The Sun.
London, England, 1840-05-16 00:00:00

EVENING EDITION.

EVEN ING EDITION

able to bear, they were to take off many of the present
taxes and impose a property tax.—(Cheers.) He should,
therefore, support the motion of the Hon. Member for Kil-
kenny.
alwaysopposedborrowing. b oHrer owing
considered
hethe best
preferred
laying oilnUnMewEtahad
taxes to
mode of supporting pablic credit would be, not to lay on
new taxes, but to reduce the expenditure; and yet, from
the Right Hon. Baronet not one word bad they heard in
favour of economy. The Right Hon. Gentleman had no
right to say that the statement was not satisfactory, as be
was the man of all others who had constantly urged on the
Government to increase the expenditure. If there were
any capital iu the country untaxed they ought to tax that
and relieve the poor man from the burdens imposed on him.
How could the Chancellor of the Exchequer reconcile
it to his conscience to tax so much of the personal pro-
perty of the middle and lower class millions ? The landed
interest alleged themselves that they had three thousand
millions invested ie land, upon which not a farthing of
taxation was levied.—(Laughter and cries of" Oh, oh.")
' He was speaking :of descents, for which personal pro-
perty was taxed 5 per cent. The amount levyable on
the land of only 2 per cent. could realise between two
and three millions annually—(, Divide, divide ")—there-
fore he wished to try this before any other tax was laid
on. If it proved inefficient, some other tax might be.
tried. We had an increase of one million and a half
since 1836—the revenue then was 46,000,0001., the pro-
portionate increase would have been 2,600,000/.,' instead
of 1,500,0001,, and the cause of the small increase was the
Corn-laws. He should take the sense of the House On
his amendment.—( Cries of "Divide.")
Lord INGESTRIE said he would vote for the pro-
posal, if the personal property was assessed to the poor-rate
or the county rates, and others to which land was snbjected
He agreed with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, that it
was our duty fairly and promptly to meet our financial
difficulties, and he was prepared to support him in his pro-
posals.
Mr. WALLACE rose amidst great calls for a division.
He said—l shall first vote for the amendment, and then I
shall support the plan of the Chancellor of the Exchequer,
in redemption of my pledge, to supply the deficiency in the
Post-office.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER was
exceedingly happy to hear that declaration of good faith.
e
—( Cheers.) Now, without going into the calculations 4:A
the Hon. Member for Kilkenny, which he feared would
be found fallacious, he objected to his amendment on
principle. The Hon. Member avowed that he wished to-
have the land-descent duty, because it would come greatly
upon the agricultural interests. Now, on the contrary, be
(the Chancellor of the Exchequer) desired to spread hislnew taxation over the community, that it should not fall
particnlarly on any class.—(Hear, hear.) The Bon.
Member was mistaken in supposing that because the
legacy duty was levied on personalty, that therefore
they were not paid by the landed interests to
a great extent.—( Hear). hy, if the Hon. Menth2r
knew as much of it as he did, he would know that to a
great extent the legacy duty came from the landed inte-
rests.—( Hear, hear.) Now how did the deficiency arise?
Partly from the Post-office change. Was that an altera-
tion from which:the agriculturists principally were bens'
fitted ?—( Hear, hear.) Who had so clamoured for the
change ? Had it not been the commercial and the mit
ling classes ?---(Hear, hear.) Again, as to the 800,000.
for the payment of the 200,000,00 a, of West ladle
compensation. Surely that was not a charge which should
be laid on any particular eless ?—( Hear, hear.) The
House should bear in mind that on deeds the stamp duties
were in a great part paid by the agriculturists and the
landed interests. —( Hear.) The legacy duty was 1,724,0001;e
the deeds stamps produced 1,680,0001.—(Mr. Hume--A"
deeds ? ) Yes ; but then the greater part of that sum was borne
by the landed interests._( Hear, hear.) The Right No:11;
Gentleman expressed his sense of the kind manner
which the House had treated him, and his firm conviction
that the country was perfectly able to meet all Ate
exigencies.—( Cheers. )
The House divided.
For the amendment 39
Against it
Majority against it
On the resolutions affixing 5 per cent additional upon
exciseable articles being put,
Captain JONES deprecated the additional duty upon
spirits, so far as Irish spirits were concerned, for be
thought it would lead to a return of the illicit distillation,
which before had been the bane of that country. It would
have the effect of putting 14 per cent. upon Irish spirits.
General JOHNSON objected to impose any taxes WO
the poor population ; he would greatly prefer an income
tax, and, if he stood alone, he would oppose the resolution.
Colonel SIBTHORP could not agree to grant any
new taxes to her Majesty's present Ministers.—(A laugh-)
They were incapable of managing them, and he had on
confidence in them, and would therefore oppose the re-
solution.
Sir R. PEEL—The Right Hon. Gentleman said they
were about to enter into a new commercial treaty with
France—probably there would bo a reduction of the duty
upon French brandy—that, coupled with the addition of
4d. per gallon on other spirits, must derange the
trade.
Strangers were ordered to withdraw. The House di—
vided, when there appeared—
For the Resolution lll
Against it
Majority
—9B
The resolution imposing 4d. additional duty upon
spirits was then put.
Mr. G 0 ULBURN begged it to bo perfectly under-
The C HA NCELLOR of the EXCHt Q
stood that by voting for the resolutions no b
pledged to approve of the Bill.
fully to that proposition.
The resolution was then agreed
to.
The resolution adding 10 per cent. to the window duty
having been proposed,
Mr. FIUME said the hew • • •
survey which formed part of
this plan, was a direct breach of an' agreement or pledge
entered into by Lord Althorn, who said, any one existing
house might open as many windows as they pleased, with-
out rendering themselves liable to further taxation.
Mr. FINCH believed that the pledge was embodied in
an Act of Parliament.
did
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
not impose any new law, or repeal the clause alluded to.
The resolution was then agreed to.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER gave
notice that he would bring up the Report on Tuesday.
Colonel SIBTH OR Pgave notice that on that occasion
he would oppose it to the utmost of his power.
The House then resumed,
COMMERCE AND NAVIGATION.
Mr. HERR IE S postponed his motion on this subject
to Tuesday.
The House then went into Committee pro forma, and
leave was given to bring in a Bill for an alteration in the
law of Commerce and Navigation on Tuesday.
COUNTY CONSTABALARY BILL.
Sir E. KNATCH f3ULL opposed the House going
into Committee, because he had a motion for referring the
Bill to a Select Committee, which he could not then bring
foward in consequence of the lateness of the hour.
rid
Mr. FOX MAULE said ho proposed making several
amendments and he thought it best the House should go
into Committee that the amendments might be printed.
Mr. G. BERKELEY hoped the towns with doubled
rates in the counties that had adopted the Police Bill had
not been overlooked.
The Bill was then committed pro forma.
Mr. BEE NAL brought up the Report of the Com-
mittee of Supply.
The other Orders of the Day were then read.
Mr. O'BRIEN moved—" That the names of any Mew"
bers who may be desirous of giving notices of motions,
shall be written upon separate slips of paper, and thrown
into one of the glasses on the table on the day on which
such notices arc to be given, and the Clerk shall imme&-
ately upon Mr. Speaker taking the Chair draw the names
out of the glass, and the names of the Members shall he
placed upon the Notice Paper in the order in which they
are so drawn by the Clerk ;" but the general sense of the
House being against it, it was negatived.
The House adjourned, at Ten minutes before One
o'Clock, to Monday. tiTheilaziaes:en w spiritt ds

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