New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-05-11
FECTIVE REPLY.

WILLIAM HARCOURTs Eff
FECTIvE REPLY
,orson. May 1O-The Budget bill passed its
Ind reading in the House Of Commons to-
T,u,, the Government securing a majority OF IA
NO. The debate on the bill began before a
vailed house. AS it continued. signs of in
w.. interest in the coming division became evi-
49,, IN all sides The members seats were occu-
O,.a. the lobbies were packed, the galleries
s,lsd rapidly, and great crowd gathered rapid
ly outside.
Tho heavy oratorical artillery was brought out
80 Arthur j. Balfour. leader Of the Unionists.
Ubsther good or bad he said. the Budget was
,bo,lv inconsistent with the traditions of Liberal
Anance. II was not a national budget, but
o,ass budget In 1t the Government assailed cer-
tain interests to proptiate others. They dealt
rriustlv with the brewers and publicans on the
,oIlacious assumption that excessive profits JUS
tilted excessive taxation.
The graduated income tax might be good in
principle, continued MIR. Balfour, but the me;hod
- ennlication proposed by the Government di-
recy menaced trade and individual interests.
The new estate duties mulcted iniQuitously me
large properties. The budget might empty the
country houses might deliver over the small
snortlng estates TO become portions Of the larger
Aggregate owned, possibly by some American
millionaire but the exhaustive drafts upon tne
greater properties under the estate duties Would
IN novise bring nearer by single day the mil
iennium which the Government pretended to help
forward Mr. BalfOur added that he was sure
tha nuhlic had not seen the absurdity OF the
scheme the greatest blot on wnicn "@s 'he do-
surd pretensOn OF the author that he nad Nohe
away with the existing anomalies OF taxation.
Sir William HarcOurt, Chancellor or the Ex-
chequer defended his Budget. The motion to
reject the bill he said. represented the land and
unuor interests The Opposition had contsnded
that beer and spirituous liquors could not bear
The additional taxation Would they then favor
taxing tea, sugar and grain, or only incomes!
In referring 10 Mr. Balfour's structures upon
the new estate duties and the income tax. Sir
william quoted the recommendations or John
Stuart Mill and Adam smith IN support 9t srauu s,
alton in taxation. Common sense, ne salu lound
In such graduation a just and eXpedient system.
Therein lay the fundamental principle OF Liberal
6nance as now submitted TO the House. If the
budget should be rejected the principle must sur
yive for Il was the principle or justice. lie
challenged the vote Of the House on this prin-
c!pe and he was prepared when the time should
come to ask the cOuntrys verdict. loud cheer-
ing)
when Sir William Harcourt closed his speech
the House was packed, and suspense was writ,
ten plainly on many faces in the Ministerial
ranks The division was made slowly as the
members went into the lobbies with painful oe-
liberation When they came back there was no
demonstration The return Of the tellers was
awaited with keen anxiety. They came in after
a short pause with the announcement that Sos
members had voted for the second reading ana
294 against It.
When the Speaker read these figures TO the
HousA the supporters OF the Government burst
into roaring cheers. The Unionists replied with
equal vigor and nearly two minutes elapsed be-
fore quiet restored.
In the division all the Parnellites and William
Saunders. Radical member for the Walworth
district Of Newngton Joined the Unionists. Mark
Beaufroy Sydney Evershed and William Nc
Evan all Liberals, abstained from voting.
Robert Threshie Reid. who had to stand again
after his elevation to the Solictor-Gene eralshp
was reelected to-day without opposition to rep
resent Dumfries but he was unable TO take his
seat in time to vote