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March 14,1857.] ' Tjjji l A: D E B, , 24...
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Mr . Gladstone reviewed the foreign policy of the Government , to which he objected , as exhibited in connexion with Persia , Naples ( where either too much or too little ^ had been , done ) , China , and America . _ In connexion -with the last-named country , he specially dissented from the way in which the Government had conducted the whole controversy respecting the island of Euatan and several of the questions connected therewith . With , respect to the income-tax , it would be well if , instead of the question of readjustment of the impost ,
the people-would seriously consider whether they-wish to have a perpetual uniform income-tax . That was a consummation , to which we were rapidly approaching . In 1853 , it appeared perfectly practicable that the income-tax should be brought to a close ; and , notwithstanding what had occurred in th & interim , he was convinced that such a course was still practicable . _ But the opportunity -was rapidly passing away ; and , if the people really desire to get rid of tlie tax , they should enter on a consideration of the public expenditure in a
stricter temper than had been seen for many years . Mr . Maxins thought the inequality' of the income-tax could not be got ml of , if desirable ; and he did riot think it desirable , lie agreed with . Mr . Gladstone , that Lord Pahnerston , in the Neapolitan intervention , had done too little or too much . —Mr , Vernox Smith defended the foreign policy of the Government . —Lord John Russell , spoke discursively on'the subject of our relations with Naples ( which , though he objected to their original suspension , he thought ought not to be resumed at present , as the King has shown no desire to change of the with China
his form of Government ) , negotiations (¦ which , be thought , if properly conducted , would lead to peace and to the establishment of commercial relations ) , and of the proceedings at the Paris Conferences with reference to our maritime laws , whi « h he hoped England ¦ would not resign , as they are the T > asis of her supremacy at sea . —In these last-mentioned views , Sir ChArlks Napier fully concurred , while Mr . Cobden said he thought he should be able to produce , at the right time , arguments which , would liave the effect of causing Lord John Russell to change his opinion .
Further remarks , of a very discursive nature , were offered by Mr . Henry Dru > l \ io : n : d , Mr . J . G . Piiilt-tmore , Sir . Moxcicro * ' Milnes , Mr . Whiteside , and Sir JftrzROY Kelly . The Chancellor of the Exchequer said , with regard to communications from the Government of America , respecting the freedom , from seizxire of enemies ' goods in enemies' merchant ships , and also of goods of neutrals carried in the vessels of belligerents , that the importance of the subject was recognized by the Government and should receive their earnest consideration . . Lord IIakhy Vase denied that there was any violation of compact in regard to tlie increased income-tax , but at the same time expressed Ms hope that the increase ¦ would be found not to be long necessary . The bill was then read a second time .
SUI'l'LY . XltE XAVTf- ESTMATES . The House having resolved itself into a Committee of Supply on the Navy Estimates , Sir Chaules Wood said as he proposed to take votes on account , he did not think it necessary to go at length into the different items ; he therefore only explained the reasons why he had been unable to make a reduction of the number of men to the extent he had expected . The men were mostly continuous service men , and were indisposed to leave the service ; and he believed the House would bear ¦ wi th him in his unwillingness to turn them away . Ho should move a vote for the number of men ( 38 , 700 seamen and 15 , 000 marines ) for four months only , and the money votes ho should ask were one-third of the estimates , amounting in the aggregate to 2 , 700 , 00 Ql . — The several votes -were agreed to , after discussion .
BREACHES OV TRUST . The Attorney-General obtained leave to bring in a bill to make fraudulent breaches of trust and duty by trustees , directors , and agents , criminally punishable . The House adjourned at a quarter past ten o'clock . Tuesday , March 10 th . , JOURNALS AMD BHNUTK 8 OF THE HOUSE . In the House of Lords , Earl Stanhoi ** : called the attention of their lordships to tho report of the select committee on the minutes and journals of tho House , who recommended , the adoption by their lordships of the aystem at present observed in taking divisions in tho House of Commons . —After some discussion , the resolution waa agreed to , with some amendments , Lord Stanhope consenting to -withdraw tho proposition to make it a standing order .
Some other business , of no general interest , was transacted , and the House adjourned . The first business of importance in . tho Housjc ov Commons was tho VOTE OF THANKS TO THIS BPEAKEU . Lord Palmeuston delivered an eloquent speech on the great services rendered to the House by the courtesy , the knowledge of tlie forma * of Parliament , the promptitude of decision , tho justness of argument , the firmness of purpo . se , and the natural dignity , combined with conciliatory manners , for which thu retiring Speaker had been celebrated , lie concluded by moving " that the thanks of tlua House be conveyed to Mr . Speaker for his exemplary conduct in thu chair uunng tbc eighteen years he has filled it , for the , ability
with which he has maintained the privileges of the House , regulated , the order of business , and contributed thereby to the public interest . " ( Loud and prolonged cheers . )—Mr . Disraeli seconded the resolution , and vied with Lord Palmeraton in bearing enthusiastic testimony to the merits of Mr . Shaw Lefevre . —The Speaker then read the resolution , which waa loudly applauded . —Lord Joint Russell followed , adding his praises to those which had gone before . —The Speaker again read the resolution , amidst great cheering , and it was carried by a general shout of assent . It was then announced that " The Ayes have it , " amidst renewed cheering . —The Speaker having , with much emotion , thanked the House for their great kindness ,
Lord Palmekstost , following the precedent in such . matters , moved " that an humble address be presented to her Majesty , pra 3 ing that her Majesty may be pleased to confer some mark of the Eoyal favour upon the Speaker , and assuring her Majesty that the House will make good any expense which may be attendant on such marks of the Royal favour . " ( Loud and continued dp ~ plause . ~ )—Sir John Paktsgton seconded the resolution , and delivered a . panegyric on the official life of the ' Speaker . —The resolution was carried unanimously . — Lord Palmekstok next moved that the thanks of the House be given to Mr . Speaker for what he had said on that occasion ; and that the same be inserted in the records of the House . This also was unanimously affirmed . THE LAND TRANSPORT CORPS .
Mr . Buncombe called attention to . the grievances complained of in the petitions of the non-cornvnissioned officers and drivers of the Land Transport Corps who served during the late war ia the Crimea , and moved that they be referred to a select committee . It appears that the Government still owes , in some cases , as much as 14 ? . or 15 / . to the men , who have not received tlieir legal discharge , and are therefore unable to obtain other employment . The motion was seconded toy General Coi > ringto : n . — Mr . Frederick . Peel said that the corps had been very hurriedly got together to meet a great emergency , and without that strictness of scrutiny which , perhaps was necessary . Upon the termination of the war , the men
were brought home , and reduced , as other portions of the army were , out of motives , of economy ; but very few of them have now any claim on the Government . If any of them had been unable to obtain employment for want of a proper discharge , they should have applied to the authorities at the Horse Guards , or to the _ War Department , to ascertain whether the quality of their certificates arose from any imputation upon their characters . They might have had a complete discharge but for an application for continued payment up to the time of receiving that document , which of course could not be listened to . As to "the question of gratuities , if the Government vere to give them to the Land Transport Corps upon their reduction , they ought in justice to
grant a gratuity to overy man connected with the army who had been discharged . The lion , member for Pinsbury had stated that he would press for the appointment of a committee unlase it could be shown that the claims of the men for certain compensation due to them , for clothing not issued , had been satisfactorily adjusted . It was quite true , owing to the hurried manner in which the corps -was raised , that the men were not furnished with clothing at the moment of their enlistment , and undoubtedly , according to the usual practice , they wero entitled io compensation . A great number of such claims did exist : but he had been assured by Colonel
M'Murdo that , with tho exception of a very few cases , which wero daily being adjusted , tho whole of these claims had been settled . However , he would not oppose the motion . —Sir John Tvhell attributed the difficulties of the Government to the parsimony of tho peace-ntany-price party . —Sir James Fekgtjsson said he waa dissatisfied with the reply of the Und « r-Secretary for War . The men of the Land Transport Corps were left to Btarve about the streets , while the foreign legionaries were liberally treated . —The same feelings were also expressed by Mr . Duncojiue in a few supplementary words ; and the motion was agreed to .
RACEHORSE BUTT . Tho Chancellor ok the Exchequer brought in a bill to amend the Act of last session for repealing and reimposing under new regulations tho duty on racehorses . The object of the bill wns not to make any alteration in the duty itself , but merely in the mode of collection . —It waa read a first time . Till ' . CI ^ QUIC TOUTS . Mr . Wilson brought in a bill to correct an error in the Cinque Ports Act , which wns read a first time . THE LNCOMK-TAX .
Tlie House having re . solvod itself into a Committee upon tliu Income-tax JJill , Sir Fitzro y Kelly , after protesting against the departure from the policy of 1 . H 5 K , moved to HubntiLute 5 < 1 . for 7 < 1 . in the pound in ibo tax upon incomes for tho en oiling year . — The CiiAN < : i : i . Lou or Tina Kxchkqukk , in opposing the amendment , ivrguud that tho HUppowcd moral contract of 186 IJ had beau based upon an a . iuuinptiou that there would be a continuance of peace ; but the very foundation of the ficittloniunt hud been subverted l > y tlie Avar , . io far iih the Government wan at present advised , it would not bo necessary to make any addition to tho
estimates on account of the Chinese war . — The amendment was negatived . Mr . Williams moved that incomes below 1502 . be exempted from the tax . —• The Chakcellou of the Exchequer said the rate of the tax upon this class of persons would be reduced by the Act more than onehalf , and 350 , 00 01 . a year was a larger sura than , he felt himself justified ia asking the House to surrender — The amendment was negatived upon a . division by 53 to 1 . —The Bill then passed through the Committee .
SUPPLY . On the report of the Committee of Supply , Mr-Gladstone moved a resolution that , in order to secure to the country that relief from taxation which it jnslly expects , it is necessary , in the judgment of this House , to revise and further reduce the expenditure of the State . The position of the House , he remarked , was peculiar and unexampled . Strong objections were entertained to the amount of the Estimates , and , had the deliberations of Parliament not been affected by the prospect of a dissolution , the House would probably have ' remitted the Estimates to the Government for further reduction . Of these Estimates , so objected to ,
one-third was to ha voted for four month 3 , for no other reason than that the Government had been visited by a vote of cenaure , and that they had appealed to . tho country . The eftect of his motion was not to assert an . abstract principle , nor to interpose any obstacle to a vote of supply , but to refer back the Estimates to the Government for reduction , and to express an opinion that they should apply themselves during the interval before the next Parliament , to the examination of tlie Estimates , with a vieAv to a reduction of expenditure . He thought that a deficiency of revenue stared the House in the face ; and he objected to the great increase of the national expenditure which had mariced the last few years ;—Thu nmondment was seconded by Mr . Wil-¦
liams . - . ., ' :. - . - .. . . . The Chancellor , of the Exchequer thought there was much in Mr . Gladstone ' s speech which deserved consideration ; but , he declined to follow him into details . He did not anticipate any deficiency in the ensuing years . The new Parliament would be competent to examine the Estimates , which he thought were not extravagant , though large . —Mr . Glyn conceived that the House had fallen into considerable error by taking the Committee of Ways and Means before the Committee of Supply . —Mr . New 7 > egate spoke in favour of increased
control over the expenditure . —Mr . Disraeli protested against a proposal to refer the Estimates to a committee , and expressed a hope that the new Parliament ( which , as he observed amidst some laughter , -would probably be full of vigour , and " renovated from the embiace 3 of the people" ) would hold the Government well to its duty . But lie regarded it as arrogant on the part of several distinguished members to say what they meant to do in the next Parliament , to which they might never be elected . The amendment was negatived , and the report "was agreed to .
The Extra-Parochial Placks Bill passed through committee , after some discussion , and , other Mile having been advanced a stage , tho House adjourned . Wednesday , March 1 . 1 th . ECCLESIASTICAL COItFOKAIIONS BILL . In the IIousk Of Commons , on the order for the second reading of this bill , tho ilarquis of Blandkord announced his intention to withdraw it , but at the samo titoe briefly explained its general objects , which
were , the transfer of tlie kind of property in question to the hands of Ecclesiastical Commissioners , and the application of the proceeds to the providing and increasing of endowments . He -was ready to reconsider the measure , so as to meet the objections that had beon urged against it . —Mr . Wai-pouc intimated his general approval of the measure ; and Mr . Evelyn Dkjnisojst suggested that it would be bettor to wait till the introduction of a bill , which was inevitable , on tho subject of the Ecclesiastical Commission .
BUl'l'LY . Tho House then went into Committed of Supply on the Civil Service and Revenue Estimates , when a vote of 1 , 553 , 200 ^ . for the former ( including education ) , and otic of l , ( i 10 , 000 ? . for tho latter , were agreed to . Several bills were forwarded a stage , or withdrawn , and the House adjourned . ¦ Thursday , March 12 < A . THIS HUOCEHHION 1 > UTY , In tho Houskof Lords , Lord MoNTrcAoiTPi Intimated his design of calling the attention of their Lordahirm to the succession duty , and remarked that , instead of its producing a large Hum , as expected , it hnd only yielded one third of the estimated amount . Both sides , therefore , had been arguing on fallacious grounds .
TIIR Al'PEAL TO THU COUNTRY . The Earl of Dkiuiy gave notice that on the second reading of the Income-tax Bill ho should trouble their Lordships with a few observations relative to tho circumHtanccs under which tho appeal was about to lo made to tho country . CHINA . The Earl of Ellknmorouuh moved for certain returns connected with thu execution by tho liriUnh authorities in China of Lhu Supplemental 'Treaty of 18-17 . Thoao returns related to threo article of that treaty , which
March 14,1857.] ' Tjjji L A: D E B, , 24...
March 14 , 1857 . ] ' Tjjji l A : D E B , , 243
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), March 14, 1857, page 3, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_14031857/page/3/
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