The Express.
London, England, 1861-05-31 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, FRIDAY EVENING, MAY 31, 1861.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER—Sir, the
committee haajust heard declared the opinion of two gentle-
men who are amongst the most distinguished and the ablest
of its members, of men both of whom have • high charac-
ter in this house, and one not lees remarkable for ability
than for experience. Oae of them, mybon. friend the member
for Rochdale, recommending the repeal of the paper duty,
as a measure at once wise and politic, and ea being calculated
to prove acceptable to the community ; the other, the
hoe. member for Huntingdon, recommending you to reject
that measure, as being neither wire, nor politic, nor
acceptable. Well, sir, under these circumstances it is na-
tural and proper to examine into the comparative authority
of these two gentlemen—(load cheers and counter-cheer.)—
and to seek for the sources of their authority by • recur-
rence to the advice which they respectively have given on
other occasions. In the hon. member for Rochdale we see
the man who, more than any other man, living or dead,
contributed to the destruction of the corn law—(hear,
' bear) - -and to the repeal of the navigation laws—(cheers)—
the man who, in any point of the struggle of the last 20
years, has taken the most active and powerful part
in recommending that legislation which not only augmented
the wealth of the country, but has done more for the con-
servative principle than all the exertions of the conserva-
tive party. (Cheers and counter cheers.) The hon. member
for Huntingdon, on the other hand, opposed the repeal of
the corn law as a national calamity, and declared that the
repeal of the navigation laws involved the ruin of the
country. In every case and on nearly every occasion when
it has been proposed to amend our commercial laws and to
relax the restrictions of our system he has been found amongst
their most ardent and most steadfast defenders. (Cheers.)
Then, sir, I say there is the same likelihood that on this
occasion also the man who has over heretofore interpreted
rigidly the interests and wishes of the country, will be the
more likely to give sound advice than the man who on
every previous occasion has been proved to be mistaken.
Was there anything strange (the right hon. gentleman pro-
ceeded to ask) in the proposition of the government to re-
peal the paper duty This was the only excise duty
for the repeal of which which • constant de-
mand bad been made by the country, backed by
members of parliament. The reduction of the customs
duty on tea would not be attended with advan-
tages to trade equal to the relief afforded by the removal
of excise duties and of restrictive regulations which not
merely burdened the manufacture, but in some of
its branches absolutely prohibited it. Bat it was said that
the tea and sugar duties were war duties, and that par-
liament was pledged to remove them. Was it true that
these were war duties! They were imposed in time of
peace, and not for the purposes of war, and the remission
of the tea and sugar war duties (so called) would Bacrifice
2.500,000 t., or twice the amount of the paper duty.
The doctrine of engagement set up by Mr. Dis•
:soli was • pure and perfect figment. Mr. Glad-
stone then explaieed the motives which had
influenced the government in deciding upon proposing the
remission of the paper duty, and called upon the committee
to keep faith with the country, and especially with the
trade, which bad relied, and was justified in relying, upon
the vote of the house that the duty should be repealed:
After protesting against the manner in which the question of
a surplus had been dealt with in the discussion, he referred
to an imputation repeated by Mr. K. Seymer. that
the proposition he had submitted to the house was
made to conciliate Mr. Bright. He presumed that it was
meant that he had • covert intention to change the burden
of taxation, and that this proposition was an insidious be-
ginning of this project. Not one act or one syllable from him
had been cited to sustain this imputation, and, whether or
no this was the object of Mr. Bright, it was not his. The
proposition he had submitted to the house was founded upon
sound principles of finance and of political economy.
Sir J. RAMSDEN, whose speech had been strongly
animadverted upon by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, ex-
plained.

Sir J. FAKINGTON said he trusted he should have the
attention of the committee for • few momenta, as
he believed he was almost the only member of
the house who had not yet spoken on the budget.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer had put a question which
he thought deserved an answer. He complained of their
speaking of tea and sugar as war duties. He seemed to
imagine that that phrase commenced on that (the opposi-
tion) side of the house during the present debates ; but he
found that during the debates of 18117 language used by the
noble lord the Secretary for Foreign Affairs, in which he
stated that, ea a matter of good faith, the duties upon tea
and sugar should lie reduced, which were in fact war duties.
(Hear.) He would also say he heard with ex-
treme surprise any reference on the part of the
Chancellor of the Exchequer to the Flintshire election.
The right hon. gentlemen took part in that election two
years ago, and he had take. part in it now, and he was not
the man from whom he (Sir J. Pakington) expected to hear
any reference to the Flintehire election. (Hear.) He had
listened to those detail' from first to last, and he had heard
euthing to change his opinion that there were three fatal
objections to this budget. The first objection was that it
was unwise ; the second, that it was no better than a party
manoeuvre, arranged for the interest of a party, and not
for the interest of the country; and, lastly, that it involved
unnecessary offence, if not insult, to the House of Lords.
(Hear, bear.) He maintained that the House of Lords
never objected to the repeal of the loner datim. Lord
Derby two years ago said the repeal of the paper duties
was only a question of time, and when the finances of the
country allowed of it he should Le prepared to accede
to it. (Hear, hear.)
Viscount PALMERSTON (who was received with loud
nieces)—l cannot begin the very few words which I shall
feel it my duty to submit to the house without expressing
the satisfaction which I feel, and which I am sure will be
partaken of by all present, at seeing again within these
walla my hon. friend the member for Roclelale—(cheers
and "oh ")—returned from the valuable services which he
has so well performed —icheers and "oh")—and restored to
that health which even those who differ with him in poli-
tics will be glad to witness. (Cheers.) The hon. member
for Norfolk (Mr. Rentinck) has repeated for the second time
• question which I presume will be put to me every fort-
night till the end of the session. (Laughter.) lam happy
to be able to answer it in the same words as those in which
I answered it before. (Laughter.) The hoc. member asks
whether there is anything io the present state of affairs on
the continent of America on account of which I shall think
it to apply to the house for increased Kerne-
mente by or Ha! I stated to the bon. member
on the former occasion that I saw nothing in those events
that was likely to lead to such unhappy consequences. The
hon. member else asks whether those events are in my
opinion likely materially to affect the customs and excise of
this country. The hest reply I can give is to state a fact.
During the eight weeks which ended last Saturday the pro-
duce of custima, excise, and stamps, forming the fixed re-
venue of this country, was hell a million more than it was
in the corresponding period of last year. (Cheers.) Judging,
therefore, of the future from the past, I dm, not think that
this house need be under any anxiety on that score. (Hair,
hear.) The state in which the house now is certainly pre-
' sent a remarkable contrast to that which the right hon.
gentlemen the member for Buckingharnehire stated to have
been its condition when a vote against the paper
duty was formerly taken. This is certainly not • languid
house, and the vote to which we shall come will not be a
sleepy one. (Laughter.) We are told that hon. members
have come down to give freely, and without regard to party
considerations, their votes, which upon mature reflection in
their studies they may be led to give upon this question
of the repeal of the paper duty. Why, sir, that uodoulit-
edly, I dare say, is the case. (A laugh.) At all events, the
vote this night will be a very remarkable one—one in which
direreut and conflicting opinions have, without any party
object, been brought to concur in a single vote. We are
going to have voting against the repeal of the paper duty
those who on former occasions have voted against it, and
those who have decidedly and enthusiastically voted for it.
(laughter.) We are going to have the same vote given
toy those who deny the existence of • surplus, and by those
who have wished to diminish the surplus which my right
honourable friend proposes as the result of his finance
We are going to have the same vote given by those who
have voted for diminishing the duty upon tea, by those who
have pledged themselves for the abolition of the excise duty,
and by those who prefer a rednction of the income tax. We
are going to have the same vote given by fres traders and
by protectionists. We are going to see every variety sod
shade of opinion upon finance merged in one common
act, and we are told that this is not • party
vote. (Hear, hear.) We are told by the right
honourable baronet who has juit spoken, and who has
sneered at " party measures," that there is nothing of party
about this vote. (in the contrary, we have been assured by
every gentleman who has spoken upon this occasion that
there is nothing which the gentlemen opposite have more at
heart than to maintain and support the existing government.
(Laughter.) Well, sir, at last we have come to the evil of this
long debate; sal if I wanted any authority for the
opinion that this debate has lasted an unusual time,
might quote what was said Icy the right hon. bsronet ; for
in the fiat sentence of his speech he assured us that
ho believed he was almost the only member that had not
spoken upon the budget. (laughter.) I may he excused,
therefore, for saying that it lass been a long debate, and
hon gentlemen have had • full opportunity of making up
their independent minds and combining in One harmonious
whole this fortuitous eoucurreoce of Iliocuidaot atoms.
(Great laughter.) I hope, however, that him. members in
deciding upon these important questions of financial sr-
rangemente will bear in mind all those arguments which
have been refuted by those on this side of the home, and
will not be led awry by the conflicting, and I must say by
the unfounded arguments which have been urged by those
who sit opposite. (Laughter.) Almost everybody is
agreed that this excise duty upon paper is vicious
in itself end irritating in it collection. (Hear, hear, and
so, no.) Even gentlemen on the other' side have argued
that it is • tax which ought to be repealed upon the
earliest occasion that the finances of this country will admit
el. (Hear, hear.) It has been proved and is admitted that
it is • tax which not only imposes a burden
epee existing industry, but which is productive of
impediments in the way of introducing new once. (Hear.)
This, an my right hon. friend has already reminded the
house, is time last remnant of an excise duty of this kind.
It is not the beginning of a new system of finance ; it is
only completing a system which bas been sanctioned by
many of the most competent authorities of former and
present times in all that relates to the commercial transac-
tions of the country. I trust therefore, that, no extraneous
matter —no question separate from and independent of the
matter in issue—will affect or influence the votes of gentle.
men in the division which is about to take place. (Hear,
bear.) Relying, therefore, on the assertion made that hon.
gentlemen would give their votes free from party motives,
rad on • full and rasters consideration of the merits of the