The Sun.
London, England, 1848-03-11 00:00:00

PENZANCE WATERWORKS.

Mr. MO WATT proposed the second reading of this
Bill, which was agreed to.
On the motion that the Bill be committed, _ _ _

Sir C. LEMON moved that it be committed this
day six months. He wished the Bill had emanated
from parties altogether unconnected with Penzance.
The subscription contract did not contain the name of
a single rate-payer.
Mr. WYLD supported the Bill, on the ground that
the town was badly supplied with water. Provision had
been inserted in the Bill to give the Commissioners
of Penzance compensation for any injury which
the town might sustain in consequence of the carry-
#ag out of the works. In a sanitary point of view
the measure was a mo,t important one. He thought
the House should accede to the committal of the Bill,
in which stage some alterations might be made, in
order to render it more palatable to those who op-
posed it.
Mr. MOWATT defended the Bill. The parties
promoting the Bill had paid up the necessary capital,
and as they had obtained a Bill to construct similar
works at Falmouth, they conceived they had some
claim to be entrusted with power to construct
waterworks at Penzance.

The House then divided, when there appeared—
For the motion .. 62
Against it .. 45
Majority . —l7
The Bill was then ordered to be committed.
AYLESBURY ELECTION.

The Members of the Committee appointed to try
he Aylesbury election petition were summoned to
the bar and sworn.

PETIT taNs.

Mr. MUNTZ presented a petition against the
principle ofcentralization embraced by the Health
of Towns 13i11.

Mr. REYNOLDS presented a petition from
Dublin praying for the repeal of the 17th and 18th
of Charles the Second, obliging Dissenters to contri-
bute to the support of the Established Church.
Mr. SHARMNN CRAWFORD presented a pe-
tition from Rochdee against the present income-tax.
INCOME-TAX.

Dr. BOW RING moved for a copy of the charges
preferred to the Board of Stamps and Taxes, by Mr.
Thomas Jones, hate clerk to the Commissioners for
General Purposes for the City of London, under the
Property and Income-tax Act, against Mr. Edward
Welsh, the surveyor of taxes fer the City of London,
on the 23d day of April, 1847, with the minute of
the Board of Stamps and Taxes of the 27th day of
July last in reference thereto.—A greed to.
PRINTING PETITIONS.

Mr. LAW moved that the petition of the Chan-
cellor and Scholars of the University of Cambridge
(presented 9th March), be printed with the votes.
Mr. GREENE must oppose the printing of pe-
titions, merely upon the ground that it came from a
respectable body. Some years ago it was found to
be a matter of serious inconvenience that so many
petitions were required to be printed, and a Com-
mittee was appointed to devise a remedy for the evil.
The result of that Committee was the adoption of an
order by the House, that no petition should be
printed unless the Hon. Member who moved that it
should be printed intended to found a motion upon
it.- It did not appear that the Hon. and Learned
Member intended to found a motion upon this peti-
tion; and, therefore, there could be no necessity to
print it.—(Llear, hear.)
Mr. LAW said he was not at all surprised at the
opposition which had been raised to the-motion for
printing the petition. Upon a question vitally affect-
ing the Protestant religicn of this country, he thought
that it might be allowed to one of the Members of
the University of Cambridge to propose that the sen-
timents held by that body should be communicated to
e House as soon as possible.
Dr. BOWRING rose to order. He did not think
that, as this was an opposed motion, the Hon. Mem-
ber could have precedence over orders of the day.
The SPEAKER said that, no doubt, in point of
order, the lion. Member was not entitled to move
that the petition be printed, unless he gave notice of
his intention to found a motion thereon.
Mr. LAW said that if that were so he would then
give notice that he would specially call the attention
of the House to the subject of that petition,
Mr. W. PATTEN said that he thought the Hon.
Member had no right whatever to impute any mo-
tives to his Hon. Friend who had objected, in point
of form, to the petition being printed. He felt con-
vinced that the Hon. Member for Lancaster, in the
cotoree he had adopted, had been instigated by no
other motives than the proper and faithful discharge
of his d'iity.—(llear, hear.) He trusted, there-
fore, that the Hon. and Learned Member for
Cambridge would at once perceive that he was in
"Tor in the assertions he had made, and would with-
draiy them.

Mr. L kVir did not intend in the slightest degree to
impute improper !motives to the Hon. Member for
Lancaster.—(Hear, hear.) If anything had been
said by him which could be'considered in the slightest
degree disrespectful to the Hon. Member he would at
once withdraw it.—(Flear, hear.)
Sir GEORGE GREY thought that the House
WAS greatly indebted to the Hon. Member for
Lancaster for the attention he had paid to the orders
of the House, and the great assistance he bad in-
variably given to every Member, in order that they

might be enabled to adopt them. He trusted, there-
1.,' d 7-V_lcrEber for Cam-

bzidge Would withdrew his motion.
After some further discussion,
Mr. LAW withdrew his motion.
COTTON WOOL.
Mr. POLE CAREW moved, pursuant to notice,
for " Accounts of the total number of pounds
weight of cotton wool imported into the United
Kingdom, in each year, from 1815 to 1847, both
inclusive; distinguishing the quantities imported
from the United States of America, Brazil, the Me-
diterranean, the East Indies, and the British West
Indies, respectively, from that imported from
all other parts; with the several rates of
duty payable upon such cotton wool in the
United Kingdom during that period ; and
the total amount of duty received in each year. Of
the total quantities and declared value of British
cotton goods, and of cotton twist, yarn, or thread,
exported from the United Kingdom to all parts of the
world, in each year from 1815 to 1847, both inclusive ;
specifying the number of yards, and declared value of all
goods entered by the yard ; the declared value of such
goods as are entered by value only, as hosiery, lace, &c. ;
and the number of pounds weight and declared value
of cotton twist, yarn, or thread, so exported • showing
the aggregate declared value of all such exports
in each year. Similar accounts to the foregoing of
the export of British cotton manufactured goods, and
cotton twist, yarn, or thread, to the United States of
America ; and, account of the total official value of
all goods imported into, and the total official value of
the produce and manufactures of the United Kingdom,
and of foreign and colonial merchandise, respectively,
with the aggregate of such amounts exported from
the United Kingdom to the United States of America ;
also, the total declaredvalue of the produce and manu-
factures of the United Kingdom so exported, in each
year, from 1816 to 1847, both inclusive.—Agreed to.
COUNTY COURTS.
Dr. BOWRING moved, pursuant to notice, for a
tabular return of the amounts received monthly by
the treasurers of the county courts; of the name of
the bank in which such amounts are deposited, and of
the balances in hand on the Ist day of March, 1848 ;
also, of the amounts withdrawn monthly; showing
also in whose name the accounts are kept,
whether interest is allowed on the balances, and to
whom the said interest (if any) is paid ; stating also
whether any and what amount of security has been
given, and the nature of the security. The account
to exhibit, in a separate column, the amount of suitors'
money unclaimed.—Agreed to.
THE LEGACY DUTY.
On the motion of Mr. HUME the following re-
turns were ordered :--The amount of capital on
which the several rates of legacy duty have been
paid in Great Britain in the years ended the sth
day of January, 1847, and the sth day of
January, 1848 ; and an abstract of the total
amount under each rate since 1797 : showing the
amount of capital on which the several rates of
legacy duty have been paid in Ireland, for the year
ended the sth day of January, 1847, and distinguish-
ing the amount of each rate; also, an abstract of the
total amount under each rate since 1797. Account,
showing the total amount of duties on legacies, pro-
bates, and administrations received in Ireland in the
years ended the sth day of January 1847, and
the sth day of January, 1848. Returns of the total
amount of revenue received in the United Kingdom,
in the year ended the sth day of January, 1847, for
stamp duty on legacies, on probates, administrations,
and testamentary inventories; distinguishing the
amount from England and Wales, from Scotland
and from Ireland : of total duty received in.
England, Scotland, and Ireland since 1797,
distinguishing legacies from probates, adminis-
trations, and testamentary inventories ; also an
abstract of the aggregate amount from legacies
and probates, &c., in England and \Vales, in Scot-
land and in Ireland. And account, showing the total
amount of duty on legacies, probates, and administra-
tions received in each year in Ireland since the year
1797 to the sth day of January, 1848 (in continua-
tion of Parliamentary Paper No. 71, of Session 1846).
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER did
not object to either of the last returns, because he
had not heard their purport; he rose, however, for a
different purpose, namely, to express his disapproval
of the growing practice that now prevailed of Hon.
Members moving for unopposed returns without any
communication with the departments by which they
were to be furnished. He had no objection to the re •
turn moved for just now by the Honourable
Member for Montrose, which was taken out
of its turn.—(Hear, hear.) He had no objection
to a motion for a return being taken out of its turn
if an 'understanding to that effect subsisted with the
department by which it was to be supplied; but when
the contrary was the case, he thought the convenience
of the House would be better consulted if such re •
turns were taken in their regular order. In all
cases the departments to which the returns had
reference should be communicated with.—(Hear.)
Mr. HUME said he communicated the purport of
his first motion to Mr. Wickham, 'one of the Under
Secretaries of the Treasury, four days ago, and that
he offered no objection to it.—(Hear, hear.) The
return with respect to the legacy duty ;fie
had named session after session for the last
five and twenty years.—(Hear.) He asked the
House if there was any ground for the statement of
the Right lion. Gentleman the Chancellor of the
Exchequer, so far as he was concerned ?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
said the consent of the Treasury should invariably
be obtained before Hon. Gentlemen brought forward
motions which they imagined would not be opposed.
Mr. HUME said Mr. Parker consented to his
other motion.
Mr. V. SMITH said the expense of printing and
stationery was one of the largest that came before
them, and that Hon. Gentleman, before moving for
returns, should consult the intelligent library officers
as to whether similar returns had not been moved
fur, as it was frequently found, after great expense
had been incurred, that all the information required
was to be found in the archives of the library. He
was a member of the Printing Committee, appointed
at the instigation of the Speaker, and facts of
this kind had come to his knowledge in the
course of the investigations that were made.
It was very necessary that the suggestion
of seeking information from the officers of the
library should be attended to. When the Speaker
bad been appealed to he had invariably stated that
the matter rested entirely in the discretion of the
House.
Mr. PARKER corroborated the statement of Mr.
Hume.
Mr. M. J. O'CONNELL gave it as his opinion, that
moving for unopposed returns without previous no-
tice was a most inconvenient practice.
Mr. HORSMAN said many of the blue-books
presented to the House were utterly useless, and he
ventured to declare that the majority of those ordered
to be printed last year had found their way to the
butter-shop.
WEST INDIA COLONIES.
Mr. BARKLY moved that the petition o! the agri-
culturists, merchants, and other inhabitants of the
island of Jamaica be printed with the votes.—
Agreed to.
METROPOLITAN DISTRESS.
Mr. Alderman SIDNEY moved that the petition
from numerous individuals in the city of London,
complaining of the alarming increase in window
breaking, be printed with the votes.—Agreed to.
AYLESBURY ELECTION.
Mr. NEWDEGATE moved that the petition of
John Peter Deering, Esq., Member for the borough
of Aylesbury, be referred to the Select Committee
appointed to try the merits of the last election and
return for the said borough of Aylesbury.
Sir W. HEATIICOTE could see no necessity
for the House agreeing to the motion, for all that the
petitioner required would be done by the Committee
without their having any petition of the sort before
them.
Sir G. CLERK said that, in his opinion, the
House had not the power to interfere by referring
this petition to the Committee. The Act of Parlia-
ment clearly defined what petitions should be referred
to the Committee, and those petitions only could be
referred to such Committee. If the door were once
opened to admit petitions of this nature, there would
be no end to petitions which would be sent to Com-
mittees for the purpose of guiding or biassing their
decisions.
After a few words from Mr. S. WORTLEY, the
motion was withdrawn.
CONSTITUTION OF NEW SOUTH WALES.
Mr. SCOTT wished to know whether the Govern-
ment had any intention of making any and what
change in the constitution of New South Wales;
whether any communication of such an intention had
been made to the Legislative Council of the colony,
in order to obtain the opinion of the colony upon such
a proposed alteration ; and, if so, whether the Govern-
ment would lay the papers before Parliament.
Mr. L ABOUCHERE stated that it was intended
to introduce a Bill for the separation of the Govern-
ment of New South Wales from that of Port Philip;
that it was not usual to make communications with
the Legislative Councils of any of the colonies,
but that communications had been made with the
Governor of New South Wales on the subject,
and the Colonial Office were now waiting
the arrival of a dispatch from the Governor,
in answer to a communication sent from
this country on the subject of theseparation of
the two Governments he had referred to. With
respect to the papers, they would be laid upon the
table of the House he expected shortly.
SPANISH TARIFFS.
Mr. BANKES wished to ask the Foreign Secre-
tary whether any reply had been received to the
representations made by our Minister at the Court of
Madrid, some months ago, on the subject of increased
duties imposed by the Government of Spain on

articles of British manufacture ; also, why no return
I-, in c,,n-ipli:,rc.? with +l7e_.. erl"r nC 41,;e
11,,usQ, reTecting the present tariffs of ►Spain and
Portugal?
Lord PALMERSTON said, in answer to the first
question of the Hon. Member, he might state that an
answer had been received, dated the 28th of Decem-
ber last, to the communication made by her Majesty's
Minister in Madrid, and that answer he would lay on
the table of the House. It argued at some length that
the decrees were not liable to the objections that had
been taken to them, and stated that they were only
intended to prevent abuse.—( Hear, hear.) With
respect to the other question he had to
state that he had sent fresh directions to Madrid and
Lisbon to procure the returns, and he felt satisfied
that there not having been sent arose from an over-
sight, and nothing else. He would lay all the papers
when he received them on the table of the House.
DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH ROME.

Mr. PLUMPTRE wished to know whether it was
the intention of the Noble Lord at the head of
the Foreign Department to move the second
reading of the Diplomatic Relations with Rome
Bill on Monday, and if not, on what day he intended
to move the second reading ?
Lord PALMERSTON was afraid that the state of
the public business would prevent him moving the
second rea3ing of the Bill on Monday next; he would
therefore postpone it to Monday week.
INCOME-TAX (IRELAND).
Mr. HAMILTON, seeing the Hon. Baronet the
Member for Marylebone in his place, was desirous of
knowing whether it was his intention to bring for-
ward the motion of which he had given notice, for
extending the income-tax to Ireland ?
Sir B. HALL said it certainly was his intention to
bring on the motion, and he should take the sense of
the Committee upon it. As to the time when he
should bring it forward, it was impossible for him to
say, as the debate on the income-tax was now going
on; until it was determined, he could not bring for-
ward his motion. The best advice he could give to
the Hon. Member was to pass the question on to the
Chancellor of the Exthequer, and to ask him when,
if the Committee came to a decision whether the
income-tax should be for one year or for three, he
proposed to go into a Committee of Ways and Means ?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER—
On Monday, Sir.—(Laughter.)
DURHAM CATHEDRAL.

Lord J. RUSSELL, in answer to a question from
Mr. llorsman, stated, as we understood, that it was
not the intention of the Government to fill up the
vacant stall in the Cathedral of Durham.
SCOTCH ENTAIL BILL.

Sir G. GREY, in reply to Air. B. Cochrane,
stated the second reading of this Bill stood for Tues-
day. The Lord Advocate was absent from town,
and if the Bill could not be taken on that day the
second reading would be fixed for an early day.

WAYS AN I) MEANS.-THE INCOME-TAX

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
then moved the order of the day for going into a
Committee of the whole House on the income-tax.

Several petitions having been presented against the
income•tax, the Home went into Committee; Air.
Bernal in the chair.

Mr. J. 'WILSON rose and said, that the real question
which the House had now to decide was, whether they
were willing to go on, or not, with their present system
of financial policy? In reference to the subject of free
trade, he was willing to admit that, notwithstanding the
prosperity that it had been maintained by its advocates
would be the result of freedom of trade, the commerce
of the country was in a prostrate condition.—(Eiecr,
hear.) But whilst he admitted that he thought he could
show that there were circumstances connected with the
question which would sufficiently explain the cause of
that result, and show that they ought not to be referred
to the Acts in regard to commercial policy which were
adopted in 1842 and 1845, it was hardly necessary that
he should do more than refer to the state of their finances
in 1849, after the speech of the Right lion. Bironet
(Sir Robert Peel) the other night; but he might be
allowed to observe that the Right lion. Baronet had him-
self admitted that, in imposing the income-tax in 1842,
he had two objects in view—first, to equalise the income
with the expenditure of the country; and, secondly, to
relieve the springs of industry and commerce of the
country from burdens which pressed upon :them.
Now, how had those objects been effected? Since the
year 1842 the Right lion. Baronet repealed taxes to the
following extent:—
Taxes reduced or repealed from 1842 to 1846 inclu-
sive :

1842 A1,590,000
1843
1844
1845
1846

7,897,000
Taxes imposed, income and property 5,624,000

Profit
—(Hear, hear.) Surely, after that statement, it scarcely
required any remarks on his part to show what relief
the removal of such an amount of taxation as this must
have given to the industry of the country.—(Hear,
hear.) Bat what had been the state of the Customs
and Excise in 1842, when this policy was first com-
menced, and in 1847?
Produce of Customs and Excise Duties:-
1842. 1847.
Customs X 23,515,374 22,278,316
Excise 14,602,847 15,012,143

£38,118,221 37,290,459
—(Hear, hear.) So that such had been the effect of the
recent policy, that the revenue from these two sources
had risen, in 1847, to within 700,000/. or 800,0001. of
what it was in 1842.—(Hear, hear.) What, too, had
been the effect of this policy upon the debt of the coun-
try ? In 1842 the Government paid to the Bank of
England no less a sum than 100,0001. as interest for
the money borrowed from that establishment to carry
on the business of the country ; but the following
figures in relation to the amount of deficiency bills
would show what had since been the result of the policy
pursued:—
Deficiency Bills.
Jan. 5, 1842 26,600,000
1843 ... ... 8,560,000
1844 ... . . ... 5,462,000
1845 ... ... 2,095,000
1846 280,000
1847 ... Nil.
(Hear, hear.) From these facts it appeared that in the
last year the Government had been in a position to pay
all their liabilities without any application to the Bank
of England.—(Hear, hear.) This must surely be con-
sidered as no trifling advantage, that, whilst they had
b-en reducing taxation to the extent of upwards of
7,000,000/. sterling, they had also cleared cif upwards
of 6,000,0001. of unfunded debt.—(Hear, hear.) But
what had been the annual saving to the country which
had rolulted from the policy which had been so much
impugned ? Ile found that it had been as follows:
Charge of funded debt £1,295,580
Management ••• ... ... ... 68,612
Interest on deficiency-bills ... ... 98,600
Interest on Exchequer-bills ... 475,033
Reduction in the Customs and Excise duties 7,897,000

Making an annual saving to the country of £9,834,825
—(Hear, hear.) But let them now refer to the com-
mercial consequences which had been the result of this
policy. He admitted
.that in 1842 commerce had
been in a very prostrate condition. He admitted, too,
that they (the advocates of free trade) had held out to
Hon. Gentlemen opposite the hope that, if this country
relaxed its tariff, other nations would follow the ex-
ample thus set them. But whilst he said that it would
have been a gratifying result of their policy had such
been the case, he confessed that such a consideration
would not have any very great weight with him—(Hear,
hear)—in carrying out a policy of this sort, inasmuch as
he did not see why we should do ourselves an injury
merely because foreign nations might not at at once see the
policy of adopting the system which we considered it to be
for our own interest to pursue. But it was a somewhat
remarkable fact that, in looking into this question, he
did find that a large increase in our exports had taken
place to those very countries where the tariffs were most
hostile to the interests and trade of this country.—
(Hear, hear.) Now this, he contended, as it was an in-
disputable, so it was a most satisfactory, result of the
policy that had been pursued. The Hon. Member then
referred to the causes of the distress which had for the
last two years prevailed among the commercial and
manufacturing community; and, coming to the questions
of imports and exports under the policy of the Right
lion. Baronet the Member for Tamworth, observed that
he could not but avail himself of that occasion to express
his thanks to the Right Hon. Gentleman for having
enabled the country, during a period of such severe trial,
to import those articles which, prior to 1842 and 1845,
they could not have imported, such as grain, provisions,
cattle, and so forth.—(Hear, hear). It was remarkable,
too, that, notwithstanding the importations which had
thus taken place, there was throughout the country a
general complaint that animal food was never so dear.—
(Hear, hear.) The consequence of the reduction of
duties in 1842 had been the following position of their
imports in 1545 and 1847:

IMPORTED.
1846. 1847.
Grain ... qrs. 2,162,644 9,437,034
Flour ... cwts. 953,000 8,637,000
Live animals ... No. 34,000 216,000
Provisions ••• cwts. 133,000 461,000
Butter ... 254,000 314,000
Cheese ... „ 268,000 355,000
—(Hear, hear.) Now, he would ask Hon. Gentlemen
opposite what would have been our condition if these
imports had not taken place, and if the sliding scale had
interfered to exclude the greater portion of the grain
which had thus come into this country ? The Hon.
Gentlemen opposite had prepared a very ingenious de-
vice, as they thought, to let corn in when corn was dear;
but he was prepared to show that, under the sliding scale,
they could not have imported corn from other than the
neighbouring countries of Europe, 01l of which coun-
tries, as it had happened, had been as badly off, and as
much in want of corn, as ourselves.—(Hear, bear.)
But what was the fact ? Why, that one-half of the
corn that had been imported had come from the
distant ports of Am(i lea, and the other half from
Russia, the voyage from each being something like
three months.—(hear, hear.) He was willing to admit
that their exports had not kept pace with their im-
ports ; but he trusted to be able to show that they
ought not, on that account, to lose their confidence ill
the system of commercial policy which had of late years