The Sun.
London, England, 1853-04-21 00:00:00

THE WHISKY TRADE.

In reply to Mr. COWAN,
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said it
would be his duty to ask the house to adopt the resolu-
tion in the Budget on the subject,of whisky to-night, but
that would be as a mere matter of form, and parties out
of doors would not be precluded from hereafter opposing
the Government proposition.

PUBLIC BUSINESS.
Mr. DISRAELI called upon the Government to state
what their views were with respect to the progress of
public business. It was understood that the house had
agreed to the resolution relative to the funds as a mere
matter of form, and he must therefore complain of the
manner in which the bill founded upon those resolutions
had been brought in and read a second time. It was at
a late hour of the night that the bill was read a second
time, and as the bill stood for committal to-night, he
should be glad to know if it was intended to adhere to
this order of things. He must also complain of the
complicated nature of the resolutions which were to be
brought on on next Monday. He had understood that the
discussion next Afonday was to be confined to the pro-
posed change in the customs and the legacy duties.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that
was the understanding which had been come to, but with
regard to the other matters, it certainly had been under-
stood that another discussion should be raised upon it,
though the time was not fixed when that discussion
should be raised. The bill had been pushed forward out
of consideration to the large interests involved in it ;
but, considering that the right hon. gentleman objected
to going into committee to-night, he should have no
objection to postpone the committee until to-morrow
night, when a discussion might be raised upon
the principle of the bill. It would, however, be neces-
sary to go into committee pro forma to-night, for the
purpose of introducing certain amendments which it
would be convenient to print, one of which would pro-
vide that on a day named parties should be required to
enter their names in a book at the Bank of England,
and the new stock to be created should be distributed to
them pro rata.

Mr: DISRAELI said he bad gathered from the finan-
cial statement of the Chancellor of the Exchequer that
the income tax was to be extended to incomes below
1501. a-year, but he found no resolution to the effect
amongst those which had been issued by the Treasury.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said the
original resolution would embrace all incomes whatever,
but when that was passed it would be for the house to
make an exception in favour of incomes below 1001.,
and to fix the limit of sd. in the pound on incomes be-
tween 1001. and 1501. a-year.
Mr. WILLIAMS wished to know when it was in-
tended to take the miscellaneous estimates.
Lord J. RUSSEEL was not yet prepared to name the
day.

'
1 CUSTOMS, &c., ACTS.
On the motion for going into committee on this bill,
Mr. WILSON said the house would probably remem-
ber, that, soma two years ago, an unhappy dispute arose
between the Customs authorities and the London Dock
Companies. After a good deal of litigation, the matters
in dispute were arranged by arbitration, and it was.
then agreed that a bill should be brought in to pre-
vent similar disputes arising on a future occasion.
The bill which was now proposed to be committed,
would, to some extent, carry out that arrange-
ment, and he had now to state what the provi-;
sions of this bill were, simply premising, in the
first instance, that this bill would only partially
carry out the understanding which had been come to,
and it would therefore be necessary hereafter to bring
in another bill on the subject. He should, however,
take this opportunity of fully declaring the views and
intentions of the Government with regard to this
subject ; and he had no doubt when those intentions
were fully understood they would give complete satis-
faction to ' the commercial interests of the country. A
deputation upon this subject waited upon his right hon.
friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer a few weeks ago
to suggest certain improvements and amendments in
the customs law, and had now the answer the Go-
vernment were prepared to make to that depu-
tation. (Hear, hear.) The customs' committee
had made several recommendations in their report, which
he would go through seriatim. The report proposed to
leave the reorganisation of the Customs in the hands of the
Government. The Government, however, did not pur-
pose to deal with this part of the question now, but to
leave it to be disposed of by a future Treasury minute ;
but in the meantime ns vacancy that might arise in the
commission would be filled up until the whole question
had been disposed of.