The Sun.
London, England, 1851-04-05 00:00:00

myself in a; position in which I might be reduced to the
rtflcessity of-borrowing money to meet this claim in the
aitent of its being established. And now, before stating
b Y reasons for adhering to my proposal respecting the
t a `.owe-tax, I will briefly advert to the motion of which
e Right Hon. Gentleman opposite (Mr. Ilerries) has
* •
yea notice. I look upon the Right. Hon. Gentleman '3
,
0.1 eposition as the first step in the direction of the policy
hick Lord Stanley has announced. It is duo to the
Eight ▪
his
htHon. Gentleman to state that he has brought for-
proposition in the fairest possible manner. The
!ight Hon. Gentleman proposes to reduce the property-
• het not to an extent which would be iuconsistent
With •
; the maintenance of national faith, and up m that
°f course, I krow I could rely on the Right Hon.
'entlenaan.. It tax is to be reduced, a portion should
holei .
~rwehtlii.,zchelis'itulve once and I admit, also, that if the policy
adverted is to be pursued, the Right
-a. Gentleman's proposition is necessarily ths first
tv ,P to be taken., There is, however, this difference be-
tl I ithink the policy wrong. I admit that
e property-tax was first imposed for a temporary pun.
pP'
3)rsea--rythat 01 meeting o deficiency—and that thu tem-
urpose was accomplished. But in 1845 the tax
a as renewed for a different purpose.—(Hear, from the
)
PPcsition.) It was renewed for the purpose of enabling
le Rouse to make an improvement in fin:social legisla-
' ten by removing impolitic restrictions. by reducing the
.p ice of articles of coosumie ion, and repea!ing duties
..twuiell checked and retarded the develepment of jades-
-1- I will further admit that those objects have, to a
a'great extent, been accomplished also. But there still
'amain other objects to be accomplished, such as those
C'aich I have detailed to the Committee to-night, and I
t.
isnnot, consistently with the policy approve of, propose
e l'eP, al ..f the property-tax until these objects shall
al% been accomplished. line:lit freely that any mate-
riduction of the inc (.2_- e-tt.• light to be followed
Y its filial eatlactlau. is so impolitic as. a
tall reduction of a tax. I do not think that the in-
;e-taxOl presses heavily on those who pay it. I cannot,
nk that to a man having an income of 5,009/. a year
"'whether derived from land or a profession— the pay-
sent of 150/, annually for the security with which he
31°Ye his income is a heavy tax. Doubtless, this tax is
Toupetethitt
to objection on account of its inquisitorial nature,
at:u a let u:
to one objection applies as much to a tax of a penny
o
of a shilling. If we are to have an income-
at least fix it at an amount which will enable
,o Weer®htl t derive benefit from it. My belief is that if we
eoialnpsnlete the proposed change now, no long time
before the tax would be renewed, and
eand then we should be in the same position in which
.'we
are now.
The question is, shall we repeal
: an
ineOtne.taX, or shall we get rid of objectionable
.
posts? Let me direct the attention of the House
to
the
What has taken place during the last few years. Take
year when the income-tax first came into full opera-
: le•
n, and last year,—that is to say, the year ending the
.3til April, 1844 and that ending the sth of April
-Mast' In the year ending the sth of April, 1844, the or-
uarY revenue from Customs, Excise, Starop, and
Taxes, was 45,593,000/. Between that time and last year
last
of 7,000.000/. of taxes have been repealed; yet
gist year the ordinary revenue from Customs, Excise,
Stamps, and Taxes, was a little more than that in 1844,
:tamely, 45,662,000/.—(Hesr, hear.) Seven millions of
taxes have been repealed under the pressure of the in-
'come-tax, and yet the ordinary revenue remains at the
setae amount. With this proof before us of the elasticity
'Of our trade and industrial resources—with this evidence
that the income-tax does net press very heavily upon us
eel am justified in believing that, if we remove objection-
able taxes, we shall before long be again in the
same position in which we are now with respect to
revenue, while we shall have had the gratification
of freeing trade from its fetters, enlarging com-
kerne, and—what I hold to be of even greater import-
ance—improving the condition and augmenting the com-
forts of the great body of the people.--(Hear, hear.) I
will not
Ito anticipate the discussion that will take place on
nday respecting the income-tax. I have stated what
lagalwaPtra°Prtlscalela the reduction of duty on one
of consumption—the reduction of duty on
tonawauterial, and extensive relief to householders both
lieve and country. These are measures whichl be:
fort of th essentially necessary to the welfare and cora
Genre", e Pe°Ple. The proposal of the Right
alton.
which, an opposite, on the contrary, is to reduce ax
(pinto
naiet,aannsy rate, presses only on those who have ade-
render to pay it, and the repeal of which would
IleFossib the execution of any of the
tneleuresd4
Right "Leh propose.—(Hear, hear.) Should the
lonourable Gentleman'a proposal be adopted, the
mass t
lieved f tPhoepiulation cannot for a long period be re-
v._ torah°
inpoets which press upon them. I must
tie:llnd the House, too, that the Right Honourable Gen-
ts_tuaa's proposal is coupled, not by him indeed, but by
Ruuestgertr t Party with which he is connected, with a sug-
inaPosition of duty on foreign corn. If that
propose Yb.e fully carried out, not only will the benefits we
, to confer on the labouring man be withheld from
`!) hut he will be deprived of those he already enjoys.
cannot sufficiently deprecate the results which would
cox from such legislation. I have on many recent oc-
thei"s attached, and I still attach, more importance to
sow Political than the commercial results that would
Diaae four cs a reversal of the legislation which has taken
~ the benefit of the population of this country. I
etleve it to be essential to the stability and well-being of
iostitutione that the people should be contented and
ti!,_PtlY• lam of opinion that if the people feel that
cosy
11.1.8 the objects of our solicitude—that tha improve-
a,bfethq their material and moral condition is a matter
Itch the Legislature has at heart—they will re-
hsssratefully attached to the Constitution.—(Hear,
gre:t) I believe that, under such circumstances, the
101„.11Ilasa of the people will continue as firm in their
ate ehY as they were three years ago, and that—notwith-
130lIding the apprehensions which seem to have taken
nallusessi°ll of the minds of some Hon. Members—we
which
bid of
to those outbursts of popular fury
Eauir"
ona short time since overpressed a large portion of
(Thep and Some of which were quenched in blood.—
gen r Ight 11".
Gentleman, after moving the resole-
loud
eehsPeeting the income-tax, resumed his seat amidst
eers e
The en
t'eRMAN read the resolution as follows:
That,twit:ljuttet"ards raising the supply granted to her Ma-
respective duties in Great Britain on profits
and ng
fr°r° Property, professions, trades, and offices,
passthe stamp duties in Ireland granted by two Acts
Whieelhi,in the sixth year of her present Majesty, and
444 uaye been continued and amended by several
..eq!lent Acts, shall be further continued for a time to
ee hunted."
RERRIES expressed his astonishment at the
__terse taken by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, after
Teat occurred in the House last night. An understand-
e_g.w.aa come to last night, that his (Mr. Herries's) pro-
cat°
4, n should be postponed to Monday, and yet. in
att. l_ace of that, the Chancellor of the Exchequer had
tbe'ted not only his proposition, but the policy of
tbh, Nay opposed to him, not with reference to
_;," property-tax, but generally.hear.)
"'it" What had occurred, he deeply regretted that he
coUld
Ito „not bring his proposition before the House until
re nuaY• He would not be lei into a discussion with
tisPect to the policy of the party on his side of the
else, but this he could not avoid saying, that the
hrecellor of the Exchequer's Budget, and the speech
his which it was introduced, clearly showed that it was
re Intention that the income tax should he perpetual.—
Iti,optid cheers.) He was provoked to refer to what the
theht Ron, Gentleman had stated. upon the renewal of
teyroperty tax in 1845, when he (Mr. Herries) con-
th"ued, in opposition to the Right Hon. Gentleman,
ant Sir R. Peel did then legitimately continue that tax
the
the conditions which had induced the House in
l'ne first instance to grant it. Sir R. Peel, when he pro-
posed its renewal, reminded them that he had originally
„,tltredueed it under the belief that if they found the
proposed at the same time should
Fitalarlreeig aevehoicmhplhisehed all their purpose, they would ex-
el the period during which that tax should continue.
tilinong other things, Sir R. Peel stated that he believed
tot Property tax would press mainly upon the rich, and
upon the poor. But what said the Right Hon. Gen-
man upon that occasion:—
:a" Two gronds ave been stated which had led very
nob to acquuiescehnce in the tax. One was, that it was
eetat which pressed exclusively on the rich, and took
deductions from the employment of artisans. So tar
rich, he
its being a tax which pressed exclusively on the
tr, he believed that it pressed on the labouring popula- '
~°ll by diminishing the means of giving them employ-
But he But he did not believe that the Right Hon. Gen-
ew"' himself could think that it was a tax which
bore exclusivelydiet upon the rich; because, if he did, why
he not impose it in Ireland?"
Did the Right Hon. Gentleman still maintain that
opinion? If not, why did not he extend it to Ireland?—
(Rear, hear.) But the Right Hon. Gentleman gave
another reason ten opposing the tax. Speaking of the
gainger of the tax becoming perpetual, he said:—
mi.' He thought it would be right that they should have
the I_question fairly and fully discussed, namely, whether
ortleconee-tax was to be regarded as a permanent source
it-s"venuee Let it be discussed on its own merits—on
int,Gall ground—but let us not be led on step by step
tin: a Course from which it would be impossible after a
me to extricate ourselves.
"
h gat Was his (Mr. Berries's) opinion, and he should
. on Monday next to show such grounds as he
b 9fufillt would be sufficient to induce the House to pause
tel:,-cre they wade this tax unavoidably perpetual; for it
filling this, the first legitimate opportunity of ful-
to the engagements of Parliament with respectpetoopilte,
oPass, no man could be so foolish as to believe that it
f old ever be removed from the shoulders of the
catit this
country.—Qlear.) He could not sit down without
ichrthag to Seine of the topics that had been alluded to
hadch of the Right Hon. Gentleman, and he cer-
Pain' marvelled much at the course that he had
w_reued, and the nature of his arguments. Setting out
lth the
tial Principle, first and foremost, that it was essen-
Preserve a surplus in order to maintain the_pubinc.
to Provide amply for the public service, and to 10.
eeea t,,,h0 public against possible contingencies, he Pr.
to to abandon revenue until he reduced his surplus
eoas°lllll not exceeding 300,000/. or 400,000/. Such in
of hil:ltencY he (Mr. Henries) had never heard in the course
kid Parliamentary career. Was that fulfilling the high
Set „°f,tY Pretensions which the Right Hon, Gentleman
stiebth It was the very reverse of all that, and, if
at iaa:ere to be his course of proceeding, he might.
thee') have spared his eulogium upon the policy of
qeritierent character.—(Hear, hear.) The Right Hon.
oetajaaa had very unnecessarily introduced the policy
with r
thetanley into his speech. What had that to do
question? He Henries) hoped that on
blond h • With,) should be able to discuss the income-tax
frsmrat..iat all involving questions of the corn duty or
tioe, l l°. It was purely an economical and fiscal ques-
if they t" he hoped to be able to show to the House that
all b?desired to administer fairly, usefully, and above
atiesth
'meld _ fieenciel affairs of this country, they
ttei"ld the renewal upon insufficient grounds of the
metes-tax---(Rear,ee hear.) The Right Hon. Gentle-
tic,, Len astonished him by his boldness, and more espe-
Y the very little feeling he seemed to have bad