The Express.
London, England, 1848-03-07 00:00:00

Takao u had been displayed by the entire people
of France. (Loud cheers). And so far as their internal govern-
ment was concerned, be would not have the impertinence
to paw en opinion as to whether recent changes were for the
tatter or otherwise. He would only express his heartfelt
wish that republican institutions might prove as advanta-
geous to that country, where property was so subdivided,
as they had to our transatlantic rivals. (Hear, hear.) But
while he admired the moderation and chivalrous courage of
the French, be could not forget that the latter virtue was
often accompanied by a thirst for military glory. He could
not but remember how efficiently the spirit-mirring words,
"En avant a la gloire," had been used by Napoleon ; and
is was impossible to anticipate what ambitious leaders might
arise out of the present struggle to assert the right of France
to the Rhenish boundary. (Hear, hear.) That
boundary England was bound to preserve by trea-
ties from which her honour would not permit her to
swerve. (Oh, oh.) To maintain the frontier of Prussia
we might be dragged into a war, and for that reason he for
one would not consent to leave the military and naval de-
letion of the country in a weak or inefficient state. The
octet of bring safe was to be brave, end to preserve with-
out ostentation a dignified attitude of defence. But to come
back to the question of taxation, he was prepared to sup-
port the motion of the hon. member fur Montrose. If they
would only retain the duty which came in force that day
(the corn duty) it would produce 850,0001., and a duty on
Bal. ic timber, which would ooly affect the foreigner, would
be worth 700,0001. Cotton, without injury to manufac-
turers, might produce 650 0001. ,• and besides, a tax on Ame-
rican cotton would eater its production in India.i In laying
on this duty we should only be following at a modest dis-
tance the practice of the United States, which had laid an
ad valorem duty of 28 per cent. on our exports. He would
only follow them at a modest distance, for while these
duties were 28 per cent., he did not propose to
eased ten or twelve per cent. on the value.
Tallow was one of the articles on which he would impose a
duty of 10 per cent. Foreign wool was another. He would
tax nothing colonial—(hear, hear)—and on all the other
grmit articles of import he would impose the same rate of
duty. (Hear, hear.) On foreign manufactures he would
impose a duty of 30 per cent. ; and there were few of our
articles of manufacture upon which the United States im-
posed so low a duty a. 30 per cent. (Hear, hear.) What
would be the result of an smgort duty of 30 per cent. en
foreign silks might be judged of from what had been the
result of the reductions of duty made by the right hon.
baronet. In 18.36 there were 14,000 looms going in Soital-
fields. In 184.5, when the trade had been ruined by the
foreign competition the right hen. baronet had by his laws.
encouraged, there were only 10,000—(hear, hear)—and, at
this moment, there were but 3,500 of these working. By
those changes in the law, not only had 169,0001.
a year of revenue been lost in this article, but
the operatives had been robbed of 150,0001., or the means
of employing 7,000 families. The same disastrous result
had followed the reduction of duties on shoes and other arti-
cles of manufacture, and yet with these facts before him, with
the knowledge that thousands of the hard-working opera-
tives of this country had been reduced to a state of rule and
destitution by his acts, he had the heart to tell them that he
did not repent the policy which ha.l entailed upon his coun-
trymen so much distress and suffering. (Hear, hear.) He
remembered well when the right hon. baronet told the Cor-
nish miners, when they complained of his bringing in foreign
competition against them, that they must consider the ad-
vantage he gave them in admitting goose feathers
duty free—(scar, and a laugh)—that they would be
enabled to sleep on down beds. (Laughter.) What were
the down beds on which they were now repaing ? He need
not go so far as Cornwall—he would vein Staffordshire; and
there he found that oat of 160 furnaces 60 were out of
blast, and the miners who were to have enjoyed such un-
heard-of luxury found that they were either thrown out of
work altogether or their wages were reduced fifteen per
cent. (Rear, hear.) Except the usurers—the representa-
tives of the money-bags—he knew of no trade that had
prospered under the opera ion of the right hon. baronet's
free-trade pulley. (Cheers, and cries of " Divide.")
The country was in the lust gasp before the Chancellor
of the Exchequer wou'.d consent to remove the Bank
restrictions, in order to bring the rate of interest
below 8 per cent. There was another tax in which a consi-
derable increase might be obtained at a less cost, perhaps,
than by any other means. An additional penny on the post
age would produce, he believed, 8.50,0001. (Loud cries of
• No, no ") Why that would not he so great a grievance as
the income tax. (Hear, hear.) When the eeduction was
made, it was e, imated by the promoters that within three
yeses the number of 'erten would increase 51 times, and
that 21 millions would be added to the revenue; but
had these predictions been fulfilled? (Cries of " Ques-
tion," and "Divide.") The question was, whether
or not the country was to have imposed upon it
for three years longer the income tax, which had
become extremely odious to the country, and not the
less so hirsute on each previous occasion of its being put on
—first in 1842 and then again in 1815—the country had
been distinctly promised, that it should be but for a short
time. (Hear.) Faith had not been kept with the country
in this matter, and the people were dissaticfied—u they had
a right to be when statesmen deceived them by false pro.
mimes. (Hear, hear.) Either they must retrace their steps
and raise taxes from foreign imports, or, if the luxuries u
well as necessaries of life were to be reduced, let them take
25 per cent. from the incomes of those who lived on the
taxes of the country. (Much cheering, mingled with cries
of " Divide.") When they found the wages of the Spited-
fields weaver reduced 20 to 25 per cent —when 20,000 opera-
tives were out of work in Manchester for months together,
and those meetings of which he had an account in his hand
—(" oh, oh "), hut would not read at that late hour, were
being held to consider whether or not the operatives of Lan-
cashire and Cheshire were to be sent across the Atlantic to
share the fate of the wretched Irish emigraars—(hear,
hear)—they must not allow the large birds of prey to
escape scot free with their large salaries and cheap luxuries.
(Hear, and cries of " Oh, oh," " Questien," and" Divide.")
If was to be made the cheapest country in the world, cheap
because the wages of labour were ground down to the lowest
possible rate, let the salaries of those who fattened on the
public taxes be reduced ales (Hear, hear.) Let 24 per
cent. be taken off the salary of the Lord-Lieutenant of Ire-
land, who, being a free-trader himself, could scarcely object,
when it was necessary to maintain his own views. (" Hear"
and a laugh.) And let all the other public officers suffer a
similar reduction. (Hear.) What he recommended was
to allow this income tax ti remain another year, and in the ,
mean time ascertain whether they could not reduce the ex,
penditure of the country without impairing the
efficiency of our establishments and if not, whe-
ther they should reimpose this tax for a still
longer period or have recourse to a different sys-
tem of taxation altogether. (Hear, hear.) lie would con-
clude by calling open his friends around him to remember
That an honest man might once take bad advice,
But idiots only cou:d be deceived twice.
Mr. BROTHERTON, amid loud cries fora division, moved the
adjournment of the debate.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER hoped a
division would now he allowed to be taken. (Cries ot "Go
on," " Adjourn," and " Divide.")
Strangers were ordered to wi,hdraw ; but after a few
moments they were re-admitted, no division taking place.
Mr. WILSON said though be should be sorry to incom-
mode the government, yet this being the stage at which
many hon. gentlemen who had not yet spoken were anxious
to express t ,eir opinions, he could not—especially after the
speeches of that evening—which had given the debate a
tura some hon. members ha I not expected—(hear, hear)—
think it proper that a division should be taken until all who
wished to speak should have had an opportunity of doing
so. (Hear, hear.)
Sir 0. GREY observed that if the hon. gentleman did not
propose to address his remarks to the question of whether
the tax should be continued fur three years or one year, but
to the general question, be would have full opportunity to
speak hereafter. (Hear.)
Mr. DISRAELI called upon the house to remember that
the right hon. baronet (Sir R. Peel) had been entering into I
the merits of the new commesciil eys,em to which he and
his friends believed the present deficiency was owing. It
was necessary, therefore, they should have an opportunity of
showing their belief that tit, re would, but for that system,
have been no necessity for this tax. (Hear, and cries of
" Divide.")
Mr. WILSON intended to speak to the motion becira th
house—tha, of the period for which the tax should be con-
tinued, for in that the whole question was involved. (Hear.)
He agreed with the right his, baronet that if they did not
continue this tax, it would be impossible to carry out the
policy which had of late years governed the house.
Mr. WAKLEY was decidedly in favour of an adjourn-
ment, though not on the same grounds as the hon. gentle-
man who had just spoken. If the tax was to be continued
for three years' government was bound to give some sub-
stantial reasons for it, which they had not yet done. (Hear.)
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER consented

to the iirtljouiument, and
The debate was then adjourned till Friday next, and the
house resumed.
PASSENGERS BILL.

Mr. LABOUCHERE having moved that the house go
into committee on this bill,
Sir P. NUGENT, Sir F. BERKE, and other Irish members,
its postponement, which was opposed by Mr. M. J.
O'CONNELL, Mr. MAUNSELL, Mr. ADLIONBY, and Mr.
CARDWELL, on the ground that as the emigration semen
was approaching, it was of great importance that the
question should be settled, as much evil would arise from
further delay and uncertainty. Mr. FthiTER and Mr.
A. STAFFORD thought it would be better to give
up the bill altogether, as there was no proba-
bility of its being passed for several weeks. After
a conversation which lasted half an hour on the propriety of
going into committee, Mr. WAWN, who said he was opposed
to the bill altogether, moved, as au amendment, amidst
much laughter, that the Speaker leave the chair that day
fortnight.
The house divided—For the motion 99
For the amendment Ci-93
The house then went into committee, but
Mr. WAWN protestedogainst their being called upon to
proceed in committee with a bill which had been only deli-
vered that morning, and moved that the chairman report
Progress and ask leave to sit again.
Mr. LABOCCIIERE felt that the interests of humanity
demanded of him to persist, if supported by the house—
(hear, bear, and cries of Oo on")—more particularly as he
had reason to believe that it would be generally concurred
in by the shipowners.
Capt. ELLIOTT said he would sit there until 4 o'clock in
the morning if necessary, in order that the bill might be
passed through committee.
Sir IL FERGLISON, although opposed to the original
bill, supported it in its amended form.
After some discussion, as to the evils of further delay, Mr.
'Newt( consented to withdraw his motion, and the bill
Pilled through committee.
CONSOLIDATION OF PRISONS.
On the motion of the ATTOHNIT-OZZallieit a bill was