The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-05-11
THE GOVERNMENTSUSTAINRD
British Budget Ordered 10 Its Second
Reading by Majority Of Fourteen.
pGRNELLI1ES DESERT THE LIBERALS.
Great Cheers on Both Sides Follow the Al
nouncement OF the Vote Baiiour
and Harcourt speak.

LONDON, May l0.-The debate on the
budget bill in the Commons this evening
was begun before a well-filled house.
AS # continued signs Of intense interest
in the coming division became evident
on all sides. The members seats were
occupied, the Hobbies were packed, the
galleries were filling rapidly, and great
crowd was gathering rapidly outside.
B.LFoUR's HEAVY OPPOSITION
The heavy oratorical artillery was
brought out by Arthur Balfour, leader Of
the Unionists. Whether good or bad, he
said, the budget was wholly inconsistent
with the traditions OF Liberal finance.
Ii was not a national, but a class budget
In il the Government assailed certain
interests TO prOpitiate others; dealt un-
justly with the breweries and publicans
on the fallacious assumption that excess
sive profits justified excessive taxation.
The graduated income tax might be good
I'm principle, but the method OF appllca-
ton proposed by the Government directly
menaced trade and individual interests
The new estate duties mulcted iniquitous-
~ the large properties. The budget might
empty the country HouSft HllrHA u'AAfNA
over the small sporting estates to become
portions of the larger aggregate owned,
possibly, by some American millionaire,
but the exhaustive drafts upon the greater
properties under the estate duties would
I'm nowise bring nearer by a single day
the millennium which the Government pre-
tended 10 help forward.
Mr.. Bafour said he was sure the pub
lie had not seen the absurdity Of the
scheme, the greatest blot on which was
the absurd pretension of the author that
he had done away with the existing
anomalies of taxation.
HARCOURT DuFENDs TIE BUDGET.
Sir William Harcourt defended his bud
get. The motion TO reject the bill, he
said, represented the land and liquor in
this. The opposition had contended that
beer and spurious liquors could not bear
the additional taxation. Would they then
favor taxing the sugar and grain, or
only incomes?
In referring TO BalfOur's structures upon
the new estate duties and the income tax,
Sir William HarcOurt quoted the recon-
mendations OF John Stuart Mil and
Adam Smith In support Of graduation
in taxation. Common sense. he said
found in such graduation a just and eX-
pedient system. Therein lay the funda-
mental principle OF Liberal finance as
now submitted TO the House. II the budget
should be rejected the principle must
survive. for IT was the principle Of JUS
tice He challenged the vote of the House
on this principle, and he was prepared
when the time should come, 10 ask the
country's verdict. loud cheering).
When Sir William closed his speech the
! house was packed, and suspense was
written plainly on many faces in th'
ministerial ranks. The division was made
slowly. as the members went into thu
| Hobbies with painful deliberation. WheI
they came back there was no demonstra
| ton.
MAJORITY OF II.
The returns Of the tellers were awaited
with great anxiety. They came in aftel
short pause with the announcement
| that 30S members had voted for the second
| reading and POI against il. When tn
| speaker read these figures 70 the hous
| the supporters Of the Government burs
| into roaring cheers The Unionists re
| piled with equal vigor and nearly tw'
| minutes elapsed before quiet was restored
In the division all the Parnellites an
| William Saunders radical. for the Wal
| worth District Of Newington), joined tn
| Unionists. Mark Beaufroy, Sydney Ever
] shed and William McEwan, ali Liberals
| abstained from voting.
| Robert Threshold who had TO stan'
| again after his elevation 20 the Solicitor
Generalship, was reelected to-day with
out opposition to represent Dumfries bu
he was unable TO take his seat in time L
| vote