The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-03-03
Bnlforr Announces 1t VIII BE Intro
duced Earlier Than Usual.

LONDON. March I'm the House Of
Commons to-day A. j. Balfour. the first
lord of the treasury, announced that the
house would meet at D. m. Monday for
the budget statement. The announcement
surprised the House and started consider
able speculation as to the reasons. as 1T
is unusual for the chancellor of the ex-
chequer to introduce the budget until after
the close of the financial year, March 81
The early budget statement, of course. in
dicates that the government needs money
and probably purposes obtaining part of
the necessary amount from the duty on
bonded articles. The early statement gives
the chancellor of the exchequer three
weeks extra taxation of such articles,
while the suddenness with which the mat
ter was Spying only allows the owners half
a day saturday to take goods out OF bond
The Statist will say tomorrow that the
chancellor OF the exchequer's budget will
be delivered Monday. Under ordinary cir
cumstances, IL is added, the speech would
not be made until April, but the necessi-
ties of the government compel 1t to take
immediate measures for retaining a large
loan and increasing taxation. The Statist
says that If the government estimates of
expenditures are realized it will be
PEELED TO borrow sixty billion pounds for
war purposes and that the chancellor of
the excneQuer- Will be compelled to IN
crease the taxation for the year by seven
million pounds. 1t suggests that the income
tax be increased a penny. which would
give e2,2OO,000 additional revenue; that the
tobacco duty be increased Sd a pound,
whereby e2.S0o.0 600 would be obtained; that
the beer duty be increased shilling per
barrel, which would bring in 81. co., and
that the duty. on spirits be increased
shilling per gallon realizing 81, 200, 900.
The proximity of the budget is the sole
topic of conversation this evening. Men,
bers of the opposition believe that the gov
eminent is preparing the way for dissolu-
ton of Parliament and an appeal to the
country in the flood-tide of military sue
cess In South Africa. The Ministeriaists,
on the other hand. declare that this idea is
quite erroneous. inasmuch as the govern
ment cannot reasonably dissolve until the
war is ended They assert that the hasten
ing of the budget is dictated solely by
treasury reasons and that II will be intro
duced in such short order with view of
preventing commercial gambling and the
withdrawal of duitable articles from bond
ed warehouses. 1t is also considered pru-
dent, the Ministerialists say, to introduce
the new burdens of taxation at a time Of
popular enthusiasm.
In the Commons tonight David Lloyd
George, Liberal member for Carnavon.
moved reduction of the civil appropria-
ton. on the alleged ground that Sir Alfred
Miner had been guilty of garbling COM
munications from President Steyn, Of the
Orange Free State, to the Colonial Office
Mr.. Chamberlain absolutely denied the
charge. Referring to President Steyn's
alleged desire for peace. the colonial secre-
tary said: What reliance could be placed
upon President Steyn's assurances may be
judged from the fact that q few days be-
fore the declaration of war he solemnly
assured the British government that under
no conditions would the Free State take
aggressive action, yet a short time after
that the forces of the Free State were
marching side by side with the forces Of
the Transvaal, and invading British ter
ritory." The motion Of Mr.. Lloyd-George
was defeated.