The Sun.
London, England, 1852-05-01 00:00:00

SATURDAY EVENING,

membered that when the former Chancellor of the Exche-
quer (Sir C. Wood) proposed to increase the income-tax
from three to five per cent., these very gentlemen were
louderit in their complaints, as also most strenuous in. their
opposi.tion.—(Hear, hear.) Under the free-trade policy
diminished, and he felt surprised that
ranybodyents had
should undoubtedly
b e
found to deny such a result. The Right
Hon. Gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer had al-
luded to the prosperity of the country, but had not attributed
it to free trade.—(Cries of " Oh, oh," from the Opposition.)
Had Hon. Gentlemen never heard of prosperity in spite of
free trade?-(Rear, hear.) In the shipping interest there
was undoubted suffering, but he trusted that matters would
mend. The country, however, had.cOnfidence in the present
Government, and desired to give thein time for the develop-
ment of their policy. 'What he (Mr. Hudson) should like to
see carried out would be a mixed system of taxation, embrac-
ing both Customs and Excise.
Lord R. GROSVENOR, replying to a remark of the Hon.
'Member who had last spoken, reiterated his assertion that
his constituents were averse'to any addition to the income-
tax. He added his regret that the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer had not in his speech held out a hope of relief to at-
torneys With respect to the certificate duty, and gave notice
for the 25th inst. for a motion on the subject.
eweaeoxlDulecrdr:
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER could not
withhold his surprise at the intimation which had just fallen
from the Noble Lord.—(Hear, hear.) So the Noble Lord
was to head another campaign against direct taxation. Ha
(the Chancellor of the Exchequer) had received deputations
from attorneys on the subject of the certificate duty, and
many other deputations; but in all cases he thought he
had sufficiently excused himself, by showing that the Ex •
chequer was not in a condition to bear the remission of the
WORTH deemed the statement of the Chan-
cellor ear.)
—(Hear,
the Government a degree of popularity xchequer most satisfactory, and thought it
cal-
culated to strengthen them much out of doors.
Mr. C. BRUCE said, that after having listened with the
greetest attention and admiration to the statement of his
Right Honourable Friend the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer, he did not understand his Right Honourable
Friend to have expressed any preference for
direct, as compared with indirect taxation. His Right Hon. ,
Friend had confined himself throughout his speech to a
simple statement of facts, and had given no opinion that one
mode of taxation was better than another.
Mr. MUNTZ said he had attentively listened to the speech
of the Right Hon. Gentleman the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer, and he had no hesitation in saying that since he
had had the honour of: a seat in Parliament he had never
heard a more lucid and able address. There was one re-
mark of the Right Hon. Gentleman which he could not
feel to be correct; but when two Chancellors of the Ex-
chequer boasted of the extraordinary commercial prosperity of
the country, he could not attempt to contradict them. He had
risen, however, principally for the purpose of calling the
attention of the Right Hon. Gentleman to the unfortunate
circumstance of his renewal of the income-tax. He (Mr.
Muntz) felt convinced that the country at latge would be
greatly disappointed at that renewal, and more especially as
the measure was to remain unaltered. The tax operated
most oppressively against small manufacturers and traders.
In his opinion they ought to get rid of the income-tax al-
together, and adopt a property-tax.
Mr. ALCOCK said he thought there ought to be no ex-
emption whatever from the operation of the income-tax.
The resolutions were then agreed to, and, the House,
having resumed, they were ordered to be reported on
Monday.
The Highway Rates Bill passed through Committee.
The other orders of the day were then disposed of, and
the House adjourned at a Quarter before One o'clock.