The Express.
London, England, 1849-12-17 00:00:00

FRANCE.

PARIS, SATURDAY, HALF PAST 5, P.M.
The only novel argument used against the system
of the excise on drinks was used by M. Foucher yes-
terday. This gen•leman, it must be premised, sees
no possibility of doing without the tax, which he con-
siders necessary, and which in his opinion may be
materially lightened in burden by changes in the
system under which it is at present levied. The
great obstacles to consumption, and obstacles which
M. Foucher has sigralised before now are the (petrol,
or entrance dues in towns, and the restrictive system
of French tariffs. These octrois—these tariffs it is
not the intention of M. Foucher to abolish, but he
would destroy their excess, in order that consump-
tion might increase, and in order that they may be-
come really a Baal instrument, and not a barrier to
consumption. With regard to customs, M. Foucher
said that he would speak but one word on
a subject which he had hitherto avoided, be-
cause ho thought that them were opportunities
which it was beet to wait for, reforms for which the
time had not come, and sacrifices that must be made

to public tranquillity.
The speech of M. Gravy may be ?armed in a few
words. He said that the tax is odious, hated, and
unpopular, and the people are determined not to bear
it lorger. And for the very reason that the people
abhor it, the assembly must abolish it, because the
people is sovereign. "Then," cried a member, in
reply to this ligament, " since the landed p.ople hate
the land-tax, it ought to be abolished.,The last
argument of M. Gravy was, that the tax cons aided
a violation of the constitution, because it is contrary
to the essential principle which that charter has pro-
claimed, namely, the proportionality of taxation.
A speech from M. Charles l)upia was followed by
the adiourtment of the debate.
To-day the debate wiis resumed by M. Mauguin.
811CDAT, 6.30 PAC.

M. Maoguin, in his speech yesterday, opposed the
motion of government on the excise, and declared
himself openly- for its abolition. The wine pro-
prietors, he contended, were not so rich as they were
said to be,—the retailers not so poor. In matters of
property there were two opposite doctrines. Accard-
ing to the first, a proprietor is master of his property;
but according to the second, a proprietor is only the
possessor and depositor of parcels of a great whole
which belongs to the state. The latter doctrine is
that of the budget committee. The word "property "
bad a vast and convenient signification, for, in the
mouth of M. de Montalembert, or of M. Dalin, it
meant anything but vines. Wine property in France
was generally very much divided, and as it generally
belongs to the small peasant, it did not count as such.
Still it was imposed with such heavy duties in most
of the wine-growicg countries that the growers hedl
been obliged to root out their sites. So
mach for the effect of the tax on the wine-grower.
Now, if the retailer is considered, it would be toned
that he was of the class that complained most and
yet had least reason to do so ; for was kr.own from
positive returns that their gains were enormous. Let
the duties be abolished; let the wine trade lie under
the rules of every other trade, and wine would be
better and cheaper. The rigie was the cause of the
misfortunes of the wine trade, and that was why he'
asked for the abolition of the tax. M. Ilauguiu then
stigmatised the oetroi system as bad, and said that in
Beleium it was about to be abolished. Tees with
respect to the question as to where the 100 millions
were to be found to replace the lose on the excite, he
insisted that there would be no difficulty. Boer and
alcohol alone, if directly taxed, would always give
33 millions, and 32 millions might be had d.r.ctly
from wise; three or fear millions might be
had by taxing wine licenses; it had be en said
on the previous day by M. Faucher that
wine shops were immoral; he showed that
government supported those very wine shops by re-
fusing to tax the licenca. Thus, say 60 millions
beir g taken on drinks, 40 millions more are wanted,
which might be obtained wilt ease by taxing the
May of the public funds. This tax would produce
40 or 50 millions, but government would not tax
play at the Bourse. His Mau4uin'-) plan to
that end had been rejected in four successive budget
committees, which were very careful in not u ekening
up that minister. Play at the Bourse was immoral,
' and by taxing it the immorality would he recognised,
therefore it cannot be done. Such, said M. Nlausuin,
were the arguments of his opponents ; but was it rot
in the interest ot the country to stop them eltogethe r
If government could not do that, why not tax them ?
If that were not ecougt, why not tax paper and
glass? Here an important admission was made by
several members of the committee. It is the inten-
tion of the budget committee to tax both paper Laid
glass.
M. Hyppolite Fortoul followed M. Mamruin, bat
was not much listered to by the house. The debate
woe then adjourned till Monday, when M. Jules
Fevre will speak against the project, and probably
*lose the general discussion.
The Monitehr this morning contains a decree by
which the last six battalions ot the Mobile Claard are
to be disbanded on the 31st inst.
The Estafette .retends that in tho council of ,
ministers yesterday the President of the Republic
expressed his determination to Live the elreessi.44 of
the Paris and Avignon Railway to thz Tarbe des
841.-ns Cseni early, nt twithstsndi g the . .ir the
committee of the Assea.bly annullitg the government

_ _ _
Pr. hare just heard from Turin, under dote Dec. 12,