The Sun.
London, England, 1842-04-12 00:00:00

he had addressed to the House on Friday night, expressed his
astonishment at his having encountered determined re-
sistance on this subject. He (Mr. L.) could am
sure the Riglit ilonturable Gentleman that neither on the
present occasion, nor on any former one had he expressed him-
self toward; him in a manner inconsistent with personal
respect, which he felt more for the character of the iiight ile.
nourable Gentleman, than for his high and 01E0011 stalks%
Put at the same time, in spearing for himself, he
(Mr. L.) must say, that when a Government
brought forward a measure, cf which he, in his
conscience disapproved, and which he thought dangerous to
the country, he felt it his duty to offer it determined oppoei.
tion. He would give such a measure no factious or vexations
opposition for the purpose of delay ; but by every means which
the constitutional ruled of the House allowed, lie would oppose
the Income TS4C Bill on its Grit, second, and third madiegre
and if he ;did not do so he did not think he would
be doing his duty to his eionstitnents and the country.
The Right Hon. Gentleman the Member far Tanawerth bad
taunted the Late Government with having clung to offieh, at-
though supported by very small majorities', and contrasted
their situation with his (Sir R. Peel's) own,. supported as he
now was by a considereble majority. lie was surprised to beer
the Right lion. Gentleman using language of that kind, and
thought he must have fnrgottrn the history of the year 1835
( Cheers)—when there was a Government which remained in
of a very considerable time, although it was not only not
supported by a small majority, hat. Wm *squally, (taring the
whole ',cried of its existence, in a very considerable niinerit r.—
(Cheers. ) fie did not mean to reflect on the erinduct of the
,tight Hoe. Gni:lsmer] on that ommeon. Ile bail no doubt
hut that the Night Hon. Gentleman had thee been act nated by
very proper neives, but it was a little too much, after
the events et 181 e, for the Right Hon. Gentleman
to be so elated by his having now a la. pe naajoritn cs to taunt
the Lite GOWN nment with having held Atte although only min-
ported by a small one. The Right lion. Gentleman had said
that the late Government had deemed ;'reposing their ;dens of
commercial reform until they had no chance of carrying these.
Now the late Government at its first advent to power,
when it was strong in puldie support, and strong in the sup-
port of a large Parliamentary majorite, had proposed an alter-
ation in the timber duties. That prepositive' the ;tight lion.
Gentleman and others acting in concert with him, had by
raising the cry against free trve, and appealing to the influence
of those interetted in supporting monopoly, been enabled
to defeat, and knowing that, was it surprising thet they should
hesitate to bring forward their measures of commercial reform
until they felt that further delay would be dangerous to the in-
terests of the country, and having felt that they proposed those
measures to Parliament, and staked their existence as a Govern.
merit upon the issue.—( Cheers.) The Noble Lord who bad
just sat down had said that now, for the first time, they (the
Opposition) admitted that it was necessary to make seine
effort to place the revenue and the expenditure upon a satis-
factory basis. Why, that was the point taken by his Honour-
able Friend, the Member for Portsmouth, in proposing the ad.
dition to the *mooed taxes in 1840; that was the_ground taken
by him last year in bringing forwardhis budget. Gentlemen op.
polite had objected to the measures they hadproposed to re-
medy that deficiency, but they certainly bad no right to say
that the necessity for making some finanical effort had neve',
bean acknowledged until now. The Noble Lord had gone on
intthoaekmseaey t
goof
corioastoperloi
ta (
p,
eoisi
proposed last Mr.ys: Labouchere)year
won ln
ohwa d admitted
em inadequatei t
edthat
to
and that it would be neceihary, is
order to do so, to resert so additional taxation. He (Mr.
Labouchere) would admit what he had stated, but he (31r.
Labouchere) had else said that, although he believed the
budget of last year would, if now adopted, be insufficient to
make tip the whole of the deficiency, and that rather
than suffer that deficiency to remain, it was the
duty of the Government to have recourse to direct taxation,
yet, that if the alterations then proposed in the sugar
duties, in the timber duties, and in the Corn-laws,
had been adopted, the deficiency would have been so small as
to afford no excuse to the Government for resorting tench a
measure as the income tax.—(Cheers.) Hon. Gentlemen
opposite themselves, therefore, had created the necessity for the •
income tax, if any such existed—(Cheers)--and the House
ought to be aware, and the country ought to be aware, and the
country was becoming aware, that if there were any necessity
for the imposition of the income tax, that tax was the price they
were paying for the continuance of the sugar monopoly and
the Corn-laws.—(Loud cheers.) He had not heard any reply
te that point from Hen. Gentlemen opposite.—(Cheers.)
In all their speeches they had cautiously avoided all
allusion to that part of the subject.—(Loud cheers.)
The Noble Lord had thought proper to say. that if they objec-
ted to the Government propositions they ought to state what
course they would recommend. Although he (Mr. La-
bouchere) acknowledged there would be muck force in that
argument, yet he could not but express his surprise at hearing
it from Hon. Gentlemen opposite.—(Cheers.) When, during
the course of last year, the then Government proposed their
financial measures, which were opposed by Gentlemen oppo-
site, those Gentlemen at that time cautiously abstained from
giving any opinion as to what would be the proper measure to
be adopted. lie (Mr. L.) did nut mean to say it was their duty
,to have gone into the technical details of the measures, but
they would not give the smallest indication of what they thought
ought to be done. Hon. Gentlemen opposite then said it is
enough that we negative your measures ; we will not say
whether we think new taxes ought to be imposed, or whether
other changes should be made in the commercial policy. The
Right Hon. Gentleman had on former occa•jons protested
against having recourse to the system of loans, but on that oc-
casion he cautiously abstained from committing himself merit
to that extent.—(Cheers.) He (Mr. Labouchere) had thought
that conduct unworthy of the Right Hon. Gentleman.—(Loud
cheers.) He (Mr. Labouchere) thought that no Gentleman,
occupying the high position of the 'tight lion. Gentleman,
oughtnunder such circumstances, to have so comp'etelv ab-
stained from stating what were his general views. his "Noble
Friend (Lord John Russell) had not adopted such a lineof
conduct.-5, Cheet s.) \Vith that frankness which belonged to
his character—( Cheers)— and which did him so much honour
—(Loud cheers)—his Noble Friend, in proposing his re-
solutions, had gone into details to a degree almost hor-
tiering on the verge of indiscretion—(Loud cheers)-_
lie (Mr. Labouchere) almost thought his Noble Friend had,
in his ingenuous frankness, gone too far; but he (Mr. Labou-
e) would not imarsel pith him for having dime so. Tho
R ght Hon. Gentleman, the Member for Tamwortie had ex-
pressed great indignation at the idea that it should be supposed
that he had adopted any of his measures from those of his op-
ponents. The Right lion. Gentleman said that all his mea-
sures were original ; that they were exclusively his own, and
was extremely uffended at the idea that it should Le supposed that
he had received any hints from the measures of his predecessors,
He had no fear, but the country could do impartial justice to
all. Has thought the Bight lion. Baronet hai attempted to run
away us its, credit v Bich did not belong to him. lie bad left
ethers the battle and the burden of the clay, and lied given
diem no very great support—if his conduct could not be charac-
terised as a et, sided opposition. He then stepped forward in
the eleventh Ileum when be found that
hiattmheseitridoeuwt
agas
atuirwririsnogn,
te hen it found it was impossible to resist the application of that
principle, he then endeavoured to g
to whom the country was indebted. He (Mr. Labouchere)
would not waste the time of the House by debating this ques-
tion; he was perfectly willing to leave it to the public at large,
being satisfied that hs judgment would do justice to all. The
'tight Honourable Baronet quoted the speech, and the
resolutions of Lord Althorp, when he proposed his
resolution to the House of Comment upon the subject
of taxation when the repeal of the malt tax was proposed. He
quoted the resolution of Lord Althorp, and his language on
that occasion, and attempted to show that at that time Lprd
Althorp Was favourable to a property tax. He (Mr. Latent-
ehere) had looked to that speech, and to that resolution, and
he was really as onished at the attempt. of the Right Hon. Gen-
tleman in striving to prove that Lord Althorp was favourable
to such a tax. Ile should observe that at that time certain
taxes had been repealed, and it was thought necessary to resort
to a property or income tax. Lord Althorp said, if they re-
pealed the malt tax they must apply a property tax. Did "Lori
Althorp by that say that lie was favourable to a property ant/
income tax? The Right Hon. Gentleman should have stated,
when quoting the opinion of Lord Althorp, that Lord Althorp
dal net at all contemplate a property tax. Lord Althorp
said that, the country should never receive less then ten
or twelve millions from such a tax. What hat/
misled the Right Hon. Baronet, was that Lord Althorp had
frequently stated that abstractedly, and in theory a property
tax was the must just of all taxes, but be said its inquisitorial
process was most disadvantageous. It was this that ought to
deter the House from laming this measure into a law unless
it was convinced of its real necessity. It was a part of the
English character so feel disgust at any investigation of their
private affairs. This was a valuable part of their character.
The independence of the people would revolt at the investiga-
tion of their affeirs by the Government officers. The income
tax was accompained by an ingnisi,orial process; it
was a necessary part of the tax, anti to attempt to do without
it, became a scarcely less evil, as it would fall unjustly.
Now, if this were the case, he would then ask whether it was
worth their while, whether it was safe, whether it was politic,
to proposes tax of this nature to the country; even if they
themselves were of opinion that it was the beat course that
could be pursued, they should not adopt it, unless they could
act. on it under such circumstances as would speak fur them-
selves as being of advantage for the country. foe its honour
abroad and its safety at home. He should only detain the
House with one or two more observations ; and they should he
confined to the tariff. lie could only say, with regard to it,
that it contained much of infinite value and importance ; and
he regretted to say that that which appeared to him to be the
most valuable was that which had excited the greatest opposition.
He. approved of the duties upon corn, cattle. and provisions—that
was no new opinion of his. lie perfectly agreed with the
Right Hon. Gentleman, in the determination to which he had
arrived relative to those articles, and if he had been in a posi-
tion to have proposed a tariff, he should have proposed a simi-
lar one to that of the Right Hon. Gentleman, so far as these
articles were concerned; and whatever opprobrium might at.
tech to those articles, he was ready to bear his share in it
There was no doubt that these measures must produce the most
beneficial results to the general interests ; and he believed that
the removing of the duty from foreign metals, would be of
great advantage to the industrial portion of the community.
He was glad to hear what the Right Honourable
Gentleman had said relative to the commercial
treaty with France.--(The Right Honourable Gentle-
man here lowered his voice so much, as to be almost inaudible.)
He was of opinion that they were dealing with there trade questions
in a 'twiner in hich we could afford to deal with them ;et the
same tkaire lie thought that those questioni should be looked at
with asview to avoid fresh taxation. He would only conches
, by saying that he opposed the tax from a deep conviction that
it was not necessary. That summed up the whole of his ob-
jections. He did not say that there might not be circum-
stances in which the imposition of such a tax would be ad»
circumstancestihik there now
evxisiashteled.;_rHt
entire, didrn.o)t thiHnek tdhidat troth
adoptingabisan and
the distasteful
proposal
g on the people of
any sufficient reason for imposinf
tthheisireofeuenlitir,gyq.a ;loax
wriaoas olifernaidtothatistebiyr
the Government they would be holding out a signal of distress
ich would dr
the people unwillin e
to foreign nations, and
aversionndthatto uc
they
sh a tax, w
would excite throughout the
s y count a feeling
of
to hear it even at periodsh when the p renublic
exigencies imperatively demanded its imposition.
Lord STANLEY wished to offer a few words in explanatien.
The Right Hon. Gentleman had commented upon an expres-
sion of his, with regard to which he should be sorry to be mis-
understood. In alluding to the affairs of A ffghanistan, he hut
stated that the Right Hon. Gentleman opposite (Mr. Macaulay)
had treated much too lightly the impOrtanee of that
national disaster. He thought that to look at the mater
merely in a financial point of view. would be to Cott-
eider it in a very narrow and imperfect light. 119
thought even in a financial point of view, the Right Hon.
Gentleman had very much underrated the disaster; but cer-
tainly if he had said anything which attributed to the Right
Hon. Gentleman's personal indifference to the loss of life
which had occurred, he had no intention of imputing to hiss
anything of the kind. If he had not chosen Ins words
.very
nicely be hod not the least intention of imputing to him a
feeling of indifference.—( Hear, be_ar )
Ytintahnactiahe l
point of
not have felt indifference in any o
Mr. MACAULAY said he neireitheh
view. What he had said was
a financial point of view the re that he could not see what in
cent disasters had to do with the
other hinyn 7
to address the House amidst loud
Lord F. EGERTON rose
__
divide.
Mr. of" Divide, divide,
present question.—( Hear,
BROTHERTON moved the adjournment of the de
Mr.
bate.
Mr. 13LEWITT seconded the motion.
Lord F. hear.)
EGERTON was proceeding to address the lime
when