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

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annually to 700,0001? There T;ai another proposal put
forward by Hon. Gentlemen opposite, namely, a proposal
fir a repeal of the malt-tax, which would entail a loss to
the revenue of not less than 5,000,000/. The Hon. Gen-
tleman the Member for Osteordshire (Ms. Henley) had
told him that he (the Chancellor of tee Exchequer) was
acting unjustly in proposing to reduce taxes which were
Paid by the consumer, and yet the lion. Gentleman and
the great party with which he was connected wished for
the repeal of a duty paid by the consem-r, and under
which a sum of not less than 5,000,0001. was annually
raised. Did Hon. Geutlemen opposite believe, that if
tha
a Proposal were carried it would be possible to repeal
the t income-tax?—(Hear hear.) His belief was, that if
taxes on consumption were judiciously reduced, the
venue derived from them would revive, and that if the
national credit were to be staked on our existing taxa-
hen, 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.) He should like to
ask Ilunourable Gentleman opposite which tax was the
more likely to be permanent—the window-tax, with
all its sins on its head, or the house-tax, to which no
Objection had as yet been stated ? He asked whether it
was likely that the duty on coffee could be made more
productive by reducing it to such an amount as would
Pr!tect• 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
°5 to the extent of 10,000,000 lbs. or 12,000,000 lbs.
within the last few ? felt perfectly convinced
that years
th under the reduction of duty which he proposed,
ineeY would have a larger amount of coffee introduced
re,o this country, and a consequent improvement o' the
"hue, so that the course that he was taking was
stri .
't'Y in accordance with that which Parliament had
of ,s,
"" years pursued. He hal stated the other night
of rapidly the revenue had risen under the pressure
7,oothe income-tax. and that after the repeal of
o'oool. of taxes the ordinary sources of revenue
and
realised their usual amount between the year 1844
;141 the year 1850. Was not that likely to happen
? and had not the Right Hon. Gentleman that
Z might
given them some reason to believe that that
(ert occur, even to an extent beyond what be (the
aneellor of the Exchequer) anticipated ? He ad-
aste/l d b
that the revenue of the last quarter
furn etter than any estimate which had been
w had
to him by the officers of his depart-
mast"ad led him to suppose, and that every material
ano, e
deeid .ot the revenue for the quarter showed a
ed
he, Improvement in the condition of the people. To
leaf:" Was that improvement owing? He believed that it
ies„!,wittg to a wise legislation, by which the springs of
thati,"rY had been relieved; and let it be remembered that
tat "44 haepened under the imposition of the income-
tont. lie said that it would be wise on their parts to
ea 'cue that tax until they should have removed or re-
ap other objectionable character;
and that taxes of a more
then at was the course which he proposed they should
tele ePrsue- Let them look at what happened in the
4,00('s Sugar. The consumption of sugar had been about
6,essTs°o cwts. in the year 1844, and it had been about
es, "AO cwts, last year. And was it no benefit to the
,rea "body of the people of this country that that in-
talt", °I 50 Per cent, in the consumption should have
effss4, Place? Again, the late Sir Robert Peel had
spr•,,,‘,ed a considerable reduction in the duty on foreign
te,-"s; and yet, three years after that reduction,
comerevenue derived from that source had be-
ish great as ever, while the consumption of Bri-
at is
colonial spirits had increased. Let them look
vets excise revenue, which was usually taken as the
lag test of the condition of the people. During the
%%or Years the excise duties had been reduced by an
highest of 1,500,0001, and yet the Excise revenue was
the rat present than it had been at the commence-
°
erea. ' that period. On the sth of April last the
_ .
a35,„2e in the excise revenue had amounted to about
ertroit and to that might be added the whole amount
asie2hrick duty, which had not been paid last year, but
atie had been paid in the year preceding. With the
hoe,tehsts or
the amount of the brick duty there would
sue jell an increase in the excise duty last year to the
thath of not less than 835 0001. He had already stated
e did not expect that duty would be so large in
Iltir present
, because it was a bad one for malting
thP°€;"3: Herhad quoted those cases in order to show
Year °f the commercial legislation they had of late
the
88 adopted. Be would ask whether it was not likely
her 4111. e results would follow from the proposals which
Majesty's Government then submitted to the House?
ere
setaenot the reductions which they proposed of the
'with character as those which had already been attended
deti so much success? The proposed reductions in the
the on coffee and timber were precisely similar; and
~,ioobstitution of a moderate house-tax for the present
whiuscvs-tax would tend materially to promote that
letires" had been the main object in all their recent legis-
eitCc--th e improvement of the moral and material con-
-15 of the great mass of the people; while no mea-
e.e
tho could afford such wide advantage from one end of
h3oeuntry to the other. Some complaints had been
NZ4° that he had yielded to the taunts which had
ra directed against the inadequacy of his former pro-
' gals for the relief of the agricultural interest, and some
Peri
-01:15 seemed to think that he had given up the remise
efiof the duty on seeds and the transfer of a portion
the charges for lunatic asylums to the Consolidated
sr4d, in consequence of some sneers which had been
b'reeted against these proposals. But he had been told
Y some Hon. Gentlemen opposite that the reduction of
tils duty on seeds would be a hardship and not a benefit
othe agricultural interest. With regard to the proposal
1' transferring a portion of the expenses of lunatic
)4
B'turas to the Consolidated Fund, he should observe
et If it were to be taken in the sense in which it had
so taken by the Hon. Gentleman the Member for
Nuekinghamshire (Mr. Disraeli) on Friday last he should
Bard it as a very unjust and improper measure. If it
ter!e to be taken as the first step towards trans-
tsLog the whole maintenance of the poor of this coun-
e4to the public revenue, he could only say that he
the'd conceive nothing more fatal than such a step to
ltrisire"PeritY, and even to the very existence, of the
Nis'''. empire. But he would venture to say that any
le,uetarY gentleman who might compare the amount of
the t, he would derive from the proposed change in
derZidow-tax, with the amount of benefit he would
Poste,' 'rons a transfer to the Consolidated Fund of a
thatle of the expenses for lunatic asylums, would find
Ilish"se would have reason to rejoice at the change. The
Ronnurable Gentleman opposite (Mr. Herries)
ettertol intohem that he would not, upon that occasion,
01 of e any consideration of the question of protection
teeot4ree trade, and that the House had at that mo-
to hi "thing to do with that question. But it appeared
ee,,,Cl (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) that it was a
b 11°Porta t point for theto consider, whether,
y n
seaset4'lng the income-tax, they would not render ne-
sop"nY the imposition of a duty on corn, such as was
Lord sse,d Stanley
Lord Stanley and his party:—(Hear.)
wish -"IoleY had certainly announced that it was his
deed
the such a duty; and it would be strange in-
aeala If the Noble Lord had not consulted the chief
detesemill; of his party upon such a point before he had
Est Cned on making that announcement of his policy.
that .! (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) should say,
,sohl, the Right Hon. Gentleman did not approve of
of that a course he would be gladly received in the ranks
tot t free-trade party, which already included, accord-
Of „; the admission of Lord Stanley, every public man
'cll ex •
Right pertenee, with the single exception of the
Aetetio:-`"°- Gentleman. Now, with respect to the im-
teee,`` of a duty upon corn, he should say there was no
aoetrable measure so objectionable in his eyes. It
the Produce" deep and universal dissatisfaction among
fe the
mass of the people of this country; and he con-
liaß'c that he should rather witness any amount of fal-
eohaT! in rent than such an evil as that. He
pose, red that the reductions of taxation he had pro-
of the were of primary importance; but if the proposal
%tea Right Hon. Gentleman were adopted, these mea-
he Wollid be impossible, while it would be found that
carsioleine of the Right Hon. Gentlman could not be
ekre beneficially into operation. If people, then,
Vreetrontented in a case where they derived a benefit,
hoe, they be better pleased when they derived
isienee!t_t al I? —(Hear, hear.) If he did, he would find
km: greatly mistaken. If the proposal of the
nonourable Gentleman were adopted there
tion'in be an end of that relief on articles of conzumpe
---6•11 end of that relief which he proposed to grant
the ,g,tving facilities for improving the dwellings of
tsostlonouring people in the country, and an end of every
seined in that direction in which they had so sue-
Oiling proceeded for so many the results of
tit
t'leh they were years,
now enjoying in that general prospe-
-3' and peace which he was happy to hear the Right
dig4l. Gentleman ad • so
mit; and it was his belief that the
ussion of that evening should end in favour of the
tht on.
Gentleman's proposition,it would debar the
ie°,ernment from carrying
th.
is-suta opinion, were best calculate°h. h
dir propositions,w
ticue,
tit'erests of this country, and especially
romote ther
of
°le interestswhich they were
to that portion
more particularly bound
et (Hear, hear.)
Iso'"fr. PRINSEP said the party to which the Right
los Gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer be-
thrged had found themselves in a state of difficulty which
foreatened the dissolution of the Government on a
is ttler Occasion when there was a deficiency, and were
re it% same difficulty now that they had a surplus. The
Of R°4 on both occasions was the same—namely, a want
Isii"zed principles, which made the Government like a
esesitt sea without compass. In February the Chan.
2,50 l of the Exchequer had stated the surplus at
11Th" and now stated it at 1,890 0001.
111 -13 CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said,
lagorder to re
p vent the Honourable Member from go.
he had stated.
I,blundering on, he would repeat what
CHANCELLOR
said he had made no blunder.
tak'd ""ANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER begged
.011 for the had escaped him unin-
estons„ expression which
for the pur-
kee f'" 3', but thoughtitbetter to interpose
apt,: Preventing the Honorable Member from arguing
th erroneous stated
at h eous assumption. What he had
I 6 estimatedBsi the surplus for the year ending April,
bly 1;9" 2,600,0001., and that next year it would probe-
-1,892,000-
114:r. 11RINSEP thanked the Right Honourable Gen-
-411 fOr •
lamer hi on, explanation, but if he had allowed him to
°ll, he would have found that he had thoroughly
rstood the(l443orabl matter from first to last. The Right
Irak),
„, e Gentleman had stated the surplus in Feb-
Olt% f0V5500,0001., and now he stated the probable sur-
riled ostoe curret year at 1,892,000 L, and if to this was
or thltarnotint n
to be paid over to the Commissioners
wade I_,eeduetion of the National Debt, 630,0001., it
trieunk it about 2,500,0001. Then there was the
sita, :._tro be kept back to meet the expenses of the
theepizi
,end the claim of the East India Company—
cleist7 s with regard to the latter, it certainly was no
Llsotiee"_,Jesterday, but one which had been under the
The the Right Hon. Gentleman for eight years.
Part "t• Member for Montrose objected
saw of th to apply any
e ;llRye_ surplus to the payment of the debt, and he
kot,otshrortie in his objection. It was nothing more,
't collo tul making an investment at 3 per cent., and
trot ace the wisdom of taking the money out of