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

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The ob.

ustice cf

annually to 700,0001? There was ano her prono;al put
forward by Hon. Gentleman opposite, namoly, proposal
for a repeal of the malt-tax, which would entail a loss to
the revenue of not less than 5,000,000/. Tee Hon. Gen-
tleman, the Member for Oxfordshire(Mr. Henley) :,ad
it'°eltdinhginl that he (the Chancellor of tee Exelireleer):_as_
uniustly proposiile to re ilea,. texei weich ee.
Paid by the consumer, end yet the Hen. Gentlemin end
the great party with which he was connected wished_ for
the repeal of a duty paid by the censilm •r, and uneer
Which a teira of not less than 5,000,000/. WAS annually
noised, Did Hon. Gentlemen opposite teli,ve that if
that proposal were carried it would he possible to repeal
the income-tax?—Hear, hear.) His belief was, that if
taxpg
on consumption were j udiciously reduced, the
'renue derived from them would revive, and thatif the
national credit were to be staked on cur existing taxa-
it was wise to remove from that taxation its most
objectionable features; for the more popular they made
their taxes the more certain it was that they would be
able to raise them.—(Hear, hear.) 1-10 should like to
ask Honourable Gentleman opposite which tax was the
mote likely to be permanent—the window-tax, with
all its sine on its head, or the house-tax, to which no
r'bieetion bad as yet been stated ? Ho asked whether it
:as likely that the duty on coffee could be made more
Prevent
by reducing it to such an amount as would
`ent, he hoped, that adulteration of the article
Which had recently taken place, or by leaving it at its
Present amount, under which the consumption had fallen
"to the extent of 10,000,000 lbs. or 12,000,000 lbs.
,within the last few years ? He felt perfectly convinced
:11,4t, under the reduction of duty which he proposed,
,„",eY Would have a larger amount of coffee introduced
-"'0 this country, and a consequent improvement o' the
rt,, er;ell,oe, so that the course that he was taking was
ate
in accordance with that which Parliament had
hlow "'Le years pursued. He had stated the other night
rapidly the revenue had risen under the pressure
1117,'%0110 theoot come-tax, and that after the repeal of
of taxes the ordinary sources of revenue
realised their usual amount between the year 1844
cod the year 1850. Was not that likely to happen
e1,t413:? and had not the Right Hon. Gentleman that
might ggiven them some reason to believe that that
(Chancellor
occur, even to an extent beyond what he (the
‘,,hancellor of the Exchequer) anticipated ? He ad.
was that the revenue of the last quarter
f,s, better than any estimate which had been
"rrilabed to him by the officers of his depart-
rent had led him to suppose, and that every material
decided
of the revenue for the qaarter showed a
I,,,,ca'rd improvement in the condition of the people. To
1,-;" was that improvement owing? He believed that it
; "e° °wing to a wise legislation, by which the springs of
ihkenstry had been relieved; and let it be remembered that
iZeat had happened under the imposition of the income-
"' said that it would be wise on their parts to
continue that tax until they should have removed or re-
mixed other taxes of a more objectionable character;
sad that was the course which he proposed they should
ithen,,,, pursue. Let them look at what happened in the
Tue of sugar. The consumption of sugar had been about
4000,000 cwts. in the year 1844, and it had been about
6'000,000 cwts. last year. And was it no benefit to the
great body of the people of this country that that in-
crease of 50 per cent. in the consumption should have
taken place? Again, the late Sir Robert Peel had
effected a considerable reduction in the duty on foreign
°Pirits; and yet, three years after that reduction,
the revenue derived from that source had be-
come as great as ever, while the consumption of Bri-
tish and colonial spirits had increased. Let them look
14 the excise revenue, which was usually taken as the
peat test of the condition of the people. During the
st ten years the excise duties had been reduced by an
I:anelnt of 1,500,0001,, and yet the Excise revenue was
higher at present than it had been at the commence-
raeut
of that period. On the sth of April last the
commence-
hereass in the excise revenue, had amounted to about
the and to that might be added the whole amount
eve
which brick duty, which had not been paid List year, but
iollad been
paid in the year preceding. With the
have been °I the amount of the brick duty there'would
extenteoefnariont increase in the excLe duty last year to the
Present that he d' 835 0001. He had already stated
less than
the 1" not expect that duty would be so large in
purposes, year, because it was a bad one for malting
the effect He had quoted those cases in order to show
Yeats
of the commercial legislation they had of late
fhears adopted. Be would ask whether it was not likely
her me results would follow from the proposals which
wrs Majesty's
Government then submitted to the House?
wattitatvreechnaortacttheer
areidthuocstieons which they proposed of the
which had already been attended
With
m; so much success? The proposed reductions in the
the'eB °II coffee and timber were precisely similar; and
wi..!ubstitution of a moderate house-tax for the present
Which would tend materially to promote that
letie" had been the main object in all their recent legis-
didlie-the improvement of the moral and material con-
110°11 of the great mass of the people; while no mea-
t': could afford such wide advantage from one end of
reeds to the other. Some complaints had been
hj'a that he had yielded to the taunts which had
Nell, directed against the inadequacy of his former pro-
p, an, for the relief of the agricultural interest, and some
aiollip,B Seemed to think that he had given up the remis-
ef i"0 of
the duty on seeds and the transfer of a portion
„ charges for lunatic asylums to the Consolidated
Creeild,eio consequence of some sneers which had been
bq Rtfl against these proposals. But he had been told
th Hon. Gentlemen opposite that the reduction of
to Yon seeds would be a hardship and not a benefit
for .11' agricultural interest. With regard to the proposi:d
limiransferring a portion of the expenses of lunatic
het to the Consolidated Fund, he should observe
he if it were to be taken in the sense in which it had
en tee
to mien by the Hon. Gentleman the Member for
tnehamshire (Mr. Disraeli) on Friday last he should
Ittir it
d a very unjust and improper measure. If it
ferell ‘o be taken as the first step towards trans-
teltndog e to
tth: Whole maintenance of the poor of this coun-
Public revenue, be could only say that he
th "claceive nothing more fatal than such a step to
114tprosee,.;
se er--tY, and even to the very existence, of the
ootinit 433131 re. But he would venture to say that any
rY gentleman who might compare the amount of
ehefit h
the w. would derive from the proposed change in
dpeorrive-einfruo,tax, with the amount of benefit he would
N, a transfer to the Consolidated Fund of a
ation of the expenses for lunatic asylums, would find
11413 would have reason to rejoice at the change. The
114 t Honourable Gentleman opposite (Mr. Berries)
etiteto:ld them that he would not, upon that occasion,
or 0; free
any consideration of the question of protection
toe b, one trade, and that the House had at that mo-
to b."' nothing to do with that question. But it appeared
verel'rn; (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) that it was a
.mportant point for the House to consider, whether,
4 Pealingtear the income-tax, they would not render ne-
er, 're' the imposition of a duty on corn, such as was
LorPdosed by Lord Stanley and his party.—(Hear:)
e Stanley had certainly announced that it was his
doe sdu t° impose such a duty; and it would be strange in-
Na If the Noble Lord had not consulted the chief
tletencilt of his party upon such a point before he had
8411:lamed on making that announcement of his policy.
that • e (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) should say,
oath
If the RightbenGetleman did not approve of
of tha Course he would gladly received in the ranks
int tat free-trade party, which alreidy included, accord-
or of; Pie admission of Lord Stanley, every public man
Ile,h cosi experience, with the single exception of the
Polit lion. Gentleman. Now, with respect to the irn-
eo4:43hof a duty upon corn, he should say there was no
]hell
measure so objectionable in his eyes. Is
the'll Produce deep and universal dissatiseactien among
eessgereat mass of the people of this country; and he con-
that he should rather witness any amount of fal-
:ere in rent than such an evil as that. He
poseVered that the reductions of taxation he had pro-
of led
were of primary importance; but if the proposal
Right Hon. Gentleman were adopted, these rnea-
-ere&
the .17°Old be impossible, while it would be found that
ter eneetne of the Right Hon. Gentlman could not he
w__ried beneficially into operation. If people, ther,
,iv'or.e, discontented in a case where they derived a benefit,
hohuld they be better pleased when they derived
hi:elf at all?—(Hear, hear.) If he did, ho would find
greatly mistaken. If the proposal of the
W1,,,,",,t Honourable Gentleman were adopted there
ould be an end of that relief on articles of consump-
,.4-n end of that relief which he proposed to grant
le giving facilities for improving the dwellings of
in labouring people in the country, and an end of every
:QProvement in that direction in which they had so suc-
W,!lully proceeded for so many years, the results of
ttosh they were now enjoying in that general prospe-
and peace which he was so happy to hear the Right
te6• Gentleman
event; and it was his belief that it' the
Taassion of that g should end in favour of the
Q.ght Hen. Gentleman's proposition, it would debar the
147,runtent from carrying out their propositions, which,
14,ais opinion, were best calculated to promote the true
800erests of this country, and especially that portion of
'4: se interests which they were more particularly bound
Protect.—(Hear, hear.)
ee
-`l*. PRINSEP said the party to which the Right
1:11. Gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer be-
ffluged had found themselves in a state of difficulty which
forreatened the dissolution of the Government on a
is the occasion when there was a deficiency, and were
rta." same difficulty now that they had a surplus. The
()fru on both occasions was the same—namely, a want
shinxed Principles, which made the Government like a
tett-4 sea without compass. In February the Chan-
-2,50rP,,,°f the Exchequer had stated the surplus at
Th'°/.. and now stated it at 1,890 000/.
CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said,
.1413dering on,
ieeorder to prevent the Honourable Member from go.
Th e CHANCELLOR
he would repeat what he had stated.
ta EP said he had made no blunder.
Pard of the EXCHEQUER begged
teeti n
for the expression which had escaped bite main-
Po
3,0, , hut thought it better to interpose for the phr-
-404 Preventing the Honorable Member from arguing,
its heah erroneous. assumption. What he had s.ta.ed. c.sa,
1851, estimated the surplus for the year endiog Aprle
Sly
at 2,500,0004 and that next year it would probe-
.oool.:
,1,8
tin PRINSEP thanked the Right Honourable Gen-
i)lailltitttille.for his explanation, but if he had allowed him to
tela °le, he would have found that he had thoroughly
"sratood
otiere the matter from first to last. The Right
rear able Gentleman had stated the surplus in Feb-
Plas'ioat 2,500,0001., and now be stated the probable Sur-
at
Lthe current year at 1,892,0001., and if to this was
or th"",ournount to be paid over to the Commissioners
/vowel Reduction of the National Debt, 630,0001., it
Sounttoake it about 2,500,0001. Then there was the
4., tele to be kept back to meet the expenses of the
Lhoe,Z:Wtr and the claim of the East India Company—
Ne with regard to the latter, it certainly was no
o
_Yesterday, but one which had been under the
pter the Right Hon. Gentleman for eight years.
att of Ile Member for Montrose objected to apply any
%.,etTe surplus to the payment of the debt, and he
fllty 4L force in his objection. It was nothing more,
than making an investment at 3 per cent., and
not see the wisdom of taking the money out of