The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-04-02 00:00:00

Ett ,3toarbribge Oberiter.

SATURDAY, APRIL 24.1 d, 1881.

THE PARLIAMENTARY OUrLooK.

Tun explanation of the Badget, proposele by the
Chancellor of the Exchaver is al weys an event
of rational importance. With the exception of
the very poorest, every eleni of the coeirnunity
bears its share of the net;onal texation, and the
way in which, for the next twelve monthe, the
burthens are to be :initiated, is a questien of
intereat to all. It is not only the payers of the
incoree tax who look out for Budget night.
There 9ra a veat number below the line of t 1.50
per annum who ,ere oti,eu eff,cted by the changes
suggested by the Minister of Finauce. These
are the consumers of spirits, winos, beer,
toheeco, anger, tea, nod coffee, who in the pur-
ehaee ulCivery one of these erticlee centeletue
indiremay to the revenue. It is seldom that a
year passes without some change in the adjust-
ment of texation, either direct or indirect, and
sometiwee, as was the case lest veer, in both.
. Tho newspaper reeder era therefore very well
ticronet for hi-s interest in tie. imenelel state-
ment be made ie the House Of Corn.
next Moecley evenine.
There is a general anticieetion that the Budget
wilt be "a great one." It is Lot often that a
Prhne Minister holds the combined office of
Chancellor of the Exchequer. Sir Robert Peel
did so nearly forty years ago, and Mr. Gladstone
docs so now. But, while the duties of the
Premiership are ever beginning and never end-
- ing, necessitating a close supervision over all
the departments of State, those of the Chancel-
ler of the Exchequer are, taken on the whole,
reinat:e- .ight. It is only once a year that he
has to ,eele- a set appearance in the House of
Comm ; i!O preparation of his annual Budget
In not a vary arduous undertaking; and when be
hasnileted the Customs and Inland Revenue
through the Lower House, the best pert of his
year's work is practically done. Beyond the
answering of a few questions put by metebers in
the People's Chamber, be has very tittle to do.
Therefore Mr. Gladstone, in combining the two
offices of Prime Minister and Chancellor of the
Exchequer, did not expose himself to the risk
of so much overwork AS at first might appear to
devolve upon s ruin iebo has passed the seven-
tieth year of his age. Such an experienced
Minister of Finance, who held the post nearly
thirty Tears ago, would not he long in construct-
ing a -..-ludget; for there is no living statesman
who time passed so many Budgets through the
Houee of Con:mous.
The financial statement is made at a time when
there is a rift in the political clouds, and more
than one gleam of light ie seen upon the horizon.
The troubles in Afghanistan are, It may be pre-
sumed, over for a thee, end the clearing of the
prospect in South Africa removes the fear of a
heavy, indefinite, and incalculable drain. There
are no present fears of a warlike outlay. Se far
as the Imperial Government La concerned, peace
now exists on all the borders of the empire; and
a geeeral senee of rest 'rat quiet has succeeded
at Some to be strein of the past few months.
rifta the outlook of rural leugiand into the ice-
Mediste future is briehtening. The revival of
tre is now, tint it is in progress; and the re-
covery ot sgrieullure may begin, quite &hale
Ikons ;ivy legieletax, .vhatever, if the summer 6il
deigns to shine this year with the warmth whieli,
p? the past few years, has been denied to n 9.
Whet the actusl scheme of the e ttig,A oily be,
In the fee 7: of many improvi,•g and enaonraging
ereenistancee it is neer:red s f:yr those outside
the rreesury to say ; hu a iit: events the tax-
will not hew long to et eit. The charges
whiais the peep'.o know they have to meet will
leave no great opportunity of repealing taxes or
tavern-1g texatien ; but there are great anjust-
nteraQ in ate Incidence which leave room, if Mr.
ea'teletene chooses, for one mere of the grand
74gets which beve eiseinge;ehert his financial
leteeasieirstiou in the geverninente of Lord
beeeeen, eiord. Until sone me; Weisel!.
The te..- grebes latey onete in the bueieess of
e:_ee He.; Ijmiiuos lls been fe.; 'if en•
.113e,nbly anti of ,iatis4etloG
the iseunire. The le,tieetive pro,peete ef the
Session ie.proved as suddenly CI& those of
tbe.hsrvet s.,:aetiaies brighten in a cold and
storey yeer when a great burst of sunshine
Comes Oa us in Jnly. Not even the eche of
former qaarreis now rings in the debates. When
pseties practically agree in the House of Com-
mons, their unanimity is not merely wonderful,
bat is astonishingly fruitful of results. It is too
much to expect that thie Parlisreentary quiet
will last; but wbile it cent :Tunes it may well he
tegardee with gretificetieu end made the most
of. There is now bAtiinuing to be a hope of
rerryihg out the modest leetelative programme
watiouneed irt the Qireu.•,, '+;:e7;ech delivered as
fin hack am the oth of Jtnuary.- This included
ti' aboli4.ion of Corporal Voniehment in the
Army ivy, the tri,h Land and County
Cheterninuot Bit, the MOSilec toe the continu-
ums the s4.ilot, and t:,, Crept peweeee
'Mention Bill. Hithette te.te -,;te:eioe Ireland
hembaj the lieu's share of .:'evoeinentary atten-
tion; het England, -Waieg, oil S,etiand mast
hos come time given to The House of
C041:1132511t is young in poiw of ace; it is not ye:
Waive months old. There !night to be plenty of
We and vigour in it to deal not only with the
admitteel grievances of bat with those
dauntudiug redress in other parts of the kin-
dom. Thera are, too, qiestious effecting Ico-
r:mil tuterNste far aw.ly Isoel our own shores
whteh cline up for attention. The Cau4s-
bar is over; bti. the elEtirs of the 'trans-
vtel art still to the front for considero.ion, mod
We goad 4,.:7tx:lmont of India is ever dernaedine
the notice of :he legislature. Three monene
the warkinc cession will here gone when the
'Loa's rises fur the Easter Recess; and not ranch
store than those will remain Te-2.:-a it reassembles.
There oil eonsevently be eel; ale Ictripatilo for
a tegiehinve es,eleoly babevea •te, neite tile wis-
dom ef tlas nation, slid desirous of faltilling the
teak IW before it.