Morning journal and courier., 1894-05-11
JOINED 1.-THE UNIONIsrs.

Exciting Scenes and Loud Cheering in the House of Commons When the Result of the Vote on the Sec. ond Reading Of the Budget BiIl | Was Announced.
 LONDON, May 10.-The debate on the budget bill in the house of commons this evening was begun before e we'll filled house. As 1t continued, signs of intense interest in the coming division became ev-
 ident. The members seats were filled, the Hobbies were packed, the galleries were fll-
 ing rapidly and great crowd was gather
 ing rapidly outside.
 The heavy oratorical artillery was brought
 out by Arthur Bslfour, the leader of the
 unionists. Whether 1t WAS good or bad,
 he said, the budget was wholly inconsist-
 ent with the traditions of liberal fiuancs.
 It was not @ national, but a class bud get. In 1t the government as.siled csr-
 tain interests to propitiate others. It dealt upiustly with the brewers and
 publicsns on the fallscious assumption that excess profits justified excessive taxa tion. The graduated income tax might be good in principle, but the method of ap- plication proposed by the government di- rectly mensced trade and individual inter ests. The new estate duties mulcted in- qnitously the large properties.
 The budget might empty the country houses, might deliver over the small estates to become portions of the larger aggregate owned possibly by some American million aires, but the exhaustive drafts upon the greater properties under the estate duties would in no wise bring nearer by a single day the millennium which the government pretended to help forward.
 Mir. Bslfour said he was sure the public had not seen the absurdity of the scheme, the greatest blot on which was the sb- surd pretention of the author that he had done away with the existing anomalies of taxation
 Sir William Hsrcourt, chancellor of the exchecuer, defended his budget. The motion to reject tte bill, he said, repre- sented the land and liquor interests. The opposition had conceded that beer and spirituous liquors could not bear the sd- ditional tax. Would they then favor tax ing tea, sugar and grain, or only incomesi
 In referring to MT. Balfour's strictures upon the new estate duties and the income tax Sir William Hsrcourt quoted the recommendations of John Stuart Mill and Adam Smith in support of graduation In taxation. Common sense, he said, found In such graduation 8 just and expedient system. Therein lay the fundamental principle of liberal finance as now snb- mitted to the house. If the budget should | be rejected the principle must survive. for It was the principle of justice. He | challenged the vote of the house on this and he was prepared when the time should | come to ask the country's verdict Loud 
 When Sir Williams cloeed the house was packed and suspense was plainly written ou many faces in the ministerial ranks. | The division vaa made slowly ss the mem bers went into the lobbies with painful de- l liberation. When they came back there was no demonstration. The return of the l tellers was awaited with keen anxiety. II They came in after s short pause with the | that sos members had voted | for the second reading sRd 294 against. | When the speaker read the figures the | supporters burst In roaring I cheers. The unioniets replied with equal l vigor and nearly two minutes elapsed be- | fore quiet WAS restored.
 In the division all the Parnellites and William Saunders, radical, joined the unionists. Mark Besufrny, Sydney Ever shed and William NcEwsn, all liberals. .sb- | stained from voting. Robert Threshie Reed, who was elected to-day was unable | to take his seat in time to vote.