The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1858-05-11 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS. MONDAY.

On the order for the second resding of the Exchequer-
bonds (22,000,000) .pill,
. . . .

Sir G. latn4s, illuding to a report that the late Go-
vernment, and he in particular, as the Finance Minister,
had handed over to their successors the finances in a dis-
ordered and unsatisfactory state, entered into details to
refute this charge, and to show that the Chancellor of
the Exchequer had made arrangements in order to avoid
present difficulties, which, in his opinion, might produce
greater difficulties hereafter. He objected to the Budget
of the Chancellor of the Exchequer as a scheme which
made no attempt either to pay off any partof the Exche-
quer-bonds or to keep up the War Sinking Fund. The re-
lief afforded by the fall of the ineome-tax would not, in
his opinion, be very sensibly felt, and the Chancellor of
the Exchequer, by his arrangement in respect to that
tax, and in not reducing the Exchequer-bond debt, he
contended, had violated an important principle, without
any substantial and effectual relief to the payers of the
Income-tax.

Mr. GLADSTONE agreed that the financial condition of
the country called for further consideration than it had
received on the Budget night. He concurred with Sir
G. Lewis in his endeavour to draw the attention of the
House to the serious consequences of the practice of
using the House of Commons as a stimulus to expendi-
ture. The Government, however, was not without
blame in this matter, because it offered to such attacks
a feeble resistance, and abandoned functions properly
belonging to the Executive. As to the Exchequer-
bonds he denied that there had ever been any pledge on
the part of the House that any portion should be re-
duced in 1858, and, with regard to the Income-tax, he
approved the course taken by the Chancellor of the
Exchequer.
Mr. CARDWELL observed, that the question was not
one of retrospective or prospective finance, but whether,
in framing the financial arrangements for the current
year, Parliament was, or was not, bound to deal with
' the repayment of a debt, according to statutory engage-
ments, falling due the prebent year.
Mr. BRIGHT observed that the House was trying to do
an impossible thing—to make a very heavy taxation
easy to bear. That taxation rested upon the masses of
the population, whose incomes were small while their
consumption of taxed articles was very large. A great
deal of this taxation was owing, he said, to the foreign
policy we were pursuing, which lie discussed and
strongly censured; and he contended that it was the
duty of Parliament either greatly to reduce the expendi-
ture or to maintain the Income-tax.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, that consi-
derations of high policy were oonnected with the
Income-tax, which, if it were to be maintained, it
would be impossible for the House to avoid ; that corn.
plaints against this tax came from professional men and
the humbler classes of society on account of its injustice,
irnpolicy, and inquisitorial character, the clamour
against the tax never having arisen from the opulent
classes; it was, therefore, in his opinion, impossible to
maintain this tax as a permanent feature of our financial
system. As to the War Sinking Fund, it would be idle,
he thought, to contend that it should be maintained in
the present circumstances of our finances. He protested
against the position of Mr. Bright, that the burden of
taxation rested upon the masses of the population whose
incomes were small, contending that it was, on the con-
trary, borne by people of property.
Mr. WILSON pointed out what he considered to be
fallacies and mistakes in the Chancellor's calcula-
tions.
The Bill was then read a second time.

On the the ae—c-o-ni-re;a7u-ig. of the Stamp
Duty on Drafts Bill,
After some discussion, the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHE-
QUER, in replying to objections, observed that the Bill
asserted no new principle; it only sought to extend a
principle, terminating an exemption which no one vin-
dicated.

The Bill was read • second time.
The House then went into committee upon the reso-
lutions for the government of India.
The second resolution being read, the effect of which
was that Her Majesty, by one of her principal Secretaries
of State, should have and perform ill the powers and
duties relating to the government of India now exer-
cised and performed by the East India Company,
Mr. AYRTON moved, by way of amendment, that the
powers and duties should be exercised and performed by
a Minister of the Crown in Council, his object being, he
said, to insure the administration of the government
with due care, motion, and 'Moloney, meaning to follow
up this resolution with another, that such Minister
shall be responsible for every act done in the United
Kingdom in relation to the government of India, but no
such act shall be performed by him without the recorded
opinion of throe members of the Council thereon,
Lord BTAYLIOY opposed this amendment.
Mr. MANIKIN supported the amendment,
The ORANORGLOR of the EXORNQUIR observed that
this wee not the 000/411011 to disease the question of a
Connell. . . . .

--gramendment having undorgone further discus.
Dion,
Kr. Gin/IMMIX insisted that the original resolution
oould nut be worked out in oonformity to It. Wm..
Upon a division the amendment VIIM negatived by 3M
to 100.
The MIAMIAN NAN then ordered to report promos'
other amondments of the resolution being on the
paper.
The LOIM.AAVOCATIII obtained loave to bring in a Dill
to Amend the law relating to the confirmation of egoeu•
tors in Nootland, find to 'stud over all parts of the
Unitod Kingdom the elect of suoll confirmation and of
grants of probato And administration f and Hr. RIAU.
LA U a Hill to authorise and oarry into emotion the
voluntary fissignmonts of dobtors for the benefit of Hier
oroditore.
Tho House adjournod at 10 minutes to 1 o'clock.