The Sun.
London, England, 1845-03-19 00:00:00

Pre
end near him (Mr. Baring).—( Hear, hear.) Chancellors
of P the
.-xehequer were all hard hearted.-1 Lenehter ) It was
tb•L" a° sffect of the system that they should be so•—(Con-
'need laughter.) They had plenty to do with their money,
and therefore he (Mr. Hume) would make every allowance fur .
the,
trade , He would read the House an extract from a suggestion
6Y himself to Lord Althorp in reference to this very
reretiorncistanee., He then hoped that there was no occasion to
th the Noble Loid the Chancellor of the Exchequer of
teaetPledee which he had given some time ago to do away with
os,ii dutY• and he suggested the propriety, at least,
ye; 'ing every man who had paid the window-tax for one
seer t° °Pen additional windows, without any increased duty,
tthhat ef itself he considered would be a very great relief.
„„_ e 30th of Jule, 1834, certain clauses were brought up
Purl the euhject, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer then
L°
eicli that his (Mr. Home's) recommendation would occasion
. °ss to the revenue, as its only effect would be to prevent
ei_lelerease in the houses already taxed. Agreeably to that
rh". ge the clauses were introduced into the Bill. What was
eie:lnesequense? Why this, that those who had shut ap their
de"'"e's to the litter exclusion of fresh air, as soon as they un-
tflors.l°od that although the tax should be continued, yet that
ses whe had paid the tax for one year might be allowed to
ecinsoadditienal windows without an increased expense, they
thee ve and allowed fresh air to be admitted throughout
of ti"2,n'es• A few years afterwards, however, the Chancellor
those e'xehequer considered it to be his duty to re-assess all
tag, And what was then the consequence ? The
ee'denlch had been 1,900,0001., was raised to 1.700,00 e/. The
cloyedl-°", were again shut up, and many houses were altogether
Otttht and the tax again fell in consequence of that pre,sore.
teted°,,se grounds he thought this one of those taxes which
wiled
lor immediate correction by the House ; and he thought
ea tany plan were submitted to the House for a more equal
tseet." of this tax, that plan ought to be a general
~,an equal charge upon the rental of the houses.
tseei•"lel not have an opportunity of making an amend-
h if the Government refused an inquiry, but he
sem
fee,' pat his Noble Friend would receive some assurance
tske the Right Hon. Baronet that this subject would be
sit under the immediate consideration of the Government
°,e, view of modifying the tax.
lions; RARING said he should be obliged to trouble the
see th With a few observations, in consequence of the remarks
fere, imputations of the Hon. Member for Montrose, in re-
st -hte to himself, and to the office which he had the honour
had
hole
under 'the late Government. The Hon. Member
lett Lidtnitted that that office was a most difficult one,
ne
Lotion should not accept of that admission. His
tstise°f the duty of a public servant was this—to
het he to the Acts which had been passed by that House ;
pleaiid not think that any course of getting money would
tisfaetory to the Government or to the country, if the
he doges °f the Government were violated by it. In this case,
ties
eyed that the Government had pledged itself in the man-
bad
iated by the Non. Member for Montrose. The House
Alth 'ard the Hon. Member read his own speech to Lord
thepe'rPi but the had not heard the answer which Lord Al-
!see heti returned to him. He ( Mr. Baring) perfectly re-
tfoe'ptedethe Hon. Member bringing the question before the
'
th ,"nt he did not remember, and he would not say, that
Pesitto°°le Lord (Lord Althorp) had concurred in those pro-
ns
es
'eNTE—Read the 30th of July.
eltst,••l'ARING was perfectly aware that the Noble Lord's
le,ll.l"ns were fully carried out by those appointed to do so.
blel„--rgene 'Member for Montrose seemed to think that the No-
-44 r'-,"enad been deceived by the officers of the Stamps and
told. "t CO one was less likely to be deceived than the Noble
n;rhe Hon. Member for Montrose had also said that he
IDOne--r'nZ), the Chancellor of the Exchequer, had wanted
the et. 4, and had acted upon the instructions in the clauses of
"e`ssglle•tein a manner never acted on before. That was not the
"lat clause was acted on in the same way in 1835 and in
,(41-1 „ge admitted, indeed, that an additional survey—
itt send''' near' " from Mr. Hume.) What was the construe-
Bt'nPonthos
His
c tl
rises by he Hon.
—tMember for .Mon-
t.4l`elfe" str ction t
was thishat by the clause
stg,ll' was given tooopenwuindows without any additional tax.
tiss,-°PPesing that parties had opened windows under
originally
properh'.',.ste-s'hivlheonumber of windows—supposing that their
Its* eO,l twenty windows. and they had only returned fifteen,
,l'rtheete" the construction put upon the clauses by the Hon.
'lts etre tor elontrore act upon that case ? Were they to
would
"re 4'llrewindows—were they to cheat the revenue—he
'het it cheats—he would say evade the proper payment of
i,tele-n; tonad was it to be said that proper measures should not
b'tn enforce the proper amount which they ought to pay
'td "'yen"? He was sure that that reading of the Act
tqh"seer been. contemplated by the Noble Lord. The Noble
red " never had any intentions like those constantly re-
ate t°, by the Hon Member anxiouse It was state
ate •t•ei4o (Mr. *Retitle) was for an increased tax,
Rete,,,la,t he Lad' * caused a survey for that, purpose. That was
ltectlY correct.cau}l- e found that it would be necessary to
l'ei°dalee the amount of the window-tax ; but he thought it was
eettlyule" In the first instance, to see that all parties paid the tax
cittie; "afore he should levy any additional duty upon other
lltseee arid for that n ?Tose he had caused the survey to be
ot'eued with. Ba ul,uhcs Hon. Friend the Member for Mon-
tt, fade s's Mistaken in supposing that the survey had then been
4*-- 'or the first time. The survey had been going on long
thHe (IMr. Barig) had been informed that whole streets
,4ti ni pyment of the tax, and he did not see that parties
Peg: those streets should be exempt—especially when. they
Teeth regard
to make an additional charge upon other parties.
ItetWeegard to thegrievances of the tax, they all knew per
kris; ;s'l that thereg was no tax existing which had not t
!!isea-e'rea• The Hon. Member referred to particular. cases. of
iestolf,cesi but it was isle. possible for him to answer individual
',";°°ght forward by Hon Members. They had heard of
etrdeesn'ages ofdireetover indirect taxation, and yet, as in
Nelia'.ei the Hon. Member for Montrose was the very first to
hie, /41,(4‘ the unequal pressure of direct taxation.
heir fte.4E—Not if you tax the rental.
Ittai ,-4,,,RING—Oh, the Hon. Member said " tax the
Pe happened to know that the !Hon. Member. fur
t•'tiertt°-,ee..1,1ad complained in no set terms of the injustice of
rßlarei 'az. He had known some of the largest houses in
etltlttlle ewhieh were taxed scarcely anything; and it was
"Ilth',"'ell known that many gentlemen's seats did notdpdaynseot
tilt) the', the tax as the village inn beside them. He
Isrett:'" injustice in this, but he must admit that thisfact
et'le eed an impression on the public mind which the
It" (' nentber for Montrose was not slow to take advantage
biji.tct,'ear hear f om Mr. Hume, and laughter.) . That
Plllsree•nsidered it sorunfair that it was done away with in
ei'skß-rte! to the window-tax. If, however, that house-tax
s'alte ' enforced and the window-tax abolished every oue
dissentl". nIW 'nYthi of the circumstances must know that the
Asses n
in that case than they did at
would pay more
Committee on qhe
is„ll"et thie tes regard to t
epeti lite it would be of that utility which the Nobleuestion Lord
r
would, and if, as he thought, the Noble
4t eet
thtentin was to take the. sense of the House
rt Propriety of repealing the tax altogether
hltte,/ Baring) for one would not, in the_ present
Iftheywent
I)lt;einte.!.cevenue, lie prepared.ttow
aosuslld be but a waste of the
ti'ulttee on this subject, •
e'srten me' end would lead to no useful result. But. if the
e Is et
_eht instead were to consult officers,thesirtahewith the
thought it
:"ltle,`"lleating the grievances of this
sot
,te preferable plan. U tthose circumstances he
bVr• •1211( of votieg with the No.ble Lord.
e hsLEY rose amid loud cries of "
.Divide, divide."
tli oeari Member, after the lapse of a few minutes, obtained
Q 4".
lie wished to know if the tax was abandoned by
eih;lee'rntn, ent?-(Laughter.) The late Chancellor of the
t,lth h wad certainly made one of the most lame defences
k (4r. Wakleys had ever heard in that House.. This
e eeiversally condemned. Everybody said it wastf
enequal 'one, and pressed heavily upon the
te''se „lases of society. ( Hear, hear, and cheers.d
t.44itted by all that the tax was injurious to health, an
St'eNtli-thelth mischief." But the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
til":tsse House that there was no hope of getting rid of it
tt'thllsreetn; 'and from all the admissions of the Right
.Ho.n.
QS te °PPosite, he was induced to. hope that the.erhememises.i—on
is, at'' ittpould be comprehended in their next
111;4 trail' laugh.) He would recommend.it
would th' electors
el" tjefnethile to bestir themselves—he
iatienr,e—ecommend
lays an " Anti-Window-tax. A ' (Hear,
)—for there was no tax which Association"—(
more inju-
ke''ltof'd()n the health and morals of the people. It was the
to 't/ ie tease and vice.—( Cheers.) He himself had recently
ei.t'eetit parish of Marylebone. In a large house he had
s /le e the highest story, where there was no window at
aeslupo '4nd there a human being without any covering
audit the floor. It was the body of a female, /8 years of
he Ile Oa he was informed, the widow of a captain
' o"oes.1 Navy—( Hear, hear.) She could not
heveei-elchallowed to die in that 'state of utter destitution, if
thatetieel eoers were acquainted
with her situation. He bkfte-
'e"ne et the want of light in the upper part of the house,
•e,(llr~t the
causes of her remaining alone, and not inrret
I`,",c Noble Lord persevered in dividing the I ouse
tek•",rthet",akley) would vote with him. But he would
e?..site-oftn.e. Government would hold out some hopes of the
thr pvt,oe tax.—( Hear, hear.)
Win EEL said that before he went into a consideration
Of ti-'w-tax he should state, that the Government hail
letstute eo-areful and comprehensive review of all the taxation
thei"eon re before they submitted their financial measures
f
"lerirevielet and that the window-tax had not been left out o
they --(Hear hear.) They thought that the taxes
tlit",l nad repea'led wre those the remission of which
bet
~,n'clst advantageous to the country. He admitted
istl there inequalities and inconveniences in the app
tltet jn,t w lax ; but all the arguments for its repeal
f
IS, soap tes forcibly be alleged in favour of a remission o
?Itit.'l'ter‘ -tit Hear, hear.) He did not think. it his duty,
etteee for ee'neMember for Finsbury, to give a specific
tee repeal of this tax or of that—( flear)—at the same
isq(l-1, I" not deny the great inconvenience of the window-
aL leetra) It had been recommended by the Hon. Member
Uri in the course of this debate, that there should be
return le-i`nt of tenpence in the pound upon all houses in the
Stete.rn r.'tegerl°,rn• But the Hon. Member overlooked that the
ke cots„ he reade the basis of his calculation included
Ottutle of the 'val eof 21. per annum.—( Hear.) There
th01)le ;r unedens on tuheopeop.lequite as onerous and as objec-
tselPo•i:pthe Window-tax ; and it would be the business of
(1„," he t consider how these and other burdens
h 1:1 'llei'd•—( Hear hear ) He gave the Noble Lord
It his mean) credit for the Manner in which he had pro-
ft dietai°t'ons but he hoped the Noble Lord would not press
e,;ite
eLo e•S said that if he thought the motion of the
tei llied°,%estecil IntP,lied a pledge of the House for the repeal of the
At;,,,, r a Committee
Would not vote for it. As it was, however,
olioeotenetnittee to inquire into the operation of the tax,
Hopis" eitelo4; It.
''s le' the " HORP could look upon the motion only as
th, el 4 rtpeal of the window-tax.—( Hear, and laughter.)
Cee "rn with astonishment and regret the statement of
Isitetlerean elember for Finsbury, and he thought the Hon.
'scY f"rthe ought, in his official capacity,' to follow up the in-
Sisotesie, r•---(Hear.) There had been a great deal of con-
eetyof thiiPon the part of the Government as to the remis-
le ing for upon cinnamon and copaiba—(Laughter)—but
the 1"oele th,c remission of duties affecting the comforts of
eietio,;7l Hear, and laughter.) He would net vote for
telt:. T. ipause he thought it woted he of no use.
ate hike uNCOM BE said, that on the ground which NE-
statd he would not vote for the motion, for he did
!teh,t,that anything could be got by inquiry.—( Hear.)
thient 'tents wanted no inquiry. They had already had
It seanlaetiePheardienee in that way ; and when he heard that
'Mr ad die a tendency to prevent the repeal of the tax,
to • et „,eonal reason for his voting against it.
ttstieseet to 11. LI AMS thought a sufficient case would be
I. Justify the repeal of the tax if a Committee were
the i'd NJ Tv
Ch," CAN then replied. The Right Hon. Gentleman
11 teat
,ticellor of the Exchequer had been pleased to tell
le .eal e„ee_wrepresented a pauper constituency. Now,
Stst: stet,
4; are that either Plymouth or Portsmouth was,
ettontneet ,a' Pauperism; but the Right Hon. Gentleman.*
hts an argument in favour of his motion. If his
ir'rssere paupers, why did the House subject them to
ee near, hear.)
Forehe m
then divided, when there appeared—
eotio
"Rklnst it
....n .. 47
93
eel eeterAelai°rity...;.g.ains.t the Zotion—
ROpE "4., to the gallery,
Pere. 'l'm or, te as requesting Mr. Mackinnon, whose motion.
11,Asi:eeeet:tea,r,,
ienuPaPer, to withdraw it, because it was of im-
theon"etion
w`hrio delay should take place in removing the
had been thrown upon his Noble Friend,
r• Sesteleof the Colonies.
4'INNON would accede to this appeal, if those