The Sun.
London, England, 1848-02-21 00:00:00

WIDOW TAX.

Sir DE LACY EVANS presented a petition,
numerously signed by the inhabitants of Westminster,
praying for a repeal of the window-tax.

RAJA OF SATTARA.

The Hort. MEMBER also presented a petition from
St. George's, Hanover-square, praying for an inquiry
into the case of the late Raja of Sattara.

NAVIGATION LAWS.

Mr. JAMES CLAY presented a petition from
Hull against any alteration of the navigation-laws.
NATIONAL DEFENCES.

Mr. WILLIAMS presented a petition from Mac-
clesfield, signed by 1,250 persons, against any increase
in the army or navy of the country.
DUTY ON TEA.

Mr. J. CLAY presented a petition from Hull,
praying for an equalisation, or reduction, of the duty
on tea.

CHELSEA OUT-PENSIONERS.

Dr. BOWRING presented a petition from the
out-pensioners of Chelsea College, residing in Clon-
mel, praying the House to restore to them the fie
per cent. which had been usually detained by the
Government upon the payment of their pensions.
LANDLORD AND TENANT LAW.

Mr. M. J.,O'CONNELL .presented a petition from
Kerry, praying for an alteration of the law of landlord
and tenant.

POORrLAW (IRELAND).

Mr. HAMILTON presented a petition praying
for an alteration in the present Poor-law of Ireland.

MONASTIC ORDERS.

Mr. WADDINGTON presented a petition against
the renewal of the establishment of monastic orders
in this country.
Sir R. H. INGLIS presented a number of peti-
tions against the admission of Jews into Parliament,
and other petitions, praying the House to take steps
to prevent priestly denunciations from the altar; also
another petition from Ashton-under-Lyne, praying
for an increase in the number of Bishops who govern
the Established Church.

Mr. HIND LEY presented a number of petitions
from various Peace Societies throughout the country
against any increase in the army and navy, and for
the settlement of disputes by arbitration.
Mr. GREENE presented a petition from Lancas-
ter in favour of the Jewish Disabilities Bill.

Mr. BERKELEY presented a petition from
Gloucestershire in favour of the Health of Towns
Bill.

NOTICES OF MOTION.

Mr. HORSMAN gave notice that on Monday
next, on the motion for going into Committee of
Supply, he should move a resolution to the effect that
it was the duty of the House to render the income-
tax more equal and fair by making a distinction be-
tween sums derivable from property and those arising
from professions and uncertain sources.
Mr. B. ()SBORNE gave notice that he should
move, as an amendment to the motion of the Hon.
Baronet, Member for the University, that an humble
address be presented to her Majesty, praying for the
appointment of a Commission to superintend the ex-
penditure voted for the purposes of the new Houses
of Parliament, with the view of making arrangements
for the completion of the building at the earliest
possible period.
Mr. BRIGHT gave notice that, on Monday next,
on the motion that the Speaker do leave the chair for
going into a Committee of Supply, he should move
that it be an instruction to the Committee to consider
the expediency, in making any increase in the income-
tax, of extending the probate and legacy duties to
real property, in preference to the increase in the
income- tax upon the principle proposed by Govern-
ment.

Sir B. HALL gave notice that, in Commit-
tee, he should move that the income-tax be extended
to Ireland.—(Hear, hear.)
CORK.

Mr. FAGAN inquired whether it was intended to
continue the construction of the docks at Cork, and
other works, out of the 12.4061. intended to be ex-
pended this year in Ireland ?
Mr. WARD replied that a great portion of the
works were paid out of the sums voted for the relief
works last year; i,8151. out of the sum which had
been voted for the works remained in hand, and the
addition of 6,0001., he considered, would be sufficient
to carry on the works this year.
MAINTAINING PRISONERS—SCOTLAND.
Mr. HUME presented a petition from Forfar
complaining of the heavy charge of prisoners, and
stating that the expense of their maintenance was not
properly distributed.

FINANCIAL POLICY OF THE GOVERN-

MENT.

Upon the order of the day for going into Com-
mittee of Supply,
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
rose and said—l wish before going into Com-
mittee to state to the House the course which
her Majesty's Government intend to pursue
with respect to the resolutions which had
been laid on the table of the House by my
Noble Friend (Lord J. Russell) on Friday night.
I find that my Hon. Friend the Member for Mont-
rose has put a notice on the paper for postponing
going into Committee of Supply until the House
shall have decided upon the proposals made by
my Noble Friend (Lord John Russell) on
Friday night. It is quite impossible for her
Majesty's Government to accede to the terms of
that motion. The course usually adopted by the
House is to go into Committee of Supply previous to
going into Committee of Ways and Means, and
if. Sir, I were to propose any vote in Committee
of Ways and Means which would not bs
approved in Committee of Supply ; you would stop
me on the ground that I was acting contrary to
the practice of the House. This practice was a
h
perfectly right and proper one. (Hear, hear.)
elt Would
m bees a
of
the monstrous
country
depended
thing to su poppoosne t thhea
state
t theate
of the revenue. It would-be necessary that the defences
country should be
maintained,
notwithstanding an
adverse state of the revenue. The practice of the
House has always been toe The practice of the
House has always been to determ what is
neces-
sary, and when that has been done, then't
becomes
the duty of the House to deal with the proposal
,
the Government, and consider in what mpanpaoesralthoel
necessary revenue can be raised in the least objectionable
manner.—(Cheers.) The vote of Supply- must
therefore necessarily precede the vote in Ways and
Means. Her Majesty s Government, taking- into
consideration the state of the country, felt it their
duty to propose an inconsiderable increase in the sum
to be voted. They were surprised that a general
impression prevailed, both in and out of the House,
that the increased taxation proposed by my
Noble Friend was owing to increased estimates,
and that the increase proposed was one of a military
character, and that the whole additional taxation was
rendered necessary by some enormous increase re-
quired for military defences and for purposes of ag-
gression.—(Hear, hear.) I hope that a brief review
of the figures laid before the House by my

Noble Friend will convince Hon. Members that
such impressions are entirely erroneous.—(Hear,
hear.) From the figures used by my Noble Friend,
it appears that upon the estimates sanctioned last
year there is a deficiency of no less than 2,500,0001.,
which must, of course, be provided for by taxation
in the course of the next year. That, therefore, is
the case without any increase whatever.—(Hear.)
a great portion of the increase in the estimates were
of an entirely pacific character. The increase in the
miscellaneous estimates is mainly attributable to a
transfer of the charges for the maintenance of the
convict establishments of the country: for harbours
of refuge, printing for the House, the British Mu-
seum, items which are not in the least degree con-
nected with either novel or military purposes.
There is also an increased charge for the conveyance
of mails, the fitting out of an expedition to go in
search of Sir J. Franklin. The increase in the votes
whick may be considered as being of a military cha-
racter arises from the increase of wages to petty offi-
cers and seamen, and loss to the Government
incurred by giving up the poundage which
had been usually retained by the Government in
the payment of the pensions to the pensioners of the
army and navy. They are not even votes for the
purposes of defence much less for aggres-
sive purposes. I regret also that there ap-
pears another impression abroad that the in-
crease, small as it is is only the commencement of a
continued increase. I can assure the. House that the
Government has done nothing, and will do nothing,
which they do not feel to be conducive to the preser-
vation of the peace of the country and of Europe.—
' (Hear, hear.) I am sorry so much misappre-
hension should have prevailed on the sub-
ject. The Government most earnestly wish
that the House should be satisfied on the subject
No doubt there were a great many explanations
which would be required, and which could not be
made in that House, and therefore it is the intention
of the Government to propose a select and secret
Committee—(Murmurs of disapprobation)—to whom
the expenditure of the navy, army, and ordnance
shouldibe referred. It will be in the power of this
Committee to consider all the papers which have been
laid before the House, and to examine all the parties
who are best able to give any information on the
subjects referred to the committee. It is not the
intention of the Government to submit to this com-
mittee the income or expenditure of the country—
(renewed murmurs)—but merely to adopt the course
followed upon previous occasions. The expenditure
of the three departments I have referred to will be
alone referred to the Committee. Committees of
the kind have been appointed upon previous occa-
sions. The Right Hon. Baronet (Sir •R. Peel)
moved for the appointment of a similar Commit-
tee in the year 1828. I will also remind the
House that Committees of this kind were ap-
pointed in the years 1786, 1791, 1797, 1807,
1817, and in 1828. It is now more than twenty
years since any Committee of the kind has sat. I
think it will afford an opportunity of showing what
amount of expenditure is actually necessary. A full
report upon the whole subject would be made
to the House by the Committee. It is
necessary for the public service that the
votes of supply should be taken to-night.
I hope the House will allow my Hon. Friends, the
Secretary for the Amiralty and the Secretary at War,
to go into Committee, and take a few votes which
are necessary for the public service ; but I trust the
House will not consider it necessary to enter into
any general discussion upon those estimates, because
no question could be formally brought before them
now, and a discussion which could only arise upon
incidental and trifling details will, therefore, lead to
inconvenience.—(Hear, hear.) It will be my duty
to state fully next Monday the views and intentions
of Government with regard to the estimates gene-
rally, and it is the anx.ous desire of my Hon. Col-
leages that the discussion should be deferred till
then. With these observations, and having stated
what are the wishes of Government in reference to
the proceecings of to night, I beg leave to move that
the order of the day for going into Committee of
Supply be now read.
Mr. HUME said, having been named by the Right
Hon. Gentleman who had just sat down, he felt it to
be his duty Ito justfiy the few words which he
addressed to title House on Friday. He ad-
mitted that he expressed himself warmly on that
occasion because he felt warmly, and he
would now state to the House why he then
differed from the Government. The Right Hon.
Baronet, as well as the Noble Lord who addressed
the House on Friday, seemed to think it was the
duty of the House to look into the estimates without
having any regard as to where the means were to
come from, but he, for one, always had, and always
should, contest that point, upon the same principle
that ought to actuate the head of a family in entering
upon any new expenditure. Every one would admit
that it was the duty of .a man, before he set up
a carriage in a new house, to see that he had the
means of supporting it, and no one would sympathise
with him, if instead of following that rule, a man
started his carriage and then found he had net the
means of maintaining it. Upon the same principle
he felt it to be his duty to object to the House going
into these estimates till they had considered
whether the means could be obtained.—(Hear.)
Let him now direct the attention of the House to a
couple of balance sheets issued from the Treasury.
One of them was dated the Ist of January, 1846, and
signed by Mr. Cardwell, while the other was dated
the Ist of January, 1848, and signed by Mr. Parker.
The first showed an excess of income over expenditure
amounting to 3,850,0001., but the latter showed an
excess of expenditure over income of no less than
2,950,0001. Now, he asked any Honourable
Member whether, with such a return as this
in his hand, he could feel himself justified
in supporting a proposal for increasing the
expenditure of the country. Did it not prove that
there was something wrong in the distribution of the
national income, and that instead of increasing the
expenditure they onght to see if some retrenchments
could not be made. Well, then he found
by a return which his Honourable Friend the
Member for the North Riding had moved, that
at the close of the year there were between
ten and eighteen ships of the line in the
Tagus. Each of these ships carried somewhere about
74 guns: each,: and in the aggregate 7,000 seamen.
Now, could not this force be judiciously re•
moved to some ether station, and by that
means reduce the expenditure of the country ?
He had moved for a return of the number of French
and American ships engaged in the slave trade on
the coast of Africa, but it had not been laid on the
table. The Right Hon. Baronet the Chancellor of
the Exchequer intended to object to the minute
inquiry that he proposed into the mode of collecting
the revenue. 1,800,0001. was annually expended in
collecting the revenue in the Customs and Excise de-
partments, but they had yet to learn, though the Right
Hon. Baronet (Sir R. Peel) had reduced the taxes upon
700 articles, that one Custom-house officer less was
employed. A Committee was appointed in 1828—
was appointed to inquire into the finances of the
country. They arranged the nature of the inquiry
during the first year of the meeting, but when they
were prepared they were told that the Duke of Wel-
lington was then at the head of the Government, and
that he did not like such an inquiry ; they were,
therefore, turned to the right about.—(Laughter.)
If it had gone on, and they had Sir Henry Parnell,
Lord Althorp, and Lord Hardinge against them, it
could not fail to have led to a satisfactory result. He
wished to see the burdens of the people lessened ; at
any rate if they were equalised to a greater extent
than at present the people would cheerfully bear
them ; but whilst they were not they would con-
tinue dissatisfied with the administratiod of the
affairs of the country. There was nothing in the
nature of the finances of the company, he considered
to need a secret inquiry. The more often the inquiry
was, the more satisfactory It would prove to the peo-
ple. The estimates he thought ought to be postponed
until the House would come to a decision on the fi-
nancial statement.

Mr. EWART was most anxious to see the peace of
this country with France maintained, instead of seeing
a formidable armament kept up to protect this
against France, he would rather see the duties on
her wine imported into this country removed.—
(Hear, hear.) He was opposed to the financial pro
position of the Government.
Mr. S. CRAWFORD also entered his decided
protest against the financial propositions of the Go-
vernment.