The Express.
London, England, 1853-04-19 00:00:00

CITY OF WESTMINSTER.

and, when such persons have received their education at
more than ens cf such classes of schook, sp. cityii g, as far
as practicable, :he total periods of their attendants at each
of such classes of schools.
PETITIONS PRESENTED.
ADWISsION or Jgwa To PARLIAMENT —By Sir J. Y.
BULLER, from the Rural Deanery of Moiettin Hampstead,
against; Lord MARCH, from postmasters, int..
REDUCTION OF AUMAMENTS.—By Mr. THORNELY,
from Billiton, for.
OrF:NING OF TILE CRYSTAL PALACE ON SUNDAY.—
By Sir J. 'INItELL, from Ihrch, in Eases; Sir J. Y.
DULLER, from Luddiswall, in Devon, against.
Taxra uN KNOWLEDGE.—By Mr. J. KERSHAW,
from 2,t 00 inhabitants of Stockport, and from the presi-
dent, secretary, snit officers of the Stockport Reform As,o-
elation ; Mr. BRAND, from the Lewes Mechanics Institu-
tion; Mr. DUNLOP, from Greenock, for repeal of.
ADVERTISEMENT DUTV.—By Mr. MORRIS, from the
newspaper proprietors of Carmarthen ; Sir J. DUCK-
WORTH, from E. Wooliner ; Mr. BRAND, from the pro-
prietor of the Sussex Mee, tiser ; Mr. L. KING, from the
proprietor of the Surrey Gereette praying tur repeal of.
Isiconn TAX. --117 Lord IloioANl, from medical prac-
titioners of Bull and Beverley; Lord D. stuART, from
Menem a of the Metropolitan A•socittion of Physicians and
Surgeons; Mr. PIGOTT, front the medical practitioners of
Reading anti its neighbourhood; Mr. SM„YTH, from the
medical gent:elven of the City of York, for modification of.
ATTORNEY..;. CEILTiricATE MTV. —By Mr. rworr,
from the sulidtors and proctors of Reading; Mr. GAS-
KELL, from the attornks and solicitors at Bradford,
Yorkshire, for repeal of.
PArEit uTT.—By Sir J. ANDERSON, from the pro-
Yost, ilia.tistrat•N., and town couucii of Dunfermline, for the
re sal of the.
I..slLtAmEstrattTParetta.—lly Mr.D.SEYMOUR, from
town ar.d corporation of l'uule, fur distribution of to Me-
chailies Institutes.

SCOTTISH UNIVT.ILSITY TESTS.—By Mr. G. J. Durr,
from Lussilmouth and Alyea, in Morayshire, for the aboli-
tion of.
Derr UN TEA.-111 Mr. BUTLER, signed ley rector
and 1,421 inhabitants of White chat el and adjacent parishes,
praying that the duty ou tea may be seduced to Is. per
pound.
THE BUJ)GET.
The house having gone into a committee of supply,
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCIII;t/12 Elt ruse and
said,—Mr. Liouverie, sir,—The annual exposition of the
financial state and prospects of this country upon ordinary
occasions affords abundant materials of interest to this
house and the country, and of anxiety to the person who is
charged with the preparation of that exposnioa. But on
the present occasion, perhaps, that interest on the our hand
and certainly that anxiety on the other, are greatly en-
hanced. A variety of circumstances, including uniting them
the number of motions that have recently been mode in
this house, indicate the increasing eagerness of the people
with respect to financial questions. Political events, and
the shocks which have enteebled and overthrown adminis-
trations, and which have made it necessary to adjourn from
year to year questions of taxation, have likewise accumu-
lated upon the present government the tit* which
they have to discharge in that department ; and iu
connexion with this question, there have of late been grave
discussions of a nature the most deeply interesting, de-
scending to the first elementary principles of taxation, and
almost to the first principles upon which men are united in
civil society. (Cheers.) Sir, with a task so formidable
before me, I feel warranted in addressing a special appeal
to the eamruitt,e for their kindness and indulgence—
(clieers)—for I am certain that ouly by that kindness and
indulgence can I be able-1 will not say to discharge that
task as it ought to be, for that is beyond my power—but to
discharge it so as in any case to be intelligib,e to my
hearers. Mr. Buuverie, the first portion of my duty will
be to lay before the committee the state of tie public
account. I think I shall best discharge that duty by taking
up the recital ut the state of that account from the point ut
which it stood last year, when the financial department was
in the hands of the right lion. gentleman opp•sit ; and
it will be satiefactoi y to the committee to libber,'
that as our experience grows with the lapse of time, so do
we obtain larger and still larger proofs of the elasticity of
the revenue and of the progress of the productive and con-
suming power of the country. (Cheers.) On the 30th of
April, 18.52, the right hon. gentleman opposite, my prede-
cessor, estimated the revenue for the year at 51,625,0001. ;
and in the month of December, 1852, when he had occasion
to return to the subject, he was able to present to the house
an estimate which placed the revenue tot' the year at
' 52,325,0001.—exhibiting an increase win his estimate of
April amounting to sin less than 700,0001. Now, sir,
within the few months which have elapsed since December,
we have further evidence of the same gruff. ing character ;
for the revenue o hich the right lion. gentleman had judi-
ciously estimated at 52,325,0001. amounted to no less, when
we hail reached the termination of the year, than
53,069,000/.—ellowing an increase of no less than 1,461,0001.
upon the estimate which had been submitted at the com-
mencement of that year. The expenditure of the past
year, as it was estimated on the 30th of April
last, was taken at 51,163,0001. ; but the actual •
expenditure has only reached 50,782,000/. (Cheers.)
The consequence is that you have has figures presented to
you that must have gratified every member of this com-
mittee, for they show an actual surulus of income over
expenditure amounting to 2,460,0001. (Cheers.) But
having reached this point, it now becomes my duty to ask
the committee to make some large deduction from the
sanguine expectations which have been expressed—expecta-
tions so sanguine, considering the quarter from which they
come, as to have excited my surprise. For it has been pre-
cipitately inferred that because the balance of the income
over the expenditure of the year was 2,460,0001., therefore
you have a sum of 2,460,0001. available for the remission of
taxation. (blear, hear.) Unfortunately before we can
arrive at that conclusion, there is one circumstance rather
material to examine; and that is, what is the estimated
amount of the expenditure of the year which we have
jest commenced ? Well, sir, when we look at that expendi•
tare as it steeds upon the votes of this house,
and compare it with the expenditure of the last year,
we shall find the matterwill stand thus : The expenditure of
1852.3, which I take from the accounts, reached 50,702,0001.,
and t`.e expenditure of 1853-I, a great portion of which has
already been voted, and the remainder of which I cannot
anticipate will be diminished by this house, is estimated at
62,163,000/. Therefore, air, without going into other parti-
maitre, which I am very sorry to say would cause a fur-
ther deduction from the surplus of 2,160,0001., 1 beg leave
to point out that at lead 1,400,0001., or three-fifths of
that surplus, are already disposed of by charges to which
the country is liable under acts of parliament or by votes
to which you have agreed for the eleteuves of the country,
and by charges on account of miscellaneous services, which
I apprehend this house will not be inclined to refuse or di-
minish. The right hon. gentleman, my predecessor, when
in December, 1852, he estimated his surplus fur the present
year, took a total sum of 1,600,0001., of which he stated
that upon the ordinary revenue he should veuturc to anti-
cipate a surplus of 1,300,0001. or 1,400,0001. To that he.
'added, fur the extra charges on account of the
Kaffir war, which he regarded as concluded, a sum of
200,0001. or 300,0001., and these items put together
would give a surplus as the basis of his calculations for the
year amounting to 1,600,0001. At that period the right
hon. gentleman thought that the only charges against that
surplus on account of the coming expenditure would be a
sum of 100,0001., which he proposed to apply mainly to the
relief of the shipping interests, and 600,0001. which he re
quired for the increased estimates for the great services of
the country. His successors in office, however, have not
been so fortunate, nor has this house thought it wise to
confine its votes in supply for the year within these limits.
I shall now state to the house how that surplus of 1,600,0001.
The augmented charges, part of which have
been voted, and part of which are yet to come,
amount at least to 1,654,0001. (Hear, hear.) There has
been some further improvement in the revenue of the
country, and there ate likewise some few items of public
expenditure upon which her Majesty's government have
been able to effect sonic small saving. Adding up
the various items they give a total estimated income of
52,990,0001., againet which we have to set a total estimated
expenditure of 52,183,0001., showing an apparent surplus of
807,000/. But, sir, anxious above all things to avoid nixing
undue expectation, 1 am desirous to impress upon the com-
mittee that they must bear in mind that of this 800,0001.
about 220,0001. consists of items which are not permanent
and recurring ones, and which will not be repeated. Looking
at the uncertainty in connection with the packet
service and the harbour, of the Channel Islands, and the
saving on the debt, it is possible that the surplus which 1
have stated to you may be reduced to the extent of
100,0001. You will, therefore, he more secure if you con-
sider the total surplus as 700,0001. rather titan 8011,0001. •
and yon, mutt bear in mind that 220,0001. of the 800,0001:
is deri red from occasional ana not permanent sources of in-
come . At the same time, however, my sanguine hope is
that we shall realise the whole surplus of 800,000/. Well, sir, '
Of a is the state of the account of the country as I have en-
d eavoured to bring it up to the present moment, and to
present it clearly to the committee. The committee
will not have failed to observe that I have
included a large sum, amounting to more than one-
tenth of the whole revenue, which we have an-
nually raised since 1842, namely, the income tax.
But the income tax is ut this moment legally
expired, and it will he for the committee to consider wile.
thee or not it will revive it. Upon that subject I am afraid I
shall hove to trouble them at some length; but before I enter
upon it, and upon a complete and continuous exposition of
the news of the government with regard to finance, there
are two (orations to which I must previously advert, on ac-
count chiefly of the positions which they occupied in the
financial statement of my predecessor. The first of these
refers to a particular class, and has regard to the shipping
interest. The committee know, from a statement already
made by my right lion. friend the Pree:dent of the Board
of Tref.° (Mr. Cardwell), that her Majesty's govern-
ment propose to afford what they trust will be
found a considerable benefit mid relief to that in-

Sir J. V-. SHLLGEI moved for copies of certain orders
and ordinances made the 27th day of May, in the 27th year
of Elizabeth, by the Hight Hon. Sir William Cecill, High
Steward of the City of Westminster, and Doctor Goodman,
Dean of St. Peter's, with the assent of Thomas Fowler,
John Fisher, and other burgesses and their assistants, an,
cording to the statutes made and provided for the got' d
government of the city or borough of Westminster of
any subsequent rules made by the High Steward, Deans and
Court of Burgtsses for the good government of West. oio-
oder ; list of persons now tilling the offices of High Ste* ward,
I High Bailiff, or any other officer in the civil governs sent of
I Westminster, setting rth by whom such parse ns were
onindnted, and under what statutes; and an accou' ,t of the
i sum or sums which each of such persons has p sid for his
LlOPointment; account of the sources and amount of
fees ur revenue derived by each and every o',Noor so op•
pointed, and the duties performed ; and else of all fees or
revenui a derived by the Court of Buff eases, with the
sources from which such fees or revenues we .e derived ; and
of the afpointment and disbursement of such tees or revel-
ye
Imes ; diqinguishing the tines inflicted tf• .rough the annoy-
! sect: jury f.r each of the last twenty earn ; and of the
appropriation or disbursement cf such in..,
Agreed to. _

BANK OF ENGLAY D NOTES.
On the motion of Mr. A. Ilysrie, an account was or-
dered specifying srporotely am, collectively, the monthly
~meant of notes in circulatio u of the &auk of England,
oat, r Minks of issue is England, Scanlon& and Ire-
; with the amount ot 'Junior' in the Bank of England
livid August, 1848, to the present time.
EDUCATVJN OF PRISONERS.
On the motion of Mr. T. Ciotattigns, a return was
ot,!o-rd of the num aer of versos-, distinguishing males
feom &aisles, now in emtaly in the }rousts of Correction
on 1 ether prism. in Englund kind Wales; specifying tho
proportion of such pawns who hays received their educa-
tion respectively at prison schools, workhouse schools, mill
or lactnry schools, mad coma' in public or private schools ;

tary for the Treasury will take a future occasion of entering
more at large into that question , but I regret to say [llia
we ham pot discovered any method of granting that privi-
lege, in the present state of the law with respect to sager,
which will be satisfactory to the West Indians and to the
refining trade, and which at the same time would not in-
flict a very heavy hues upon the revenue. Oh ar, hear.)
With respect to the e tualisation of spirit duties again, I
fear that really nothing remains to he done in this respect
I believe the distillers of this country consider that already
the duties have been somewhat more than equalised, an
things considered, iu favour of the West Indiaies. At all
events, we are not prepared to propose any diallee in the
an
law in the nature of equalisation of spirit (twits es between
colonial and domestic distillers. No, sir, there is but one
thing—there is but one way in which it has appeared to
the government that they might entertain a sanguine hope
of being able, at a very slight charge to this country—
perhaps at no charge—to confer material benefit
on the \Vest Indies, and that in a way which,
if it can be effected, will, I am sure, command
the approbation of this committee; because it is by
enabling them to economise the heavy expenditure
of their own governments—(hear, hear)—titerli:aiviy: din
public
many cases, almost a ruinous expeaditure. (ILsr, hear.)
In the cause of Jamaica, fur example, h
debt the minimum rate of interest upon which is 6 per
cent., end the maximum 10 ' -er cent.—the capital of the
debt amounting to about half a million of money. (Near,
hear.) And it it were possible for the government to in-
duce the aseembly of Jamaica to amend the vicious consti-
tution of that island, and to place it upon a foundation
that would give scope for etrict control over the expendi-
ture, her Majesty's government would then be disposed to
recommend to this house to employ the credit of this
country in guaranteeing the island's debts. (Hear, hear)
I do not now inquire whether that welled entail a charge
upon you ; I believe it would entail none. I would ho tho
first to assert that there should be the utmost jealou.y as
. .

to the interposition of the credit of 64 country
between debtors and creditors out of this country.
(Hear, hear) But, considering all that has hip.
pened to the West Indies. Considering the ellect
that British legislation has had in precipitating their diffi-
culties, I do believe, it' we were able to point to a prospect
of great unit effectual relief to Jamaica to be indirectly
obtained through effective reform of its government, that
this house would look with a gel erous and a considerate
eye upon any proposal fur using the credit of this eountry
in the mintier 1 have named. (Hear, hear.) That refers
to Jamaica which presents at the present moment by far
the most urgent erne of distress among the We-t India colo-
nies. (Hear, hear.) lam not sure that there is one other
among those colonies which will he in a condition to re-
quest a similar interposition. (lien, Iliac.) If they did, it
would depend upon the case to be shown. Ido nut think
it likely that such a case would arise ; all I can say is, that
it is not likely the doer would he absolutely shut against
them. I pass now from the collateral topic of the Vest
Indian interest, to that connected with the Exchequer
Loan Fund. After all that has passe;, in the debate of
December last, it was evidently the duty of the government
to make a full investigation into the transactions of that
department. We have instituted that investigation. We
have presented the results in print to the house. They are
in a form so simple that an inspection only oceupying a
few minutes will exhibit them to any hon. member. It
appears, from the figures there presented, that after debit-
ing the Exchequer Loan Fund—l will not say with the
folly of parliament, but with every questionable cr am-
biguous advance that was made,—after charging the whole
of those to the last parliament, yet each has been the sound
discretion exercised by the members and officas of that
board in the loans they hove made—(hear, hear)—that
while they have afforded an iminenee amount of local ac-
commodation, they have likewise realised, alter paying
every expense that belongs to the office, a nett balance of
not less than 227,0001.; and if we put values such as san-
guine men might perhaps put upon certain innatments
that have not yet been realised, it is fir from
impossible that that balance way be raised to
nearly a million of money, to the credit of the
entire transaction. (Cheena It is our candid opinion,
under these circumstances, that the sentiments expressed
by Sir James Graham in December last in loped to
the Exchequer Loan Fund are justified by the facts ; and it
is not our intention to propose the abolition of that systeos,
which we think has been both vela tble to these to whom
advances have bean made, and highly beneficial to the
country. (Cheers.) I now approach a difficult part of the
task I have to perform—the discussion of the income tax.
(Hear, bear.) The first question that the commits, c has to
consider is, whether or not it will make efforts to part with
the income tax at once. Ido not say that such an alterna-
tive is impossible; on the contrary, I believe that, by the
conjunction of thee measures—one of which must he a tax
upon land, houses, anal other visible property, of perheps6d.
in the pound; another, a system of licenses upon trades,
made universal—(hear, hear)—aud averaging something like
71. ; and a third, a change in your scheme of legacy duties
—(loud cheers)—itwould he possible for you at once to part
with the income tax. But the government do not recommend
such a course to the committee. They do not recommend
it, because they believe, in the first place, that such a
system would, uieen the whole, be far more unequal and
cause greater dissatisfaction timn the income-tax. They
believe, likewise, that it would arrest other beneficial
reforms of taxation. (Hear, hear.) And they believe that
it would raise that difficult question, in regard to the taxa-
tion of the public funds of this country, in a farm the most
inconvenient. I might dilute upon this subject, but it is
needless to do so. I leave it to those—if such there be—who
are prepared to recommend the immediate abandonment of
the income-tax. Such is not the recommendation of her
Majesty's government. The right honourable gentle-
man then pruceeded to notice the objection that the
same rate of tax ought not to be levied on preca-
rious and realised incomes ; but what were precarious
and what realised ? The relation between the payment on
lands and trades would go a great way to solve the diffi-
cult
question as to the justice of the tax. The real tax,
he would show, was paid by the land and houses. They
paid 7d. in the pound uniformly on au income not assessed by
the possessor, and without the smallest deduction iu respect
to the difference between gross and net income ; whereas,
if the present scheme of the tax was broken up,
allowance must be made fur rep tin, insurance, law ex-
penses, cost of management, arrears and abatement% of
rent. Taking this deduction at 16 per c nt. upon 80,000,0001.,
the gross income, it would be reiuced to 67,200,0001., which
really bore the 2,330,0001., tee amount of the tax under that
schedule. Then there were mortgages and settlements,
which would reduce the income by at least 20,000,0001.,
leaving it only 47,200,0001., the net receipt of those bene-
ficially interested in the lands and houses ; so that the rate
of the tax upon this species of property was 91. in the
pound, trades paying only 7d.---a proportion neerly evial
to the 7d. and 5.1(1. proposed by Mr. Disraeli. If the basis
of the tax were to be broken up, there would be a war of
classes, and it was difficult to see where it would end.
It had been said that the fair proportion which land
should bear to trades was as four to three, and that was
the relative proportion of the tax at present. As to
the averaging of classes among the nuelves, ho insisted
that this was impracticable. Some trades were better than
perpetuities, while others were not worth three years' pur-
chase. Moreover, trades paid 7d. upon an assessment made
by the parties themselves ; and Mr. Gladstone mentioned a
case in which the incomes of 28 persons, actually amounting
to 48,159/. a year, had been returned at only 9,0001. As
regarded the state of the case between land and
trades therefore, there was no sufficient ground for attempt-
ing to reconstruct the scheme of the tax. With regard to
schedule C, including funclhelders he appealed to the house
whether, if that schedule steed alone, it would not be an
argument against breaking up the tax. Some rational con-
struction must be given to the words of the Loan Act. The
proposal to levy the tax upon the capitalized value of
the income was one which could not with honour be
adopted by the British Parliament. At present,
only one-third of the public debt was held on see
accounts, indicating, generally speaking, absolute property ;
and the remaining two-thirds were held on joint accounts
by persons not in their own right. Professions paid oni -
twenty-second part of the tax, and public feeling recom-
mended a change of this part of the scheme ; but he warned
the committee of the more than Herculean task that must
be undertaken if an attempt In made to reconstruct the
tax because of so limited :a case as this schedule. In
my own opinion it is perfectly plain, from the modo
in which the income tax was put an end to .et
the termination of the war, that it is not well adapted
for a permanent portion of your financial system.
(Cheers.) Whether it is so or not is a point on
which there is a great difference of opinion ; yet 1 think
this is on all hands admitted, that it is not 'Owed
for a pennament portion of your fiscal system unless
Eou tan, by a re-construction, remove its inequalities.
ven if we could remove that inequality, there would still
remain in my mind objections of a grave kind. The recon-
struction of the income tax would, under any circumstances,
I think, be found to open up social questions of a very serious
nature. Our proposal, continued the right hon. gentleman,
with regard to the income tax then is this. We
propose that there should ha a renewal of the income
tax for two years from April, 15.53, at the rate of 7d. in
the pound. We mopose—(the committee will recollect that
I have stated that it has been our duty to look at this ques-
tion in its whole breadth, to look at all the difficulties with
which it is surrounded in the face, and to endeavour to
come to a settlement of the question)—l say, then, that we
propose to renew the income tax for two years from Apra,
1e53, at 7d. in the pound; for two years more from April,
185.5, at the rate of 64. in the pound ; and fur three y ears
more from April, 1817, at the rate of sd. in the pound—
(" hear, hear," and a laugh)—and under that proposal the
tix would expire on the mei of April, 1860. (Hear, hear.)
You have a right to expect that in our plan we
Amid undertake to fulfil one or the other of these objects.
In considering the question whether we should make it the
first object of our policy to extinguish the tax at an early
moment, or whether, on the other hand, we should endea-
vour to bring to completion that great national work of
which the income tax has been the chief instrumcm, we
duly considered both those propositions, and we derided de-

terest, without inflicting any charge upon the public. ! liberate'y on the adoptiOn •of the second. While,
Another interest wan mentioned by the right hon. gentle- i therefore, inviting the home to renew the income
man as having so much claim on the general sympathies of ! tsx, we propose the to associate it during the
the house, that respect and consideration demand that I j three years which it will run with a great and
should at least nit leave it without mention. I mean that ! beneficial remission of taxation. (Hear, hear.) But
which is calhal the West Indian interest. With regard to it is to be feared that the statement I have
that interest, I regret to sly that there is indeed little, Bony- made with regard to the condition of a surplus
thing, that can he done by a roemument, in our View, consis- .is not very promising oil that subject. Ile would
teirly with its more extended duties to the public, in fut. ! indeed be an ingenious ut:nister of finance who could find
tihnent of the riquisitiomi which that interest has pre- ! means for large remiteions of taxation out of a sum of
(erred. With regard to reduction of the duty on sugar, ! 70(1,0001., of which se me 2110,000/. or 300,000/. must be re-
which is one of its requests, in proportion to the fall in the ! girded as uncertain. If we propose remissions of taxetim
duty upon foreign sugar, so as to maintain the differential ' we must be provideq with funds to meet a deficiency, and
rate that now exists between them, it is entirely impossible 1 that clement:l7 rrinciple I am sorry to say it is not wholly
for the government to hold out the intellect hope of their useless fur rue W.guin to repeat. We have then leid to con-
rt commending any such measure. (ffeae, hear.) With sides., invidic.us as it is, what means were open to us to oh-
respect to the question of their refining their sugars in bond* tain such funds as would enab:e us to apply the principle of
which is of a differential character, my hon. friend the &ere- • glut 'uondicitil remission ut taxation. the first
question