) Well, then, Sir, of revenue. But perhaps there might be two Benjamin a result which the finance Minister miler deeply deplore, but the motion which I have put .• before the House does not Disraelis-(Laughter)-and the Honourable Gentleman op it V 70.8, regarding the schemes of the Right Hon. Gentleman, pledge Hon. - Members' to much more than to a very posite was not the Honourable Member who had. so voted a loss of a permanent income - tax. It was hot merely a three salutary principle in our financial .arrangementa ; on the former occasion.-( Etear, and laughter.) But, after years' tenure of the tax that ,was constructed ancl formed but I should be ashamed of myself if I attempted to conceal all, the real question then before them was, whether or not in the brief agitated epoch of the ftaction of the present Par- the course with regard to whieb we are willing to support the window-tax was to be repealed ?-(Hear, hear.) If the liamentary session, the ensuing recess, and the meeting of Ministers if they zealously • puesue it. We are willing to Hon. Gentleman's amendments were carried it would be Parliament again ; but it .was the permanent future' of the stippert Ministere in a complete repeal of the duty on win- impoesible to repeal that tax. Yet the Hon. Gentleman financial Minister that was taken from him-it was the don's. We do not wish in any waytte interfere with that himself had said that he considered the wiedow-tax was foundation on which was raisei, not merely the present arrangement-an arrangement the wisdom of which lamto be blotted out of the Exchequer. He (the Chancellor superstructure, but on which, year after year, lie was to. not here at present to challenge.-'(Hear.) But whether it of the Exchequer) had not changed his opiuion since he build up all those elevations which were to have formed the be wise or unwise, expedient or inexpedient, I think in had proposed the repeal of that tax, and the substitution great future of Our renovated and reconstructed financial ars- equity it is perfectly unobjectionanle.-(Hear.) But, Sir, for it of a house-tax- He believed that its repeal would be a tem.- (Hear, hear.) It is impossible to over-rate the im- with regard to the measure before us, which is virtually a greatboon t and afford great relief to all classes in the country, portauce of that vote-impossible to deny that from ,it ehe measure of nertial commutation, I should wish to see Go- the agricultural classes as well as those in towns. - He was financial position of this country has become an uncertain vernment transform it -to one of complete commutatiort.- as anxious as any one coald.be to retain a surplus in the Ex and precarious one. Ido , nut blame the Noble Lord or his (Hear.) I think, though we had not a surplus that the en- chequer ; and he thought enough would be left, after carry colleagues for accepting that vote, with its coneequences. gagement of being relieved from an odious tatelike the win- leg out his proposition for all the purposes which he con- From this side no taunt has arisen which would intimate to dow-duty,-at the same time that the revenue does not suffer, templated. The qaestion, therefore which 'they had to -de the Noble Lord that ha ought to have resigned after the most is an important consideration and still more important that cide to-night was the repeal of the window-tax ; and he decided manner in which that vote was carried. I think the the inestimable iustrument Which the Chancellor of the Ex. trusted the House would decide at once upon that question Noble Lord and his nolleagues acted in a much more honour- chequer has re-introduced into our financial scheme should aye or no.-(Cheers and cries of " Divide.") able manner in not resigning office then. , Nay more, 'that not be waited for comparatively trifling and secondary par- Mr. NEWDEGATE said the subject brought forward by *lnce, considered with a view to the prospective condition of they acted in a dutiful and loyal manner in the peculiar cir- poses. - (Hear, hear.) With regard to the duties on timber the Hon. Member for Bucks was one of the deepest import cumstances ; and after the events of this year it was their, and coffee, 'I 'must again repeat, in &manner the most de duty to retain their offices. They fulfilled that duty, and not cided, that in • expressing a hope that Ministers will not the puhic interests ; and he wished briefly to state his sin in an ungracious manner. But whilst lam willing to make persist with `these measures, I am offering no objection cera concurrence with the Hon. Gentleman in leis belief that that concession to her Majesty's Ministers, I cannot agree to them on the plea that they are customs duties.- it was- highly inexpedient to sacrifice a large amount of that their conduct was equally to be lauded in retaining not (Hear, hear.) I discard all those principles of financial publib reveuneat the present moment, and particularly when only their places, but the financial measures which they lied usages which woeld hold out • customs duties as the only there was ' a large amount of an unsettled claim - with the brought forward under circumstances so different, with duties which ought to be encouraged. I feel that the revenue East India Company. But at the same time he wished to var i ous means guard himself from being concluded, by voting in the mi prospects so different, from those in which they now found of a cougtty like oure must be raised from them Selves. My opinion is that Ministers, feeling they were spread over a,large surface; and it is only because I believe nority on that occasion against voting fqr any remisaicin of not so justified in retiring from office, but that it was their there is no surplus to - supply the vacancy which will be taxiition which might hereafter be proposed, either by the duty to retain their responsible position, 8110(11(1'0 the same caused by ehose remissions that I hope Ministers under the Government or any Hon. Gentleman opposite. He cen time have announced to their eminent supporters who pro- circumstancee, will not - persist with what I cOneid'ereirripolitic sidered the Hon. Member for Bucks was right in his views posed that motion; that he and his friends must take the propositions. At the sante time we' aie prepared to support with respeetno all the most important interests of the coun consequences of that withdrawal of the financial prop- a measure which shall permit the British shipowner to try, and, therefore, he would vote for his present motion. cations which bad beea founded on the 'assumed conti- build his ships in bond with materials free of duty, and Mr. GLADSTONE confessed it did occur to him, while nuance of the tax, and which were to be furnished by in fair competition with the foreigner who brings his ships listening to•portions of the speech of the Hon. Member for the surplus which had now only an imaginary ex- ready made into this country: - In saying.this, I Leg to Budkinghamshire, that he would have wished that parts of istence. Ido not think lam taking an extravagant or state that the loss to the revenue, under these circumstances, that speech had received a fuller development at his hands. irrational hiew of the duty of the Government under such will not be, in my opinion, Of any considerable amount. I He referred particularly to the course which the Honourable circumstances. But it appeared to me as far as I could have tniten great pains to inform myself on this point, and Member Might wish the House to•pursue in the event of the observe the human nature opposite ine, that the Nohle Lord have availed Myself of the information: of men most quell- adoption on the motion then before it. In considering the was animated at the same time by feelings of a very similar fied to judge. I think they assumed ghat the loss by the objections which he (Mr. Gladstone) had stated on a former character. There was a species of delay in the advance- remission of the duty on , timber would be about 284,000 e, occasion to the financial plans of the Government, he could inent of the financial measures ot the 'Government ; they and I think. I: can guarautee to the Chancellor of the Ex- not -refuse to support a motion which asserted a sound prin never appeared in the paper- or, if they did, they were never chequer that the odn 84,0001. will be all Claim will lose by cipla in opposition to those plans-(Hear)-but he would noticed ; not a single stage did they' ev - er make . of progress; permitting British shipowners to build their ships in bond. state with as much brevity and plainneas as he could the and it was generally understood-I do no not spertle of ru. dt would be not so much a -remission of taxes, as an act of reasons which influenced his vote, and the course which he mours out of doors, or of those confidential communications political justice. These are the measures which we are thought the house was bound to pursue tinder present cir which are made in-doors-but it was generally understood- anxions to see Ministers ondertake, assured of our eupnoit if curnstances.-(Hear, hear.) When the Chancellor of the perhaps it was a public conviction arising from such views of they pursue that cctune which, according to ,my observation Exchequer ptoposed the repeal of the window-tax he had the situation of Ministers and of their duty to the country and belief, their better judgment once impelled them to fol- also proposed the renewal of the income-tax for three years ; -but there was a general impression that the financial low.--(Henr, * h ear .) I see a smile ell the face of the Presi- and even under these circumstances he (Mr. Gladstone) measures of the Government were withdrawn. How many dent of thu Board ot Trade when I talk of giving Government should confess it appeared to him to be a most unwise arid Cabinet Councils were held I would not venture to our support in carrying these measures, as much as to say most hazardous proposition, as reepected the maintenance of state ; bat this I* know, a remarkable scene occurred that, though we would support them in these measures, we the public credit, in parting with so important a source of in this-House. One of the most distinguished metropolitan wuuld hold bock in our support if they were threatened with revenue as the window-tax, by substituting for it a tax in Members, who seemed to share in this conviction, arose in a vote of censure from Hon. Gentleman behind. I can the shape of a house tax, to place the latter on so narrow, his place and demanded some information from the Noble assure the Eight Hon. Gentleman he is mistaken. When I and, as he thought, so illegitimate a basis as the Govern- Lord as to the intentions of the Government. He wanted to say we shall support the Government, it is not merely in ment had selected for its toundation.-(Hear, hear.) He know whether the window-tax was really to be repealed or carrying thesg measures, but also against the menacing con- hen objected to the house tax for these two reasons:- not, and the answer of the Noble Lord was extremely un- sequences h e a nticipates, and without taking advantage of 'ln the first place, they introduced it without the slightest satisfactory. The inquiry was again repeated another any discontent of any section of his followers.-(Hear.) We calculation that the great anomaly in the tax which had night, and in a tone of menance, and the Noble Lord, turning would support them because their cause would be that caused its abolition in 1e34-he meant the inequality o f it s his back upon us, made a confidential communication which we believed necessary for the interests of the country. incidence to the mansions of the great as compared -with which appeared to be of a deprecatory character. The Five minutes more, Sir, and I shall have done. After all, those of the middle classes and those dwellings used for busi effect was as if the Noble Lord was hustled by a Finsbury what is the question at stake? It is the public credit of the ness-was not removed.-( Hear, hear.) It was that in mob in Saffron-hill, or some place of that character, where country. That Is the real question; and it is not to be to. But they had heard little of that objection on the present equality in the tax which bad led to its abolition in 1834. occasion, probably on the Principle of not looking a gift the pocket of the Minister was relieved of his financial sur- lerated that a Ministry, acting under a feeling of false shame, plus. After a fortnight's friendly interPellations the Noble should be encouraged in pursuing measures the tendency of Lord at last screwed up his courage to proceed with his which is considerably to injure the public credit of the horse in the mouth ; that flaw in its structure haying been assed over in silence. However, he ,could not -think that measures of remission, which are to be supplied from a country. I beg to remind the house of this important P moon-shine surplus-from a still imaginary surpius.-(lnear, consideration. We are so used t o the blessings of public it was good to introduce into our laws that w hi c h was hear.) lam now arrived at that point at which I would credit-we live in an atmosphere and i n a world - so com. objectionable. He could not consent, moreover, to a influenced by it, that we are not so apt to con. house-tax, which exempted six-sevenths of the whole house ask the House what is the most prudent course that, under PletelY these circumstances, We should pursue? The fund from eider what would be . the consequences of any injury property of the country from its operation. He was not which the surplus was derived that was to be distributed done to it. I wis reading to-daY - an account, by one o f aware why they should take such an irrational course with virtually no longer existed. I would ask the House calmly the most eminent publicists in existence, of a recent visit to respect to the house-tax. It was something like giving a and dispassionately to consider this Point , What is the this country, and I was struck with one sentence, the justice charter of future exemption from all taxations to those six prospect or probability of the income-tax being renewed at of which lam not prepared to acknowledge, but which I sevenths of the houses of this country. For his part he the next meeting of Parliament ? It is a disagreeable ques- think is worthy the. consideration of the House, He says, knew no more legitimate subject for taxation on the whole, tion. But it is a question which I must beg this House p r operty is not so secure as it was, nor public credit as country.-(Hear, hear.) If it were true that house property e Things have changed in Eng Lend as everywhere else, and anh upon general principles, than the house property of the w m a s i sl m e a i d s l e a d f b o y .. n w o a t s s s o u w b j i e t c h t e r d e s t p o o c c t e r t o t a i t n h e b u l r m d e p n e r i s a ce r T f l e o as c a u l r p y u . r p o i s i e e s, l i o t o w h e a d s calmly to consider to-nigbt. lam a member of the Corn ,btehlioeuvgehth:upemeyifinoeinatl; w m r i i g te h r t inittee which is to inquire into the income-tax. I am a member of it in deference to the feelings of the House, add against s s 3 a , c m r e p d t . 0 " m my own inclination. I would rather have seen a more effi- s N w o h w iCh l reigner, however able end 'experienced; but the observation upon house property as the most secure and permanent de cient member on it thantmYself. Being a member, how- is one deserving attention, and I think it becomes the House scription of property as a resource of revenue to the country. ever, of the Committee n let it not be sapposed that lam giv- to consider how dependent public credit is on the conduct He could not therefore -prevail on himself to give a vote ing the opinion of that Committee in what I now state. We of Parliament. We know well uhat the resources of Eng- which would in future preclude any portion of that revenue are sedulously pursuing the course of inquiry, but that has land, though not inconsiderable, are inferior to those of from being made available. But what had recently occurred not led unto consider the circumstances which-would at all many countries which do not occupy the position she added tenfold to the considerations he had before entertained. influence my opinion on ihe topics to which I allude. I speak does in the eyes of mankind. We were often told by How different, how much more • formidable a character had just the same as if I was not a member of that Committee, or Honourable Gentlemen opposite, when members of the that question now assumed I . He did trust the House would as if that Committee had not been appointed. There is one Anti-Corn• . Law - League, that there was scarcely a seriously and dispassionately consider the position in which reason among many which I confess weiehs much With me, raw production used in our manufactures which . was the income-tax now stood. The proceedings of the present and convinces me that the tax upon income as at present not imported from foreign countries. We know well that year had inflicted a heavy blow upon that impost.-(Hear.) formed will not be renewed by the House. I will tell you the most celebrated diamond in the world, which blazes at It was im i possible to conceive that it could be again proposed why. I find a universal admission that as at present framed this moment close to ns e 'within the crystal walls of that in that House without serious if not obstinate opposition that tax is an unequal tax and leads to fraud-that it is enchanting palace which the enlightened taste and pre- from one or more parties in Parliament. Let them con rife with vexatious and inquisitorial proceedings-and that scient philanthroply of ail illustrious Prince have raised to sider the line of cenduct taken by one party, and the position it is stampedly features repugnant to the habits and .feel. the glory of England, and the instruction of two hemi- in which the question now stood. There was a large body ings of Englishmen. Everybody. agrees to that. Tory, spheres-we know, I say, that that diamond was never of Gentlemen in that House who said it was unjust to levy Whig, ',Liberal, Conservative, or Radical, will admit those found within the dominions of the illustrious Consort of that a uniform per-centage under all the schedules of the Act. are the features of the income-tax. But there is also another Prince, our Sovereign Lady the Queen; and we know that These Gentlemen had obtained a Parliamentary Committee opinion rife- Every man of any authority upon financial if all the geologists in the enipire were to eiplore with their to consider, not exclusively, but mainly whether they ought subjects, all competent to form an opinion 'on the topic, uni. hammers the rocks and hills that surround us, they would not to alter that per-centage under the Act? Such was the versally and without exception agree to another point, and not be successful in producing one ingot of that metal, the state of one of the powerful parties of that House. The that is, that those odious features of the tax canna by any thirst for which, as the poet tells Ili, has produced so much Government were not to be looked upon as friends on general means be removed or modified. The man, then; must be misery to mankind.--(hear, hear.) I was, Sir, somewhat or permanent grounds to the imposition of the income-tax. short-sighted indeed who can hesitate as to the consequences amused, and not a little astonished, with a statistical work The Chancellor of the . Exchequer, indeede in 1840, had THE FIRE AT 'LONDON-BRIDGE. of such an opinion upon human action--who can believe that which I met with the other day, and which professed to given in something like hie adhesion to the principle of a tax with such odious qualities, which the highest authori- catalogue the resources of the principal dominions in the the income-tax as a portion of the general taxation of the . OFFICIAL INQUIRY. ties tell you can never be removed, can be renewed. That, world. I remember it stated that the revenue o f R u ssia, country. The Noble Lord, too, within the last few weeks An inquest was held at eleven o'clock yesterday, at the though a sufficient, is not the only reason. I see among the whose gigantic destinies menace as it were the c oi ning gene- had spoken in terms - which might represent his opinions London-bridge Hotel, by Mr. Payne, the coroner for the great lights of science--among tliose whose writings will ul.: rations of men, is not so great as that raised bv the English aft showing that the repeal of that tax was not to be ex. city of London, to investipte the cause of the recent exten timately guide public opinion on the subject, an opinion excise. Then came 'the aucient empire of theriaisers, with Pected, There was auother party in that House which sive fire at Mr. Alderman Humphery's wharf. gaining ground every day that the principle -of its triple kingdom of Bohemia, Hungary, and L o mbardy, believed that the per-centage under schedule D was so con- The jury having been sworn, direct taxation, cannot be different from the principle of with a revenue not exceeding the amount ra ised from the stituted as to demand the renewal of the arrangement under Mr. PAYNE described to them the situation of the build indirect taxation-that they must both be perma- stamps aud taxes in this country-those taxes w hich s o d e . that schedale. There were many on that (the OppoSition) ings, and pointed out on a rough plan the portions which had nent and equally general ;of course I speak onlg light the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and those stamps side of the House, of whom be was one, who could not con- been destroyed. , of permanent taxes, and not of those imposed that SP perplex him.-(Hear. hear.) And, s trange to say, sent to the income tax if the per-centage was varied. From 'lhe Coroner and Jury then proceeded to view the pre merely to meet an emergency, like the income-tax of Sir R. the revenue of Russia , that mighty Power, whose discn all considerations of policy they were precluded by a solemn mises, and on their return, Peel. I ask then the House to consider, assuming - that Plined array only last year frightened all the capitals of Pledge upon the statute-book from anything in the nature of Mr. William Snooks, Tooley-street, surveyor, described when Parliament next meets it will not consent to grant the Europe , i s not se great - as that local and Provincial taxation such a variation. Now in what conoition was the income- the premises which were burnt, as it has already appeared in income-tax as at present framed, and that the Chancellor of of this country, with the peculiarities of which it has been tax to come out of that Committee? Was it to come with the papers. the Exchequer's present remissions of taxation are carried, my fortune so ottee to trouble the H o use.-(llear.) Noe, a recommendation to vary the per. centage? If so it would James Dimsdale, Tooley-street, porter-Knew the pre and there will be in consequence a deficiency of five or six Sir, can I forget that even Indi a , w ith it s c l ou d of kings aud not receive the sanction of the Ho ns e.......(Hear, hear.) If mises and had been employed in them. When the fire broke millions (I say nothing of the Kaffir war); what are the myriads of subjects-owith its mountains of light and pillowed otherwise e it might be met with the hostility of a powerful out he was in Montague-close, in front of the warehouses. Prospects of the meeting that probable, or possible, defi. 'palanquins- with its stores of gems showered at the feet of party. He could not forecast all the difficulties which might It was about a quarter to four o'clock. There was a jour ciency ? There are only two modes, and though blended our Queen, does.not throw f rom i t e enu e era nt bosom a public arise under the circumstances ; b u t thi s he should say, that neyman of the name of Eaton with him. He was coming they May produce the effect, analyse those methods, and income so great as th a t a ff or d e d e o en by th e cur tailed cus- these 5.000,000 h of revenue were placed in a most precarious from the new building. He saw a gentleman standing at they Will resolve themselves into those by reduction of ex- toms of England.--(Hearo• •gy w h a t mag i c i s it that Eng. position. He would, therefore, ask the House whether it the bottom of A warehouse. He did not know who he pendittire or increase of taxationt Not ene teord will fall land has producee a -revenne greater than that of all these were wise, whether it were politic, whether it were honese, was. The gentleman sung out " Fire " and " Po troll' me to depreciate the efforts of any Hon. Gentleman to iminense dominions? • Itis by tbis public credit-a produc- to exclude from their view the preparations for a email- lice." Witness then went over to give the alarm. diminish taxation, though the results might be but a cone. tion of British growth more to be prized than the harvest of gooey so great as the Possible lapse of the income- tax ?- He saw the fire on the first floor of warehouse A.' paratively slight diminuti ea of expenditure amouuting, tropical climes-more precioas than the gems of neolconda,or (Hear.) In case of the lapse Of that tax what would main- He went to Mr. Brown, of the Hibernia-wharf, and he sent perhaps, tO 100,000/e ' 200,000 n, or 300,000 n only, I the auriferous deposits in the Sierras of the pacific.-.( Hear, tain the peblic credit? They might talk , of public economy ; Eaton for the engine immediately. He then came back to cannot help remembeeing that we live in a country which hear.) Of this punlic'credit Parliament is' the creator-the aud certainiy that House had not exceeded its duty iu en• the fire, and rendered assistance as far as he could. He cauld never fled money enough to build a national gallery. champion, the guardian.- (Hear, hear,) It it possible, then, foraing economy and retrenchthent ; and he hoped more was there the whole time to eight o'clock. He went into Thereiore I will not speak with any want of estimation tor that the House,of Commons won ever hesitate to t u ifil it s might be effected in that direction. Certainly arrangements letter C, on the third floor, but be could not tell what wa 1 those limited savings, but I agree with the Hon. Member for duty. I cannot believe it, and with the c onviction that they had been entered into which in the course of time would have in the warehouse. He assisted in removing hops from letter the West Riding nair. Cobden) that no reduction of expen- will do it, .I beg to move by way of amendment, the resolu- the'effect of causing. a saving in expenditure in connexion C warehouse. He saw the fire in letter D from the loophole diture can be effected in this 'country, unless you. touch tions I new. place in your hands. - (Cheers.) The Hon. with ehe debt. But he was not of opinion that the income- of letter C. He cid not go on the roof at all, nor did he go the military . armaments of the country ; and the Member concluded by moving the following resolutions :- tax could be done away with, and public credit at the same into the warehouse Dat all. He kuew nothing of how the House ' must therefore consider what probability *or " That, according to an estimate of the probable future time maintained, if they withheld their hands from new fire commenced, and could give no opinion with respect to it. possibility there is of such a course. I will not Produce of .the e existing taxes, submitted to this House by taxation. Then he would say, let thein have the resource When he saw the fire first it appeared to him to be on the say one word to obstruct the progresi of the principles in- the Chancellor Of the Exchequer, it appears that a surplus of a house; tax, not indeed to take the tplace of an income- staircaee. He saw it through the window. The door near volved in the question of the maintenance of a perpetual revenue may be expected in the present year to the extent tax, but to fill up some portion of the deficiency caused which the gentleman was standing was open. He didn't peace. I will only make one remark. As long as I find of about 2,000,00 W. , by its removal. And there was the eonnexion between know what became of the gentleman. The gentleman ap that the strongest positions are in the possession of the weak= ` That in the revenue so estimated is included a sum ex- the two subjects. _The position in which they were peered to be alarmed. He was standing still, and was calling est powers, that the richest territories in the world 'owe ceedino 5,000, 000 /. derived from the tax on income, respect- placed was this, that while the income-tax was " Police-fire I" He worked in all the warehouses frequently, their allegiance to authorities less qualified to defend them, ing which an inquiry has been directed to be made by a placed in such a Perilous position, they were proposing a ever since they were built. Did not know what was in I see the elements of disturbance, which only the most san- CoMnaittee of this House e on the reeult of whose labours may house tax on a basis so narrow, that it could not be made the warehouse A, but believed there were rags there-white guiue can affect to despise, and whether you call the procesi, depend the future 'renewal or modification of that important properly conducive to the p u blic revenue. Such were the linen rags. Did not know what was burning when he in the enlightened language of the present dag, " annexe, impost. objections which - he entertained to the financial policy of the first saw the fire. At twelve o'clock that night he was in tion,'' and not conquest, it is a process which I feel must " That in this Provisional state of the financial arrange- Government.. But if he was asked what would he recom- Mr. Waterman's premises ; witness was then sober; had not begin with force, must be repelled by fence, and must ulti- . meats of the country,' it appears to this House to be most mend, his answer Would be, that he disclaimed on the part been in A all day. He (witness) pointed Out the gentleman mutely be - settled by force. But to dismiss those general consistent with a due regard to the maintenance of public of those not connected with the Government the duty of whom he saw at the door of letter A when the flre broke Ont. Principles. I aSk the House to consider the general state of credit and the exigencies of the public service, not to make pointing out in detail the nature of the financial measures Thomas Harris Edge, 61, Walcot-plaee Kennington-road, Europe at present, and say whether any Minister of this any material sacrifice of public income in effecting such connected with the direct taxation of the country. But this clerk-Had been down in the Borough, and was passing country can ne asked with any face of reason now, or in the changes as may be deemed advisable in other branches of was, he thought, what they ought to do-adopt - the principle along the warehouses when a person passed him, running as commencement of next year, to reduce the military arma- taxation."f .. • . laid down by the Hon. Member for Backs, that the surplus fast as he could towards Tooley-streen He was a labouring . ment of this country ? What is the state of the continent ? The question having been put, which they had was not to be dealt with as permanent in- man. He came from, the direction'of the warehouses. He l ou have one of the leading nations of the world, with .a The CHA.NCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, that come, to be given away without reference to future neeessi- also SAW another man in the direction of the church-yard. vast Population, a most spirited and restless people, in the the present was the third time on which the Hon. Gentleman ties. But if they wished not to disappoint the expectations Both had come frona the same direction. There was no ap heart of Europe, who have acknowledged that they have no had addressed the house on financial subjects, and whatever raised with respect to the income-tax, they ought to have so pearance of fire outside. That was about a quarter to four. constitution-who, we know, have not in their country any talent he might have displayed, he had, at the conclusion of c onstructed their house tax as to place it on a basis so broad He saw several men looking through the first window of the of the elements of government-who, whatever be their his speech, left them in the most profound ignorance of his as that in case of necessity it might be made available for ground-floor of letter A. That was the staircaseawindow, powers of self-control, no one will for a moment pretend are intentions. The only Practical recommendation in the Hon, yielding a considerable sum to the Exchequer. What was and on looking in he saw the flre. On seeing the fire he not at this moment hi a position the most perilous that Gentleman's elaborate display of two hours and a half was, the precise limit of the basis he did not presume to say ; thought the two men had gone for the engines. He called 80,000,000 or 40,000,000 of men ever yet found them- that of permitting British shipowners to build their ships in whether it ought to include 101. houses, or to adopt a gradn- out fire as loud as he could. He went into the warehouse selves. Could even the Honourable Member opposite bond. But another disadvantage attended the speech. It ated scale; or whether the tax was to be levied on owners or occupied in letter Aby Mr. Hewitt, cheese factor. As soon (Mr. Hume) tell them that there was less chance of not only fell short of the motion, but it was absolutely eon- occupiers; or whether they were to make all house property as the fire reached the first-floor where there were rags, it a disturbance now than for some years back? If he tradictory. In the motion the Hon. Gentleman said that no liaele to taxation. These were questions upon which it blazed out Very violently.. He had not the slightest know makes a motion to that effect he will not be as successful tax should be repealed; but in his speech he was w illi n g to would not only be premature but impertinent for him to ledge of how the fire originated. When he first saw the fire as when he limited the income-tax to one year; and you, repeal the window-tax. The Hon. Member had indulged a express an opinion. The fundamental objection which he the rags were not burning. whether he be right or wrong, looking at whdt is most pro- livelg imagination, and had' talked of the gigantic enipire of had to the proposed house-tax was, that it cut off from the William Eaton, a Bridge-street labourer, was in Mr. bable and possible, will not meet a probable deficiency of Russia-the triple empire of the Kaisers. He had then tree House of Commens the InOat valuable source of revenue. Hewitt's warehouse shortly before four, and heard a crack revenue by a diminution of military expeniiture. Every veiled to India - ha d spoke n a mountains of tight and pil- It cut off that source of revenue, too, at a time when ling, and on looking into A warehouse he sew fire on the man must feel that that is not the mode in which the defi- lowed palanquins-down to ' such h t e m bi e thin gs as stamps t h ose measures a dopted by the House, and suggested by staircase. There is a small room by the side of the stairs, .ciency will be met. Then it must be met by increased tax- and taxes. Now all that Was very eloquent, but the elite , the Government, had made it probable that that source in which lumber is kept, and he was of opinion that the ation, and in ten months' time they would in all probability pOint which he had to notice was that re l a ti ng t o th e fi nan - should be had recourse to to maintain the interests of the fire originated there. be called on to supply the financial deficiency behincreased cial condition of the c,ountry. The H on . m em b er was !n i g _ country, as well as that public credit which they all had so Richard Welsh, warehouseman to Mr. Humphery-Mr. taxation. In such circumstances, then, what was there taken in supposing that no man cou ld te ll what was t h e muc h a t h e a r t,- (Hear.) He had thus stated all his reasons Hewitt occupied the ground floor of letter A, and Mr. Ho more unjust, more impolitic, more savouring of folly, than financial condition °flit° ehaftt r Y e at this moment. Now an for the vote he intended giving. He would only add one lingsworth, paper-maker, the second, third, and fourth floors. now to be taking off two millions of taxes which no one the statements he llau t man i s a ` il tue budget of the 4th April m ore w ord of ex planation. In voting, as he intended, for a The latter's warehOuses were filled With calico and linen pretends presses with any great severity on the subjecte of were fully • Warrante'" he e still believed that the m otion w hich he conceived asserted a sound financial prin- , rags. Mr. Wigan, hop-factor, occupied the fifth floor, and which the collection is effected with' comparitive faciliten surplus would be 1,900,D00/., as , s t a t e d, m i nus th e c ipi e , he was far from saying that the Government would be Mr. Humphery the top one, which was empty. B was oc and which are• more Way borne than any corresponding expense of the Kafir war. ,The Hon, G en tl eman was m i s _ r i g ht in withdrawing the changes they proposed to make in copied by Messrs. Hitchen and Thornton, hop factors, on the amount of taxation which might be granted in their stead. taken in supposing that the surplus o f thi s veer wou ld d e _ the e enstoms BilL Such a sacrifice of revenue as that which first and top floors. Mr. Wigan had floors 2,3, 4, and 5, But I am bound to put another view of our position before pend on the permanence of the income-tax. What might be they proposed to make was what the public had a right to which contained hops. Letter I) was occupied entirely by the attentive consideration of the House, if I man . still Pre- the case next year he could not say, but thi s y ear th e i ncome . expect for the renewal of the income-tax. The proposed Mr. Wigan with hops. He was not on the premises after sume to trespass on their attedtion.-(Hear.) It is a view tax did not affect the surplus. He had never a d voca t e d th e r emission of the duties on timber and coffee had al- half-past seven in the morning. He opened the loopholes which, I think, deserves our gravest consideration. If you income-tax as a permanent tax ; but mere ly as a t ax t o ready taken effect in the votes of the House, and and locked the doors before he left. Everything was then have a deficiency, and if you are called on-with the views enable them to cover certain reduction s i n t n e fi nances o f the estimates had been conducted with a view to those safe, He returned about half-past five, and the premises were which I have indicated as to direct taxation-to consider the country. The Hon. Gentleman had a li ve l y i mag i na ti on , reductions. The revenue upon those articles was not an then on fire. There is a small cupboard under the stairs in the principle on which our financial system is established, but he should not exercise it in putting wor d s i n t o hi s (th e inflexible revenue, but one of that elastic nature as would letter A, in which paint-pots and other lumber were kept. is it not of the utmost importance that we should come to Chancellor of the Exchequer), mouth which he had never go to increase itself. Bat, with respect to the house-tax, he He could not form the least idea as to the origin of the s t; that consideration with plenty of time, in a tranquil mood, used. What be had stated was, that h e th oug ht th e H ouse could not allow that proposition to pass without the ex- and heard no one threatening to set the place on fire. ss th and not urged by matters -of pressing public interest?- should only this year deal with those taxes which it wa s pr e ssion of his honest opinion that that was a revenue which on the spot when the fire broke out in letter D. _ e li g; In , (Hear, hear.) But what prospect awaits the House when indispensable to deal with , and leave for future consideration P ar liament ought not to give away, as it was a revenue the roof of C about seven, and saw no sips , e. : e I tter D. it meets next February? W hat part is the Noble Lord the question whether it would be advisable to make other which might be drawn without the slightest objection being about half-an-hour afterwards the fire broke out . en __. 6 atm and Prepared to take? The Noble Lord is not satisfied changes in connection with the income and property-tan. made to it, and this more especially under circumstances Ho saw smoke coming out of the windows of tn dere could b with fi nanc ial em b a rrassment-he is not satisfied with a The,Hon. Gentleman had said, although the Government re- which might be formidable, and which events showed mieht sixth floors. It did not appear to him that d the fire • e Possible deficiency of 5,000,000 e. or 6,060,000/. . tained their-places, they had _ tllso Preserved the financial be near at hand.-(Hear.) any connexion between the fire in A and Bun g the in D. — " he ie eet satisfied that we are to be called on .to settle the measures which every one hau thought were withdrawn. , M r .LABOITCHEBE said the Hon. Member for Bucking- Mr. Thomas Stamm said that he vill a h . e n l PleY. of Principle on which the revenue should Ihe, raised . te.: suPPly Now, not only himself, but his Noble Friend at the head of hamshire said be did not wish the window-tax to be re- Mr. Edward Hewitt, a cheese factor, A . on is attentlen that defi - re ti of it in No. 2 ---ciency, but chooses that tranquu and undisturbed the Government, had thstinctlY stated that they were not tained, and the Eight Hon. Gentleman who had just sat down was called to the fire, and saw the .- hour to ,_._ d I n the warehouse, but he en --- ,Propose a new reform of the House of Commons - inclined to make ' any alteration whatsoever in the financial admitted that the duties on timber and coffee ought not to warehouse. There was a culhoun d ll iesr. ) Shan Ib e t o ld to • . . f h Th 111. ht 13 . . • d h • ith t. . th 'ld t b lieve that the fire commence there, or it would -night that, like the surplus . the measures 0t e year. ere ig e some few which it be preserved ,an t ese were precise y e ques ions wt. ino e ; case- Any person could go into new Reform B'll ' i is to be conditional on a renewal of the in- did not matter much. whether they passed in April, or M a y, which the House had to deal on that occasion. Such were first have destroyed tbe sta-r He e i come - tax for three years. I beg the House t° observ e that or June; but generally they had determined on a dh er i n 'th g 1 t' which they had then to determine. the place, as it is open all don. _ 01l d form DO notion as g , e prac .ca ques ions no r bad he ever heard threats of this is the , P. vo e s pect which awaits us. When we meet, we to their plans. What was the nature of the motion of the That was what the House had been for Some time deliberate to how the fire began , shall ua ve t° "eal with a probable deficiency of millions in Hon. Gentleman? It was " That no material sacrifice of jng upon-whether the duties on timber and coffee were te injury. ~0 ..,,, the reven t t e- n w i e must supply the deficiency-we must dis.. public income should he made in effecting such c hanges a s be re duced, and whether the granting of the income-tax for . Mr. Chanel; eiroe-, vr to as reEttn to Mr. Alderman Humphery, cuss the Pri m '!" on which the financial system of the coun- might be deemed advisable in other branches of t axa tion,. on ly on e y e ar was so important as not to justify any further said-When the fird thatti an sc t o vered he WAS in the counting try is to be escablished e , and at the same time that her Ma- Now that meant-if it meant anytbing-that not only no remission of taxation. He knew that the vote hadebeen house at Flib e er rus ,h keY to the when told of it by Eaton, he h warehouse No. 2A, thinking he jetty's Gouernm en e are Pledged-o-mind you, pledged-to in- reduction whigh had already passed that House should be come to by the joining of parties holding the most diverse ran with -- .Ma to u troduce a verey, exten n sive measure of Parliamentary reform. admitted, but that the relief Which bad been promised i n t opinions ; but though he deeply regretted that vote, he should he, - o n - s u c t u e bl nc the fire. He went up three or four -(Hear. ) 'le s e u c " a, „Measure they are pledged in the . one particular impost should be abandoned, and th a t the I was n ot of o pinion that by it a fatal blow was struck to the stairs , hue _h t i t iee . na 1 1 to Proceed further in consequence of most formal Illanu, er • - t "ear.) Must I recall to the memory : wiedow-tax was ,neither to be repealed n or - mo dified, nor a ' cre dit o f the c ountry. He should do deep injustice to those the imm en h e ;"`" , e saw the rails and the rags inside the of the HOurie the langu a g e used by a Cabinet Minister and i house-tax substituted in its place.-(Hear, hear.) The H on . i w ho ma y be said to be the authors of that vote, if he im- warhn us fi e .::: " re • , rhere was no appearance of the fire adopted by his colleague s ell the second reading of the Bill Gentleman; on a former 'occasion, also made a long speech, i puted. any ulterior design to them. There never was a ctan n hg " 1 ", a tuPlooard, but he belied it came from a bale introduced by the. HO. Member fer East Surrey, when a and propond an amendment On - going into Committee on . period when VOUS pen and parties were more united in oi rags near to the door. . ... . . . . . • TUES J ` - : ..y 11: 11.4 NG3 '.. J ULY 1 5 , 1851, the opinion of maintaining the balance of public credit, and I George Coles, a fireman belonging to the Tooley-street that this balance of public credit was not only the main station, said he saw two or three strangers on the top of the .:: 1 s pillar of our strength,. but the main source of our financial D warehouse before that building caught fire. 'While he was ' .„. .• :: r- „, prosperity. He did not believe that the public credit . walking between the C and D warehouses, he saw amok* e - e rested on such au unstable foundation as a vote of that came up from a trap-door hi the 1) warehouse. He Isneeled- 1t•" House. And he was certain, notwithstanding the present down and looked in, and any a small portion of lire in this • House bad come to a resolution to have the income-tax corner nearest to the window. To be positive, he went intee' , '. 'aa for only one year, that next year the House would not shrink the top floor, and when he g ot within about six yards of it,‘r tea from the duty of reconsidering their determination, and he found the heat too much for him to go nearer without s •- .. of putting the financial credit of the country on a assistance. He ran back to the roof of C, and called the at- q,4, i -;>,: .: m A *IF sure and solid basis, whatever the steps they may be tention o f the fireman now in the hos p ital to it, telling him required to take for that purpose. The question was whether that the D warehouse was on fire. He went down with a they would not disappoint the reasonable expectations of tile hose, but the fire became no great that his comp don was country if they did not repeal the window-tax and take .eff severely burnt, and he was eempellett to quit the place with the duty on timber and coffee? He thought the answer in. him, and take him to the hospital. The tire appearel to be this respect so clear that he could not bring himself fb w asto in a corner in tin angle of the building on the floor, and was the time of the House with arguments in support of the case. not near to the roof. He would not follow the ingenious gentleman into the varied Mr. Braidwood, superintendent of the fire brigade, said he disquisition with which he had favoured the House upon. the was called to.this tire at five o'clock, and from the descrip financial condition of the country. Taxation must be mende tion of goods the warehouse contained, he believed the fire to adjust itself to the circumstances of the country; but the had been caused by spontaneous combustion. If there was House must recollect this, that while taxation was pressing damp or oil amongst the rags, with the heat of the weather, on the richer part of the commanity, the great mass of tax- they would be very likely to cause Spontaneous ignition. ation-whether we wished it or not-did press with seve,rety Hops would burn furiously when there was sufficient heat, on the industrious classes. So, therefore, it was that areen- but he did not know what heat would be required to set meats which, taken by themselves, would tot be expedieent them on firer and proper to urge in justification of particular taxes,. if The CORONER thought it was not well to close such an coupled with other.. circumstances would justify ttoose inquiry hastily, for when persons read the account of the pro taxes. And it must also be recollected that the window- teax ceedings. fresh evidence was often elicited thereby. H e was not without exemptions; that tax was not very equal therefore thought the best course was to adjourn the inquiry in operation, for windows in shops occupied for purposes, of for a certain period, and in the meantime that every effort trade were exempt e d, just as land and other rated props lety should be used to clear up the mystery in which - the matter had als o i ts exem p ti ons. The Hou. Gentleman had st ited was at present involved. With this view he advised that a with a good deal of parade -ho hoped the Hon. Gentle nan reward should be offered to any one who had information in would pardon him for having smiled at the time -what ehe their possession as to how the fire Originated ; half the proposed as part of his plan, t o proffer to the shipping ' in- amounteo be paid on, he commitment, and, hallon the con terest-namely, to give them the privilege of building el tips viction of the offender. This offer might bring forward some in bond. He w as sorry to see the lion. Gentlemen raver tto useful evidence, and if it did not they would only be in the an exploded system, a i d propose to multiply the manui ac- position they were at the present time. tures in bond in this country. The suggestion was immediately acceded to by the jury, Mr. HUME would sly a few words, as part of the state- and the inquiry was adjourned. merit of the Right Hon. Gentleman ' r ather iefiected in m an Mr. Wigan, before the breaking up of the in q uir y , ex him, as the origiaiildeof the debate.. He did not ages see pressed his intention of offering 2001. reward for the appre with what had fallen frbm any Hon. Members who had p re- hension of the offenders, who had set the premises on fire. ceded him. It was necessary to carry out that plan b rid thole views of taxation with which the p resent Go vernne ant took office. He thought, howeVer, Gover nment 'night ha ve carried out those principles even further. The surplus might have been devoted to more useful purposes tb, ett, buying up a portion of the debt. He approved of the abe'ti - tion of the window-tax. He approved of the house-tax,, but .disapproved of the mode by which it was carried out. The house tax was a property tax. and there ought to be no exceptions. It was exceptions which generally created die , • content towards a tax. Then with respect to the income- , tax, was it not denounced on all sides as unequal and unjust ?' He bad endeavoured to get it moeified , on these grounds. The Right Hon. Gentlemen did not wish the income-tax to• be continued. He differed from that Hon. Gentleman. He thought the income-tax•ought to be continued, and even increased if necessary. Whilst he was willing to• grant the supplies, he wished at the same time to- relieve the industry of the country. Taxes had hitherto been levied on the industry of the country, and the rich had been comparatively exempted from taxation. Oat of 52,000,0001. of taxes 84 per cent. was raised on the industry of the people. Would the people allow this amount of taxation to continue without acquiring property to bear its proper share of the burden? He approved of the inquiry now going on, and the result would be, he hoped, to place the burdens of the country on the Interests beat able to bear them. These were the principles he had always advocated, and he was satisfied they were the principles which the country would ultimately adopt. He was satisfied the in terests of the country would be best served by placing the taxation on a sound and an equitable basis. The House then divided, when there appeared- For Mr. Disraeli's amendment ... ... .129 Against it ... ... ... ... ... 242 Majority against the amendment --113 The announcement of the numbers was received with con siderable cheering from the Ministerial side of the House. The House then went into Committee on the Bill pro forma, Mr. BERNAL in the chair; and the Chairman imme diately reported progress, and obtained leave to sit again. Sir B. HALL gave notice that he would move the ex tension of the tax to Ireland. GENERAL BOARD OF HEALTH BILL. The order of the day for the third reading of this Bill having been read, Viscount EBRINGTON moved the omission from clause 1, line 11, of the following words:-" So far as the same are authorised by the Public Health Act." He objected, to those words, not only on principle, but also in conse-. quence of the evils which the adoption of the provision. had already produced in the towns in which it had been carried. into effect. Mr. FREWEN seconded the motion ; but ho doubted the prudence of dividing the House upon the subject. Mr. MULLINGS said the object of these words was to- make the Bill consistent with the measure of last session. Lord SEYMOUR said that those words had been intro duced into the Bill of last year, in conformity with the best legal advice, and he had thought it advisable to re-insert; them in the present measure. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL ;said that without those words the Act might be completely overturned. The amendment was then negatived without a division. Mr. FULLER moved that Hastings be inserted in the, schedule. Sir W. VERNER seconded the motion. Lord SEYMOUR opposed the proposition. He was quite , ready to admit that Hastings was one of the dirtiest towns in; E ngland-(Laughter) - but the point was, that St. L'20... nard's, being a clean town, could not be justly laden with: the expense of cleansing Hastings. Mr. HOLLAND supported the motion. Lord EBRINGTON reminded the House that under the. Health of Towns Act there was ample power to rate parti cular districts according to their especial wants without bur dening contiguous localities. The House divided. The numbers were - For the motion ... ... ... ... 95 Against it Majority ... ... ... -18 The borough of Hastings was accordingly inserted in the schedule. The Loan Societies Bill; the Highway Rates Bill; the Merchant Seamen's Fund Bill; and the Burgesses and Freemen's Parliamentary Franchise Bill were read a second time. The County Courts Further Extension (Compensations) Bill, and the Advances for Pablic Works, &c., Bill went trough Coinmittee. Mr. LABOUCHERE obtained leave to bring in a Bill to amend the Mercantile Marine Act; and, the other business upon the paper having been disposed of, the House adjourned at a Quarter to One o'clock. • •Y F~= , COURT CiRCULAR. OSBORNE, MONDAY. The Queen and the . Prince, aocompaniea by his Ma jesty the Sing of the Belgians, walked early this morn ing in the park and grounds of Osborne. His Serene Highness thin Prince Augustus of Coburg arrived at Osborne yesterday.siternoon, on' a visit to her Illhjes,ty and Prieco'Albort. His Serene Highness left 08 14, ine, fo , el'2.retl'ont - , early this Morning." • heir , R t ,.. 0 1 ) Ilikline64es tile' Prince of Wales, the Princess itlyal, and younger branches of the Ro)al Family, and. the Pi - it:cuss Charlotte of Belgium, walked and retie as usu a l. _ -7 1114 -140- 3 1 d iiighnessea • (be Due de Brabant and Comte dePatAree, - "attended by Colonel de Moeikerke and S , crossed to Portsmouth in the Fairy i o afternoon, for the purroae of see ing l'orttmouth Their Royal Highnesses Prince Arthur and the Princesses Selena and Louisa, left B uc ki ng h am P-A ac© yesterday morning in en open carriag e and tour, fur a drive. ir ner Royal Highness the Duchess of Kant t oo k a ear riage airier yesterday. The Finance Committee of the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of the the Works of industry of a ll Na tions, had a meeting yesterday afternotp, at the Exhibi tion. There were present Earl Granville (chairman), Lord ov-el-stone, Sir Al - - , :ander Spearman, Mr. Cubitt, W. T. Field Gibson, Lieutenant-Colonel held, and Mr. Edgar Bowling (secretary). The meeting broke up at five o'clock. The Earl of Duodenalel had an interview with Earl Grey, 3 esterday. at the Colonial-office. Sir Robert Ferguson transteted business yesterday with the Commissioners of Railways, at the Board of Trade. Mr. Baxter also transacted business with the Commissioners. _ _ _ _ _ Mr. John Wood, Chairman of the Board of Inland Revenue, had an interview with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, yesterday, at his official residence Dawning street. THE GREAT EXHIBITION. Yesterday there was a very considerable falling off in the numbers that visited the building, the police returns giving 52,879 as the total, while the receipts at the doors amounted to '2,4691. 16a. The excessive heat of the weather is probably the cause, for there is no reason to believe that the Crystal Palace is as yet being its attrac tiveness with the masses. By a constant use of hand watering-carts and cans, and by removing the glass par titions at the eastern and western ends, the interior was k( pt pretty cool throughout the day, and the tempera ture must have been considerably lower than it was out side. A good deal, however, still remains to be done in the wit; of ventilation, and it is satisfactory to find that the managE meat are taking vigorous steps to insure the comfort of their visitors during these veritable dog-days. They intend to open up large sraces for the admission of fresh air Loth below and in the galleries, and we have no doubt that when their arrangements are completed they will be crowned with the same success as has hi therto attended their labours. RAILWAY SHARE MARKETS. BRISTOL, JUNE 80. &um Excumiron.—The share market was firm to-day, and prices had an upward tendency. The transactions were principally confined to Great Westerns, which closed firmly at 86. LT.NERPOOL, JUNE 30. &rocs EXORAIGH.— The share market has been better to- day, and prices are rather in favour of the buyer. The transactions were as follow :—Ambergate and East Junction, dis.—Caledonian, 11 7-16—East Lancashire, 1556- . Lancashire and Yorkshire, 53 3 4—Ditto, Fifths, 7% dis.— London and North-Western, 124 3 4—Ditto, New Quarters, p.—Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire, 27—Midland, 474 —Ditto, Halves, 18 1 4 dia.—Oxford, Worcester, and Wolverhampton. New Preference, 21%—South-Eastern and Dover. 235—York, Newcastle. and Berwick, 19 13-16 York and North Midland, 20 —Dublin and Belfast Junction, 20 dis. MANCHESTER, JUNE 30. STOCK EXCHANGE.—The business to-day was moderate, and prices remain at about yesterday's quotations. The transactions were as follow :—Bolton Blackburn, Clitheroe, and West Yorkshire (No. 1), s—Ditto (A), s—East Lanca shire, 15 LA—Lancashire and Yorkshire, 53 3 / 3 —Ditto, Fifths, 73/4.dis.—Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire, 27—North Staffordshire, 8 yf, dis.— South-Eastern and Dover, 23k. 131.1011NGHAM., JUNE 30. &tom EXCHANGI3.—The share market opened firm this morning, but throughout the day the business transacted was limited. Shrewsbury and Birmingham (A), were done at 41. 16s. 3d. dis. LADY PONSONBY'S NEW WORK, " CLARE A BBEY. tbis story (says the John Bull) the talented author of The Discipline of Life" has displayed all that power of -painting the passions of the human heart, and the hard struggles between inclination and duty, of which her former 'work gave such ample proof. The sufferings of the noble, :unselfish Reginald Vere, the severe self-discipline to which ;Ernest de Grey has to subject his impressible yet powerful nature, and the conflicts which the heart of Camilla has to :sustain befcre it finds rest in) the enjoyment of a purified affection, after casting off the drops of wild and wayward psssiou, impart to the tale a fascinating interest, while its lofty moral tendency raises it above the ordinary level of works of fiction. " Clare Abbey" is decidedly one of the most succeisful, one of the most attractive, and at the same time one of the most high-toned novels of the season." SERIOBS CHARGE OF SHOOTING A MEMBER OF Cnnisr CHURCH.—On Thursday afternoon Mr. Joseph Caudwell, a money lender, was charged before the Rev. the Tice-Chancellor and Dr. Wynter, two magistrates of the county of Berks, with wilfully and maliciously wounding Mr. Alexander Henry Ross, 8.A., of Christ Church. It appears that early that morning Mr. Ross, and some of his companions, resorted to the house of Mr. Caudwell, which stands on Follow-bridge, and is in Berkshire, and, in a frolic, attempted to throw several pieces of cannon, standing in front of his house, over the wall into the Isis, but while iu the act of trying to do so, Mr. Caudwell was aroused, and, having opened a window, 'without saying a word, he deliberately fired a blunderbuss at Mr. Ross. A portion of the shot struck him on the neck, ear, and hand, the latterof which is very much injured. Evidence of the facts having been given , and Mr. Mansard, surgeon, stating that he considered Mr. Rosa seriously wounded, so much so that he could not certify that be was out of danger, as, from the nature of the wound in his hand, look-jaw might be the result, the magistrates re manded the defendant for a week, and the same evening he suns conveyed to Abingdon Gaol by the University Marshal and the Inspector of the University police. THE EAST INDIA COMPANY'S COLLEGE, HMOS!" BUN.Y.—HERTFORD, FRIDAY, JUNE 27.—This morning a deputation from the East India Company, consisting of Min Shepherd, Esq , Chairman, Sir J. Weir Hogg, Bartz puty Chairman, Sir R. Campbell, Bart., M.P., Sir ,0* Lnshington. Sir H. Willock, the Hon. W. H. htelvillso and other directors, visited their Civil College, ,ilayley bury, near Hertford, for the purpose of distribudag prizes e to the successful students of the year. On arvinLat the College, the &rectors waited on the Rev. ffe al7 8.D., the Principal, who presented them with a moet India.. factory report. Immediately afterwards they reyaired, the lll Students in company with a large number of visitors , yo the College Hi n doeneet,,Sanscrit, Te- Hall, where speeches were delivered by English, Latin, Greek, Syriac. lo goo, and other Oriental language!. to 11 - 00 Per read a .presented themselves list of the students who were entitle '` pr izes medals, t eir respective rewards and as their names were called tbaK ofat directors'merit. e riThe ob ta a b inn le ao W , ad recei dle va t g the students, remarked that he was happy in being._a b t e l o congratulate them upon the satisfactory report wh b ir eßre Principal had that the College would in preiented, a the hi reputation it had already time to comemePmressaini3taing gained. Shortly aft•rwaras the directors returned to town. Tan COMM siteva TRAVELLERS' SCHOOL Asso- The 40 - yearly court of this association for the education of o rphan and necessitous children took place on Saturday teorning, at ten o'clock, in the London Tavern; Mr. J. goterman, M.P., in the chair. The secretary read the re t, which stated that the receipts during the half „ en , w hic h had just terminated were 2,477/. 3s. 4d., and that } . ear building fund now amounted to 9,4001. The number of e bildren in the asylum at Wanstead, on Christen A last, as well as at th e present moment, amounted to 111, 11E11 by the election which would take place that day of eigAt children that number would be augmented to 119, consisting of 76 boys and 44 girls. The report congratulated the association on the continuing public favour which their association met, and informed the members that the progress of the children in their education had been of the most satisfactory descrip tion. The amount subscribed to the building fund warranted the board in commencing a new building as soon as' a suita ble plot of ground could be obtained, and they were anxious to obtain a site on some railway or commanding elevation, which would attract the public observation. The secretary informed the meeting that the offices were about to he re moved from their present locality to the most conspicuous part of Choapside. The report was then unanimously adopted, and ordered to be entered on the minutes. The following scrutineers were appointed:—Mr. Halt, Mr. Woollston, Mr. Adars, Mr. Staciford, Mr. Bligh , and Mr. Fenton. A vote of thanks was afterwards passed to the chairman for his eon. duct in the chair. THB BALLOT.—The Liberals of Bath, in conse. quence of the various cases of intimidation which came under their notice at the recent election, have drawn up petition to the House of Commons in favour of the ballot. The petition has been laid down in several parts of the city for signature, and no doubt a large number of names will be appended to L