The Sun.
London, England, 1845-02-19 00:00:00

SUPPLY.

The SPEAKER then left the chair, and the House resolved
itself into a Committee of Supply.
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 he was about to make, he would apply himself
. to the principles and to the declarations of the Right Hon.
. Baronet, and upon those he e ould call upon him for his sup-
; port. He would next address himself to the majority of the
flight 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, he ought 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
continuation 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 Wales, 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
i for himself in respect to England and Scotland, to exempt
Ireland. He thought that when he should have shown that,
he v
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wasof roon-
i 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, bear.) He
would now approach another part of the question ; and he
would ask the agriculturis's 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 Hon. 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 Hon. Gentleman went himself to
create or promote. The Hon. 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
attached, and of the touching conduct of the Minister by whom
they had been thus so grievoutly 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 measure 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
without relief, when relief was afforded to every
other class. Yet of this they did not complain. No ; but
they diet feel it a grievance that the Right Hon. Baronet had
not expressed even sorrow fur thcilc griefs. They had createel
him—they had brought: him into existence—they had breathed
into his nostrils the breath of life—and what was the return
they met with ? Why, the creature, who had life only by
their means, turned round upon them, and was ready to
strangle his creators. By this time they found that
the Right Hon. Baronet had au opinion of his own.
and those who had placed him in his present position found
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,
they had found one, and they might find another if they would
try. And what did the Irish Members expect in this matter?
How could they expect to be freed from this tax ? He did, there-
fore, appeal to gentlemen opposite to extend this tax to Ireland.
The agriculture of the country could not be relieved but by
extending the tax to the realised capital of Ireland. The land
in Ireland was as fruitful and as valuable as any acres in the
county of Somerset. What did the manufacturers say to
this ? Why they were delighted with the scheme
of the Right Honourable Baronet. It was said he
relieved the springs of industry—why, what was the fact?
Manchester was bribed—Glasgow was bribed—and so were
Newcastle and Sunderland. They said they could not compete
with foreign countries unless their labourers worked certain
hours. It manufacturers were honest in their measures to aid
the labouring population, they would vote with him in endea-
vouring to put this tax upon the rich landlords of Ireland.
They were beyond any appeal he could make ; if he were a
money lender he might be able to appeal to them, but not
dealing in that commodity he could not reach their
understandings. But he was about to appeal to those
professed to represent the Irish people. What, did
not the Right Honourable Baronet say all his phrases
were significant, and he watched him always, not to find, like
the Hon. Baronet, that he was a difficult bird on whose tail
to put salt.—(Laughter.) The Right Hon. Baronet had put
a stamp duty on Ireland, but he asked him to tax the land of
Ireland. The Right Hon. Baronet taxed the capital engaged
in the employment of labour in Ireland. The stamp duty was a
tax on the transfer of all sorts of property, and was almost
entirely paid by the middle class of that country, and a large
portion of it fell on both the middling and labouring population.
Now the Hon. and Learned Member for Dungarvon had hinted
to him the other evening that he should take advantage of the
adjournment of this debate to read Burke's speech on the con-
ciliation of America. Now, what was in the Hon. and Learned
Gentleman's mind when.he reminded him of America? Why,
revolution ! that the English Government might be fright-
ened into an unjust tax, because the people of Ireland were in
such a turbulent state that they could not put a just tax upon them.
That was the intrepretation of considering the speech of Mr.
Burke, but he was sure the Right Hon. Gentleman could not
have had this notion in his mind. The grand argument of
that speech was, that America was not politically represented.
Did the Right Hon. Gentleman mean to say that Ireland was
not politically represented?
An Hox. MEsreEn—Not fully.
Mr. ROEBUCK—Wait a minute! They had given Ire-
land some Members. Where were they now ?—(Cheers. )
What was the use of giving them any more if those
they had already given them were of no use to them ?
they ran from their posts—they deserted them like a sentinel
placed in a dangerous situation, who could not keep his heart
up to the difficulty of his position, threw down his muiket,
turned tale and ran away.—( Hear, hear.) They had de-
serted, on which the battle of the people of Ireland must be
fought.—(Cheers.) He did not accuse the leading
Irish Member upon that occasion—he did not mean
him individually, but the whols of his followers, who,
like him, had ran away. They had done so because in that
House they fah they were unable, from their own personal in-
significance, to gain the attention of Honourable Members.
That he took to be the rationale of Conciliation-hall. He hoped
the Hon. Member wouldabstain, after that night, from plead-
ing the unequal representation of Ireland as any justification
for the existence of unequal taxation between the two coun-
tries. He would not impose any injustice upon any one. He
would be the last person to sanction an act of injustice, but he
wanted the Irish Members to show to him the injustice of his
proposal.—( Hear, hear.) If they pointed to the stamp duty,
he would say change it, because it was a tax which fell upon
the retail capital of the country.
[LEFT SPEAKING.]