The Express.
London, England, 1851-06-03 00:00:00

the mesas of iatenul

THE IRISII CENSUS RETURNS.

.....
Cul. DUN NE asked when the census returns of Inland
would he laid on the table?

tiTrW. SOMERVILLE was understood to reply that
they would be presented shortly,.
INCOME AND PROPERTY TAX.

Mr. 111. ME begged to nominate the following select
committee on the income and property tan: Mr. Hume, the
Clumeellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Hoesmaii, Mr. Herries,
Mr. Labouchere, Lon' Harry Vane, Mr. Disraeli, Mr.
Thomas Baring, Mr. Henley, Mr. Cobden, Mr. Frederick
Peel, Mr. Roebuck, Mr. Ricardo, Mr. Tose'', and Mr.
Beckett Denison. lie had at first selected names from the
four divisions of the house, but it turned out that those
names were not satisfactory. The landed interest seemed
to be of opinion that the numbers were unfair ; and yet he
was only anxious to select six names, leaving the remainder
to be filled up by whomsoever on either side might wish to
be on the committee. At the last meeting on the subject
he hall altered two of the names. lie had substituted
since then a member for Ireland and another country gen-
tleman, and he did nut think he could have made a
better selection. He was moat desirous that the
committee should endeavour, as far as possible, to
see how the income tax bill had operated since its enact-
ment in lbl2, and whether evasions of the payment of the
tax could not be prevented. lie believed that the evasions
had been to • very large extent. His own conviction was
that the tax ought to be levied in such a manner as that
every man should pay • fair proportion for the protection
he received. (Hear, hear.) He objected to all exemptions as
tegardid property ; and he would go into the committee with
• most unions desire to see some system adopted that
would be permanent, and that would effect the objects ho
had intimated on this and former occasions. The origin of
the tax, as was well known, was to enable the reigning
sovereign to carry on a war ; its object now was to enable
the government to pay the interest on the debt incurred by
that war.

Mr, II ERRIES (who was very indistinctly heard) said
the hon. gentleman who had just sat down had disappointed
his expectations, for he had invited the committee to a revi-
sion of all the past and probable future history of the tax.
The house would recollect that at an early stage of the
present session, he (Mr. 'ferries) had submitted u motion
relative to this important tax, and that • very large number
of hen. members had voted with him. His proposition
having been rejected—not, however, by • large ntajonty—
the hen. member opposite (Mr. Hume) had proposed that
the tax *hook' be limited to one year. To that proposition
he (Mr. )ferries) had been moat happy to accede,
because, at the cod of the year,i the house
would again be afforded an opportunity of making the
tax permanent or otherwise. It wu true the hon. gen-
tleman had connected with his proposition the appointment
of • sotasaittee of inquiry ; and though he (Mr. 'ferries)
did not appals that appointment, yet it had no part of his
'swat. (Hear.) To limit the tax for • year was an argu Nieuwe the appointment of • committee, because that
limitation held out the hope that at the end of the year the
tax might be made to cease. The papers recently
presented to the house strengthened his conviction that the
great inequality, vexation, and fraud, lay in Schedule D.
The evasions practised under that schedule made him de-
spair of any change being effectual in preventing it. He be-
lieved that schedule weed never be made to work in the
mamma that • peace tax ought to do. (Hear, hear).
He objected to the composition of the present com-
mittee. It contained the names of no fewer than eleven of
those who had voted for the perpetuity of the tax, and only
the names of four who had voted on the other aide. Could
the report of a committee so constructed be expected to be
satisfactory ? (Hear, hear.) He was anxious, if possible,
to prevent evasion and inequality. He trusted the house
would nominate a committee, if it were to be nominated,
which would be more suited to the purposes in view, and
that that committee would enter on its duties with a deter-
mination to alter schedules D and E. (Hear.)
Colonel SIBTHORP expressed the objections he enter-
teed to a committee so unequally selected, but his obser-
vations were almost wholly inaudible in the gallery.
Mr. V. SMITH observed that the house wu now
within a week of the Whitsun holidays, and within •
month or two of the conclusion of the session ; and,
under these circumstances, it would be out of the I
power of the committee if it were to go properly
into the inquiry to make any report in time for next
seation, when the question of the renewal of the tax
would have to come on immediau:lisitegaia. (Hear, hear.)
He did think tee, that the lateseat, Wag so