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IMPERIAL . PARLIAMENT.

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IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. In the House of Commons, April 11, several private bills were read a third time, and several others were read a S6Mr Veorge Gregory asked the First Commissioner of Works when he expected that the plan and design for the new Courts of Justice would be completed. been Mr. AyrtoB stated that considerable progress haa made in the plans, but he was not yet able to fix a w they would be completed. „winnRed Mr Winn asked the Home Secretary whether be ] to introduce a bill on the subject of Trades Unions g the present session ? the <mh- Mr. Bruce hoped to be able to introduce a bill on tn Ject ehortly after Easter. THE BUDGET. — L "ttt88 of WavR and The House naving gone ww touuu* —- M^s' chancellor of the Exchequer six o'clock to introduce the Budget. £ 72 K5' on^ htuh* said the original estimate for 1869-70 £ 72,865,000, butbj an alteration which the House ho^e of the income tax, the land tax, s^mo^S^8 WTheesedtwo together make aS ol (Hhhorb of In two wavs flrBt> that the 8Um of £ 4.6<W,JWU should be paid to me^fheuabilitiesol the, Abyssmian expedition; and, secogjUj. to appropriate £ 2 940 000 in reduction of taxation. «,~ w?s J? Jfa been deci a mi mi ii a nt ooo. After these reductions had oeen receipts reached #75,334,000, leaving an excess o'Vth being the large* f?er raised to this ooontg war. the exception three years of th estl- The receipts the year 1869-70 were :-Ca#tomB, mated at^l.f <>,000. and the «^»^PttaSted at short of tsi3 by £ 121,000. The excise £ 863,000. £20,900,000, the recelptshadexceededth^ exceeded The stamPS were estimated at £8.853,000, ^y egtlmated at that estimate by £398,000. The income and pro. £ 4,500,000 the receipts correspondea. reCeipts have ex- perty tax was estimated at waH e8timated at oeeded this by £ 684,000. by £ 210,000. The Crown £ 4,860,000; the receipts faUjMSl* £ 375 ooo; the receipts cor- Lands were estimated to pro receiptg were estimated at responded. The miteceiumeo" fcy the gum Qf £ 205,252, £ 3,000,000: they h^exc*eu estimates amounts to £ 1.819,000. The excess of there is afallingoff of £ 120,000. As regards the Custom*. aVfl been converted into a consider- That falling off wo beeQ for the ldea prevalent that it wag able surplus baa ,omething like a clear sweep of all matters intended to n»* ha breakfast table (laughter) which has that appesr.^ off tea to the amount of £ 140,000; coffee, ?io9ienn* and sugar and molasses of £ 153,003, making alto- «faiiine off of £ 303,000. I do Dot doubt, however, thlt this will be speedily reversed after this year. The revenue S-STSKr from keeping pace with increased popula- 2° g». nnw. £ 334 000 less than it was a few years ago. Foreien and colonial spirits had fallen off to the extent of imnmo guitar £ 70 000; wine, by £ 42,000. Tobacco shows an incieas^of £ 121,000; tea, £ 55,000. Under the head of Sccisa there has been a great increase. It seems as if British Mirits were gaining an increase over foreign, as there has Seen an increase on British spirits to the extent of £ 400,000, while there has been a falling off in foreign spirits to the ex- tent of iiso 000. licences substituted for the assessed taxes we estimated at £1,200,000; and the result has been very gratifying stamps have been more productive this year. The Post Office has not shown its usual elasticity this year; for it has only increased in value £10,000, whereas we anticipated an increase of £220,000. The total revenue of 1869 has exceeded the revenue of 1868 by the sum of £2.742,000. One of the causes of this is the great cheapness of grain. The amount of the grain in this'country is 10,500,000 cwts. ofwheat, 4,500,000 cwtl. of Indian corn, and 2,000,000 cwts. of flour in the country above the quantity here iMt year. The income-tax has • exceeded ourestimatebynolessthanje684,000. so that instead of mv anticipations last year being correct, when I said that they would yield j63,350,000, the fact is they have yielded £4,484,000. The operation is one that can never be repeated (hear, hear, and a laugh); unless, indeed, the country should fall once more into the sluggish and stupid practice of allowing the payment of its taxes to fall behind; and if that should happen, I hope some person may arise to repeat the operation. But I now wish to point out the amount of less and inconvenience that has been sustained by the ratepayers in return for the jB4,48t,<)00 f which we have extracted from the country. As far E as the land tax and hojjse tax are concerned there has | been no loss at all. As regards the income tax there I Vas a positive gain, because a quarter's forbearance was f allowed—a sum, at 5 per cent., equal to £ 22,000 in favour of the taxpayer. As to the much disputed iV, question of the licences substituted for the assessed H taxes, the operation was this: had no change been made, persons would have been called upon to pay their taxes for 1869-70-one half in next October and the other half in the following April. So that the loss those persons have sustained is this: that they have paid half the tax, or about J6600 000, half a year sooner than they otherwise would have 1 done, and the other half one and a quarter years sooner— altogether, the interest on half the tax for two years. Now, i the interest of £600,000 for two years at 6 per cent. is £ 60,000; deduct the sum 1 have above stated, and it leaves •' £ 38*000 which I apprehend to be the amount of cost and inconvenience to which the ratepayers have been put, in order to obtain the £4,484,000 (hear, hear). Well, we are so satisfied with the result of the experiment that we have resolved to carry it further (hear, hear, and a laugh), and to take the opinion of the House as to whether the time has not arrived when an end should be put to the system of collecting the taxes through pa- rochial officers, not only in the case of licenses, but also as reearas the income tax, the land tax, and the house • tax (hear, hear) I believe it would result in greater economy and that the revenue would be better collected and made i, mora nroductive (hear, hear). I n«w come to the expendl f ture for 1869-70. It was estimated at £ 68,223,000; but in H noniioniience of the charges connected with the Court of Chancery the amount was raised to £ 68,408,000 The in- ? on the public debt was estimated at £ 26,700,000, but it £ ho» hiwn exceeded by £ 353,559. The ether charges on the rw«oii<i<Lted Fund were estimated at £ 1,700,000; they have amonntfld to £ 30,134 in excess. The army was estimated at £ 14 280 000' the expenditure had been less by £ 664,600. Th«NT*VV Estimates were £ 9.997,000: the expenditure has faii«n short of that sum by £ 239,710 (hear, hear). The Civil Service was estimated at £9,715,000; it haa fallen short of it by fin 987. On the Customs and Revenue Department the estimate was £ 2,613,000; the expenditure has fallen t Short of it by £ 55,197. On the Post Office the estimate was £2,363,000 the expenditure was less than that sum by ( QQO on the packet service the estimate was JB1 090,000; "i ana at bas been exceeded by £131,653. Thus the committee Will observe that, with the exception of three items, there has been aconBirlerable decrease on all points. The decrease on the expenditure is no less than £ 1,418,494; and after the deductions above mentioned there is a net decrease of £903,248 on the year. Comparing the expendi- ture of this year with that of the previous one, there is a reduction of £ 2 468 000, and the levenue of that year exceeded the increase of the previous one by £2,700,000. From the telegraphs we have received £100,000, and paid £6u,ooo: the result being a revenue in the year of £ 75,434 000; and an expenditure of je67,664 000, leaving a sur- plus on the year of £7,870,000 (cheers). We had to propose supplementary estimates to the extent of £ 327,000, but is included in the JS67,564,000 of the surplus thus obtained. We have expended £ 4,300,(00 in discharging the liabilities on the Abyssinian expedition, which lelt a net suro^?illc £ 3 570,000. Of that amount £ 1,000,000 was devo|gj^>f ISWS SMS that is not an unmixed good, but we are not afraid that they will become so large as to be unmanageable. In regard to the tem for telegraphs the case stands thus. The daims of the companies against the Government were jB5,715,000, which was raised by other charges to £6,760,000. We have paid £ 6,327,000; and the balance still remains to be paid. The committee may remember that we were allowed several ways of raising the purchase money. That which we adopted was the creation of stock in Consols to the amount of nearly £7,000,000, The balance in the hands of the National Debt Commissioners enable them to take JU,ooo,OOO. The remaining j63,000,000 was sold in the market, and by careful management it was effected without disturbing the market, and I observed in the newspapers at the time a total unconsciousness that any such operation was going on (a laugh). The £7,000,000 stock was sold at £ 02 4s 7*d. Thus during the current year we have altogether Said off debt to the amount ol. £ 7,88*,600 (cheers). We also ope that it will now be possible to put in operation the Act which has been but too much neglected—which provides that one-fourth of the surplus of each year shall be devoted to the reduction ef the public debt. The first payment will not be more than £64,000; but in the September quarter we shall hope to pay off j61,592,000, and that payments in a Similar proportion will be continued in future quarters. J. now come to the expenditure of the current year 1870 71, which I compare with the year 1869-70. The interest of the debt for the coming financial year I estimate at £20,650,000, .foeina £ 50.000 less than last year, other charges are esti- mated at £ 1,820,000, being £ 120,000 more than last year. I may in passine that the inerease is owing to the tele- «-<K>hs. The Army Estimate for the coming year &£12,970,000, halnff A reduction of £ 1,256,000 on the total estimate of last S lle Navy I have put down at £ 9,251,000, thus exhi- £ itw a reduction on the grants of last year of £ 746 000. &h?*p?vil I put down at £ 9,990 000, showing ai excess Tha Civil I P" lMt year 0f £ 100,000. I am bound to £ Ivr tha^this presents an unfavourable contrast "If* i^earance of the army and navy. The with the app being a reduction of £ 38,000 on the BB-SSTFTSA ahowing an morea.e of £270,000. The BOUIe will remember that under this head the expense last year ^was^ £ 90-000. Th result of all this is that the net reductions of ttis year below the grants of last year wa« estimated at £ 1,713.^ The total estimated expenditure for this year is £ 67,113.<M' against £ 68,826,000 last year (an hon. I. Turn your face this way"). Unless I should become like "Civil Service," the hon. gentleman con- ♦TrlS—I come to the estimate of revenue for the year 1870- 7i m compared with the year 69-70, we estimated the customs it £ 21650 300> being an increase over the estimate of last year ol £ 121 000. we do on account of the falling off which I before mentioned to the committee on tea and coffee. The excise we estimate at £ 21,640,000, being an increase «B< £ 123,000, apd we do that in consequence of the very laaje increase in spirits, which prudent persons la very *° be followed by a reaction. The right hon. gentiemwi went on to say that the estimate for stSps was £ 8.700, showing a decrease of £ 548,000; income tat £ 7,°00,00(9 decrease, £ 2,444,000; taxes, £ 2 850,000^decrease., ".050,000>; Post Office, £ 4,900,000, in- *rease, £ 280,000; teleg™PH £ «T6,000, as against £ 100,000 for the past .7^* £ 885,000; increase, £ 10,000 miscellaneous, £ 3 060 as against £ 3,205,000, ahowing decr„e.?f!MOoo ttw The tot*l revenue would thus imate t?m ai revenue last year being £ 7M$4,000- The showed a net decrease of £ 3,984,000. Taking theriBvenu(» -ttl.aM.oc0, and the expenditure at £ 67,113,000 »ey Wo^d a aurplug of £ 4,337,000, and he would si^g tiincreasing it. The revenue 'from fi^e e„y to to £ 150,000, •nd this amount was not easy to coUect Everyone knew the lamentable accld nnd in his oDiniohU#ed by ,n" cautious use of firearms, and in ws opiatan a great amount of crime had its origin dnt^ .pr"pOReto the Hon-to institute a new Ex^e liMnce duty «, for ing «r»arms, and on the other hai°d abo!lish the game tioenceauty. The financial effect would be to giVe to the perfiWie £ ^0,000 over and above the^ £ 150 Mo received from game Of course volunteers and.other persons having a rigfct to carry arms would from that duty. The su»0iag would be increased by thig duty to £ 4,487,000. The hon. member for Sunderlarid had proposed fhat any surpl<« wjhJch might be made should be appu^ to the reduction 0' the National Debt, but he would propose Mat stock should be created, and that Government should take ft into their own hands. Having done so, let them Minvtrt it into terminable annuities, and when they fail > W thim ^aVed 10 Purchase of other stockf He it. JifcM^nrVirvMjwI to exercise the power given by the Act thex^PfHTdto take £ 7,OOO,000 Post Office Savtog 29 30 » v uiino annuiti*8 termlnable 1885, at the same Bank Stoc 3 S £ d by the present Prime Minister time as £ 24,Tther Government won d have to provide To carry thlsou. thev had accordingly placed that for jE190,000, and -oHdited Fund to meet this. In amount on the Cont> Q« «ve Exchequer would have 1885, the then Cfaancelloi °* ™ie this £ 190,000, the i .irplus of £ 3 876,000. ^ucting with»e •urplus left would be £ 4,29i, 'iinW the steaming of had to deal. He then proposed to 0f the cattle on barley on a person s premises for the fe^w?hftt there should those premises, it being provided, however, th woUid re- be no kiln in or.^ »«miM>s. By this paper- suit to the revenue. The tax on soap-makers, £ 1>' Anting makers, £ 1,600; and watch case makers, £ 1,500 am°^11. » in all to £ 6,000, which he propo«ed to abolish. Certain duties and taxes 011 Btaropsanddeedg would be reduced or abolished to the extent of £200,000; the duty on foreign and English biDe being equalised, in reference to the matter with which the hon. member for iiverpool waa inti- mately connected wivjj namely, the postage on news- papers, he proposed^tothe impressed stamps, ^togetber, the amount ^5« £ l20,000, hut as this would pot come to effeetuntU October next, the loss on this year wnnld be only £ 60,000. As the reductions of stamp duty, etc., come toto operation till January next, the loss would be on the year only £ 50,000. All newspapers weighing less than six ounces would be reduced to Jd. pos- tage and the whole loss on the Post-Offlce would be £ 250,000. Instead of the five per cent, tax on railway companies carrying passengers, he proposed to levy upon the traffic a duty of one per cent, which would, bring in £ 387,000; as against £ 494,000 now received from the five per cent duty. By this there would be a remission of £ 107,000. He believed the whole secret of taxation was that it should be equalised, and therefore he did not propose to alwbsh entirely the income tax, or the duty on tea, as it would simply render the burden heavier in some other way. The income tax wo lid be reduced to 4d., and large employers of labour would be required to make returns of persons in their service liable to pay income. tax. This reduction would involve a remission K nT' The next ttofr which he should deal with £ 5,700,000, and h^^propo £ 2,350,000. The remission involving th refined su at, would commence at fine sugar it would not come into effect for 1 thrVe weeks in order to allow time ior tne saie 01 m Viorwf ^jflviewinir then, the various items of remission for the vlr thev would be as follows :-Foot hawkers £ 16 000; 1 fm^l licence duties, £ 6,000 hail storm and insurance Snt^s £ 1 000- duties on stamps, £ 5,000; postage on 'nrinted matter, £ 60,0fi0; on newspapers, £ 125.000; rail- S £ ?« £ 1fiS 000' income tax, £ 1.250,030 sugar, £ 2,350,000; Tntal £ 3 966 000 The net surplus being £4,297,000, there would thus be left a balance of £331,000 in hand. Tne right hon gentleman concluded by placing in the hand of the cnairman the resolution for the reduction in sugar, and re- sumed his seat amid Ministerial cheers, having spoken for two hours and a halt. The usual desultory discussion followed the statement, and after a brief reply from the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the resolutions necessary for carrying out the changes reposed in the Budget were agreed to. The Lord Advocate brought in a bill to amend and to assimilate in certain respects the laws of England and Scot- land relating to game. Mr. Gladstone moved for the appointment of a Select Com- mittee to inquire into the State of the law affecting Members of Parliament who have been reported guilty of corrupt practices by an Election Commission, Mr. J. Lowther moved, as an amendment, that the Com- mittee be empowered to inquire into the operation of the Corrupt Practices Acts and also into the complaints made against the conduct of certain Commissioners. The Attorney-General said the Government would not ob- ject to a separate Committee to inquire into the operation of the Corrupt Practices Acts but they could not consent to an inquisition into the conduct of the Commissioners, whose general ability and discretion the Attorney-General earnestly defended. After remarks from other hon. members, Mr. Lowther withdrew his amendment. The Committee was then agreed to, and the house adjourned. In the House of Commons, April 12, Mr. Monk asked the Under. Secretary for the Colonies whether his attention had been called to a telegram dated "Ottawa, April 8," to the effect that the Minister of Finance had stated that the Ca- nadian Government intended to disregard the opinion of the law officers of England as to the appropriation of the Inter- colonial Railway Loan of last year; and whether the Government had received any information confirmatory of that statement. Mr. M onsell stated that his attention had been called to the statement, but no confirmatory information had been re- ceived by the Government, although they had received com- munications on other subjects. Mr. Gladstone having moved that the House at its rising do adjourn till Monday, the 25th April, Sir WUfred Lawson took advantage of the opportunity to call attention to the serious public injury caused by the delay in introducing the Government Licensing Bill, and to the imperative necessity for dealing with the question dur- ing the present session. He reminded the House that last session his bill had been put aside, the Home Secretary having promised that the Government would introduce a measure.. TV. After remarks from Sir H. Selwin Ibbetson and Mr. Bernal Osborne, Mr. Bruce said the measure he had undertaken to intro- duce was a complete one, but he thought it would not be wise to bring it in unless he saw a prospect of carrying it during the session. Until further progress had been made with the Irish Land Bill and the Education Bill it would be impossible to deal with the licensing system, but if the mea- sure could not be brought forward this session it would be introduced very early in the next. Mr. Beresford-Hope urged that the Education Bill should be pushed forward, and expressed his gratification at the assurance to that effect given by the right hon. gentleman. Mr. Gladstone expressed a hope that considerable progress would be made on re-assembling, with the Land Bill and the Education Bm. The report of the Committee on Ways and Means was brought up. and the resolutions agreed to. Mr. Macfie rose to move the appointment of a Select Com- mittee to consider and report on the law relating to letters patent for inventions, when the House was counted, and there being only twenty-six members present, the House ad- journed.

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