The Sun.
London, England, 1852-12-17 00:00:00

' t p,fsl w
! 83'Mpathise, as far as that important prin-
dir-eeerned, with the policy of the Government.
t taxes, though applied with wisdom, temper-
.Prildelleo, become a party question. (Cheers.)
I,,Ministrative reform ! Talk of issuing commis-
la' TIP. e into our dockyards ! Why, if I were,
'Plipossible, by intense labour to bring forward
fir"ich might save a million to this countrY, ad.
theee reform would be a party question to-morrow.
re.l Yes, I know what I have to face. I have
itatealition. (Cheers.) The combination may be
Nit. -A- coalition has before this been successful.
thati,°lls, although successful, have always found
This
triumph has been very brief. (Loud
(erle I know, that England has not loved coali-
. o.Oers.) I appeal from the coalition to that
WC °4 which governs this country—to that public
d"e wise and irresistible influence can controul
theh.e'er,ees of Parliament, and without whose sup-
august and ancient institutions are but "the
Ouric of a vision." (The right hon. gentleman
'us seat amid deafening and prolonged cheering.)
!OSTONE rose, but for several minutes was
"° Obtain a hearing in consequence of the agitation
in the house. At length he said—l am
of Itr. Patten, to trespass upon the committee, but
t° me that the speech we have just heard is a
k0t,42 °light to meet with a reply, and that, too, on
' "eet.---(loud cheers from the Opposition)—and, sir,
b
7telling the Chancellor of the Exchequer that I
'for some minutes the inquiry whether he knows
§4.; but there are some things which he, too, has yet
(Great cheers, counter cheers, and confusion.)
4te ether reasons besides the reason of triviality
':v44eY why a discussion should have been avoided
ki4-41, the subject of emigration. (Renewed confu-
e'eers-) And I tell the right honourable gentle-
,-e---that
the licence of language used—(cheers and
kii,.'")—the phrases he has applied to the characters
',4;'leu—(tremendous Opposition cheers, and inter-
'''ut the Ministerial side of the house)—that the
goer—(a
has applied to the characters of public men,
-I.eer—(s. renewed outburst of clamour from the
, benches drowned the remainder of the sentence,
qght honourable gentleman was obliged to remain
I,:several moments. When order was in some de-
‘ifbered be said] :—Mr. Patten, my wish is to keep
41theugh I confess that I could not hear those
,14;s'1 and remain totally unmoved—my wish is to
~Belf strictly within the bounds of Parliamentary
iti;l,4 Propriety, and I beg of you, sir, that if in one
'4: trespass beyond these bounds you will have the
t° correct me. (Hear, hear, and cheers.) I do
O" myself to those gentlemen belonging to the
t
Opposite, from whom I have never received
Nl:g out courtesy and forbearance ; but notwithstand-
- e%rts ot some gentlemen in a remote corner of the
Leers
avail themselves of darkness to interrupt me—
lt Leers and confusion)—l will tell them this, that they
" to have their Chancellor of the Exchequer, who
'44tee in his comments upon the conduct of others,
~
t° the bar of the opinion of this committee and
those laws of decency and propriety—(tremen-
tl4'ld confusion, which drowned the remainder of
'lell)rPee)- Sir, we are accustomed here to attach to
44°1'17 of the Minister of the Crown a great authority
"tCat disposition to attach authority, as it is required
.4e,hl),tlhlic interest, so it has been usually justified by
and character of those Ministers, but I must
'tli:g'ight honourable gentleman that he is not entitled
e With
insolence men who—(renewed uproar and
again drowned the remaining words of the sentence).
.'4tl (I'll the right honourable gentleman that he is not
t(',t t° say to my right honourable friend the member
11.rliale that he regards him, but he does not respect
,t1,,,(44.41d cheers.) I must tell the right honourable
)tli +44 that whatever he has learned—and he has learned
' ,he has not yet learned the limits of discretion,
k-,'eration, and of forbearance—(great cheering and
tee ,°n)—that ought to restrain the conduct and language
qtre'' members of this house, the disregard of which is
ditl'ee in the meanest amongst us, but it is of tenfold
When committed by the leader of the House of
1...,415. (Loud and long-repeated cheers.) And now,
g on from this most painful subject—(cheers)—
Ntiqc call the attention of the committee to the vote
before us, and convey to them my opinion of the
stn which we stand. We are coming to a vo' e, sir,
4),,erst of a series of resolutions which have been place
Sib: hands. In that first resolution was contained two
PrOPOSitiOIIS, in which the proposal now made to
!tOtuittee varies the present state of the law. By one
v4i7 Propositions the area on which the house tax is
a,ttended beyond that space which it at present oc-
th' unt is extended only to houses of the value of 101.
idZother of these provisions the rate of the house tax
ki,t,"ied, and it has been said t o-night, and it has been
!till: Other occasions, that if gentlemen will but vote
s, double house tax on this occasion, they will be per-
ftee to depart from and alter that vote on any future
the measure. Now, sir, it is most important that
14-,°'11(1. know in what sense this is true. I apprehend
1/4.e"e have here an unbounded liberty of action—that
'4)5 area vast number of stages provided in every mea-
'ldzh,' Order that every gentleman may reconsider the
4t-tZkt which he has formed, that it is open to any
7, of Parliament to vote for and against every mea-
'kl4,"at passes through the house at its alternate stages.
*i, the liberty, and no other, which you will have to
Nenee amount of the house tax, when the present reso-
'oC/4 once passed. You have perfect liberty to do that.
Se.trY reduce the tax to a ls. on the bringing up of the
."-3'oll may bring it down to 6d. at a further stage, and
kty 6 third reading you may abolish it altogether—you
41,_ adopt that as you may any other perfectly inconsistent
'44 upon any proceeding in which this house or this
Littee is engaged. This is the precise amount of your
SlP:,,' and I wish you now to recollect that you are not
liWgaged. in the performance of a mere technical and
Ld,uty. (Hear, hear.) There is a meaning and
the rules of the house which require that the im-
-4'itti."ll of tax committee be receded by a
formalcommite. The
; that is-not to obtain a sanction
'ew tax. but to have a thorough and searching discus-
'l,l3 aed to give all the authority by the decision of that
4,4littee which can possibly be given to a proposal for any
t,ltitp,ax• (floor.) And now we have heard the right hon.
,11 "'llan speaking in lain age of the severest condemna-
Nef those who have withdrawn their budgets. He re-
-,itt,Zetra four years ago. His recollection goes back to Mr.
;4t,,,ue is fresh in the dates of 1848. Does he recollect
4tio;:e\nts of this evening ? (Loud cheers from the Oppo-
,4hZ9, Does he remember—his memory sometimes re-
? 11„" '0 be refreshed—does he remember that this evening
ih"44 it declared by the organ of the Government that
4,l,lerease of the house tax was the principle of the vote,
`lpdTat by that vote the Government would stand or fall ?
'4%llen,'by the mouth of the right hon. gentleman the
L"de Secretary he stated that he was perfectly willing to
an amendment which, introducing into the reso-
ki'ne terms " not exceeding one shilling," would have
!tied'u. it of the character of an increase, and have aban-
N;the proposition upon which the Government had
,14(11,,4ts stand. (Hear, hear, and cheers.) And one hon.
itleilrliad gentleman who spoke to-night complimented
and my friends upon the great vigilance which we
ktiltezercised. If he had meant his words as a compli-
Ner ,should have valued them, as well for the manner in
teht" spoke as for the high character of the speaker—
tk)----but they were meant as a reproach, and all T,thave
,"sk(l.with respect to that vigilance is this, that if was
';ii.ever knew an occasion upon which there was an
~41b;,emand for vigilance. (Hear, hear, and cheers.) I
tt en all occasions approve of the financial policy of the
gentlman the member for Halifax. I opposed him
ex:tat year in
company with the present Chancellor of
bs One , theoccasion on which we opposed him
nahralf so exceptionable as the present. But the
41, Vs of that right hon. gentleman, whether they were
I,lll_l'eed hether the were withdra wn,were advanced or
4],-'rk9;l(l)rw the case may be, in a manner the most
V', mostas straightforward, the most free from all
'l)k-ikon of evasion, and the least requiring vigilant in-
-1 ice
:,!tt the -res(oljettlr, hear,ourandhLousd cheers.) Now, sir, I re-
d whether considered as a
°ll the huousleentiaaxyor a vote on the budget—l reject it
'esolution on the house tax, being at the same time by
bisa
,N 'is prepared to concur with those gentlemen who
expressed themselves in a manner unfriendly to the
&Tie of an extended house tax. While sensible of the
vantages of that peculiar. form of
.taxation, yet I think
tk e difficulties were fairly met that it might be placed.
41s Widened area at a moderate rate, and that it might in
Ztt,Cl4l2. form a most convenient area of the financial
fCel of the country. (Hear hear.) But there are many
titTletilties attending the house tax, which appear to me
11Zt to have been overlooked altogether, or, if considered,
S!_e been decided wrongly in the proposition before the
For example, whether the area should be
.11seled beyond the limit of 10/. is a question upon which.
say the right hon. gentleman has offered no justifi-
"heZ for the proposal of the Government. The question
k-1;14,e1s it would be wise to graduate the rates of duty
b 'tenses is one which does not seem even to have met
ANTl'lee of the Government. Now, it should be recol-
Nt; that in our previous House-tax Act this law of gra-
t4`°ll expresslywas included, and I am not prepared to
lowfor the adoption of the proposal of the right hon. gen-
'which disregards hew principle upon which the for-
Nei)*4ouse tax was based, thout at least hearing some
,s"hti,,t's Why we should abandon what appears to me, on the
to be a salutary arrangement of the graduation
1104,i`„ house tax. Again, sir, there is a most ira-
.7 question with reference to the relative ratings
led "10 and country, or rather of this metropolis
in,"" pro • ces, in' respect to the house tax. It
kkilostible to examine the terms of this house tax,
I,Se.C„d that London and Middlesex pay very nearly
,Nsti.4l of the whole amount, without being convinced
Ne'ee whole matter of the rating requires to be placed
`,‘k 4 some special supervision if you resort to the hour!,
the great instrument in your financial system. Well,
AD,z)re is a gross flaw in the house tax which has been
OAt,
by the right hon. baronet the member for Ports-
,te Then how are you to justify the doubling of the
°,0543f the house tax ? I cannot justify a scheme .so
4' k,,Y. unequal as that which taxes, it seems, the mansion
i;ll,,,q(ovles on 501. a-year, while the ordinary shopkeeper
1N0."440n is taxed on 2501. or 2001. Why have not these
t e fight considered ? After the deliberation of months,
api,"'t hon. entleman produces a plan which, I confess,
beare to me that he might as well have given to us the
f,"ate -`)PI. after he tookkofficge as after the six months during
pesitli he has remained in office. (Hear.) There is another
i:4,I(T----a most important question—namely, whethertin
t, 0 houses of low value the tax ought to be collected
'te landlord or from the occupier—a question the
nhldti°4 of which may greatly facilitate the consideration
'hole matter.. But. the. right hon. gentleman has
),4‘1100.,T,0 say on this point—it never crossed his mind,
t:l4l's-' he has spoken five hours on one night and three
a. 4°4 another—(hear, and a laugh)—and he found room
,ent 11(1 i 55115 that he was to make a change in the Irish office,
+_4°Me other office; but he did not devote one mo-
C4t141-"era,esc. ribe the reasons why he entely passed by the
ece, ulen of this great question, them whole of which it
eht 11-„8'49 to search and sift to the bottom before the
t4' (1 gentleman comes forward with a proposition
et4,l°,-wimg the house tax. I tell the right honourable
kef;7.n plainly that I will not legislate upon the
42
either for this Government or for any Govern-