The Sun.
London, England, 1851-04-08 00:00:00

vernmeat to repeal the duties on corn, sugar, and timber. by which they might srgue the question. He was quite
The Hon. Member was dissatisfied with the Chancellor sure there was one Honourable Gentleman opposite, who,
of the Exchequer assigning as a reason for not reducing from his own experience of the agricultural districts of
the duty on tea that it was not a protective duty; but to the west of England could testify that the number of
his (Mr. Wilson's) mind that was a good objection. The those employed in agriculture hid not increased with
whole of a duty which was not protective went into the the natural increase of the population. When they found
Exchequer, whereas of a duty which was protective only that the population, instead of tilling the soia were
a portion reached the public Treasury, the rest going obliged to descend into the bowels of the earth as miners,
into the pockets of persons who ought not to have it. It and when they depended upon the loom and upon com-
appeared to him that the Hon. Member for Leominster merce for employment, then, he said, it was their duty
was justified in assuming that the object of the amend- to place no impediment on the natural extension and pro-
meat was the reversal of the policy which the House and gress of their manufacturing industry. If they were now
the Government had pursued for the last ten years. The to place an import duty upon articles of cansumption—
House was called upon to decide whether the tax on pro- if they repealed the income-tax and relied upon import
perry and income should be continued, or whether, in duties—if they were prepared to place a ss. duty on
case of need, the system of import duties should be re- wheat, then he asked them to consider on what an unsa-
verted
to. It was said the other night that the credit of tisfactory basis they would place their financial system.
the country would be jeopardized by relying too much ou Let them consider what it would cost the country. To
direct taxation. It should, however, by borne in mind that gain a revenue of 2,500,0001. they would piece a cost
in this country the direct taxation formed only 20 percent. upon the consumers which would amount to 10 000,000/.
of the gross taxation, white in France it was 35 per a year; and then he asked them what they would do for
cent, in Belgium 37 per cent., in Holland 35 per cent.,' a revenue in case of a famine, and when they would be
and in Prussia 37 per cent. Betweee 1823, when Mr. compelled to repeal the whole of their import duties?
Huskissoa began to reduce taxes upon raw materials He could hardly believe that Honourable Gentlemee
with the view of increasing the means of employment to were really sincere in their intended reversal of a policy
the industrial classes, to;1839, upwards of 11,000,000/. of which had had so beneficial an effect upon the working-
taxes were repealed, and yet at the latter period the classes, which had secured to them constant employment,
revenue was nearly equal to what it was at the former. and had supplied them with cheap food and good wages.
He would next refer to the period between 1830 and —(Hear. and cheers.)
1841. In that period the total amount of taxes reduced Mr. BOOKER said that, representing as he did . a deeply
was 8,437,7931. The result was that at the end of that suffering agricultural population, he made no apology for
period there was a deficiency of revenue to the extent intruding himself upon the debate—(Hear)—but in doing so
of 2,008,0001., notwithstanding the imposition of 5 per he would endeavour to bring back the debate to its legith
cent. on Customs' duties in 1840 ; and, although this mate object.—(Hear.) He would not attempt to follow the
still showed an apparent gain to the country of lion. Gentleman who had just sat down through the long
tfitnbeey labyrihimselfnth
se.of statistics with which he had sought to mystify
6,437.0001., yet he believed it would be found that the
b to u t
thathe should, h onunk 1 , on thehie
hcontrarste
.enJleanveofuerretotchoen-
advantage was more apparent than real. He believed
it would be found that the system pursued from 1830 —the Right Hon. 'Gentleman'sjeetw awmaestadsmneenty. (Hear.) Inm
to 1841 did not prove at all beneficial to the trade and doing so he would endeavour to treat the question
finances of the country, that during that period our ex• strictly as a domestic question, and to omit all reference to
ports remained almost stationary, or little more than its bearings upon their foreign policy. He hoped he might
the natural increase of the population. In 1830 the
incurimpressdans ewirt
niott 1
oh,
enabled
asabunlMouse i
dtwhl7
ie withcGwhebve thern t
nwe deep
s t
to
r responsibilityfe pursueith a
d piflei l
ci
eui
ytl t wouldy which d
official value of our imports was 46,200,0001., while in
1842 it was 64,300,0001., showing an increase of
ionertsii)setedt in, must end in thete
18,100,0001.; being at the rate of 39 per cent. on the 12
utterg ruin of every interest in
presenting as he aid an agricultural acteenTni(uniteyersa pro--
years, or 3-4- per cent. per annum, or double the increase
tested against the imposition of a tax which- was of population. In 1830 the real value of our exports
per-
was 38,250,0001.; in 1842 it was 47,000,0001.—increase fectly iniquitous—(Cheers)--and which pressed with in-
-8,750,0004; being at the rate of 23 per cent. on the 12 equality upon interests that were struggling and suffering.
years, or 2 per cent. per annum, or little more than the (Cheers.) Were they, he asked, to tell a suffering corn-
natural increase of the population. This result was by munity that there was justice—that there was policy in
no moans gratifying or satisfactory. But if the com- compelling them to pay a tax upon losses, instead of
mercial result of the policy which we pursued from 1830 upon profits?—(Cheers.) And then, when they threw
to 1842 was not satisfactory the financial result was still down the gauntlet to them—when they endeavoured to
less so, for he found that during that period not only had liirray.class against class—when taey
st sought Co
and excite into
the public debt increased to the extent of 7,778,0001., ostility against each other city againage. county
a
and the balances in the Exchequer been reduced from o?raninsttown, he asked them, why did they not look to their
ein 1830 to 3,653,000/. in 1841, being a de-returns? Why did they conceal the truth—be did not
5,993,000/
say intentionally—or why did they throw dust in the eyes,
crease of 2,340,0001., but he found that from 1837 to he did n, t say of Members, but of those who sent them there
1842 there was an annual deficiency of revenue amount- —of their constituents—of those by whom this question
ing in the whole period to no leas than 8,709,121/., the would finally be decided?—(Hear, near.) Now, he must
deficiency in the year 1842.43 alone being estimated at tell the inhabitants of large towns that they had as much
2,500,0004 He begged the attention of the House to the cause to complain of the inequality of this impost as the
fact, that of the 8,437,7931. of taxes remitted from 1830 agriculturists.—(Hear, hear.) The only return they had
to 1841 only 750,6731. were reductions of customs' on this subject was one sought for by Mr. Mullings. It
duties. lie would next call the attention of the House Isehaoslveads most extraordinary
h results; and he believed—at
by
heardo of the debate—that it had not
to the remarkable contrast which the policy pursued
Honourable Gentleman.
iih Itl apd-
been referred as
toe
peered by this retuyrnantyhat i
from 1842 to 1850 presented to that which was pursued
to trades and professions, there was guieven
in the period to which he had just referred. From 1842 ,anwielnicumreeraattioen
to 1850 an entirely new system prevailed, the object of of classes, and the incomes in each, the duty charged up on
which was to relieve trade from impediments, to repeal the number of persons in each class, and the amount re-
entirely the duties upon raw materials, to remove duties ceived from each class. This would show what was the
which were merely protective, and to reduce the duties benefit intended for the country by the Chancellor of the
which were found to be excessive upon articles of general Exchequer, and it would prove that the burden of the in.
consumption. The reduction of taxation effected in that come-tax bore with peculiar severity upon the middle
period amounted to 10,251,294/.—consisting of Customs, classes in.
of cities.hse
Thethe number
number
of
sn 'lc.ahv7ndule le was
8,218,9581.; Excise, 1,434,2801.; stamps, 598,056/. In under 5001. was 124,733, and upon these 124,010 having
somwases
1841—and he took that year instead of 1812, because placed the great pressure of the tax, leaving only 90,000
the latter was a year of depression—in 1841 the Cus- who had incomes over 5001., and showing that their total
tome' receipts were 21,898,0001. ; in 1850 they were contribution was 57,0001., whilst there was contributed by
90,442,000/e showing a loss of 1,456,0001.; while the re- those under seo/. no less a sum than 661,000/. He hoped
ductions of Customs' duties effected iu that period the constituents in the large towns—he hoped the inhabit-
amounted to 8,218.958/. The Excise receipts, in 1811, ants of private streets would understand this—he Loped the
amounted to 13,678,0001.; in 1850 they amounted to country would understand it.—(Cheers.) He hoped the peo-
-14,316,000/., showing a gam of 638,0001, uotwithstand- s:hlee sevoouutlidtrnyoth
ebien
gdeel
eucdoesdinbnye
de l ahp - thThs asre
rents
, t
Nay e dhenlstirtesNsv
aosf
ing the reduction of Excise duties amounted to 1,434,280/.
notorious ihat rents had fallen by
notorious 20 to 25 per cent.-
-(Hear. hear.) In 1841 the whole revenue amounted ( Hear, hear.) Did they wish these rents to fall lower? Was
to 48,084,0001 , and in 1850 to 52,810,000/4 showing a that their philosophy ? If it was heekyould tell them
gain of 4,726,0004 during nine years. ll' from this in- : there was a great phiiosepher once who thought otherwise.
crease he deducted the income-tax receipts—amounting The great John Locke, in writing upon the subjects, declared
to 5,500,0001.—a net loss would be exhibited of only that an infallible sign of national decay was the fall of rents,
774,0001., while the reduction of taxes amounted. RS and that the raising of them was worth a nations care, as in
he had shown, to 10,251,2941.—(Hear, hoar.) The that, and not on the falling of interest, lies the advantage of
financial results of the policy were not less striking. the public.--(Hear.) By him the fall of rent was attributed
Not only had the national debt been reduced in to two causes—an exhaustion of the productive power of the
that period to the extent of 4,221,0001., but the balances soil, and then to the measure of its produce. Here, then,
in the Exchequer had increased no less than 7,855,000/., •vi.
taisn
na
Nm,
let ash iftrree
iogfnits
rpo rdoudeuec.e
and by sNevtl
it
ii
insei it, hi
ins ulivij:4l s t, c hni 1, ir pe-
and whereas in 184,2 there were deficiency bills due to labourers were leaving their shores, and the producti("yeelpotwoeiri
the Bank to the extent of 6,606,0004, in 1850 there was of machinery was increased in a tenfold degree.—(Hear.)
a surplus in the Bank, after payment of all claims, He implored of the Noble Lord, who he did believe had the
amounting to 1,012,000/. If this was not a satisfactory interest and the welfare of the country at heart, to look to
result he could not say what was.—(Hear, hear.) But, these great facts—that whilst this emigration was going on
if the financial results were satisfactory, he thought the year after year, an emigration, not of the idle or the disso-
House would admit that the commercial results were lute, but of those who might be called the back-bone of
equally striking. In 1842 the official value of our im- England—whilst they were carried away from their native
ports was 64,300,0001.; in 1849 it was 105,800,000!., land, and whilst production was increasing- still there was
not a productive increase of human labour, but there was an
being an increase of 41,500,000/. ; in other words, of 64 enormous increase of mechanical power- of that power
per cent. in the whole seven years, or 9pe r cent. per an- which neither eats, nor drinks, nor wears.—(Hear, hear.)
num, or at six times the rate of the population.—(Hear, They (the agriculturists) were taunted with being nionopo-
hear.) In 1842 the real value of our exports amounted lists, and this was said to them by those whose sole object
to 47,000,0001.; in 1850 it amounted to 70,000,0004, was monopoly, the monopoly of trade and commerce—whose
being an increase of 23,000,0001.; that was to say, of 50 idol was cheapness, and whose aim and object was to put
per cent. in the whole eight years, or 61 per cent. per down their manufacturing rivals in every part of the world.
annum, or at four times the rate of the population.— The Hon. Gentleman concluded amid loud cheers by quoting
(Hear, hear.) Again, in 1842 the shipping cleared an extract from a speech delivered by Sir Robert Peel in
inwards and outwards amounted to 7,347,000 tons, 1842.
and in 1850 to 12,020,000 tons, being Mr. SLANEY rose amid loud cries of "Divide," which
a
n inereas-e were very frequently repeated duringdelivery
of 4,673,000 tons, or 63 per cent.—(Hear, hear.) He dress. He said that he had derived, both by birth and
would next present to the House the general contrast habit, all he possessed from agriculture, and that he would
between the two periods to which he had just re- hesitate before he adopted any line of conduct which, in his
(erred—viz., from 1830 to 1842, and from 1842 to 1850. opinion, would have the effect of injuring that great interest.
In the first period the taxes surrendered amounted to He admitted that the change recently made in our commer-
-8,437,000/o in the second period to 10,251,0001.; in the cial policy had been effected too hastily, and that the agricul-
first period' the revenue recovered 6,437,000/.; in the tural interest ought to have been afforded more time to con-
second period 9,477,0001. In the first period the na- form to it; but the question now was, whether they would
tional debt increased 7,778,000/.; in the second it de- reverse a policy which he firmly believed had upon the whole
creased 4,221,000/., notwithstanding the 10,000,000/. Jf,7skreedalbmen?eficjitilillnlas,iefonr the
ig3reeeant mmaasdsee si
in the
Jllete
epnenorpslee Novfitthhine
added in consequence of the Irish famine. At the close this
debate to the necessity of having security for the payment of
of the first period the balances in the Exchequer had the national revenue; but he thought that increases security
decreased 2,340,0004; at the close of the second they for that was afforded by the diminished weight of taxation
had increased 7,855,000/. At the close of the first now borne by the people. Since the peace there had been a
period the deficiency bills amounted to 6,606,000/4 at diminution of 42,000,000/. in the taxation of the country;
the close of the second the surplus in the Bank amounted and this amount had not been taken off the shoulders of the
to 1,012,000/. At the close of the first period the doff- opulent, the noble and the rich. Almostevery tax taken off had
ciency of income over expenditure was 2,500,0001.; at been removed either from the manufacture of raw materials or
the close of the second there was a surplus to the same from those articles which entered largely into to the consump-
extent. During the first period the imports increased tion of the masses—such,l for instance, as salt, wine, tobacco,
18,100,0001. ; during the second they increased rum,
the
hemp,
effe consequencee
these
ea fruit,
reductions?
a dandspits. s \
rAhnyd
thatwhat
fromhad
41,500,000/n !seine. at the rato of 39 per cent. during been h
1815 down to the present time—a period of 35 years—the
the first period, and 64 per cent. during the second; or property of the middle classes had increased from 53,000,0001.
3-1 per cent. during the first period, and 9 per cent. to 94,000,0001. a year. The population had increased during
during the second; or double the rate of population in the same period 50 per cent. ; the increase of it in the rural
the first period, and six times in the second. During districts had been 32, and in the great towns 96 per cent.
the first period the exports increased 8,750,0001., during During the same period the legacy duties had increased from
the second 23,000,000/ ; the increase in the first period 24,000,0001. to 45,080,0001.; insurances had increased from
being 23 per cent., and in the second 50 per cent., or 385,00.0,000/. to 722,000,000/. ; and it was the calculation of
at the rate of 2 per cent. on the first period, and 61 per an eminent
deresett in those that real and personal
same 5.5 years front
Mr. Porter,
cent. on the second, or little more than the population
Property2uo. ouo,ooo/. to 2,400,000,000/. The taxes, therefore,
rate in the first period, and four times in the second.—
1,`200.000,0001.were now apportioned and extended over an increased
(Hear, hear.) In the first period the shipping cleared amount of property.—(Hear, hear.) Ile contended that the
inwards and outwards amounted to 7,347,000 tons, in the best way to relieve the land of England, which he admitted
second to 12,020,000 tons, being an increase of 63 per was at present in a depressed condition, was to benefit those
cent. One of the great means relied on by the Right large classes of the community wile were the chief consumer;
Hon. Gentleman who had introduced the present motion of its produce. This was a far better way to raise landed
was the repeal of the duties on raw materials. Well, by property than to attempt to do so by the reimposition of re-
reference to papers before the House it would be found strictive duties.—(Hear, hear.)
that the whole amount of cotton imported in 1842 was Mr. SPOONER rose for the purpose of bringing back the
4,200,000 cwt.; in 1850, 5,934,000; wool, in 1842, House tionitihehpoint from which they had wandered. The
45,000,000 cwt.; in 1850, 74,000,000 cwt.; raw silk in RightwaefldL Hon. the Chancellorofl the
nEdx claieerilit,aeorh proposedn li
ponnte
1842, 3,365,000 lb.; in 1850, 4,942,000 lb.; hemp, in bar y for Slmfogrd suggested
ri' u 'a,ntaaliert The question qtuesti o'n then -
1842, 585,000 cwt.; in 1850, 1,048,000 cwt.; flex, in was, which the House would prefer. The Right Hoe. the
1842, 1,130,000 cwt.; in 1850, 1,821,000 cwt. The cotton Chancellor of the Exchequer proposed a tax which he I en-
had increased 41 per cent., and the population 12 per self, when out of office, had denounced as full of injustice,
cent.; the wool 64 per cent.; silk, 46 per coat; hemp, 80 inequality, and fraud. It was full of injustice and fraud
per cent.; flax, 61 per cent. The amount of duties re- when opposed by the Noble Lord who then sat on that (the 2
duced on raw material was 2,500,0004—(E1ear, hear.) Opposition) side of the House. Why was it lesasonta,,,,,a
In the same period the consumption of tobacco had Because the Noble Lord had changed..e sides.—(Hear',
Gentleman said
increased 25 per cent. ; wine, 38 per cent. ; toe, 1. aeu g hhtaedr . )notile p "eirthe"ottioauxraut
on those grounds
38 per cent. ; spirits, 53 per cent.; and sugar, 60 n
but on. merely opposed
grounds; and he added that he
per cent. He also begge 1 the attention of the House +osed the eontinuance now, because the plan he sub-
to the tranquil state of the country within the last pitted was one that would benefit the masses.
.But the,
few years, compared with the outbreaks which occurred House would see how far that was correct by a !Ingle pas-
at Monmouth, Sheffield, and other places just prior sage which he would read from a speech by the Right lion.
to 1842. It could not be said that there had been pecu- Gentleman in 184.5, who said, when answering the Ml:Ml:lent
liar causes connected with the political and social con- which had gone before, "To the general argument against
dition of the country during the lest ten years to account the income-tax for inequality, injustice, and vexation, no
for the success of the free-trade policy to which he had answer whatever has beenh given."— H
the ear, hear.) The
referred, for during that period we had had a common Right Hdon.alGi ednotlenmoanthte adoptedeHnons e for an wards of the Noble
chi panic such as had never been known, perhaps, in
Lord,
called
follow the example, anslver:
Ile (Mr.
this country; we had had a famine iu Ireland unparal- .ei.
laight Hon. Gentleman to give the guster
whichl u plies
fact
leled in the present century—we had had revolutions all challenged in 1845. The Right Hon. Gentleman also, in
over Europe—all of which causes had interfered mate- that year, said, in answer to the allegation, that
it was a tax
rialiy with the progress of the commerce and trade of pressing exclusively upon the rich, that it pressed upon the
the country.—(Hear, hear.) The Hon. Member for poor because it diminished the means of giving employment.
Bucks had taunted the Chancellor of the Exchequer with He was anxiouasntdo liiieearhal full answer from the Right Hon.
the frequent allusions he was in the habit of making to Gentleman;onsse tetle real point 'bdef endeavoured to bring back the
the improved condition of the people. He (Mr. Wilson)
Noble Lord at the head ot ore them,
t wohnoil thatl
l t the
begged to say that if the Hon. Gentleman the Member why
a tax which, in 1845, thee IGiadvestTgnin'eatized as vexatious,
for Bucks should ever, after having occupied the Minis-
was the tax which his Government now proposed to inflict
Wrist' benches for five years, be enabled to refer in theupon the country.
same way to the result of the policy in which he had. been Mr. J. REYNOLDS said that, having voted for the con-
engaged—if he could refer to the improved condition of
H
tinuance of the income-tax in 1849, and intending now to
the people, to the diminution of pauperism, to the vote for the amendment of Mr. erries— (Oh, and 11ear)—
crease of poor-rates, and, above all, to the diminution
he was anxious to explain the reason why he had come to
the number of ablebodied poor, he would have just ca use of
the latter determination. The financial propositions made
to refer with satisfaction to the policy in which he by the Chancellor of the Exchequer were numerous and
had embarked.—(Hear, hear.) With regard to the important; but :after listening to Hon. Members on each
income-tax, he (Mr. Wilson) could not look upon it as a side of the House, it appeared that the item to which most
He thought importance was attached, was the proposal to renew the
tax which was peculiar to a time of
war.
rawrlat tax would income-tax for three years. The Right Hon. Gentleman
it was the duty of the House to consider
and he was su • stated that it was not his intention to extend that tax to
best answer the purposes they require
le
Ireland at present—
inconven.
the people would suffer the temporary.um _
of inconvenience, ,
file CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER—Not at all.
oven of an income-tax, to secure thne_trt phs
peace Mr. J. REYNOLDS—To say that he did not intend to
rather than to support a wasteful a d destructiveßuckingham-
war. do so at present meant only that at some future period the
—(Hear, hear.) The Hon. Member for Buckingham- Right Hon. Gentleman, or soma one upon whom his mantle
shire and his friends never seemed to think that any Y might fall, would reel it to be his duty to extend the tax to
reduction of taxation was of consequence to the Ireland; and taking that view of the question, it occurred
agricultural interest unless it was made exclusively to him that it was the duty of the Irish representatives toe
for the benefit of that interest. Now ho (Mr. Wilscai) oppose its renewal now. When Sir R. Peel. proposend
Itrhe_
body, no portion of the ems income-tax in 1842, he placed the non-extension of it t
believed that, taken as a unable to bear
ten the
munity had benefited more by reductions of the last land upon the ground that she was certainly
agricultural consmunit •
3..—(Cries of the pressure, and that there was no machinery existing
ten years than the
..there to enable him to apply it ; but he wound up by saying
"Uhl" from the opposition benches.) pposition Ile maintained that, as an equivalent for the non-extension of the income-
that the agricultural community had benefited as much tax to Ireland, he should assimilate the stamp duties of the
as any other class by the removal of the duties on sugar, two countries, and he afterwards did so. He (Mr. Reynolds)
tobacco, and other articles, and that they would receive held in his hand an extract from official documents under
as much benefit as any other class by the substitution the head of " Stamps and Taxes," and from it the House
of a house-tax for a window-tax. It ought also to be would observe that by this assimilation Ireland had been
borne in mind that every recurring census showed forced to pay a certain annuavelLuthnetaosreanthcsmiivalent for the
that the agriculturists were becoming a smaller and income-tax.lrondloBc-ledl, the 3
by the stamp duties invlwrealasrlillas:veads,
smaller proportion of the population. In 1811 the t 4
46' 0010/and that 9 about the average of the seven 3, ~ awa
pre-
agricultural population was 34 per cent. of the whole; ceding years. But after the "assimilation " the sums raised
in 1821 it was 27 per cent.; in 1831, it was 24 per were as follows:
cent.; ' and in 1841, it was so far from increas- 1842
ing, that it was 35,000 less than there had 1843
been employed in agriculture in 1831,—(Cries of " Oh! 1844 ...... 583,001

_ .... ,
ohl") lion. Gentlemen might say " Oh 1" but:he spoke
from the public returns which they would find in the
library.—(laughter.) If Hon. Gentlemen were pre-
pared to discredit the returns of the cenaus—(llear,
hear)—then he did not know where they could get a test

184 i
18 46
1847
1848 .
For 1849 and 1850 there were no returns; but he took it
that the amounts would be about equal to those of the two