The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-08-15 00:00:00

aritanuntarp procitl ings.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.-MONDAY.

In the morning sitting the Registering Births, &c. (Scot-
land) Bill was read a second time. as was also the Marriage
(Scotland) Bill, on the declaration of the Lord Advocate,
that he would take time till Friday next to consider whe-
ther be would proceed any further with that bill during
the present session.
In the evening sitting, after several questions had been
answered by different members of her Majesty's govern-
ment, Lord MORPETR moved that the house should con-
sider in committee the Lords' amendments on the Public
Health Bill, and the house immediately resolved itself into
the proposed committee. Several of the amendments
were agreed to, and some others dissented from ; and it
was determined to ask a conference with the Lords on the
points upon which the two houses differed. In the course
of the discussion, Lord MORPETFI read extracts from the
despatches of our consuls in various foreign ports, con-
taining descriptions of the ravages made by the cholera,
and showing the steady approaches which it was making
to this country. He was, therefore, most anxious that
the committee should assent to the various precautions
which the House of Lords had recommended as best cal-
culated to arrest the progress of that terrible disease.
On the motion for going into a Committee of Supply,

Mr. EWART renewed his annual motion for the siihai-
tution of direct for indirect taxation, and, after advocating
the expediency of reducing our duties on all articles of ge-
neral consumption, proposed a resolution to this effect—
" That it is expedient that there should be a revision of
our present system of taxation, especially with a view to
extend the commerce of the country, and to increase the
employment and comforts of the people."
Mr. HUME seconded the resolution. _ _

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER observed that
Mr. Ewart had invited him to consider the taxation of the
country, and to make such alterations in it as would tend
to increase the employment and comforts of the people.
He had not been so negligent of his duty as not to have
taken those points into his consideration ; but the finances
of the country during the present year had been in such a
state that he had not been able to make any reduction of
duties, except some very small reductions, which it was
scarcely worthwhile to mention. He admitted that it
was advisable to reduce duties in all ewes where the re-
duction of them would extend the consumption of the ar-
ticles on which the duties were imposed ; but he could not
consent to the reduction of nine or ten millions of duties,
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Sition of taxation to that amount on the realise property
of the country. He declined on the 7th of August to
enter into any discussion on the various points which Mr.
Ewart had raised in the course of his speech of that
evening. _ _ _

Mr. Warn made a few observations in support of Mr.
Ewart's resolution, but regretted that that gentleman had
not forced upon the attention of government the propriety
of repealing forthwith the legacy and probate duties and
the assessed taxes. He was sorry that at this time the
house could not enter into this question so fully as its im-
portance required.
After a few words from Dr. BowaING on the same side,
Mr. COBDEN hoped that Mr. Ewart, in whose general
principles he concurred, would not divide the house on this
resolution. He was too late in bringing it forward this
session ; but be trusted that better success would betide
..him in the next.

After a few words from Mr. EWART, who protested that
the Chancellor of the Exchequer wa, mistaken in supposing
that he wished to reduce nine millions of duties this ses-
sion, the motion was withdrawn.