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856 THE LEA DEB . { No . 487 . July 23 , 1859-
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IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT . Monday ., July 18 . . LORD JOHH BTJSSEIX ' S DESPATCH . In the House of IiOati > s , the Earl of MAtMESBtntY asked her Majesty ' s Government -whether the despatch of Lord John Russell , dated June the 22 nd , and addressed * to the Government of Prussia , which "had appeared in the newspapers , was authentic ; and , if so , whether there would be any objection to laying it , arid the answer to it , oii the table of the House . —Xord Wodehouse said that the despatch as it had appeared in the newspapers was authentic in substance . The severe censure passed by Lord Malmesbury on that despatch was a . censure on his own policy , as the despatch was merely an exposition of the policy pursued by the late Government . He consented to produce the despatch in question , but not the correspondence of which it formed a portion . —Lord Malmesbotiy explained the difference between his despatch and that of Lord John Bus sell . —The Duke of Newcastle said the despatch of Lord John Russell was suggestive , while that of Lord Malmesbury was of a threatening character .
STATUTE XAW CONSOLIDATION ; . Lord Qbanworth laid on the table five bills , as an instalment of the scheme for consolidating the statute laws of the country . In these bills more than fifty acts were consolidated . It was expected that the whole code might be similiarly comprised in about 230 bills , and the whole work finished in two years . —The Lord Chancellor bore testimony to the zeal and ability which had characterised Lord Cranworth and the Commission . The object of the consolidation would , doubtless , be facilitated . _ what had been already done , but he did not think that the object would be facilitated by continuing the Commission . He considered that a staff of
professional men might , besides consolidating the statute law of the land , be made extremely useful in their legal ^ capacity to both Houses of Parliament in assistingmembers in drawing up bills . He took the present occasion to state that the Government contemplated at the beginning of the next session to introduce measures on bankruptcy , on the transfer of real property , on taking evidence in the Court of Chancery , to consolidate and simplify the orders of the Lord Chancellors , and to establish fixed courts , so that courts of common law might be _ able to decide any equitable question which , might incidentally arise , without bandying suitors from courts of /
common law to courts of equity . —Lord Brougham thought it would be better that the question should be solely committed to a body of learned men , who might not only consolidate , but prepare a digest of it . He defended Mr . Bellenden JCer from aspersions which had been cast upon him by prejudiced and ignorant persons . —Lord St . Leowabds thought the labour which it was proposed to accomplish -was enormous . The best course to bring the matter to a successful conclusion would , in his opinion * be to refer it to a select committee . —After a few remarks from Lords Wbnsletdalb , ( Chblmsfobd , Cbanwokth , and Brougham , the subject dropped .
Their lordships adjourned a * half-past seven o ' clock . •• ... ¦ .
THE BUDGET . In the House of Commons , in a Committee of "Ways and Means , the Chancellor of the Exchequer made his financial statement . He presumed ho said , , that it would be for the convenience of the Committee to follow the usual practice , and to make ( known the result of the finances of the past year . The total revenue of the year had been estimated at 63 , 900 , QO ( W . ; it had produced 65 , 477 , 000 ? . Tho total actual expenditure had been 64 , 663 , 000 / ., against a revenue of 65 , 477 , 000 * ., leaving , , a surplus of 800 , 000 ? . The result of the duty upon draughts and cheoks could not be correctly ascertained . Ita amount had been estimated at 300 , 0002 . ; but ho thought it would not exceed 200 , 000 ? . The equalisation of the spirit duties , which was a measure of of resultshad
elusion , an unpleasant and unpopular duty to propose an increase in the public burthens ; but as at th ^' present moment the inoney was required by the public exigencies , and the estimates on both sides were before the House , they had no alternative except to provide means for carrying on the service and maintaining the good faith of the country . Mr . Gladstone concluded by moving a formal vote of Ways and Means , and laid upon the table two resolutions relating to the malt duties and the Income-tax , to be t > ken into consideration on Thursday .-T-The report of the Committee of Supply was brought up and agreed to . _^ On the order for going into Committee of Supply , a conversation arose upon an objection raised by Mr . Ayrton to fixing the second reading of the London Corporation Bill on Friday morning . observations the
Mr . A . Smith made some upon management of the property under the Commissioners of Woods and Forests . The House then went into Committee of Supply upon the Civil Service Estimates and Civil Contingencies , and various votes were agreed to , after much discussion , when the Chairman was ordered to report progress . . The House adjourned at ten minutes to one o ' clock . Tuesday , July 19 . In the House of Lords a letter was read by the Earl of EipoN , from the Colonel of the Antrim Rifles , explaining the facts relating to the late military outbreak at Kinsale , and correcting some mis-statements which , as the write r declared , had obtained publicity in previous accounts of the occurrence in question . TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION WITH INDIA . Lord Stanley of Aldeklbt , in presenting a petition in favour of the establishment of direct lines of submarine telegraphs between Great Britain and our possessions abroad , insisted on the importance of all these telegraphic communications being under our own control . He was glad to find that the Government were alive to the importance of the subject by the assistance they had afforded in laying down a line between England and Gibraltar , and dwelt long upon the necessity , in case of war between Prance and England , of maintaining our communications with India free from ' the control ol
foreign powers . It would be much better , in liis opinion , if the Atlantic telegraph , when renewed , should connect this country with America through Nova Scotia and Canada . —Lord Ellexborougk entirely concurred with Lord Stanley of Alderley . It was intolerable tp be dependent on foreign Governments for the forwarding of orders to our fleets and armies , and fraught with the greatest risk to the country in case of war . He also expressed a strong wish that a communication might be established between tins country and the western coast of Africa , by which it would be possible to communicate with our squadrons in those waters . had been
" Lord Granvillb explained what steps taken by the Government in regard to the telegraph between this country and Gibraltar , and informed the Blouse that the wire -was being made slowly , but would not be finished this year . The whole matter was under the consideration of Her Majesty ' s Government . Lord Wodehouse , in answer to a question from Lord Stratford de Redcliffe , said that her Majesty ' s Government , after consulting with the great powers , had agreed to recogjnise tho election of Colonel Couza . as Hospodar of the two Principalities on tho distinct understanding that the case was an exceptional one and not to be npade a precedent . Their lordships adjourned at half-past six . public KBAt / ru . At tho mid-day sitting of the Housb of Commons , Mr . Lowe moved the third reading of the I ' ubhc Health Bill , by which tho provisions of the act now on the point of expiring ore rondorod permanent ,- — Mr . Ayrton oppospd tho bill , contending that the powers conferred by the existing act wore much too extensive . He moved as an amendment that the order for the third rending should bo discharged . Considerable discussion ensued . On a division the amendment was negatived l > y a narrow majority ot 101 to 95- —6 . The bill was then road a thud tune and passed . MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS BILL . On tho order for the second reading of this bill , Mr . S . EsTCouttT moved an amendment , to the effect that the question with wjiich tho inoasnro dealt , namely , the declarations required from the appointees to municipal offices , should be referred to a solect committee , Tho biu was opposed by Mr . S ^ oonjeb , Mr . N " fflwpKaA »» , and Mr . B » m , MY , and supported by Mr . M . Smith , Mr . Baxtbr , Mr , Aldermnn bA&a-MONfl , and Mr . HnnNwasr . Upon a divivislon , tho amendment was negatived by 130 to 44 , and the > ill was read a eocona time , !
28 , 600 , 000 ? ., which , however , included a sum of 400 000 / . as the last payment of some Long Annuities , whichin ordinary course would have been debited to the account of the ensuing year . The other charges on the Consolidated Fund were expected to amount to 1 , 960 , 000 ? . The army estimates amounted to 13 , 300 , 000 / . j the naval estimates were 12 , 782 , 000 / . { those for the civil service , 7 , 825 , 000 * . ; and those for the revenue departments , 4 , 740 , 000 / . Observing that the miscellaneous ciyil service estimates were greater by 800 , 000 / . than those of the previous year , Mr . Gladstone explained that of this augmentation the vote for education had been enlarged by 200 , 000 / ., while about 75 , 000 / . was charged to two items ,
the expense of British Columbia and of the China and Siam missions , which had never previously figured upon the paper . Another sum of 100 , 000 / . was also set down as the cost of a telegraphic cable between Plymouth and Gibraltar . The gross total of expenditure thus appeared to be 69 , 207 , 0002 ., leaving a deficiency of 4 , 867 , 000 / . on the ordinary ways and means of the year . In proceeding to explain how this chasm was to be filled up , the . Chancellor of the Exchequer offered some preliminary observations touching the financial position of the country at the present moment . This , he submitted , was to a great extent exceptional . We were not at war , but still were forced to incur a large amount estimates of the
of war expenditure . The year were , chiefly oh that account , more than five millions in excess of the year 1858-9 . Next year moreover had been marked out , long since , as the period when the whole question of finance must undergo revision . LaTge sources of revenue , including the whole of the income tax , and some considerable duties on tea and . sugar , would then expire in regular course ; while on the other side more than two millions of Long Annuities would fall in ; causing extensive changes , which invited a comprehensive revisal of the whole financial system . From these consideration he drew the conclusion that in the arrangements now to be made the supply of immefuture
diate wants should alone be regarded ; years being left to ulterior adjustments . On this principle therefore the Legislature was called upon to provide between four and five millions for the wants of the current year . Was this sum , he asked , to he raised by loans , or taxes ? Against the former proposition he pointed out that Parliament had at no time resorted to the- expedient of borrowing for so small a sum as was now required . Loans were always reserved as a last resource in periods of dire necessity , or for exceptional purposes , as in the instances of the 20 , 000 , 000 & voted for slave emancipation and the 8 , 000 , 0002 . contributed to assuage the miseries of the Irish famine . A 3 another
reason for abstaining from a loan ,. he observed that another borrower , namely the Secretary for India , would , he feared , be shortly in the market , for whose operations he wished to leave the field open . Having therefore to provide nearly five millions from taxation , the question was whether the supply should be drawn from indirect or direct . taxes . On this question Mr , Gladstone entered at some length , contending that of the four most productive items in the schedule of customs or excise , malt produced a large revenue " , but one which had proved singularly inelastic upon , any increase in the rate . The income from spirits had expanded mare than three millions since 1853 , and ought , he thought , to be left
undisturbed . Against any increase in the teaand sugar duties still stronger reasons were to be alleged . Since the close of the Russian war , also > a far larger proportion of temporary taxes had been levied from indirect than from direct sources of revenue . Altogether , he contended , that it was undesirable and indeed unjust to effect any aggravation in the schedules of indireot taxation . There remained , therefore , but one expedient—namely , an increase in the property and income tax . On this subject the right hon . gentleman entered into computations showing that if extrancpus causes had not compelled an increase in tho public expenditure , the flow of revenue would have sufficed to dispense both , with the whole residue of income tax and with the war duties on tea and sugar by the close of the present financial year ,
After explaining a scheme for abbreviating the time of credit heretofore allowed to the maltsters , from which he expected to obtain 780 , 000 / . of anticicipated revenue for the service of the present year , Mr . Gladstone stated that for the remainder of the deficiency , which amounted to about four millions , ho proposed an additional 4 d . on tho income tax upon all revenues exceeding X 502 , per annum , and of lid . on incomeabotween 1 O 01 . and 1502 . The tariff of charge "would thus become 6 £ d . on the smaller , and 9 dT on tho larger olass of incomes , and this enhancement it was also proposed to make applicable to tho whole year , whereof nearly four months had already expired . From this augmentation he expected to derive about 4 , 300 , 0001 . of additional revenue , which would leave ft narrow margin of 250 , 0002 . surplus upon the estimated expenditure of the yea * . It wm , he obaervea ia
gonfiscal reform independent peouniary , been estimated to , yield an additional revenue of 50 O . OOO 2 ., but the produce in " 1858-69 , as compared with 1857-58 , showed an increase of only 85 . 00 OL There was a prospect , however , of the duty * being considerably m , QXo productive . Mr . Gmudstowb then addressed hiinself to tho estimates of income and outlay for the current year . Ho stated that lie expected to derive from customs a revenue ox 23 , 850 , 000 * . j from excise , 18 , 530 , 0002 . } from stamps 8 , l 00 , 00 OZ . j from land and assessed taxes , 3 , 300 , 000 * , } from income and property tax at the 5 d , tariw , 0 , 000 , 000 *; from Post-office , 8 , 250 , 000 ? . j from crown lands , 5480 , 0002 . { and from miscellaneous sources of lncojcne , 1 , 630 , 000 / ,, The total result was thus estimated at 04 , 340 , 0001 , On the other side he computed the . sum required to pay interest on debt at
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Leader (1850-1860), July 23, 1859, page 856, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2304/page/4/
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