The Sun.
London, England, 1852-05-07 00:00:00

LONDON,

PRIDA*

number of men to be raised in the first year with "fifty
thousand;" otherwise he could sea no reason why they
should not p.!ss the elltuse then.
Sir E. COLEBROOKE said he objected to the fifty
thousand,"and intended to oppose it.
The motion for reporting progress was then agreed to,
and the Chairman obtained leave to sit again to-morrow
(this day).

The Btoek-in•Trade Bill was read a third tirao and
passed.

The Stamp Duties (Ireland) Continuance Bill was
read a second time, and ordered to be committed.
PROPERTY AND INCOME-TAX BILL.
Colonel SIBTLIORP protested against the renewal of
this oppressive and unc,qual tax, which he regarded as
almost a breach of faith on the part of the Govern-
ment. So str,,nr,ly did he disapprove of this Bill, that
if-an opportun:ti offered he would take the nense, of
the House cgainst it. He trusted the Government
would be able to hold out some prospect that this tax
would not be renewed at tle expiration of the ensuing
year.

Mr. HEYWORTII, on the contrary, thought the
Bill ought to ho extendad to almost every income in
the country, with a view to the removal of indirect
taxation.

Colonel THOMPSON hoped that there was no more
chance of repaling the income-tax than of the restora-
tion of the corn-laws. He wished to see the income-
tax levied in perpetuity as a means of raising the re-
venue of the country.
Sires, WILLOUGIIBY considered the income-tax es-
sentially unequal. He knew many persons who by
means of its operation were paying 12 or 14 per cent.
on their income. He feared, however, there was no al-
ternative between either renewing this tax for a year
or witnessing a great deficiency in the Exchequer. He
believed that abroad some miscclnception existed upon
the Chancellor of the Exchequer's speech on
the budget, an opinion prevailing that the Right
Hon. Gentleman was opposed to direct taxation and
favourable to Customs' duties as a means of raising
revenue. He wished to call the attention of the
Government to the lax way in which the documents
connected with the income-tax were preserved. In one
town the returns had been sold to grocers, and the ac-
counts of the chief tradesmen were sold with the articles
vended in those shops. If the tax were preserved some
means should be taken to preserve those returns. If a
landlord let a tarm upon a lease at, say, 3001. a-year,
and made a reduction of 10 per cent, to the tenant, he
was bound to pay three per cent, on the 300/. a-year,
and not upon the 270/. This was an injustice upon those
landlords who to meet the pressure of the times had
made reductions in their rents. He thought that were
a bond fide reduction had been made the income-lax
ought to be paid upon the income actually received, and
not upon the nominal income.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER—I hope
my Hon. and Gallant Friend the Member for Lincoln
does not mean to accuse the present Government of any
breach of faith because we have proposed the re-impo-
sition of the income-tax for a limited period. In the
position in which we find ourselves I do not know that we
could have pursued any other course than that which we
have taken. I have no fear that when the country
geaerally giveseua unpassioned consideration to the present
state of affairs, it will condemn us for the inevitable course
which we have pursued.—(Hear, hear.) My Hon.
Friend the Member for Eveshum has touched upon an-
other point, which at this hour I would not have ven-
tured to obtrude on the attention of the House; but
which, having been alluded to, it would not become me
to pass unnoticed. When I brought forward my finan-
cial statement it was my intention—and I believe I ful-
filled that intention—to express no opinion on any sub-
ject whatever. I confined myself to bringing before the
House what I believed to be a complete view of our
financial condition.—(Hear.) I confined myself to that
duty because it was necessary for me to terminate my
observations by making a proposition which, abstractedly
as a measure of finance, Ido not approve of. I wished
the country to comprehend clearly our financial posi-
tion, and the inevitable necessity the Government was
under of submitting that proposition. I also wished
that the country should take advantage of the interval
which must elapse before another financial statement
can be made by a Chancellor of the Exchequer—
fill that important office:—to arrive
whoever may
at some conclusion as to the principles on which
the revenue of the country ought to be raised. With
these views:l most studiously guarded myself against
giving any opinion either for or against the policy which
has been pursued with respect to the reduction and re-
peal of the Customs' duties.—(Hear.) I believe I was
equally guarded in any observations I made with respect
to the other modes by which the public revenue is
raised. I felt it my duty to place before the House,
without any colouring and in a calm spirit, the conse-
quences of recent reductions of the Customs' duties and
their effect on the finance of the country. My observa-
tions were limited strictly to the influence of those
measure on finance. I avoided all commercial con-
troversy—l entered into no discussion as to whether the
policy of our predecessors was tainted by injustice—l
avoided all topics of that nature, because I thought them
unnecessary and not germane to the question under dis-
cussion. It appeared to me that my solo duty was to
place a clear view of our finances before the House, and
to abstain from proposing any alteration in the mode of
raising the revenue. Finding that to be my only duty,
I certainly made no particular reference to those classes
of the community who are, in my mind, greatly suffer-
ing, and to whose sufferings it is, according to my opi-
nion, the duty of Parliament to apply some remedy.—
(Cheers.) I certainly communicated to the House the
important fact, that in estimating the revenue of the
country it was necessary to make great allowances for
reductions of rental and farming profits.—(Bear, hear.)
In the position in which the Government, the House, and
the country tire placed, it would have been indiscreet in
me on that occasion to have obtruded the opinions which
the Government may entertain with respect to the re-
medial measures such a state of affairs may require.
After it has been publicly announced, and after that an•
nouncement has been accepted by the country, that on
an occasion which is now not only not distant but im-
minent, the opinion of the constituent body will be taken
with respect to that subject especially, it would have
been most improper in me, in making the financial state-
ment, to have troubled the House in detail with any
schemes or measures that had reference to the alleviation
of the sufferings of th©
agricultural classes.—(Hear,
hear.) In taking that course, I think I acted in unison
with the feelings of the majority of
this House and of
the country; but, after the observations of my Hon.
Friend the Member for Evesham, I have no hesita-
tion in saying that when her Majesty shall have re-
curred to the sense of her people, her Majesty's Go-
vernment are prepared to introduce in duo season, those
remedial measures which theybelieve' required by
are
justice, and by regard to the permanent interests of the
country.—(Cheers.) I think there can bo no misunder-
standing in this House or is the country on that subject.
We are prepared to fulfil, as far as lies in our power,
that policy with regard to the agricultural interest which
we advocated on the other side
of the House.—Cheers.)
Strong, however, as may be our determination, and firm
as may be our convic,ione, I still believe that on the
occasion of making the financial statement it would have
bees
a most uncalled-tor proceeding to obtrude an ex-
planation of our policy on the attention of the House of
Commons,—(Cheers.)
After a few words from Mr. ANSTEY and Mr. WILD,
Mr. PACKS expressed his warm thanks to the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer for the statement he had made
with respect to the most suffering class in the country.
The statement could not fa give satisfaction to the
agriculturists.—(Hear, hear.)
Sir G. GREY was not surprised at the alarm which
seemed to have taken possession
of Hon. Gentleman op-
posite in consequence of the able and satisfactory state-
inment delivered by the Chancellor of the Exchequer
introducing his budget —(Cheers.) It was evident,
from the scene which had
that Hon. Gentlemen were been enacted that night,
been
to extort from the
Right Hon. Gentleman some declaration on which
they might found a distant hope that the members of
the Governmen which
in their Ministerial career, would act
on the opinions they maintained on the other side
of the House when they led what used to be called
the Protectionist party.—(Rear, hear.) The Right Hon.
in 1
Gentleman had now declared, - language similar to that
employed by him on former occasions, that the Govern-
ment would first appeal to the country, and then bring
forward the measures which theY de
But he had given them no distinct id erred necessary.
measures s to what those
measures were likely to be; nor did he Grey)
think it was very material to know.--..(Rear,
hear.) He
did not think it at all necessary that they should cross-
examine the Right Hon. Gentleman in
th
e way some of
his supporters had done, in order to get at the opinions
of the Government.—(Hear,
and
a laugh.) The Right
Hon. Gentleman told them that he had not on Friday
evening said anywhateverti t thing algae
respect to our
a been •
commercial
policy, lie h
__equally discreet to-
night. But it was not, after all, a matter of very great
consequence. They relied not ?n the opinions of the
Government, but on the facts which the Right Ron. Gen-
welld brought forward.--(Cheers.) They were
aware of those facts be hear.) They
had been stated over end over againdecr in speeches in that
in pamphlets out of
but The
House, and
impugned; n
those statements had been
.now they had
one of the Ministers of the Crown. corning forward and
declaring that those facts were irretragahle, and powerillus-
and eloquence
seldom
equalled them with a
(Hear,hear \
equalled in that House.—
and" Those facts had
been appreciated by the counl ryfi; d
't onto the country
de , 1 the hustings
y they might, they would
remodel the •
they proposed to repeal or
late years had been adopted, that the people would re-
spond with one voice that they
had derived important
benefitsthat mportant
benefits from that new policy, all they were not
disposed to give it up.—(Cheers.)
enefit had been Mr. W. MILES asked, if
y what benenfit had conferred
on the consumers by this
po'lc '
ac-
crued to the producers? Look at the state of the agricul-
tural classes, and at, the same time of the moneyornarket.
g
Did that show that trade
prosperous?was
sit had been Though
a large trade had been carried on,
wit oh
u-
v confidence in the Riey
rl
t
small profits. He had the greatest e' x eqeur. 1.10
Hon. Gentleman the Chancellor of the Ech Rig
lit
had never, since 1846, swerved from
werved flora the principles he
depend upon it that the
advocated; and they might. 1i a prin-
ciplesopposition he wou t , as a .atinise
he supported in hear.)
' ter, honestly act upon.—(Hear,
second time.
The. Bill was teen read a s s
.
litan District,) Bill was
read Gralld Juries CM°tr°P'Select
a
• read a second time and Committee.
sent to
.‘ and _
disposed of, the House
The other orders were
adjourned at a Quarter to Two o'clock.

Mr. Bullock had an interview yesterday with Sir John
Pakington, at the Colonial-office.
Dispatches were received at the Colonial-office yester-
day from the Governors of llong-long and Ceylon.
Dispatches were also received from the Governor of the
Mauritius. Dispatches were sent yesterday to the Go-
vernor of Gibraltar.