The Express.
London, England, 1860-06-30 00:00:00

THE PRIVILEGE QUESTION.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE.
The report of the Select Committee on Tax Bills
was issued this morning.
The committee have searched for precedent; in the
journals from the year 1628 to the present time, in order
that they might ascertain and report on the practice pur
sued by either house with regard to the several descriptions
of bills imposing ►od repealing taxes. The practice and the
mode of prooedure is somewhat different according to the
character and object of those bills. The committee have,
therefore, for the sake of clearness, classified the same
chiefly under one or the other of the following heads :
1. Bills of supply and tax bills.
2. Bills for appropriating supplies.
3. Public bill., which are not strictly bills of supply or
tax bills, but which operate u a tax or charge on the pet).
pie ; and
4. Bills for altering or repealing tete which relate to
supply, taxes, or charges.
The committee have thought it necessary to cell the
esteatiim of the house to those cases only in which the Lords
have Mu:tiered. _ _ _

La the of the first suction—relating to bills of
supply and tax bills—the committee state "the funda-
mental rale" to be be that "the Commons grant, the
Lords 'assent." It illustrates this principle by the gent
examples of 1407 and 1628 ; and by the usage of the House
of Common', as exemplified in the preambles of money
bills, and in their return from the Upper Home for pre-
sentation to the Sovereign by the Speaker. It shows
that when the Lords have attempted amendments
to bills of this nature, the Commons have assented only in
clues where the amendment we. immaterial. It justifies
the limitation of research to the year 1626, by the fact that
the usage of parliament was virtually settled at that period,
and that earlier precedents are abundantly exhibited
in the reasons urged by the Commons in their con-
ferences of 1671. In those conferences it was expressly
laid down that the "matter, measure, and tune" of
any tax or imposition are all and entirely under
the control of the Commons. The report shows,
under the lame head, that so jealous were the
Commons over these privileges, that they disallowed
amendments which effected only an abatement in the
amount, or an alteration in the mode of collecting, the
tax voted. In April, 1700, they dimallowed amendments to
the Land-tax and Irish Forfeiture Bill, though those
amendments did not relate to aid and supply, resols;ng
that, "as all aids and supplies begin with the Commons ;
so it is the undoubted and sole right of the Commons, to
direct, limit, and appoint in such bills, the ends and pur-
poses, considerations, limitations, and qualifications of such
peat", which ought not to be changed or altered by your
lordship." It was further ra.olved, that, " This is
well known to be such a fundamental right of the
Commons, that to give remains for it has been esteemed by
our ancestors to be a weakening of that right." Under the
second head of inquiry there is nothing to report, the Lords
having invariably assented to " bills teethe appropriation of
supply." But in the third class of cases—that of " public
bills, which are not strictly bills of supply or
tax bills, but which operate as a tax or charge
I upon the people," the report . presents some curious
I jest/ones of the zealous guardianship the Commons ex.
*raised over what they describe in one resolution ea
' their " undoubted right to appoint pecuniary mulcts and
their distribution." They would not gaffer the Lords ti
originate a bill or insert • clause imposing bridge tolls or
paying rates or fines for divers police offences. Of late
years they have relaxed their usages in this respect. They
were careful to assert their ancient " and undoubted pri-
vileges " in the resolutions which so lately as 16.31 and
1619 they added to the standing orders • permitting the
Lords to propose or alter charges so strictly local and
exceptional that they could not be construed into
a tax on the people or a supply t the crown. Lastly, the re-
port deals with bills fur -altering and repealing acts which
relate to supplies, taxes, or charges." On this class of bills
the committee observe that they ought to originate in the
Commons, and that they are not allowed to be amended.
It appears, however, that in 1711 the Lords rejected a bill
for relisv rag merchants from part of the duties dee on tobacco
and wine; and that iu the next year the same bill trumpet up
again, and was again rejected. In 1767 • bill to allow free
importation of—that in, to suspend or repeal the duties
upon—salted meat and batter, was postponed to a day after
the prorogation. In 1741 a bill for reducing the duties on
salt used for manure was, in like manner, defeated by
postponement. There are several other preoedena which
go to a similar extent. The most important, however, is
a resolution of the whole house repealing the existing coal
duties and granting other duties in lien thereof. The bus
of this bill occurred in 1808. . . .

In concluding this report the committee refrain from
offering any opinion and from making any comments upon
that pnctica, except to illustrate and explain ; and they
i have abstained from any statement of the practice of each
house, "except in so tar as such practice appears from
the entries in the journals."
The draft report by Mr. Bright is nearly as long as
that of the committee. The 4ollowing paragraphs with
which it concludes would have been added to Mr. Walpole's
report, but for the casting vote of Sir James Graham :
The committee, re% iewing this testimony, derived from
the records of parliament, and from the settled nachos
of the House of Commons, Lave asked themselves this
question. What is the principle involved in the prece-
dent of the 9th of Henry VII., and what the right of the
Commons of England, which, Mr. Pro declared, in the
year 1640, had been 'not shaken be one precedent for
these 300 years!" Is it merely that the House of Com-
mons shall been all bills of taxation and supply ; or that
the Lords shall not, by amendment in any bill, raise or
diminish, by one penny, any charge imposed on the
people! Is it one or both of these things only which
formed the staple of the right for which the Commons
have contended during so many centuries? The com-
mittee cannot doubt that the nght which the Commons
have contended for and have maintained, is nothing
less than an absolute control in determining the ex-
penditure necessary for the service of the crown,
and the mode and the amount of the taxation
which shall be imposed upon the people. If the Lords
cannot begin a tax, if they cannot increase or abate
• tax, vet if they may prolong • tax by re-
fining their assent to its repeal when that repeal has
been voted by the House of Commons, then it appears to
the Committee that the ' fundamentel and inherent
right' of the House of Commons to an absolute control
over taxation and supply is not tnly menaced, but de-
stroyed.
"-The committee cannot conclude their report with-
out reminding the home, that, if henceforth, which
they will not believe to be possible, no tax, hurtful
to trade and grievous to the people, can be re-
mitted unless the Lords be pleased to remit
it, or can be even recommended by the crown to
he coushiered by the Commons with a view to its remis-
sion, with that foil assurance which has heretofore ex-
isted that such a tax will be remitted ; not only will the
powers of the House of Commons be impaired, but the
foundation of the ancient freedom of England will be
nuderndued ; for where she)d that ancient freedom be
found when the right to determine the mode and the
sum of taxation is divorced from the representative branch
of the legislature !"

TUE GREAT SoCIAL EV7L.—Yesterday, at mid-
night, the committee held a meeting at the Lecture Hell,
Easton-road, near the Hampstead-road, which was ex•
trimly well attended. The circulars cif invitation were
only Weed a short time before the hoer of meeting, sod at
least 100 unfortunate girls attended. The cards were dis-
tributed by missionaries,who paraded the principal thorough-
fares of the district, and the large hall was nearly filled
by midnight. Refreshments were provided on a similar
scale to those at St. James's Hall ; the whole of the tables
were surrounded by these unfortunate creatures, and
their couutenences betrayed great wonderment as to what
they were invited to do or hear. A large number of clergy
men and gentlemen attended, and amongst them were the-
Rev. W. Bueke, of Auldington, and preacher at the Mag-
dalen Hospital; the Rev. H. A. Baumgartner, of Camber-
berwell ; the Rev. Mr. Dove curate of Christ Church ; the
Rev. Mr. Thomas ; Mr. Theilphilus Smith, Mr. Hornibrook,
Mr. Stable, Mr. Fortescoe, lcc. The nroceedinp commenced
with singing the beautiful hymn, " Rock of ages! cleft for
me." The poor girls sang with as much fervour as if they were
in a church. The Rev. Mr. Burke then delivered an effective
address, which was attentively listened to by the women—
at the conclusion of which the Evening Hymn was sung and
the benediction pronounced. The success of the meeting
wee very marked, several having determined to go to the
different homes; and altogether it was such as to cause the
committee to determine upon bolding several other district
meetings. The number who have accepted the offers of
reclamation from the different meetings has been so great
that the committee have had to provide additional homes,
and it is said that a perfectly independent one is to be
founded. This, of couree, will necessitate an augmentation
of the funds placed at the disposal of the committee, and,
consequently, they appeal for =reseed aid. An interesting
use arose out of the last midaight meeting : a fine young
girl had been seduced by a gentleman's butler, and a chM
wee born. The girl was neglected, and she attended at one
of the homes. The seducer wee sent for, and he promised
to marry the girl by banns, but the committee thought time
would not let the bird slip through their bands, and imme-
diately obtained a license, with which the pair were united
without any delay.

LANES INTELLIGENCE.
- _
NAPLES IN A STATE OF SUM.
POPULAR EXCITEMENT.
PARIS, Jews 30.
A private telegram from Naples, dated Thursday
evening, states that on Wednesday some disturbers
of the public peace assaulted and wounded the
Minister of France.
On the 28th inst. the commissariats of the 12
districts of the city were simultaneously ransacked
and pillaged. The archives were burnt and the
agents murdered.
Naples had been proclaimed in a state of siege,
and any assembling in the streets had been pro-
hibited.

NAPLES, Ran 28, EVENING.
This evening riotous assemblages took place in
the Strada di Toledo.

A grand gala was held to-day to celebrate the
inauguration of the constitutional flag.

TURIN, Jove 29.

The Ne►politan government has ordered the
restitution of the two captured vessels and the re-
lease of the crew and passengers.
The state of things at Naples inspires great fears
of anarchy and of conflicts between the lazzaroni
and the remainder of the population.

THE INSURRECTION IN SICILY.
MESSINA. Jut!' 24.

Since yesterday we are in a state of the utmost
excitement, for it is rumoured that two columns of
Garibaldi's troops have left Palermo and are march-
ing hitherwards. One of these columns is said to
be commanded by Colonel Turr. This news suffi-
ciently explains the concentration of Neapolitan
forces here. Six more vessels bringing troops ar-
rived this morning. We must now have in our
forts something like 25,000 men. It is impossible
that you can form an ides of the forlorn state of
this place. Almost all the inhabitants have fled
and taken their valuables with them. One meets
nothing but soldiery in the streets. Strong patrols
of artillery and cavalry march about the town all
night long. The guns are pointed on the Rue Fer-
dinanda, which commands the road from Molars°.
We are looking for a general engagement every
moment. The consuls who yet remain at Messina
will be very lucky if they get time to escape on
board the ships in the port, for the soldiers
make no attempt to conceal the fact that as soon
as Garibaldi's columns approach the forts will open
a terrible fire upon the town. Meanwhile, deser-
tion from the royal forces goes on swimmingly. A
whole company, which was on duty at an advanced
post, has just gone over to the insurgents with
arms and baggage. You may shortly expect to
receive most serious news. It is impossible that
things can remain as they are much longer. The
bent informed people think that Garibaldi's march
upon Messina is a feint, and that although he may
perhaps even go so far as to commence an attack
upon the town, his main object is to draw the
royal forces here in order that he may pounce
down upon the Calabriaa, where all is ready for
his reception. At Catania the populace has thrown
down the statues of Francis I. and Ferdinand.