The Sun.
London, England, 1848-02-29 00:00:00

tax. It is quite true that the tax was only proposed Ear
a time; but, under the circkm -stances in which it was
proposed, I will venture to sa r that no man could rea-
sonably entertain the idea tha t it was to be temporary.
well, such being the state t if the case—such having
been the course of financial legi elation—such having
been the unanimous acquiesce nee of the House in the
renewal of this tax, I must itey that I think it would
have been an extraordinary c G arse to have
Pr'eposed the
reversal of the financial lee i slation whit'
;or years has been so unar imously sa f the last
et
Rouse and by the country. If we had e ijouel by ;he
7
done Proposed a renewal of the ir this, and
x, neon corn and
wool, and have raised the duty 0-
Would at once hare been said 'sugar
tat we and
were running our timber, it
heads against public opire.e
P en, and the express and re-
eceated opinion of this
House.—(Hear, hear.) We ac-
income-tax for r rdingly proposed
e as our first measure to renew the
the
• limited time. Whether that time is to
Opel,
the
e
de years is a question for the consideration
oven j,)(wemittee on the 8111. It does not follow that
pos; tie had had recourse to indirect taxatien, sup-
r -al; there was to be no change, it wouli, in a less
etiod than five years, raise the income up to the
itielooooo/. we should lose by taking off the income-tax.
'tit, even with the renewal of the income tax as it stands,
.?te found there would be a considerable deficiency in the
Me•
orne; and the question comes to be how is that defi-
ehienoy to be made up? I believe I have stated before,
at in our opinion the existence of that deficiency would
be felt only for a time. It was obvious that the large
Payments on account of the Kafir war and the excess of
;alai expenditure would cease to appear. My Hon,
rLend (Mr. Ward) has stated, and I have repeated to-
aguts that the greater portion of the works in our
,sekyards will be completely finished in the course of
Jfit months, or, at most, in two years; and that alter that
Rime there will be no need for any further expenditure
'en that head. The country will have the benefit of
-these works, while it will be unnecessary to continue the
expenditure for them. I think, also, we may look, in a
abort time, to other items for a reduction—such, for
instance, as that from the building of the Houses
et. Parliament. I think, therefore, we are perfectly
Justified in considering the increased expenditure
44 merely of a temporary character. How then were
;ve to provide for this temporary increase ? It would
hardly 4.. have been wise, in my opinion, to impose new
tales and to derange commerce and trade for a temporary
purpose. We might have proposed a per-contage on
existing taxation ; but I do not think the experiment
Via succeeded which we made in this way before.—
(tlear, hear.) It has been, in fact, a total failure. We
might
have imposed it upon the assessed taxes alone ;
t•
s looking at the assessed taxes for the last four or
"le Years, I find there has been a considerable falling
°ff; and we could not therefore depend upon a certain
increase of revenue from imposing an additional per.
vantage upon the assessed taxes. There remained then
e
Possible per-tentage on the income-tax, and from this
Source we were as certain as we can possibly be of
anything future that we should derive an increase of
revenue without any additional expense to the country.
We knew that the whole amount imposed as an addition
PrOuld be received into the Exchequer. However painful
it
A :Was to impose this tax, I was, and still am of
~,Pflion, that it would be the cheapest mode of pro-
.for the temporary emergency. There were
'aliens questions raised on former occasions with
Peference to this tax, one of which the Hon. Member
r Ler Marylebone (Sir B. Hall) proposes to raise on the
Present occasion—l mean the extension of the tax to
Ireland. Now, in my opinion, if this tax is to be conti-
nued beyond the temporary emergency, then Ireland, as
tell as Great Britain, ought to pay it.—(Loud cheers.)
• remember, it was distinctly stated by the late Mr.
O'Connell, that Ireland could not bear to have such a
tax as this imposed upon her. But, whether Ireland
could bear such a tax under ordinary circumstances, and
Whether she could bear it as she is at present situated,
are two widely different questions. It may be that Ire-
;and, in ordinary years, is quite able to pay this tax, but
▪ think it would be equally inexpedient and unwise to
attempt to impose it on the nresent occasion. Nobody
Who has attended to recent events in Ireland can fait to
see that she is still labouring under the effect of a great
calamity. If Honourable Gentlemen have referred to a
PaPer recently laid on the table of this House, namely,
the return showing the amount of poor-rate collected
thing the last two years, they will be aware that there
as been an enormous increase of payment on that
aecere, and especially during the last two months. No
doubt they ought to pay for their own poor ; and it is
Unreasonable to expect that the people of this country,
*altering as they are themselves, should pay for
hene_‘___ 'Hear, hear)—but, at the same time, wo cannot
but look at the amount of taxation they have to bear in
this way';
and my belief is, that if we were to impose the
income-tax upon them at present, it would discourage the
exertions which are being made by the landlords and
farmers, throughout that country for the employment of
the people.—(Hear, hear.) It would discourage that
upon which the future improvement of Ireland depends
the employment of the people. If Hon. Gentlemen
have not looked at that document, they will perhaps
allow me to quote a few figures from it, showing the
increase of these payments. In 1846, the whole amount
"P nepr-rate paid in Ireland was only 390,0004 ; in
1847 it was to 970,0001. ; but if Hon. Gentle-
raets will refer to the last ter. months, they wilt ie.. that
Whereas in the last two months of 1846 the poor-rates
131lected amounted to 109,0001., they amounted in the
last two months of 1847, to 441,0001., or more than
quadruple the former sum.—(Hear, hear.) Since that
return was laid upon the table we have received a state-
ment showing the amount collected in January, 1847, as
compared with January, 1848. In January, 1847, the
amount collected was 52,0001. ; whereas, in Jan., 1848,
.11
t Was upwards, of 190,0001., or at the rate of 2,000,000/.
I'l7 aunum.—(Hear.) I confess, then, that looking at
Is circumstance, and considering that they must ne-
Zssarily' continue to collect the poor-rate for the main-
tenance of the poor in that country, I do think that it
Iftould not be politic or wise to attempt to impose any
lurther p ay ment upn them during the present year.
confess I do not think it would be worth while, be-
cause I believe Honourable Gentlemen would be very
much
disappointed in the amount we should probably
receive. I was astonished to find that the whole of
,
notland yielded only 400,0001.; and I have no reason
rt_ believe that we should get as much from Ireland,
the
we must bear in mind that a large portion of
e landed proprietors reside in this country, and neces-
alttilY pay income-tax already.—(Hear, hear.) The
bruPuut we should derive from Ireland, then, I do not
Jeleeve would be very large. We proposed, as I have
hgui to renew the income-tax for a limited time with
a
co' increase per cent. for a period of two years, in order
Meet the extraordinary expenditure. =I have been
asked whether I will promise to take it off at the end
of
ee two years. I said, and I say again, that it would be
___,-"ceedingly unwise to make any promise on the subject.
st„ALaughter.) Can any one foresee what will be the
Can of this country two years hence?—(Hear, hear.)
b,ll any one foresee what it will be in a much shorter
4-'°el?—(Hear, hear.) How long is it since an Hon.
entleMarl, recently arrived from France (Mr. Cobden),
stated to this House that there could be no object for a
revolutionA there ?—(Shouts of laughter.) The truth is
that the wisest and best of men may be misinformed ;
`ande I believe that not only that Hon. Gentleman, but
ieverYbody in this country, and France too, has been
thnch surprised at the events which have taken place
re during the last ten days.—(Hear, hear.) I could
one.
• ► therefore, undertake to say that the 5 per cent
c4lid not be renewed at the end of two years ; but I
took occasion to show the House the probability that it
could be so taken off. These, then, were the proposals
t
be"lch we made to the House,—that the country should
called upon, for a limited time, to pay this tax in the
mannerthe and to the amount which for successive years
• Y bad been agreeable to do ; and, further, that t hey
itruld submit for a still more limited time to an
talcreased amount of the same kind. I cannot say that
e proposal which Government made has been well
TeeeiVed.—(Cries of " Hear, hear," and laughter.)
must admit that from all quarters of the House,
Ve from all parts of the country, we have received
most unequivocal demonstrations of the disapproval
fathe increase of 2 per cent.—(Hear, hear.) We have
beanse4?_Und too, that those who on former occasions supported
e
• e from indirect to direct taxation were louder
be their The opposition on this occasion than any others.
htle lion. Member for Cockermouth has given notice of
la intention to propose a motion with a view of render
Fg the tax more fair and equal in its operation. The
ight lion. Gentleman the Member for Portsmouth (Mr.
„ Baring) said that the tax was unequal, but that he did
"t see any practicable remedy ; and I suspect that when
the(l lion. Member (Mr. Horsman) comes to inquire into
t
6 mode of operation of the plan. he proposes, he will
nd it as full of grose inequalities as the plan in existence.
it:lon't say that one's first impression is not against the
teeqUality of the tax, as at present imposed ; but I say
s,aut, taking up the matter in a perfectly impartial spirit,
that Willli also be found the other way. I recollect
au on. Gentleman, not now a Member of this
118,e. but who formerly represented Kendal (Mr.
pesrburton), used to maintain that the present was a
thLfectlYjust and equal rate of taxation. I mention these
trigs to show that the matter, at all events, is not so
Member
as to be free from doubt.—( Hear, hear.) The Hon.
t,seceber for Manchester has another proposal. He pro-
VieB to meet the existing deficiency by extending the
zobeto
r and legacy duty to real property. I believe
iteifei is some injustice in the mode in which the probate
man legacy duties are at present imposed; but there are
pro-A•fs uifticulties in the way of the Hon. Gentleman's
side, and a great deal may be said on the other
the* if these duties are to be put on an equal footing.
oti re are other duties which would require to be placed
tthn equal footing also. There is a Bill which we are
e habit of passing annually to exempt stock in
trade; and if gentlemen who own real property were to
hew" to put that on an equal footing, I do not know
Well we Could possibly refuse to do so in the one case as
Opin•aa in the other.—(Hear, hear.) I do not give an
au, opinion
either one way or the other. All I wish to
as that it is not quite so simple and easy a matter
Ulm Honourable Gentlemen arc apt to suppose ; and
ow. if it is to be dealt with satisfactorily we can
oe,3'cle it after a long and careful inquiry, not into
dutyllo alone but into many. But, whatever opinion
is' -*; Gentlemen may entertain upon this subject, there
oleret e' have said before, a unanimous concurrence in
taa!-"eg to the additional 2 per cent. on the income-
wow I still think that the proposal was one which it.
te, d have been for the benefit of the country to submit
therel3llt must say, on the part of Government, that if
is the 13 One subject upon which
too representatives of
orePle have a right to dictate the Government, it
for" such an occasion.—(Bear, hear.) I have, there-
of Pei the
tike Ugh not without regret, to announce on the part
eetoi e Government, that we do not mean to ress the
es(Cliliteien which implies an addition to the income-tax.
regret,
ers and laughter.) I repeat that Ido it not without
because I think that in the present circumstances
balllea country a full Exchequer is a great thing. I
Sorry to draw upon the balances, however
of izut:euch, on a former occasion, afforded us the means
Wan" relieving the distress of Ireland. We pro-