The Express.
London, England, 1860-02-24 00:00:00

REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE.-ADJOURNED

DEBATE.
_ HUBBARD• Co retaminz the debit. upon Mr.
gra taee'a notice, Instituted • clown's:on between CU
toseembes soda by England under the treaty and those
made by Fracas; the farmer Wag large and important, mid
the latter almost nothing. de in.ranced cod, upon which
we bad eagaged to levy no duty, Franco, a/tbough she had
coal. having OMNI to export. He could not congratulate the
name, h. mid, twos on ulditioaal tecom•-tax se the price
of • lemon upon political economy by Mr. C•bdan to tha

. .

xt,

X

„ Emperor oLthe Freneh. from the Amy he torus! to the
budget, sad pointed oat flea political wile that woulO, to kis
opi cm n Attend the stamp duty upon coo tracts and dock warrants
to hinotranci to tradeohnoyance, end lose, and the chirps to
be levied toms certain o, orations in warehoused. Hs con-
rebated reedy however, fell apes ties increased brooms-
ma, wh'cb was to bur the brunt, be observed, of the reduc-
tions under the treaty, and Oil up the chasm they created,
commuting upon the isjurieut aad unequal action of this
mon, of exited m, which he stignodired in Its or,. a: form
a. a deem* to the intolligetios of the age. H. estheladeel
by an sensed protest Ssainet the health...oe of duties as Meet
11111Whie, end against the eggravated ioepositioa of the noose
tee and the multiplicities of new mid hamming imposts.
Mr. BAINES considered the scheme of the government
es isle, Comprehuidve, and wise, as a whole. He gave a
warm, though not an unqualified want to title great plea
upon these broad grounds. It was a *impieties of the fabric
of free trade; in the taxes remitted regard was had to the
interests of weenturs, to. both of the nation; and it es-
tablished sew bonds of friendahip and renteercial inercourser
between England and her nearest neighbour. He dwelt
uponlie adveniagee which had been the fruit of our pro-
(rendre advances in the path of free trade, in the vast ex-
posers of our commerce, the Improvement In every branch
of icidnetry, and the teener of national wealth,
Mr. P. BLACK BURN did not mean to deny the &Clean-
loges that had resulted from for trade, but thought it rather
hard that members opposite should claim all Sir Robert
Peers measures as belonging to their side of the home.
In his opinion we should derive no benefit under the French
treaty by the reduction of the duty upon wine and brandy.
The treaty was supposed to be for tee benefit of the manatee.
hirers lad iroa end coal masters of this country ; but was it
I fair to call upoe the people to pay • large sum of money in
order to procure a certain advantage for a particular clam P
' It wee very hard that we should be called upon to pay •
- large amount to introduce these gentlemen into a new mar-
! ker. His certainly thought that was contrary to the rules of
. free trade, and under all the circumstances he slimed support
o the am -ndment of the hon. member for Essex.
1 hfr. MARSH said he was prepared fully to support the
financial scheme of the Chancellor of the Exohequer. It was
: a fact that at Rotterdam a bottle of claret cost only two
chilling', whit at Dover it amid not be procured under
' live shillings. The rearm of this was that vessel' want
direct from Bordeaux to any part of Holland, but
they could not go direct from Bordeaux to Dover, and the
consequence was that the hutelkeeper at Rotterdam sold 100
bottles of claret where the man at Dover would only sell one.
He believed that In very many instance., where there wee an
immoderate customs duty, the Chancellor of the Exchequer
got nothing. With regard to the proposed reduction of duty
on dates end figs, he had no doubt that the sonerumptiou in i
this country from the reduction would be enormous. Manor '
of people lived on date., and got stroog on them, and they
were a very wholesome food, and if figs were let in the
would also eater as an article of food for the people. With
regard to wise, it had been said that in Scotland and other
places wise was at one time much more in general use than
at present. Any one who looked into that curious relic of
social history, entitled "The Household Expenses of the
Duchess of Nortlunbetlind,” would fled that the maids of
honour had an allowance made to them every day of two
bottles of claret. He must admit chat times were
changed, for neither maids of honour nor say other maids
could now take two bottles of claret a day. (Laughter.) But
be hoped to see the time when every person of sway class
might be enabled to have • glass of win.. At Gibraltar very
good rough Catalonian wine could be procured at about two-
pence a bottle, and be should be glad to see the day when a
Common porter could go into • shop in London and get •
tumbler-full of it. He might be over sanguine, but he
trusted to see the day when every man in his own home
might have the products, the comforts, and even the luxuries
of every soil and every climate. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. HORSFALL rid that en hon. gentleman in the
c mess of this discussion bed upbraided the hon. mower who
brought the present motion forward, because be said that he
adopted free-trade principles in deference to publio opinion.
That was a most unfortunate observation, brume at this
sarylmement, when we were attserptiag to establish free trade
with Frazee, no one could say that the Emperor was not
bowing to public opinion. It bad berme the policy of Eng•
land not only to cultivate free trade in Frain but in every
nation on the continent. (Hear, her.) There were those
who thought we ought to retain the power of prohibiting
the export of coals In time of war ; bat he was not 'held of
the mischief which some people lenegined would ensue from
as unlimited eapcet of coal. It wee well known that coal
could be procured not only la Belgium Nat io Russia, and even
France itself, and although that coal might not be as euitable
as ours we knew very well that it would be used at any
c 'et and udder any difficulties, and would be found mat
effective for any prudes' purpose in the thee of war. (Hear,
bear.) He, however, found fault with the treaty upon the
ground that It contained no reference to the shipping of this
country. The house would probably be surprised to learn
the extent of the foreign trade between the United States and
France. In the year 1856-1867 no Mai than 416,000 bales
of cotton were taken from the United Stites to France. In
18 ifi there were 368,000 boles taken; In 1859, 440,000 bales.
Aced calculating from 1869 op to the present ceriod, there
promised to be an export of cotton this year from the United
Bates to France amounting to half • million of bales.
If French vessels enjoyed so large a share of our trade we
could understand the indisposition on the part of the French
government to legislate upon the ornbjeot; bat what woe the
het P In an official document issued within the last few
days by the French government, the admission was made
that 9-10th, of the shipping between the United States end
France was American shipping. Why, then, should France
hesitate to place the shipping of this country on a tooting of
equality with that of the United States, by the abolition of
the differential duties? (Her, hear.) At present the dies-
rented duty oa cotton In English verde wee a halfpenny
per pound, or nearly equal to the whole freight.
Under such oireumstances it was impossible that English
verb could compete with American vessels. The noble lord
the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs told a deputation
who waited upon him, that negotiations were going on with
the French government with the view of trims relief to
British dor, and he hoped they would be successful.
(Hear, hear. He had resived • letter from an English
retain at anther' stating that freights could not be ob-
tained there for British ships, With regard to aphis, he
regretted that the noble lord had not adhered to his original
suggestion, to reduce the duty on French brandy to 10s.
per gallon, instead of Bs. 3d. as now proposed; because, by
Imposing the former sum, a much larger revenue wouldhave
been obtained. He had always, both publicly and privately,
advocated the repeal of the paper duty, but he confessed he
was divested to look for Its abolition to surplus revenue.
(Hear, hear.) If the repeal of this ditty had been deferred
another million would have been retained, which, added to
the additional sum gained by fixing the duty on brandy at
10s., would have enabled the Chanoellor of the Exchequer to
propose a 7d. instead of 10d. income tax, which, no doubt,
would have received the general approbation of the house.
There woe the tax ca packages and some other items of lus-
tre proposed by the Cbanoellor of the Exchequer which he
thought anklet, but it rive him great pleasure to say
that the ,Chancellor of the Exchequer had listened to
all the reprementatione that had been made to him
on the subject with the greatest courtesy and candour,
and shown a disposition to distribute these imposts in the
stoat equitable manner. (Hear, hew.) The motion before
the house, he regretted to say, he could not support. (Hear,
bear.) If the hon. member for North Emu had confined
his resolution to the income tax, and said the house was not
prepared to disappoint the just expectations of the wuntry
by largely lowering the income tax, he would have cup-
ported him ; but he could not vote for • resolution which
would negative the proportion of the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer to sweep from the tariff a long list of duties.
(Cheer.) Notwithstanding the predictions of the bun.
member who sat below him, he believed that the removal of
those duties would give an impetus to trade, and conduce
materially to the prosperity of the country. (Chews.)
Mr. BYNG looked at the budget and the commercial
treaty as one great whole, and, thugh three were minor
poiote of detail which required revision, he gave his cordial
assent to the scheme of the government, which from hie
heart be believed was not only the most comprehend's but
the most holiest Meehan which it had ever fallen to the lot
of • Chancellor of the Exchequer to submit to the Hones of
Commons. It would be of infinite advantage, not oily to
this country and France, but to the credited world.
Mr. BEACH expired his belief that the financial mea-
sures were founded on a basis more specious than solid.
Though he approved of some portions of the budget, he must
support the amendment.
Sir F. BARING said he had never been hostile to
commercial treaties, and had no objection to a bargain with
France; but be did object to our excluding ourselves from
1 taking the same course with another country. While we
made a commercial treaty with France we nailed the
possibility of negotiating curb a treaty with Spain. He pro-
' ceded to Madder tbs advantage expected from the
treaty, and showed that while reductions of duty had
aegmented the consumption of tea and sugar, the saw
West had sot followed in the cam of wine and spirits.
Bat than were political reasons, he observed, for the treaty;
then, why not form commercial treaties with other powers P
He was dermas of being on the most friendly terms with
France; bet, in regard to Italy, although England wished
Italy to be free, prosperous, lad lodependeat of other coun-
tries, he did not sad that to be the policy of France, and he
did not desire that we should connect ourselves with
that policy. After some remarks upon the rill
the strop duties, and the paper duty, be
the atteation of the house seriously to the state
in which the finances of the country would be left if
the budget was pared. It wee proposed, he observed, to
continue the income tax for ono year more ; but what did the
house suppose would be the deficiency in 1881-82 P Takiog
the expenditure to be the same as now, the deficiency would
be 12400,0001. at least. But then, it would be end, there
would be the income tax at 101., and the war duties on tea
sod sugar agata continued. This, however, would not do;
there woad still be a deithieney of 1,600,0001. or 2,030,0001.,
and sew taus would be indispensable.
Mr. BRIGHT end the epee& ef Sir F. Baring In every
pert hold up • hobgoblin to deter the house from pureeing a
course which had been so succeeded of late yews. Unto,.
tunarly for them views, there was but one voice through-
oat the country he favour of the genre plan of the govern-
moot, and It was probable that if this debate was continued
mach longer, the opposition to It would fade like • dis-
solving view, and there would be no one left to vote
for the soi;nolnisot which had been proposed, which
was directed against everythisg—to defeat the bud-
get, to put as end to the treaty, to pet out the
government, and countenanced nothing bat His 'eat
expenditure which had been lectured. The treaty with
Freer realised one of hie most asked wishes, end he urged
the government, in his plus in the home last year,
to 'tempt some such coriveation. Not sore Home wog