The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1859-07-26 00:00:00

THURSDAY.

On the Order for going into • Committee of Ways
and Means,
Mr. DISRAELI took OCtILSIOD to enter upon • review
of the financial operations of the late Government, the
difficulties those operations hiid had to encounter, and
the probable result had the arrangements which had
met with the concurrence of the House not been dis-
turbed by unforeseen political occurrences. He then
adverted to the coulee which the Chancellor of the
Exchequer had recommended. To the decision to
which the present Government had arrived to deal with
the deficiency of revenue by taxes, and not by loan, he
gave an unqualified approbation. Then was nothing in
the amount of the deficiency that would justify •
recourse to • loan. He did not think that collecting the
additional 44. in six months, instead of spreading It
over the year, was stall necessary. It added to the
severity of the pressure, and the more this proposition
was before the country, the more numerous, in his
opinions would be the objections to the arrangement,
for he thought the same amount might be raised with-
out this annoyance to the taxpayers. Looking at the
general condition of our finances, be observed that we
were now raising a revenue of nearly V 0,000,000 in a
time of peace; and how, be asked, was this peat and
growing evil to be met? It was useless to blame
Governments, no persons were so interested in keeping

down eXponditure as the Government of the day; as '
that we should gain nothing by declamatory sperm=
and forcing upon the Government 'that was
economical administration. The Government of this
country was, on the whole, an economical government ;
the estimates for the civil service showed an expenditure
for the development and advancement of the people, so
that these estiniates did not afford a resource; and,
great as our expenditure was fur the army and
navy, the defences of the country were etill
said to be imperfect. Then, what were the ways
and means to encounter these future demands? Our
expenditure depended upon nor policy. The Ministry
only kept up that expenditure whi:h the policy of the
country demanded, and Parliament was responsible for
that policy. The policy of the late Government in
respect to the transactions in Italy was to maintain a
strict and ixpartial neutrality, and the present Adminis-
tration had declared their intention to adopt that policy.
! There was a prospect of a Cones or Conference to be
attended by neutral Powers, but the moineut they
attended the Conference or Congress they ceased to be
neutral. We had peace. He believed peace to be a great
blessing, and no country would profit more from peace
than this country. We were to view the peace as it related
to England and to English interests. He considered that
it was entitled to our respect • but he had heard the
peace disapproved, and by English statesmen, because
the Emperor of the French had not realized the pro-
gramme with which he commenced the war. But there
was no instance in which the objects of a war had been
fully or in a great degree realised. He gave credit to
the Princes who had signed the peace, and he hoped
and believed it would be permanent ; but let us do our
best to make it so. And what was OCIT wane ? Not to
meet at any Congress, but to go to our ally, end giving
him credit for sincere motives, say to him, "'lf yottsre in
favour of peace, join us in securing it by the only mode
by which peace can be secured; revive and restore and
increase the good feeling between the two countries by
the diminution of your armaments; show yourself, as
we believe you to be sincerely anxious for the peace of
the world, and we will join you in reciprocal confi-
dence."
The Cnancrttoft of the EXCHIQCZI said the objec-
tion Mr. Disraeli had urged to the proposed mode of
levying the additional income-tax involved, in fact, the
whole question of borrowing or not borrowing. The
House of Commons was as much entitled to tax six
mouths' profits as those of twelve months. The effect
of the modification would be to throw half the addi-
tional tax on the year 1860-61, making it a part of the
ways and moans not of the current year, but of the
next. He (Mr. Gladstone) wee not prepared to sub-
scribe to all Mr. Disraeli's opinions as to the peace; he
would rather reserve his judgment than pledge hiluseU, in
the present state of Europe, by giving • distinct appro-
bation of its terms. He agreed that we should do our
best to make it permanent by caution and moderation is
word and deed.
Mr. Bawler congratulated Mr. Disraeli on having
become • convert to his and Mr. Cobden's views of
foreign policy. With respect to the budget, it had met,
he thought, with as midi general satidaetion as with
measures could expect to meet with. His satisfastion
arose from the reflection that it was ass arrangement for
a year only, and that next year the Government would
take a comprehensive view of our finances. He believed
the income-tax was hateful, chiefly because it was
unjust. Addressing himself to foreign politics, he in-
veighed with much bittemese against the attacks made,
be said, upon the French Emperor, and consequently
upon the French nation, and which tended to plunge
this country into war. He could not believe that
France saw the question of war in a different light from
ourselves, and that 30,0E0,000 Freedmen were not as
anxious for a perpetual perms with England as mast in-
telligent and Christian Englishmen were for • perpetual
peace with France. If he was in the position of Lord
J. Russell, lie would try to emancipate himself from the
old bloody traditions of the Foreign-office; be would
approach France in a sensible moral, and Christian
spirit, and test the sincerity of the Government by pro-
posing an alteration of the tariffs of the two countries in
the interest of free trade. He believed, if this offer
were honestly made—not with diplomatic finesse—it
would bring about • different state of things.
Lord J. Reliant. said he had seen with pain the
attempts made to awaken a feeling in this country
against the Sovereign and people of France, which could
only produce on their part a feeling of animosity against
the people of this country. He believed that the Em-
peror of the French had been a faithful ally to this
country; what, then, was the meaning of the continual
invectives against him? He believed that, as far as he
was concerned, the Emperor had been anxious to get
rid of protecting duties, as Injurious to France • but it
would not be prudent to give a handle to the protection-
ist party in that country to charge him with sacrificing
the interests of Francs to those of England.
Lord P./outwore after explaining the opinion he
had expressed
and
the foreign policy of the late
Government, declaring his conviction that had
they employed the means in their power, they might
have prevented the rupture between France and
Austria, defended his own views of foreign
policy with respect to the Congress. He agreed
with Mr. Bright as to the evil which might
result from the tone of hostility adopted towards the
Emperor of the French and the nation he governed. We
had no right to make ourselves censors as to the man-
ner in which foreign nations were governed. We had
only to look at the manner in which the Sovereign of
France had performed the duty of an ally, and no one ,
could deny that he had fulfilled that duty towards us.
That was no reason, however, why we should not put
ourselves in a state of defence, and not trust our secu-
rity to the forbearance of another country.
After a further desultory discussion, the House went
into • Committee of Ways and Means, when the CHAN-
CELLOR of the EXCHEQUER moved his resolutions on the
income-tax and malt credit.
Sir H. WILLOUIiHBY moved an amendment, to reduce
the additional tax on income from id. to 3d. in the
pound, which was negatived without • division; and
another amendment, to reduce the tax on the Long
Annuities to Id. for every pound of dividend, shared
the same fate.
Mr. Diettaxo moved, se an amendment, to omit the
words in the first resolution, "and such additional
rates and duties shall to collected and paid with and
over and above the first moiety of the duties assessed
. or charged under the Act." This amendment was like-
wise negatived, after an animated debate.
The remaining business having been disposed of, the
' House adjourned at 2 o'clock.