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Leader (1850-1860), 8th May 1858, Edition 1 of 2, Page 435, Untitled Article

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      assert that they desire to see the most complete religious equality in India . The Earl of Ellen no rough said : — " I do not know that with reference to this petition I need say more than that , as long as I have anything whatever to do with the government of India , I shall adhere most strictly to the ancient traditional policy of the British Government in that country—namely , that of absolute neutrality in matters-of religion s and that I ' intend , as far as in me lies , tbat that neutrality shall be real—that it stall not exist only in the language of the Government , Tnit in its acts , and in the acts of all its officers . I have hoard -with satisfaction from' inv noble friend that tlie

      petitioners do not desire the aid of the Government . ( Hear , hear , from Lord Shaftesbury . ) 1 feel satisfied that nothing coukl be more injurious to their objects than even the appearance that such aid was extended to them . ( Hear , / tear . ' ) Hy themselves—by . individual exertion—by private means , they may have some success ; Tm - I " feel convinced that , if it were for a moment supposed that the Government extended its aid to them as X fear may'have been of late to some extent the case __ tlie result-would be the greatest danger to our interests in India , and the utter destruction of all the hopes of the missionaries of religion . "—The petition was then ordered to lie ' upon ' the table . The ExchequicijUim . s ( 20 , 911 , 500 / . ) Eili . was read a third time and passed . Their Lordships adjourned at a quarter-past seven o'clock .

      SANDllCKST AX 1 ? WOOLWICH . In the House ok Commons , Mr . Lyuox asked Lord Palmcrston ' whether the minutes relative to the recent alterations at Sandhurst and Woolwich were submitted to and sanctioned by the late Government or not , and ¦ whether the noble Lord was responsible for any portion of the regulations . —Lord Palukuston said that his noble friend , Lord Panmure , showed him a draft of the regulations which -were to form the new arrangement , and generally speaking' they seemed to him correct and proper- They involved two material points . One was that young men , who wish to be candidates for the competitive examination for the scientific branches of the service , should , instead of registering their names at the office of tha Secretarv for VTar , register them . at the

      office of the Commander-in-Chicf ; The other point was that examinations for the scientific branches should take place by competition from am . ongst those who had been educated at Sandhurst , instead of being open ' to those who had been educated elsewhere . Uoth of these arrangements were made with a view to the improvement of education at Sandhurst ; l > ut it was understood by the Coimnander-ni-Chief that , if found objectionable , the regulation-should be so fur modified that the competitors should consist of hnlf from Sandhurst and half from elsewhere . "With regard to the latter part of the question , he thought it very likely that , when the regulations were shown to him , he might have suggested some alterations ; but what they were it was utterly impossible for him at the -present ¦ moment to state . ( Laughter . ' )

      EXCHEQUER IU ) NDS (/ 2 . 0 l M ) , ( lOO / . ) V . U . I .. Oil the order for . the second reading of this bill , Sir Geoligk Coisxewai . l Lkwis t'Uti'red into details to disprove a charge which had been made against the late Government , and himself in particular , that they had left the ' finances of the country in a disordered and unsatisfactory state . "NVitli respect to the lCxchequer-bondH , as the same amount of 2 , 000 , 000 / . would bo . due next year , and 1 , HUO , UOO / . the year following , these liabilities must "be met by having recourse to re-burrowing . As to the War Sinking Vund , it was the only plan of that character which -was practicable ; and , unless Parliament ¦ were prepared to make it obligatory upon the Government to adopt a plan bv which a certain portion of the

      debt would be aunitiilly extinguished , u . must make up its mind to perpetuate tin ;' present National Debt . The Budget of tlic Chancellor of the Exchequer wa .- < a schema which made no attempt either to pay oil" any ] iait of the Eschequer-boiuls or to keep up the War > Siuking Fund . Tlu ! relief nllbrded by the fall of the Jncome-tax would not bu very sensibly felt , and the Chancellor of theExchequer , by his arrangement in respect to that tax , and in not reducing the l '' . xcluM | Uor-IjoihI debt , had violated an important , principle , without nny substantial find » : ll ' .: ctual relief to tint payers of the

      Income-tax . Considering t ho disproportion bet .- \ veen ( he aniuunt of diro / .-t taxation and that of indirect taxation , it seemed to him that tlio House ought not to conic to a distinct pledge a « to tho period when the lnc . onio-t . nx , or any oilier tax , . should cense , or incur any rash obligations . In the present state of parties , it was the ( luvernment which had become the great , advocate of economy m that House . Propositions came fi'oiu various quarters to ineivnso our expenditure , and it . was dilVieult fur tlio Government to resist ,. Tlio problem , however , must be solved , how to Nuiiili / . i ! tho expenditure , with tlio revenue ! .

      Mr . ( J 1 .. VDSTONK agreed with SirG . C . Lowirt in his endeavour to dra \ y tho attention of tlio Uou . so Id the KcriouH consequences likely to result from l . hu pme . tice . of using tho Jlouso as a rtiiiuiiliiH to expenditure . ltu ( , though Sir ( ieorge , hud dq > re , euled rash engagements , ho liad himself untenid into a rash engagement to pay oil I , o 00 , 000 / . in tho name- of a Sinking ImuhI . Ah to tho

      Exchequer Bonds , there had been no pledge on the part of the House that any portion should bo reduced in 1858 ; and , with regard to the Income-tax , he approved the course taken by the Chancellor of the Exchequer . If the Income-tax was a good tax , let it be paid . It had great recommendations , but there were gr . ive objections to it , and he believed that , by its very nature , it corrupted and demoralized many . { Hear , hear . ) So long as tliey continued to vote the Income-tax , it would be vain to talk of economy in expenditure . lie thought their scale of expenditure would admit of many deductions ; but the course which they pursued put reductions out of the question . It is the duty of the Minister and of Parliament to have a clear surplus ; hut

      how ' are they to get it ? Certainly the Chancellor of the Exchequer is not called upon tu liquidate bonds which he has not one farthing to meet . —Mr . C . vrdwem , said the course recommended was that they should postpone their obligations . They were going to postpone them until the Income-tax had expired ; but he thought we should then be some four ' millions worse oiF than we now are . They should not postpone their obligations , and malce prospective difficulties . He firmly believed they were laying the foundation of a new Income-tax in lSGO , and they " should not have too much confidence in a buoyant exchequer . He certainly should rejoice to see the papc" duty and . the fire insurance duty remitted . —Mr . Tiio .. i ' . \ . s i > Ani > G said every new Chancellor of the

      Exchequer reduces taxation , and leaves the revenue to take its chance . 'Whenever they have a surplus , some person is sure to propose a remission , of the paper and hop duties , ( " // car , hear , " and a laugh . ) But he did not . think it was honest to saddle posterity with their debts . If they paid their debts in time of prosperity , they would be able to borrow money at a cheaper rate when tliey got into difficulties- ; and their great object should be to pay as they go on- Had they pursued that system , they would now be in a better position than thev

      are-Mr . HSkigiit denounced the excessive expenditure of iate years , and attributed it to our meddling- foreign policy and our combative spirit . A war had recently been begun and ended without the House of Commons being consulted , and It was ended because Ministers had the feu' of a-memorable debate before them . The House had condemned the China war , and that' condemnation had never been reversed . No Minister had dared to ask Parliament to reverse that sentence . He did not know ivhetlir'r or not ivr- nrc . now at -war with China . "A

      celebrated individual" had been taken prisoner . u as he a prisoner of war , or was he taken away merely as a curiosity ? ( Laughter . ) "In China , we arc making the English name detestable . Territory cannot l ) e our objeet ; our object is trade , and how are we to-trade with a nation with which weave at Avar ? ( Hear , hear . ) The navy estimates are now some millions more than they were a few years ago . Now , there is no llaet except thai of France which approaches-the licet of l- ' ngland ; and France is our nearest ally . They might be told that the amity of nations is not a thing to b > _ ' relL-d on . He was for amity with all nations ; but ho never had the slightest sympathy with the French alliance , lie did not want political amity , nor did he see how it wa . to lie maintained . If thev asked-the . French . Minister

      why bis navy estimates arc so large , he would tell them that lie is building large ships which are of no use , bccause Knglainl is building large ships which are of no use . QJJau ; heir . ) That Minister would assure them that France has a great navy because England has a great navy . "Would it not be better for the . Minister of this country to tell the Emperor of the Frencli that , instead of quarrelling about the Suez Canal -instead of negotiating about some potty matter—tliey should reduce that vast taxation which is wrung from the people to maintain large navies and large armies ? (// car , //<«)• •} Such a proposition would give as great relief to the people of France ns it Avorrld to the people of this country . As to tho army and navy , the cry is ' Give , give ! ' and that is I he erv from session to session .

      (/ h « n ; hem : ) We are lavish in our expenditure , for warlike purpose-: * , -while we have a multitude of paupers ; a large number of people are drafted away year after year ; and many a man thanks Heaven that h « bus landed in some country whero lie is relieved iVom exorbitant taxation . (//<« . /• , hear . ' ) When we have a reformed Parliament , the landed proprietors will not escape tho . public burdens so easily as they now do . Tlio succession duly will be overhauled . Tlie coiuvo now pursued is foolish nr . d wicked ; and they might rely upon it , lli . lt , when tlie people huve the pov . vr to l ; iy on taxation , they will not , be driven to the wall us they now are . It i . s the duly of Parliament to diminish expenditure ; and they -wens acting-a cowardly , jmd even an immoral part , in throwing tuxes upon posterity . " { Lim < i chi-rrs . )

      The ( JiiANCKi . ii . oit »> i' tiik I ' . NeiiKQtiKii saM that consiilei'atioiiH <> f high policy were coniuvted with tho Income-tax , which , if it . wore , to bo maintained , it would be impossible fur the House to avoid ; thai . iMiiiplaini s against tbi . s lux I'liiini from professional men ami the humbler classes ' "f society on account of its injti-ticr , impolicy , and iinjiiisilorial character , the clamour a gain .-I ( lie tax never having arisen from tho opulent cl . i-.-eM . H \ v : is , therefore , impossible to maintain it as u . pcrma .-nci » l . feature of our linaiicinl . system . As Id tlie War ( Sinking Fund , it would be idle to contend , that it should

      be maintained in the present circumstances of our finances . There is a very great difference , no doubt , between the engagement to pay the Exchequer-bonds and to maintain the War Sinking Fund ; but the House had been of opinion that it was most inexpedient , in the present- state of the country , to load it with an amount of new taxation in order to enable it to fulfil these engagements . "The House had allowed him to raise the Exchequer-bonds , and be would state what he had done on the subject . He had obtained from the Bank ag advance of one million , payable in 18 G 2 , at 3 J- per cent ., and he had made it a condition that he should hsive the right to call for another million at the end of the year at thfc same rate , but he hoped , and was even

      confident , that the state of the balances in the Exchequer , strengthened by extraordinary payments , and an improved state of the revenue , would not render it necessary to call for the second million . He would dra-w the attention of the House to the state of the revenue oa tlie 1 st of May in the present year , and they could judge tlien as to tbe probabilities of his anticipations being realized . He would compare the revenue from the 1 st of April to the 2 nd of May , 1857 , with the corresponding period in the present year . From the 1 st of April to the 2 nd of May , 1857 , in the very height a . n < l flush of commercial prosperity , the excise duties were 1 , 3 . 66 , 000 / ., and the receipts from excise in the month just passed after the commercial crisis was 1 , 602 , 000 / . The receipts from stamps in the month

      from April to Blay , 1857 ,-was 484 , 000 / ., and in the corresponding period , of the present year the amount had . reached 573 , 000 / . ( Hear , hear . ) There had also hi tlie same mouths been an increase in . land : and assessed , taxes from 603 . 000 ? . in April , 1 S 57 , to 663 , 000 / . in 1 S 58 . lie did not think the member for Birmingham was just in his remarks respecting the transference of taxation from property to labour , lie ( the Chancellor of the Exchequer . ) could not accept the position that the taxation of-the country rests upon tho people whose incomes are small . He regretted , with the lion , gentleman , the necessity for a great expenditure upon armaments ; but he did not despair that , in due season , and when the excitement which prevailed of late had passed away , the wisdom of Cabinets would bring about a reduction in military expenditure . "

      Mr . Wilson severery criticized the -financial scheme of the Chancellor of the Exchequer . —Sir H . Wil-LOi'GHBY spoke against continuing the Income-tax in time , of peace . —Mr . Slaskv- denied that the House had a tendency to put taxation on the shoulders of the poor . —Mr . -Hamilton defended the estimates submitted by the Chancellor of the Exchequer . —Mr . CATLE-y believed that the periodical prostrations , and consequent , misery , of the country every ten years , are the result of bad legislation , not of nature . —Mr . Ewart admitted that , a- very ' skilful Budget had been produced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer , but at the same time suggested various improvements . The bill -was then read a second time .

      STAMP DUTY OX DRAFTS-IUT , L . On the order for the second reading of this bill , JIv . Thomas D . uuxo said that , although lie doubted the soundness of the principle of this tax , he thought the ] dea of the Chancellor of the Exchequer , that it av : i * necessary to hnvc a litile surplus revenue , was a suincient reason for not opposing it . lie suggested varioiis objections to the tax . and was of opinion that artifices would be resorted to in order to evade it . —Mr CJ'RKAVi ' . s , not opposing the bill , rccomnic-iuled certain modifications of 'the tax . —Mr . Daxtf . k spoke in its favour . —Mr . Tlksku took an opposite view of the tax , which he looked upon ns a step in the lrrong direction , as throwing mi additional weight upon commerce . — After somo further discussion , the Ch . vncklt . or ok rrlio KxciiKQUKU . in replying to objections , observed thatdi ' o bill asserted no new principle ; it only sought to extend a principle , and teriniiwto an exemption which no onevindicated . Tlie bill was then rend n second time .

      Till-: C ;<> VKUNM 1 . NT OK INDIA . The IIousu then went into committee upon the resolutions fur the government , of India . —Thu second resolution being read , the client of which was that her Majestv , bv mil of her principal Secretaries of State , sluv . ild have and porfonn all the powers mid < hi lias relating to the government of India now exercised and perlonm'd by the East India Company . Mr . Aykton moved , l » y way of amendment , that tho p ;> v . vrs and duties should be ' exercised and performed by a Minister of the Crown in Council , his object being to ensure the administration of the government with due care , caution , and ellieicney . lie meant to follow up this resolution with another , thai

      neb Minister shall bo responsible lor every act . don » - 111 the United Kingdom in relation to tho government . t . » i India , hut that no such act ; shall be performed by Iiim without the recorded opinion of three menilier- of ( Jn Council theroou . —Lord Stanxky opposed this amendment . Tlio argument ol" M r . Ayrtoii \ v ; im in I ' . ivour of tbe government , as it is now carried on by I he Must India Company . If tlio Minister '' in ' Council v . fiv to net only conjointly with the Council , t here would 1 ^ n divided ' ie . i | ' oiisib ' ility . Where there was to be ivspMisibilit . y , there , must bo power ; but , if the Council were to biivi ) conjoint power with the JMini . stor , individual iysponsibility ' would coase . What was wanted wi- iumi-

      Untitled Article

      No . 424 , May- 8 , 1858 / 1 __ g Jg _ E _ IijE ^ A-gJE E , ;_ _ , _ Jg 5 _

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), May 8, 1858, page 435, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2241/page/3/