The Sun.
London, England, 1851-02-18 00:00:00

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LONDON, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1851.

The Lords met yesterday, and sat for a short time,
No business of iMportaitee ca before them.

In the Commons, after the transaction of some preli-
minary business, the House resolved itself into a Com-
mittee of Ways and Means, and

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER rote to bring
f .rwerd the Bridget, and appealed to that indulgence of the
House which he basi often experienced. He deeply felt the
importance of the proposals he was about to make. On
former occasions when he had proposed the continuance
of the income-tax there had been but little choice left to
the House, but on the present, occasion he felt there
might be some opposition made to its continuance.
The financial statement of the affairs of the nation up
to the sth January would give a very tolerable idea of
what would be the state of affairs at the end of the
financial year, but it should be borne in mind that in the
estimate he was about to submit that estimate
would extend over a period of 14 months. The impor-
tations of corn during the past year were nearly, bat not
quite equal to the importations of the year previous. Last
year he had estimated, the income at 52,281,0001., the
actual income was 52,810,0001. He estimated the
income for the next year at 52,656,000/. He had
estimated the Excise at 14,045,0001., and deducting the
brick duties, at 13,595,0004, the actual revenue up to
sth April amounted to 13,688,0004 The estimated ex-
penditure was 50,785,0001.; the actual Expenditure up
to April would be 50,134,500/. He estimated
the receipts from the Customs for the ensuing
year at 20,430,0001., the same as last year. In the Ex-
cise he could not calculate on so large a receipt, in con-
sequence of the deficiency of the barley har-
vest. He calculated the Excise revenue at
14,000,0001. Ia stamps there would be a fur.
ther decrease, in consequence of the Act of last session,
and he did not calculate upon a larger revenue from
stamps than 6,310,000/. The taxes and property-tax he
took at the same amount as this year—taxes, 4,348,0001.;
Pr°Pely-tax, 5,328,000/. ; and including Post-office,
8,030,0001. Crown lands and miscellaneous receipts,
and old stores, as last year, which would give a total from
these sources of 52,140,0001. He now came to charges.
There was a decrease in the charge of th© debt for the
idle of terminable annuitieb,which would eventually extin-
guish a portion ot the debt. The amount of,the debt charges,
funded and unfunded, was 30,692,000/., for the army
6,545,000/., for the navy 5,537,5504, and for the ordnance
2,424,1711. There was a reduction of expenditure, but no
reduction of forces. The Government thought that in the
present unsettled state of Europe it would not be pru-
dent to propose any reduction of force. He was no
alarmist, but there was the widest difference between
unnecessary alarm and absurd confidence, and all were
aware that our forts and arsenals were not in a neee,_
sexy state of defence, and a vote would be proposed to con-
tinue the defences of the Pembroke Dockyard, and to in-
crease the means of defence of Portsmouth and Plymouth.
The vote for services would be this year 19,555,0004,
being a reduction of about 300,0001.; from this must be
inducted certai❑ excesses of former estimates, and
the reduction for this year world be about
245,0001. In compliance with various requisitions
tee allowance of grog to the sailor had been diminished
and his pay increased and the stoppages of the
soldier's Pay abroad had been diminished; this
creased an additional charge of 60,00 ,'l. The navy
estimates were 4,256,000/. And there was also another
expet:se which he proposed to take on the country, and
that Was taking the census, which he estimated at
110,0004 ii proposed to take the miscellaneous esti-
snatea at 4,000,0001. The total expenditure would be
50,247,171/., leaving an estimated aueplus of 1,892,0001.
The main question, now was tna renewal of the income- ,

i tax and of the stamp-duties in Irefand. The income-
tax he estimated at 5,400,0001., and the stamp-tax in
Ireland at 120,0001., but if the House should re-
fuse to renew those taxes, there mould be instead of
a surplus, a deficiency of 3,680,000/. When Sir R. PEEL
I first proposed these taxes the deficit was only 2,140,0001.,
and if Hon. Gentlemen opposite thought that a sufficient
reason for the imposition of the income-tax, he could
hardly think that they would now oppose its continuance.
He, certainly, on that occasion opposed the imposition of
the income-tax; but he stated at the time, that if it were
to be imposed for the purpose of making a great alteration
in the import duties he should be prepared to support its
renewal, and acting on that principle he had supported
its renewal when proposed by Sir R. PEEL in
1845. The timber duties, the corn duties,
and the sugar duties had been reduced, and
therefore he was justified in proposing the
continuance of that tax. If the House did not accede to
his proposition there must either be a loan or a reduction
of expenditure to that amount, he did not believe
such reduction possible, or they . must impose new
taxes to that amount. We had been for
years past repealing taxes which pressed upon
industry, and which could not be 1.0-imposed, and there
were other taxes of the same character far more ob-
jectionable than the income- tax. He trusted, there-
fore, that those who wished to carry out the
system of improvement of our canmercial system at
present in progress would support, his proposition for
the renewal for a limited time of the income-tax.
He did not think it advisable to go into the details
of the measure ; in the course csf the discussion on
the Bill there would be ample opportunities for considera-
tion. He had received various suggestions for altera-
tions in all the schedules, and all supported
by good reasons. Having considered the subject
most carefully he had come to the conclusion that the
only practical mode was to continue an equal and uni-
form rate upon all descripticna of uscome from whetever
sources derived. With regard to the mode of levying the
tax under Schedule E, he was willineto enter into dis-
cussion upon the subject, but ho believed it would be
found most convenient to adopt the same course that at
present existed. He thought it would be but right to
continue the exemption of Ireland from the tax as here-
tofore, and he proposed to continuo it. He
proposed to renew the stamp duties in Ire-
land for the same term as the income-tax
in England, viz., for a term of these years, and he hoped
the House would come to a speedy decision on the sub-
ject, as, if it - should be refused, it would bo desirable
that the Hen. Gentleman who would then occupy the
place which he had the honour to ill, should have as
much time'as possible to prepare; his financial scheme.—
(Hear, hear.) His Hon. Friend the Member for Mon-
trose had asked him to propose a completely new
scheme of finance; vvhy ,it was the hardest task that had
been imposed oa a Chancellor of the Exchequer. By
whom were taxes paid? Why, the Honourable
Member opposite the other night had said that
the malt-tax was paid by the farmer ; and
he had even contended that the tobacco duty
was paid by the farmer, his'Hon. Friend had not
any right to call upon him to make any return regard-
ing those things which were matters of opinion
merely. Lie had caused returns to be made up to
January last of the duty collected. on articles which
we ear, drink, and smoke; and they amounted to
31,821,7981. The duty on manufactured articles
amounted to 2,452,000/., and on seeds to 742,000/.;
all those duties fell on the censures r, the whole amount-
ing to 35,720,000/. The duties on !rade, including insu-
rances ',and bill and receipt stamps, were 4,464,9061.
There were paid for locomotion 641,0001., for news-
papers and advertisements, 511,00 01, and taken alto-
gether they amounted to 4,200,1521.. The total duties on
property were 12,451,000/. The amount of the
window-tax was 1,856,000/. The local rates amounted
to 30,000;000/. in the three counraies. Hon. Gentle-
men would therefore see how large a portion of the taxes
of the country was derived from the ieomsumer, and when
those taxes were reduced, they wet a in general, in con-
sequence of increased consumption, more than re-
covered in a very short space of tim a. Having thus met
as far as he could the request of his :Hon. Friend behind
him, he would allude to some proposals which had
been made elsewhere to make a great reduction of
taxation, and to trust to chance for making up the
deficiency. He could not accede tee the proposition.
Neither in commercial nor in political philosophy
could they afford to have a revolution every year.—
(Hear, hear.) The policy of 1842 was firmly established,
and it was their duty to steadily pursue it, and to
follow it, "and that was the : course the Govern-
ment had determined to adopt: lie had stated
that the probable surplus would be 1,89‘0,0001. occasioned
by an increase of income of 139,,400/. and a de-
crease of expenditure of 3,900,0001. He proposed,
should the income-tax be continued, to make some re-
duction of our debt, that was the first ,claim on us. In
the course of the last year they lad paid off the
amount which they bad borrowed int the year 348,
and the interest on it, viz., 2,330,000. He thought
they ought never to start en a deanseial year with a
less surplus than 1,400,0004 which surplus he pro-
posed to maintain, which would leave a surplus still
available for the reduction of taxation, and he had nu-
merous applicants during the last neonth, each calling
for the total repeal of a. tax which. woeld more than
absorb the whole surplus. He had determined
that, on the whole, it would ho advisable to
reduce those taxes which bear on the . health
of the community; he, therefore, proposed a
certain alteration of the windove-daties. As those
duties amounted to 1,836,0001., the total abroga-
tion of them would absorb the whole mph's, and
would be unjust to others; he proposed to give a con-
siderable relief in that tax, because he believed it pressed
harder on country houses than on houses in town,
and he professed to relieve them.—(Cheers and laugh-
ter.) Except as to the 'mode of assessment a great deal
might be said in favour of retaining the tax, as
one to which people were already accustomed
(Loud laughter)—and to which eXi!ting inter-
ests had accommodated themselves. House property,
then, had already been relieved from the house
duty and the brick duty, and therefore he did not
think this prCperty had a primary claim to relief.
He admitted that the mode of levying the tax was ob-
jectionable, as being levied on every opening for
the admission of light or air, and, there-
fore, it produced disease. The present tax was
imposed on a house according to the number of
windows; he proposed to abrogate altogether the present
mode of levying that tax, and to substitute for it a tax
levied upon the value thereof, and to apply it
to all new houses. The size of a house was no
test of its value, but its rental was, and he proposed
to levy, instead of a window-tax, a tax upon the
value of the house; but applying it to all new
houses, he proposed to modify it with regard to exist-
ing houses. A house in a fashionable square would,
under this system, pay more than one
in an unfashionable part of the town. The proposal was,
that all new houses under the value of 20/. a year
should be exempt, but above that value they should pay
a certain per-centage, that all above that should pay a
certain per-centage. That all existing houses of
less value than 201. a year should be exempt;
that all above 201. a year should pay two-thirds
of their present amount of window-tax, that existing
houses of greater value than 20/. a year, paying now no
window-tax, should pay two-thirds of that amount of
rate, and that new houses should pay a rate of one
shilling in the pound. Upon shops and farm-houses he
proposed to impose a tax of Id. in the pound instead of
ts. in the pound. This would exempt the great majollity
of farm-houses, and the produce of the new tax
he calculated would be 1,155,0001.; the loss to the
revenue being 700,0001. All reference to windows being
done away with, the objection on sanitary grounds was
also'done away with; all existing houses would be either
exempt or have their payment reduced one-third. He next
proposed to deal with the duties on coffee, the revenue
from which had fallen off 77,000 L This was occasioned,
it was said, by itchateration of cofee with chicory.
It bad been stated that he had a direct interest in the
growth of chicory; he had only to say that he never
grew a root of chicory in his life, and he did not believe
that any had been grown upon an acre of land in his
possession.—(A laugh.) He did not believe- the admix-
ture of chicory diminished the consumption of coffee,
on the contrary, by lowering tho price it placed
coffee within the reach of many who had not
before consumed it ; and ho learned from grocers
that chicory made coffee more palatable and more nutri-
tious. In America, where no duty existed, this same
admixture took place. He believed that the buyer
must protect himself against adulteration; be was not,
therefore, disposed to incur the odium of imposing an
Excise duty on chicory, but he did propose to meet the
evil by reducing the duty on coffee. The duty on
foreign coffee was 6d. a lb., and on colonial 4d. a lb.; and
whilst the import of colonial coffee had increased, that of
foreign coffee had diminished. He did not think the protec-
tion of this differential duty was of much value to the colo-
tipoieartlhlgeb.,ower; he proposed, therefore to reduce the daties on
andan
dt o
teoqual
proposeize them
the
abayme imposingdut3.
onantherlim
chicory. Thelon of revenue would be 176,0001. Tph.duerutntaye.txioutfua3rod-f.
ar-
ticle to which he would allude was the duty on foreign timber.
Great complaints had been made by ourofsthipern!irs of their
fear of being exposed to the competition
who used untaxed timber. This acted hare d
loyr foreign n
regardedbuil builder,
ships of an inferior class, and he proposed to reduce the duty
upon foreign timber to one-half its present amount; that was
to say, upon sawed timber to 10s., and upon rough timbetto 7s.
There was another item upon which he proposed to
reduce the duty, and that was upon agricultural
seeds. This he believed was the only duty that
the agriculturist exclusively paid. Upon clover seed an
grass seed alone there was a duty paid of 30,0001. out of

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