The Sun.
London, England, 1858-04-20 00:00:00

other members of the Government, partecelaely those
connected with Irelard, the iite-at itrwertauce of ;va.cti-
ing the operation of thei ncreased duty upon sprit=, aed
of observin_ whether it leads to llicit distillation or hot,
because illicit distillation not only w.ll defraud theta
of their revenue and neutralise the object which they
bays in view, but will be attended with demera,lis
ing effects, creating lawless habits in the popula-
tion, which I am satisfied gentlemen acquainted
with the state of some counties in the north and
West of Ireland in former times will bear witne=s are far
greater evils than could be compensated by a small in-
crease of revenue. (Hear, hear.) However, I am bound
to say that, as far as my knowledge goes, the late in-
crease of duty on spirits in Ireland has not hitherto
been attended with an increase of illicit distillation, and
I trust no such result will follow the proposition of the
right hon. gentleman. (Hear, hear.) With respect to
the penny duty upon checks, I am not aware that any
serious objection can be made to it, and I trust not only
that the right hon. gentleman will derive 300,0001. from
it, but that it may not turn out at the end i f the year
that his estimate of the revenue by customs and excise
is somewhat higher teen present circumstances would
justly warrant. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. FA.G-AN said he feared that the proposal of the
right hon. gentleman in reference to Irish spirits would
lead to illicit distillation in Ireland and it was a fact
tiZt illegal distillation was going on there now owing to
the increased duty imposed on spirits in 1855. In the city
of Cork spirits were sold at 53, a gallon less than the arti-
cle could be sold by the distillers, and this was accounted
for in two ways, viz., that the lowering of the price of the
article was caused either by smuggling or illicit distilla-
tion. He hoped the right hon. gentleman would not
impose the increased duty on spirits in stock in the
Possession of the retail dealer, as it would lead to great
inconvenience and hardship, but that he would confine
the imposition of the duty to the ?tick in the hands of
the distiller. With respect to the provesed stamp up on
cheques he would at present offer no opinion upon the
effect of such an art angement, but would simply content
himself with the expression of a desire to learn by what
means the right hon. gentleman had arrived at the result
that he would obtain the sum stated from such a source.
Mr. WHITESIDE must observe that he had not
learned from any quarter in Ireland that illicit distillation
was now going on there. lie had heard a great deal of
conversation in that part of Ireland with which he was
connected, and there was a general expression of surprise
that no Chancellor of the Exchequer had attempted to
aseinailate the duties on spiri's in England and Ireland ;
sad he held in his hand a paper, by whicl, it was shown
that if the duty on spirits in Ireland were raised from
oe. 2rl. to Bs., the increased revenue obtained would be
020,0001., and the authors of the eaper went on to show
that the effect of this arrangement would be to enable
the Chancellor of the Exchequer to reduce the duty on
tea; so that as far as these persons were concerned the
Proposal of the Chancellor of the Exchequer would not
be objectionable.
Mr. J. WILSON concurred in the observations of
the right hon. gentleman who had just addressed the
house—naioely, that many of the Iri,h spirit-dealers, so
far from beieg adverse to an increase in the duty, snch
As was now proposed, were in favour of it ; indeed, het
year a deputation from Belfast waited upon him and so
expressed itself. He, however, warned the right bon.
gentleman and the committee against two disappoint-
ments which were not unlikely to attend his calculations.
In the first place, the right hon. gentleman the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer had taken the excise revenue at
17,800,0001., and he ought, he thought, explain to the
committee that the apparent increase of 800,0001. in that
item of revenue had been entirely owing to the failure
of the vine in France. This had the effect of increasing
the stock of spirits in this country, but not the con-
sumption, and the stocks being made up to the usual
,aoeunt,. they would only be replenished according to
the derreend of the year. Now, in his opinion, that in-
crease would not continue even with the contemplated
assistance of the additional Irish duty, unless some
equity discn rbing cause stepped in. With regard to
the propose) penny stamp upon cheques, be believed
that while s.aoh a proceeding would renderC a very in-
Considerable INo ldition to the revenue it would have the
effect of interfe ring most materially with the economy
of the capital of the country. It had now become a
common practio3 fur even stna 1 farmers throughout the
Country to keep banking accounts—a practice which
exercised an inrportant influence in economising capital,
and such a proposition as that now made by the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer would have the effect of re-
stricting the use of cheques, and thus doing an injury
to the economy of capital. Stockbrokers were also in
the habit of transacting their business by means of
cheques ; and he feared that this penny stamp upon
cheques would interfere with them in a very serious
degree.

Mr. WARRE -wished to know if the right hon. gentle-
'tun the Chancellor of the Exchequer could lay upon the
table any return of the result of the succession duty. He
feared that the colculations of the right hon. gentleman,
lu reference to the revenue to be derived from the Post-
eflioe, would not be realised, but he must say that he could
no objection to the equalisation of the duty upon Eng-
lish and Irish spirits.

l!ii`MAHbN said that the proposal to increase the
duty on Irish spirits from es. 2d. to Bs. was a very large
one, .and would be severely felt by the dealers in spirits in
Irel.sztd. He trusted that, whatever arrangements would
be made on the subject, that the Government would accede
SO the suggestion of the hon. member for the city of Cork,
and )so t lay. the increased duty on the stock of the retail
deals.-s in spirits. He trusted that the duty would not have
retroa peotive operation.
Mr. 31ALINS concurred in all the proposals of the right
bon. g etitleman (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) except
°Tie- Whey had now a Parliamentary assurance that there
would be no increase in the income-tax; but that on the
contrar, r, the original arrangement for its extinction in
1850 wO add be carried out. This announcement would be
received with satisfaction by the country, for the tax was
a.. Most d etestable one. The only objection he had to the
budget r slated to the penny stamp on cheques, for ho be-
`
vul.°Yed it would interfere with the monetary transactions
of the con -ntry.
Mr, T. O'BRIEN said the right hon. gentleman was
about to t tile Ireland pay for the deficit caused in the re.
soueras
eaclluits I igland. According as they had found an in-
ion spirits in Ireland beyond a certain point,
a° in the a ame proportion smuggling and all its injurious
°Quiequenc as increased. The force which formerly re-
strained em wiggling was now done away with, and the land
was thrown open to a renewal of this illicit trade. He
feared the i msult in Ireland would not be beneficial. It
appeared to lira that this was a gross financial wrong ins-
Potted upon Ireland for the general good.
hops, Mr. DOM lON said the farmer had to pay the duty on
wheths it his circumstances were prosperous or the
reverse. Ho had hoped that the promise of former years,
that this tax ehonld be reduced or diminished, would not
LATO been for gotten. He was disappointed that this sub-
ject had been overlooked.
Mr. E. 8AE.1., said that the interest of hop-growers was
riot the questi on before the house, but the question was
'Whether the property and income tax should be gradually
done away with. The country would receive the announce-
raenta of the n ight hon. gentleman (the Chancellor of the
Exchequer) on this subject with unqualified satisfaction.
Re would rather have preferred an increase of taxation on
spirits generally than the plan actually proposed by the
Government. As to the proposed duty on cheques, he
thought that where twenty cheques were now drawn
there would in future, if this new tax were imposed, be
only oafs, and the result would be that they would require
u large increaue in the monetary circulation, which he
feared would be attended with inconvenience to the

country.
Mr. GLYN said the right hon. gentleman had exercised
a very wile discretion as to the mode in which he proposed
to Pay off the existing liabilities of the country. and also
With regard to the new taxation' except the proposed duty
on cheques, to which he would ask the right hon. gentle.
man to give further consideration. (Hear.) If this pro-
posed penny stamp on cheques was proposed, it would in-
terfere with the duty on receipts. Therefore, in point of
fact, what the right hon. gentleman would gain by the new
duty on cheques, he would lose by the reduction that
would take place in the amount of duty from receipts. But
the serious objection to this proposal was that it would in-
terfere with the small circulation of the country. In all
the small towns, both in the agricultural and manufacturing
districts, the process of keeping accounts during the last
fifteen or twenty years had i,•creased enormously. If that
bad not been so, it would have been impossible for the
circulating medium to have carried on the business of the
country. There was now hardly a small farmer who did
not keep his cheque-book and an account at his banker's,
upon whom cheques so low as for 21. and 3/. were drawn.
If the right hon. gentleman kept these facts in view, he
would find that his gain would bo so small as not to com-
pensate for the inconveniences to which it would subject
the public. He (Mr. Glyn) had said nothing about Lon-
don, from which, no doubt, to-morrow or next day, he
would have representations enough.. To stockbrokers and
others the inconvenience would be most serious. Thou-
sands of cheques were drawn by Stock Exchange gentle-
men in the course of a day, but the great difficulty was the
inconvenience which would be felt in small country towns.
Mr. INGRAM said ho must express his astonishment
at hearing no proposal whatever for a reduction or revision
of the paper duties. This had been a subject spoken of
Year by year, nod the evils which ft ,wed from the opera-
tion of this tax pointed out. Some honourable members
Wished for a reduction of the hop duty, and others to get
rid of the malt duty; but he thought the paper duty as
oppressive, and more injurious in its operation than either.
If they wanted a new tax, why not impose a penny in the
Pound upon all property in the country, saey once in ten
years? (A. laugh.) Honourable members might laugh, but
there might be a worse proposal than that (Hear, hear.)
Ile hoped that some portion of this budget would bo re-
viewed, with the object of getting rid of the paper duty,
which affected not only the trade but the education of the
country. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. BAGWELL said ho did not think much increase of
revenue would arise from the proposed duty on cheques.
The duty on spirits was an Irish question, and he thought
the effect of imposing an additional duty on spirits in that
country would only be to deteriorate the article.
Mr. BAXTER, in reference to the spirit duties, said
the people of Scotland wore perfectly satisfied with the
law as it stood at the present moment in that country.
They would not find in all Scotland 10 t persons who would
wish to go back to the old system. He begged to express
his general concurrence in the financial scheme developed
in the speech of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, which
Ile thought exhibited great prudence and discretion, con-
sidering the circumstances of the country, and he hoped
that both now, and in all future stages, it would meet
with the concurrence of the house.
Mr. PULLER said it was only last week that a country
banker, with whom he was conversing, pointed out to him
the great injustice and inconvenience which the country
bankers sustained owing to the exemption of London
cheques from the penny stamp ; fur semetimes he (the
banker in question) put three penny stamps upon 100 or
200 cheques every day. It might be a matter of considera-
tion for the house as to whether the banking system of this
country had not been carried too far, and our circulating
tuedium too much contracted ; and whether it was not
owing to the extension of the banking system, and the
contraction of our currency, that the late panic fell so
severely on the country.
Mr. STEWART congratulated the Chancellor of the
Exchequer ou not increasing the income-tax. He was
glad that, for a paltry million, he had not taken a step so
obnoxious to the country. He cool,: see no reason what-
tver why Ireland should not be put upon a perfect equality
With Engianil iu regard to the spirit duties. As to draft