New-York tribune., 1871-04-26
GENERAL FOREIGN NEWS.
GREAT BRITAIN.
DEBATE ON THE BUDGET-THE MATCH TAX
WITHDRAWN.

LONDON, Tuesday. April 25, 1871.
In the House Of Commons, last night Mr. Lowe,
Chancellor of the Exchequer, in continuation OF his
remarks, already reported, said: If the Govern
ment were compelled TO withdraw the Budget, the
Government must seriously consider the proper
course to pursue"
Messrs Gilpin and Jacob Bright, and other Liberal
members made speeches in opposition to the Budget
Mr. Dsrae spoke in denunciation Of the proposition
of the Budget for the increase of the income tax,
and the succession duties and for the imposition OF
an excise duty ON matches
Mr.. Gladstone in reply, said that to recall and re-
consider the Budget at the bidding of an adversary
was unprecedented He was, however, willing TO
reconsider the question of the tax on matches IN
case it should be found TO be inconvenient and lr-
tating to the people, as well as unproducuve OF
favorable results Mr.. Gladstone in conclusion SAID
the opposition had in the main directed their assaults
upon the match tax, but the abolition of the system
of purchase of army commissions was the real target
At the close of the debate vote was taken on Mr.
Dixon's motion adverse to the proposed tax on
matches, and resulted fayorably to the Government
In the House of Commons, this evening, Alr. Glad
stone stated that he had assumed the responsibility
of ordering the police to prevent anti-match tax
demonstrations. He declined to say why the same
powers had not been used to stop Sunday demon
strations
Mr.. Disraeli Save notice Of resolution to the
effect that the financial plans of the Government
were unsatisfactory to the House. and should be re-
considered.
The Chancellor Of the Exohequer then announced
that the Government seeing the violence Of the op-
position to the measure. would withdraw the match
project and would propose substitute on Thursday.
THE CHANCELLOR OF THE ExCHEQUER SEEKING
INFORMATION ON THE MATCH QUESTION IN
THIS CoUNTRY-GEN. PLEAsONTONS ANSWER.
WASHINGTON, Tuesday, April 25, 1871.
Commissioner Pleasonton to-day received dis
patch from the Chancellor of the Exchequer at Lon
don, as follows:
please cable Immediately how tax friction matches
works. Did imposition derange manufacture OF check
consumption What yield this ycarP
Gen. Pleasonton made the following reply.
fright Hon. ROBERT LOVE- Chancellor Of the Er-
6leqcr, London: Tax Oh friction matches WOf4s Wcli'
Manufacture not deramged, nor consumption checked.
Yield S2,O00OO0 per annum a. PLEAsoNIoN, comm T.
TIE EASTER HCLIpAYs-THE VOLUNTEER RE-
VIEW AT BRIGHTON-ITs FAILURE AS
MILITARY DIsPLAY-THE FRENCH RELIEF
FUND - cOysIG NNENTs - DIFFICULTIES IN
THEIR DISTRIBUTION.
[FRoM oCR own CORRESPONDENT
LONDON, April 19.-Thesc arc the days when Lon
don is what is called empty, when Parliament does
not sit, when everybody who can get away goes
INTO the country though the country is still without
foliage, when the newspapers have to hunt Tor topics
to fill their space, when 1le Tines welcomes that
great amy of letter-writing contributors who have
grievances to, air. and when it finds room for six
column review Of Jowett's plato" Oh its 18th page
sacred before and after to Parliamentary reports
when the volunteers go down to Brighton to be re-
viewed on the Downs; coming up to London next
day TO lie reviewed much more severely in the ourn-
ais In q word and TO put an end TO a sentence
which il getting too long to be manageable, the
Easter Holidays are upon us, period OF leisure
made much more of in England than in
America. Easter Monday has come and
gone one Of the two OF three days most priced by
working men and women. latteriy II has been what
we used 10 call Nt1c-England training day and
since the question whether Great Britain shall have
an army OF not has been pressed the Brighton Vol
unteer Review las become OF interest than ever
Yet it is not ntrinscally very great affair. There
are some 100000 volunteers enrolled IN this country,
with regimental organizations, and uniforms, ana
officers and guns Not more than @l,O00 OF them
gather at Brighton. suppose ought 10 have gone
down TO see them but did not and after reading
the various accounts of the days work-about SIX
columns apiece in the leading papers-l do not feel
sure that need reCres having stayed i'll London AS
epecacle the review has its attractions; as serious
military effort it scarcely calls for comment except
of a negative kind. The volunteer movement has
been going on for many years, has been encouraged
by Government, and stimulated sometimes by popu-
lar goodwill and sometimes by popular panics.
The people of England have really tried to create an
effective volunteer force, yet when Easter Monday
comes and very mild test is applied TO discover the
actual condition OF this force the result il nyaria
bly the same. The system goes To pieces. With
every help from the regular army, with reviewing
officers and staff officers supplied by the Horse
Guards and with great railway company to do the
transportation for them the volunteers are still un
able to present themselves on the Sussex Downs in
any tolerabe state Of military effectiveness. They
can neither march nor maneuver, and when it comes
to sham fighting, the result s something that must
make even Horse Guards officials rejoice that the
fighting is not real. If you care to know the kind
Of service the Volunteers saw and how they per-
formed, you can hardly do better than read the
following extract from letter addressed by vol
unteer to The Pau Mall Gazette:
AS to the fight Of course only know what happened
to the division OF which was unit. We fell IN at 10
a. IN. did not leave the Level until 1910 completed the
march past at i5 D. From 1912 until p we did
not halt for ten consecutive minutes. The ground
stiff the powand being heavy and difficult to get over
marched up steep hill, on the crest Of which
halted forming conspicuous mark for the en-
eys battery of which We were within easy range, and
well pounded After short pause
marched from 'the clOud-kissing" lii down tbe
spending slope to that mp which had previously l0
bored sklrnishers were thrown out and long
arrived within range OF the opposing lne which had
attack As we're taking up our position deploying
from quarter column, greeted with an internal
fire. did not hurry, did not move at the douDe
as socn conveniently arranged we calmly,
cording orders commenced independent firing at the
tIep been entirely destroyed Nor was this all but on
ganong rear found another force covered by
skirmishers advancing upon Lost already, could
only suppose that we had been completely surrounded
We retreated, the skirmishers into whose
we unreservedy marched did not fire upon
We were halted so far could under
stand our successful eneIy had been relieved and O
fresh foe opened fire despondng ranks at a dis
tanee which none OF mated at less than 400
Al 500 wards he snideI Ia sighted for $50 yards The
force in relieved us, and when they in