The Sun.
London, England, 1845-02-20 00:00:00

WINDOW-TAX.

Lord DUNCAN postponed his motion with respect to the
window-tax, which stood for to-morrow, till Monday. He
had stated his intention to do so in the early part of the even-
ing, and he now repeated it in the presence of the Right Hon.
Baronet.

Mr. FERRAND wished to put a question to the Secretary
of State for the Home Department. Three sessions ago, Mr.
Moggeridge was appointed a Commissioner to go into the
Inland counties, to inquire into the distress existing there.
He had made his report, but it had not been laid on the table
of the House. He wished to know whether it was intended
to lay it on the table of the House?
Sir JAMES GRAHAM said that the report had been
reade, but not printed, as far as it was it would be laid on
the table of the House.
Mr. T. DUNCOMBE said that Members had been in-
formed that yesterday or to-day they were to be fur-
nished with the list of the articles on which the duty was to be
taken off.

Sir R. PEEL said that it had been found to be convenient
to arrange the articles alphabetically, and as soon as that was
done the list would be laid on the table.
SPERM OIL.

Mr. GEORGE SMITH wished to ask a question of the
First Lord of the Treasury, which was of importance to a large
class of persons. It was, whether it was the intt ntion of the
Government only to reduce, or altogether to take off, the duty
on sperm oil?
Sir R. PEEL said the duty on sperm oil was not to be given
up at once, but the Government did intend to provide for ulti-
mately relinqui-hing that duty ; but they would postpone it to
such a period as not to interfere injuriously with existing inte-
rests. He might as well state now, that after the sth of Ja-
nuary, 1849—( Hear, hear, and laughter)—the duty on sperm
oil should cease.

SUGAR DUTIES.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL asked when the exact resolutions
proposed by the Government on the sugar duties would be laid
on the table ?
Sir R. PEEL said the House would be in possession of the
resolutions to-morrow, and he was did hope that he should be
able to furnish them this evening. In that case he hoped, in
the discussion of the income-tax this evening, the sugar duties
would not be debated, but would be left till those resolutions

we • seen.
Lord J. RUSSELL thought it would be more reasonable
for the Right Hon. Baronet to postpone the consideration of
the sugar duties till Monday.
Sir It. PEEL thought the Hon. Member for Manchester
had given a notice for equalising the duties on foreign and co-
lonial sugars on Friday next, and that there was no objection
on the part of the Noble Lord to that discussion having prece-
dence of the Noble Lord's own resolution.

Lor J. RUSSELL had no objection to that arrangement,
supposing, after the Right Hon. Gentleman's motion was dis-
posed of, no further proceedings should be taken till Monday.
Sir ROBERT PEEL said, his only object in all this was
to prevent confusion in the trade, to which it was of great im-
portance that the opinien of the House should be known. He
should have no objection to the discussion taking place on the
motion of the Hon. Member for Manchester, on Friday next ;
and on Monday they could take the discussion on the proposal
of the Noble Lord.

Mr. GIBSON said it was, then, to be understood that the
question of the equalization of duty on sugar would take place
on Monday next, and fur that purpose, he did not think it
necessary to be provided with the particular details of the Go-
vernment measure.

Mr. ESCOTT wished to know from the Chancellor of:the
Exchequer, whether any time would be allowed to those who
had paid the duty to clear off their stocks?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that it

was not the intention of the Government to allow any time.
Mr. HUME wished to know whether, as the duty on sperm
oil was to be taken off, the duty on common whale oil would
also be taken off?
Sir R. PEEL said it was the intention of the Government
to take off the duty on whale oil, and at an earlier period than
that at which it was to be taken off of sperm oil, because the
same reasons did not exist in the case of whale oil for continuing
the duty for so long a period.
Mr. R. BLEWITT, before the Speaker left the chair,
wished to ask the 11 ght lion. the Chancellor of the Exche-
quer a question respecting a paper that had been put into his
hands that morning. He referred to the copy of the Naval
1 Receipts and Expenditure for the year ending the 24th
of .March, 1844. It was a paper laid on the table
of the House, in accordance with the provisions of an
Act passed in the fourth year of the reign of William the
Fourth, cap. 40, sec. 80. A certificate was attached to the
paper in the following terms :--,. We, the Commissioners for
auditing the publiq accounts, hereby certify that this account has
been audited by the officers under our employ, and we declare the
statements made therein to be correct and mtisfactery, subject
to the notes and remarks by the Commissioners made thereon."
This certificate was signed by three Commissioners, and he
wished to call the attention of the Right Honourable
Gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer to the
terms, in which it was written. It was stated to be
examined not by the Commissioners themselves, hut by
officers under their direction, and notwithstanding they had

riot done it themselves they certified that it was correct.
This was the most extraordinary document that he had
ever seen submitted to Parliament.—( Great laughter.) If
these gentlemen are to be paid for this work, and do not
perform the duty themselves, he should consider it necessary
for him to move that the office be abolished altogether.—
( Hear, near.) Now, what he wanted to ask the Hon. Gentle-
man the Chancellor of the Exchequer was, what were the
salaries paid to these three gentlemen? He wished the Right
Hon. Gentleman to explain to this House and the country
what he considered to be the value of their certificates.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said those
accounts were audited the same as any other public accounts.
The Hon. Gentleman must be aware that if the Com-
missioners were to examine every account themselves
it would be impossible to get through the public service.
WAYS AND 3IEANS.

The SPEAKER then left the chair, arid the House resolved
tself into a Committee of Ways and Means.
INCOME-TAX.

Mr. ROEBUCK rose to propose his amendment. He said,
as it was understood, that he would this evening move
the addition to the Right Hon. Baronet's resolution in
reference to the income-tax, of which he had given
notice, he would now at once proceed to do so.
In the statement be was about to make, he would apply himself
to the principles and to the declarations of the Right lion.
Baronet, and upon those he would call upon him for his sup-
port. He would next address himself to the majority of the
Right Hon. Baronet, or, in other words, to the agricultural
aristocracy on the Opposition benches ; he would apply his
arguments to their principles and declarations, and call upon
them for their support. He would then apply his arguments
to the Irish Members in this House, except such of them as
represented the landed interest of that country ; he would re-
mind them of their principles and declarations, and then call
upon them for their votes—( Loud cries of " Hear, hear ")
and therefore he would say that, whatever his explanations
might be, ho ought to have an ample majority on his motion.
Now, in the first place, he would ask, what were the principles
of the Right Hon. Baronet ? The Hon. Baronet said that he
had a difficulty to encounter, and he proposed to remedy it by the
cont nuation of the income-tax. But he went one step far-
ther, and said he would make such alterations in the tariff as
would give an additional impulse to trade.—( Here the Hon.
Member was rendered almost inaudible by the noise created
by conversations going on in all parts of the House.)
The Honourable Member was understood to say he
would give a further impulse to trade by re-
moving certain taxes, and their vacancy he would fill
up by continuing the income-tax upon England, Scotland,
and Vales, but made an exception in regard to
Ireland. But if the tax was to be applied by
a rule, he would ask, why make this exception ?
He would show that it was not according to the rule of pro-
ceeding which the Right Honourable Baronet had :laid down
for himself in respect to England and Scotland, to exempt
Ireland. He thought that when he should have shown that,
he would have thrown the onus on the Right lion. Bart., of pro-
ving his reasons for the exemption. The exigency was on
the whole of the United Kingdom—it was common to Great
Britain and Ireland, and their united wants should be met by
their united means—which meant their united income and pro-
perty. On that principle the Right Hon. Gentleman taxed the
property of England and Scotland. Now he (Mr. R.) would
ask him to go one step further, and to tax the realised
capital of Ireland.—( Hear, hear.) He did not ask him
to tax professions, trade, and even office.—(Hear.) But he
asked why should the realised property of Ireland be ex-
empted, when it did not differ one iota from the other capital
of this portion of the United Kingdom ?—( Hear, hear.) He
would now approach another part of the question ; and he
would ask the agriculturists how it was that they supported the
Right Hon. Gentleman in this exemption ?—( Hear.) They
came in tones of mingled hope and despair to demand relief ;
but the Right lion. Baronet left them as they were ; and
when he asked them why they complained of him, they answer
like the puny child who has fallen over a stool, " because
you did not kiss the place that was hurt."—( Laughter. )
He found means, however, to extricate himself from this exi-
gency which the Right lion. Gentleman went himself to
create or promote. The lion. Member for Somersetshire
was complaining of distress. In the most touching strains he
spoke of the touching distress of the classes to which he was
att.ched, and of the touching conduct of the Minister by wham
they had been thus so grievously touched. He hoped that, on this
occasion at least, he should have the vote of the Hon. Member
for Somersetshire. What were his plans ? He could not tell;
but in this measere he had some intimation of the protection
of him whom he had created. Had they received any favour
at his hands? Had their interests been in any way pro-
moted? No. But of this they did not complain. They
felt that they could get no relief from their burdens ;
they felt that the exigencies of the State left them
iithout relief, when relief was afforded to
(t)lttheeyrtlielass. Yet of this
ct feel it a grievauce theyth did not complain. No ; but
they the Right Hon. Baronet had
not expressed even sorrow for their griefs. They. had created
him—they had brought
ittrtils? thv,e,hlarye,attlhie
him intoliLxistenndee—they had breathed
oefreaturea ,zohahtawda the return
s and wl„suur:jady to
intohe his
tnows•
their means, turned round upon them, life only by
strangle his creators. By this time they that
the Right Hon. Baronet had an opinion of his
and those who had placed him in his present position foundown
that that opinion did not tend to their advantage. He did
then appeal to them, and on this occasion he did hope that they
would no longer crawl on their bellies. They wanted a leader,