The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-02-22 00:00:00

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China, were moved for ; and, after some remarks
from the Eitrl of Elgin and Lord Colchester, the
subject dropped.
In the House of Commons last night, after
some formal preliminaries, Mr. Du Cane intro-
duced his resolution, that, at present, it was not
expedient to diminish the ordinary revenue,
and increase the Income-tax. He had no
party object. These proposals, to which he
objected, were based on an unnecessary and
one-sided treaty, the adoption of which could
only result in a permanent imposition of the
Income-tax, or, perhaps, even in worse conse-
quences. He showed the inconsistency of the
proposition by reference to Mr. Gladstone's
former declarations against the Income-tax. The
reduction of the wine duties was especially inop-
portune, owing to the present unfavourable con.
ditten of Freneh wines, As to the cape4l of the
paper duty, it ought not to be thought of as
an equivalent for an increased income-tax.
By quoting against various members of the
Ministry their previous. professions Of opinion
againtit the repeal of the Inver dotyi and the eon,
tinuanee of the meanie-tax, he proved that they,
above all others, ought to have refrained from
making any such proposals. The inconsistency' of
their doing so, was only to be accounted for by
supposing that Ministers have, for the time tieing,
sneemnbed to the influence of the Manchester
Sehooi; and the whole scheme might be truly
designated a Manchester Budget. Inimical to
really- free-trade and a fair reciprOcitY, it was
likewise, emphatically, a Budget, not of peace, hut
of war. The resolution was supported lay Lard
Montague; Mr, gossipy, Mr. Duff; Sir S. North-
eote, and Mr. Ayrton ; and it was opposed. by
Mr. Leveson Gower, Mr. Liddell, Mr. Dodson,
Mr. Baxter, Mr. Dawson, and Mr. Hennessy.
The debate was adjourned till Thtirsday,-,Lord
Palmerston expressing a hope that they would
come to a division on that evening. The Conso-
lidated Fund Bill was passed; and some clauses
of the Valuation of Rateable Property (Ireland)
Bill passed through Committee.
The arrival at this port of the 'Cunard steamer,
from the United States, yesterday, has enabled us
to furnish some few items of American intelli-
gence, in addition to the brief summary of news
already given as a telegram from Queenstown.
There is nothing, however, of much political or
connnereial importance, The businesq of Congress
was prqceeding regularly since the eiectiOn of
Speaker had taken place. Considerable excite-
ment was arising on the subject of the appreaoh-
ing presidential election ; and, we NUppge, until
that great event is over; the country will be kept
in ono continued ferment. The prospects of trade
for the Spring, it will be found, are highly en-
couraging throughout the Republic.
The French Emperor persists in his determina-
tion to put down all agitation on the Roman
question. The Prefects are to' prohibit the distri-
bntion of writing's and pamphlets, unless duly
authorised, 9414 459 tq report WIIPPMTI: the
liherty of the pulpit is amused," Qin the other
hand, public meetings are being held, with the
object of supporting the temporal rights of tile
Pope, and petitions addressed to the Senatp'are
adopted, praying it to interpose with the ciovern-
ment on behitlf of His Holiness.
The Chancellor of the Excheqner continues, ap-
Nrelltly, to be besieged by depiltationsrepresenting
the various interests of the country which will be
effected, more or less inconveniently or injuriously
by his Budget. Among others, this week, the
Irish linen manufacturers have made representa-
tions against the Tfrench duties on linens l the
masters have remonstrated against the injury
they fear-the Budget will inflict upon them; and.
the licensed victuallers have reiterated their coin-;
plaints as to the proposed invasion of their vested'
rights, by the 'extension of the licensing :sys-
system ; the wine trade had a numerous meeting
in London yesterday, on the proposed alcoholic
test, and the drawback question,. as involved in
the Budget arrangements.
We would direct attention to the eloquent
peroration to Lord Derby's speech, in the House
of Lords, on Monday night, on the sulliect of the
French treaty, which will be found ip another
column. His lordship showed ycry forcibly, it
will be seen, how indispensably necessary it is
that the sanction of Parliament should be
' obtained to the treaty—not impliedly, but posi.
tively and absolntely, by legislative enactment.
The great body of the Conservatives had made
up their mind to adopt this course. His lord-
ship spoke, however, before the decision of the
House of Commons had been come to upon
Mr. Disraeli's amendment. Still a full discussion
of the treaty is promised: Lord Derby further
declared, it will be observed, that while he
objected to some articles of the treaty on their
own merits, he was opposed to others not on their
own merits, because he conceived that this was
not the moment to enter into those stipulations ;
and that, if it were, he considered the substitute
they proposed to provide for the requisite revenue,
—that i's, an increased Income-tax,--was most
objectionable.

It is admitted that the ministerial majority on
Mr. Disraeli's amendment was no mere party
triumph. Several Conservatives voted with
Ministers, and several Liherills voted against
them. As the IYmeii not untruly observes,—" In
these days we look chiefly to the commercial
aspect of a treaty, as the numerous meetings and
deputations have testified lately"—adding, that
" this suggests that the treaty is best discussed
in a Committee on Customs, which, of course,
will not preclude a full inquiry into the political
aspect of the measure,"—to which, the hope is
expressed, that " the House will now address
itself in good earnest, and will not again be led
by any will-o'-the wisp across the quagmire of a

constitutional' (Ne4i.on.!' This, Ilqwoek, might
have bo9n done qtjite as well, we humbly think—
indeed, a great deal *ter— constitutionally or not.

. _
Commerce and the Constitntion are both very
important things. lint no good can ever nth*
from one being allowed to over-ride the other.
The Morning Herald well observes of the deci-
sion of the House of Commons on Monday night,
that it was " only a question of procedure in the
matter, and not of principle: The inquiry (adds
our contemporary) is to come, and the advisability
of extemporaneous conventions will meet a more
full and determined discussion than it could have

received upon such a motion as that of last night."
There is no doubt of this. The Conservatives,
too, differed .on the question of procedure ; but
they will scarcely do so on the grcat principles•
that have yet to be discussed, and decided upon.
We p 1010- in 41?enier 901111114 an iTIM°O4TIt
letter addressed, yesterday, by the Chancellor of
the Exchequer, to the Committee of Importers
and others, of Mincing-lane, London, on the sub-
ject of the penny registration due, the ware-
housing charges, dock warrants, and contract

notes. It will be observed that the Chancellor
of the Exchequer makes special mention of the
Liverpool deputation which waited upon him in
regard to thesp ypit'nlijenfionahly foatutren nf pip
new financial §chethe.

TIrE "triumph of Ministers" in the House of
Commons, on Monday night—as it has been so
loudly trumpeted forth to be—:
Was not one in-
v?l::ing principle, so much as privilege. Cer-
tainly it involved no principle of the CHANCELLOR
of the EXCHEQUER'S financial scheme ; 'but it did
involye 4 qupstioi+ of cqrtstltiltional privilege, and
one which' it is most lamentable to see sacrificed
even to commercial legislation. The Liberal Star
has very fairly stated the case, when it remarks,
"A question of Parliamentary procedure was
l
made to' take precedence of a question rof fiscal
policy. The Government was 140 t arraigned,
upon
upon a charge of sacrificing
civeerniling the privi-
leges still graver charge of surrel
and
oven
abro,
or the lions° Of C°--11410 of Lords. The
gating the rights adthe.
were admitted to be very
principles of Free-trade
. of the Constitution
good, but
asserted to t.bhee principles
deal better and older."
view aof' the
.matter. we, in the main, With this
Doubtless the principles of Free-trade are,
concur.
in themselves, and when rightly applied, " very
g Up
t, ;" but, most assuredly the principles of tilQ
Constitution, even were they not a good deal
better and older," might 'level: to he sacrificed for
the advancement of the principles of free-trade, •
The constitutional mode of proceeding, as wiis'so
ably shown by Mr. DisRAELI, was to Resent to
the House, for its discassinn, in the first instance,
the subsfall9P Of the Commercial 'treaty, and to
present it, and have it discussed in tvvo character