The Sun.
London, England, 1851-05-03 00:00:00

fit_
.
ett the Hon:Member for Cockermouth broug'et forward
iotl,4tioa in 1848 the numbers were two to one against
i*lit 48 it more likely now ? Was there any more pro-
ta2liow that his Hon. Friend would be able to gee a
,iollfrom the owners of real property in favour of the
)t 11/g and professional classes? Uoon what ground could
Ititaket it, when ho remembered the narrow majerity
(tai en the question regarding the burdens on land,
kaineni,,tion, evide' tly intended to get rid of thoee bur-
/eV the purpose of imposing them upon rofessions an 1
kitytwas so disposed of—a tra star of taxes from reai pro-
eiti the industrious clessee?—(" No, no," from the Op •
t°,ll aide of the House.) It meant th et, or it meant
ihtireit was that, or it was a sham. He might be asked
Iltleiew that the result of the division on real property
° to one, what was the advantage of bringing forward
l'eittelet motion There mi ht. neve. thelese, be advantage
was not. gone for avoiding the question ; when he
Ne,ue had right and justice on his side he was quite
tt;„'-`,to 4.0 on, and to see what the minority end majer; y
Illy let him have a question where he h .d right on his
etio;tHear and a laugh ) What he wanted was a dis-
ilb this question there, and then he would leave it
kteeletnetry out of doors; but that was not the case with
ttw
ernbers in that House. Farts er, he wou:d show be-
letecise'sioll was over the differeece between the land-
qta,. the farmer - for the farmer, in fact, belonged to
tmkag class. The Honourable Member for Devon-
'"e(l of agricultural dietrese; stated that he wanted
tie,;:s the agricultural population from the burden of
'land
clearly 4 ppased the income-tax for the benefit
class; but what did the Hon. Alderman, the ,I,em-
to eafmoreland, say ? He let the House a little into
tt, 147: when he recommended them to remove the in-
. aand make up the deficiency by imposing duties
n t6Bir,inPorts. When that vas seal by the Hon. Alder •
elouse must have observed how Hon. e. embers
Ile.",l'orY frankly cheered him; and when they listened
f4l.,..cueer they could not fail to understand that he meant
ey en Customs' duties, that he meant to restore a few
ow! of those Customs' duties which Sir Robert Peel, to
lt honour, had most wisely and justly remover, the
eernian at the same time recommending a moderate
leralitY on corn for the purpose of relieving the agrli-
ttuilaterest. And at whose expense? It could on y
kale:: "Pea% of the industrious clssees. How much
\pied they pay ?_not not less than 20,000,0001. annually
t)lie-el;h1lIpon import duties, Let those who talked of the
he-v"Pna real property consider that fact. Perhaps
etti "r had had the curiosity to inquire what
import
other
?sederved in the shape of revenue from i
n,ett la this country the Customs' duties amounted to 4')
oes of the whole revenue ; but 10 or 11 per cent. was all
tee-a%reinch derived from a similar source. In Spain
Veer.' outies did not exceed 8 pee cent. of the whole
Willie in Austria and Russia the per centage
Xie4Tte_t_he same as in Spain. It was evident, then, that
`o4.,,iagi nearly three times as
_nuch_as any coun-
tee t .r such circumstances Hon. Gentlemen opposite
frburden still further the great mass of the inclustri-
'"m; The Customs and Excise amounted to between,
te-"nua and 34,000,0001. out of the 50,000,0001. which
117 annually yielded as revenue, and that was paid
ep4adustrious classes. Surely, then, those who desired
ill further import duties sought to place the burden
:.opf.betLfreerrsons who were least able to bear it, for the pur-
4141:)elieving those who could best endure its pressure.
When he drank his beer swallowed as much
g liquid as the nobleman did when he drank his
" Was impossible to put these two classes more
at• i,:11 a level than they were at present, and, tbsrefore,
tiarna, l burden should -be imposed OA the weaker.
Itof.°111(1 they mulct the labouring classes for the par-
h ""Sing the wealthier portion of society? By bearing
\e a,1111°4 the oughts and making them pay
.a
are than they of the public revenue, their
°4; itlvaa retarded, and they were aware of that them-
'the-e- Was no longer a mystery, it was known to the
the people. Of the tendency of the plan there
e""° deubt • the people knew it to be a mode of ex-
etitcoblie income from the poorer portion of the country.
l'riend the Member tor Motrose took a course
effect was on the side of then tax, yet his Hon.
the was at all times in favour of a reduction of taxation ;
:le/Arr. Cobden) would willingly vote against any tax
'Nat-te?Pllosed to sound principle, but if called upon to
llith'ue only tax that was sound in principle, though it
t: faulty in its details, be should do so. There were
'')rte •, Which he should rather see repealed than the
~leele-stwil; he wanted other taxes repealed before he
a (if repealing that. But Honourable Diem-
°PPOsite would compensate for the re a 1
ea by V putting on others that he (Mr. Cob-
Vat ell still more object to. There were 15,000,000/
Ztle -t/4,s,and Excise duties that he would take off, in pre-
"aittr;,tee incom-tax, if he could get a reduction of ex-
aY 'flat would enable him to reduce taxation. Upon
o.itotrip.and he should decline to join his Hon. Friend (Mr.
Zlitbe•"„t,his motion.—(lronical cheers from the Protec-
Th,liteZeUK) If his Hon. Friend, or any Hen. Gentleman
would tell him how he would advance one Even to
titorh-bhreolodelling of this tax by bringing 150 gentlemen to
w,ho wanted to get r doff is tax and vote an import
'941, 'rain in its place, he (Mr. Cobden) would vote for this
'ke did
not admit that this tax would remain in its
,;`4lb ;°1
long permanent tax. He hoped the country
I,:lAtioire have the power to remodel the income-
leeeaugh-) Hon. Gent) men opposite might laugh,
'ttli,""'",ed forward to changes in the representaticaa
ItlPi give the great body of the people more power
ease than they had at esent.—( Hear.) When
lease
a 041., case he did not believe~ that the present income-
• be allowed to continue in its present shape. Did
Fty.t:lnieers ever investigate the mode of levying the pro-
the United States? In Massachusetts, in the
6Atiaent....ld States, the State expenditure was raise by
t'ltaen" property-tax. But did it exact as much from the
O'idni Lai man—from the doctor who wore out his brains
teligat watchings for a fee, and whore income was 5(101.
ieeea,Year—as fiona the man who possessed 15,000/.. a
h',,`,,a) property They took property. wherever
n%`l h, and assessed the tax upon the capital of the
nee'',...."(Rear, hear.) They did not touch income at all,
e'eD 'M a great deal fairer than our present system. He
literted to advocate a revision of this tax, but he was
OtSrt;va,red to do anything to endanger the principles of
a,lte'eetal policy established when this tax was imposed,
4:q401(1 not censent to take off from real property the
affer,• which it paid under the ,ncome-tax. He could
t.h.' to let it escape that tax He would ask every one
-4ide who did not wish to see the principle of free
a tee_
tettiticieenered to resist this transparent attempt of the
GlOaof the House—(" Oh!" and ironical cheers) to
Ittaalsrateni that, had been eminently to the advantage of
ek ‘ • es of tne community.—(Cheers and " Oh, of t!")
leer '°l3 BFLL said the House had now to consider
P!y•wtax
.in its present form against no property -tax
ikiter.,ueY were all agreed, first, that the tax was unjust,
Ota and exceedingly opppressive, and in the next
as imposeible to do without it for the present
ilttlitlieeat-) The House was unanimously of opinion
) oet ta x must be levied for one year, but could they do
0," for the two years next afterwards, and would the
otYeZetia,t hate anything by limiting the period to one} ar ?
',lltlti`llose two-thirds of the total amount that the tax
,tdoetti‘,a,es but they would gain an amount of popularity out
R~aT,
e'eat Would be of great service to them. - (Laughter.)
t9Pip liattu.ad a change of Administration this year
_the
lOYee-atera would reap the benefit, and the present. Mid-
-44113,4r the whole of the odium of having impose
etta:Lthree years. On the other hand, if the Govern-
-1411 eat rem • in office for three years, it would be
taa
remain
t. ue the
at the expiration of the year,in
eitletak Cu at present. He should like, therefore, to see
kia te`alliosed for one year, and to consider in the mean-
tittillteatili,e definite plan for removing its injustice. but he
et,tt reo placed in an unpleasant predicament. He must
ettiellebe. to continue the income-tax for three years,
1(141-e did he should be unable to look his friends out
the face (A laugh) or he must vote against the
tt4l,4‘..`ittit at a period when he, for one, considered it an
(I,,V,l".impro-per time t • place the Government in an
a ',lit, ee.44 wition by putting them in a minority.—
te,stikaa,frorn the Opposition benches ) He would appeal
eel; trelie Lord at the head of the Goverument whether
t 4,0 a proper position for his friends to be in, to be
biZof °°te either against the Government or in fa-
-4e eellie-enleasure which involved such extreme hardship.
eeAroetecaarnuaety. If he (Mr. Bell) supported the Go-
thr the -Pon the present motion—(.' Oh !" and laughter
):te4ls Protectionists)—it was only because he saw thit
S "Made a party question.--,Continued laughrese)
hieei .„"TeItBERT was not influenced by the same On-
tietl4eoelings as the Hon. Member, nor did be hold
11:Z1,e-ell:et the same necessity of relieving the Goveln-
lieiNk eet- expense of his own convictions The conclusion
thee-el° on the question was also irrespective of par-
tieCen House. If the night was one of cross-votiogs. as
UN 4of I,rated, it was likewise one of cross-reasoning. The
giv,for "e Hon. Member for Montrose had certain attrac-
age 11.„44 (Ur. S. Herbert) until the Hon. Member had
igglanlents in its favour, which were cecidedly
Nt‘ale e (Mr. Herbert could not accept the motion on
. 1110. Herb et from those adduced in its support. He
iteiae.e„riOert) could not forget the grounds on which the
(48t.
'kat aad been imposed in the first instance. It was
thet's eof hictly as a temporary tax—(Cheers)--for the
Pleiteatneveffeeting certain changes in the fiscal system of
itschap is 1842, and to cover the deficiency caused by
eeaOtepelie,a in the revenue, The success of the tax camel
03 ,iillva-°n for three years longer, on the special ground
&kit ertiesrequisite to test the effect of these charges. In
!hale le iraFttin imposed for other purposes, namely, the
°Nit Asa but the understanding in each case was
e „re to be
Ot elite temporary, especially in.. he latter, as the
Nioa iee," Pass away. It was the feeling of the country.
(Pia 1111,:e"tae-tax should only be resorte i to cm special
takof 1,1'1,, tittles of pressure and emergency—(.Loud
atiel 402, )'—and that was the meaning of the term war
btbjtlat """ to it. (He Mr. S. Herbert) thought it a fair
c
'11114:411. r°Posal to continue the 'lncome tax if it was
"„IlVst nowt ha he had to look to its justification for a
-'• Re lamented that the Budget did not deal
telit;e4hclee' itilciteir nature elastic, instead of dealing with
171 e, and hy that means the community would be
"Uttiald b Wuile income would be obtained the income
to [they h abolished. Malt and tea were elastic taxes ;
414,, the,"''. hot been touched. He (Hr. S. Herbert) hoped
;°,,uelied; but he knew that could not be if the
toto 1,, a not retained for a further period. There
Tilt a heeee',.'ttarY reasons for transferring the window-taxt them.
get Pitlestien ; but it was now too late to deal with h
then
wino, was, whether there was any other but
etheliulloaritbi. lie could agree. He could.
.not agrea with
ell ai
Neull-r(lees.l, Member for the West Riding as regar_dexd.
"takt' it 81:01-1,et. if they were to be transferred to. the E..n
waa thiatinn ;14 be distinctly understood that it was
it
Ex-
he that descor the loss of protective duties. That
bYite clocurahriqed the ground on which the proposal of
ilniettihntr be (ettlember. for Bucks was based. As a
h"- 14' and b.". S. Herbert) thought the Honourable ;
avita, tnatte,.-13 Party had taken a wrong course !
,ould. two hua' Finding himself in the position of
.s!tittekeept, h [Vs presented to him, neither of which he
lnattill%rhica felt that he ought not to vote for a propo-
Thetlt e house old Put a stop t(6) those financial arrangemmnts
5101)%uld not had assented to, more especially as the Govern-
fmo.etot,kaienegtesoiniatthoin2t.btxiaet.tiziett, go on satisfactorily with a
He tr.) He had stated his reasons
g, ere
nlq Gorem: 'neon-le-tax as a temporary tax; but there
nid tindereeenti. reaeotis besides those implied in the ori-
but liqet 1311t.eno 1.11,14 why it should not be permanent. Ile
eclilkils: did tnai„;ust it was the most unequal tax imposed,
dirt,,tl' was .._,Zain that it was the tax on which the in- ,
ih°lletastiolun u et. distinctly visible. Taking indeed the in-
thett ceesariee 01)f bY the working man, tor example, upen
tbeie‘,vaa far gre he believed it would be found that
waltC.elneetaa. er injustice and inequality in that than in
sent4l. The One, however, was visible, but the other ,
hea e,rt) „--tid not "t of indirect taxation was that it was in-
comevirl?..erc There eived by the person paying it.—( llear,
antu opheax. should": another reason, however, why the in-
k' b t 4•": of fraud it '2l. be permanent—namely, the immense
grjezikli:;grngreapatelergendered. At first it was honestly paid ;
and greater,
was practised—small at titst, but '
fiscal carried Z. greater, until at leugth it was so in-
, n
.est.igat•on
I Atli defy all the scrutiny of the closest
in-
fled 11?cliiyihr • he same time he saw a difficulty
Dleqat it ,",r altering it; while he felt satig-
woairl er for the V left to those whom the Honourable
haig retz:4 rs:eat Riding; alluded to as the people it
Div.l9`",. to wbat had heel; termed La natural.
per
sett, lie (11r. barber[) did net Oka,: