had it heen brought forward upon different grounds, and been more limited in its objects. From enquiries of this latter nature I expect much benefit; and his Majesty's Government do not appear to be adverse to them. They have already consented to grant a committee to enquire into the condition of the poor in Ireland. The Chancellor of the Exchequer has given notice of his intention to bring in a Bill to regulate the Dead Weight system; and has said, that he shall have no objection to refer that Bill, together with the whole subject, to a committee up stairs. My honourable friend, the member for Dover, has a notice on the order book, for a select committee to investigate the effect of the present system of our Taxation, upon the productive classes of the country. Whether the proposed committee will be granted or not, I cannot tell; but this I know, that whenever my honourable friend shall bring forward his motion, he shall have my warmest support. We have already a committee sitting to enquire into the affairs of the East-India Company, and into their monopoly of the trade with China. In like manner, I hope we shall have a committee to enquire into the Banking System of the country, in connection with the renewal of the charter of the Bank of England. It is by enquiries thus limited to specific objects, that we shall arrive at more satisfactory results, than by going into a committee, purporting to be for an enquiry into the causes of distress generally,-a species of enquiry which, in my judgment, could not possibly lead to any good, but which, in the expectation of its promoters, might lead to what I consider the greatest possible evil,-the unsettling and disturbing the present monetary system of the country.

MR. POULETT THOMSON'S MOTION FOR A REVISION OF THE SYSTEM OF TAXATION.

March 25.

Mr. Poulett Thomson moved for a Select Committee, to enquire into the expediency of making a Revision of the present System of Taxation. The motion was supported by Mr. Bankes, Mr. Robinson, Mr. Maberly, Mr. Baring, Mr. E. J. Denison, Mr. Warburton, Sir Henry Parnell, and Lord Althorp; and opposed by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, General Gascoyne, Mr. Herries, Mr. Bright, and Mr. Secretary Peel.

Mr. HUSKISSON said, that the only part of the speech of the honourable member for Dover from which he entirely dissented, was the proposal of a vote of credit, or, if he understood him correctly, a succession of votes of credit. He agreed with the right honourable the President of the Board of Trade, that when a first step in this way was taken, no one knew where it would stop. He owned he could not agree with his right honourable friend, the Home Secretary, that if the House supported this motion on any view of a subject which was not consistent with the view of the right honourable gentleman, it would be placing the Government in such a situation, that it would be more manly and consistent to declare that the House placed no confidence in his Majesty's ministers.

With respect to referring questions of taxation to a committee, without going so far back as the administration of Sir Robert Walpole, examples might be found in favour of the practice in recent times. The Salt duty had been referred to a committee, who were expressly instructed to inquire into the best mode of commuting it. Two different committees had reported on the propriety of taking off the tax on Leather. And yet, in these cases, there had been no alarm in the public mind,-no change of government,―

and no loss of confidence in his Majesty's ministers. If the House of Commons could not refer such subjects to a committee, without endangering the safety of the country, it had better give up inquisition altogether. What were the committees on foreign trade, and what the committee which recommended the taking off the prohibition from the silk manufacture? It had been the same with bullion, the currency, the one-pound notes in 1826;-they were all measures which were first of all investigated by committees of the House. Even the great question of the corn laws had been referred to a committee, and the principal point for the consideration of that Committee, was no less than whether there should be an entire prohibition of foreign corn, or a tax upon the importation of it. Those who were so sanguine as to anticipate the possibility of reducing any of our present taxes, without substituting new ones, would naturally first direct their inquiries to the bearings of the present system; and this could be most effectually accomplished by the appointment of a select committee.

The honourable member for Dover had not touched upon the malt tax; yet it was not a subject to be overlooked, particularly when they bore in mind, that the excise regulations added at least fifty per cent. in restraint and annoyance, to the hard-working industry of the country, beyond what they were the means of bringing in to the revenue. It had been said, that this was the province of Government, not of a Committee; but he asked in return, why they had selected the leather-tax for repeal? Was it not because the disproportionate relation of loss to the people with gain to the revenue had been already pointed out

The honourable member for Bridport had alluded to the mode of taxing foreign Timber, and he fully concurred in all that he had said as to its impolicy. We certainly increased the employment of our shipping; but it could not

be maintained, that we promoted the general interests of the country. He did not look forward to the repeal of a single tax which had been pointed out; but he was anxious to examine into the proportion between the actual burden imposed upon the people, and the amount of taxation received into the Exchequer. There was no intention of taking the Budget out of the hands of Government; but this good would at all events result from the motion,-the opinions of independent members, as to the practicability of particular reductions, would go forth to the public, and be at length forced on the adoption of Ministers, if upon examination they should be esteemed expedient.

With regard to his own imputed squeamishness about the Property-tax, he should merely say, that it had been his object only to point out how far the mode of levying such a tax in these times, ought to differ from that introduced at the period of the war. He had merely expressed a doubt, whether the country would ever right itself, without receiving some greater relief than could possibly be administered by a direct repeal of taxation. The mode of levying the revenue was a subject fraught with interest to all who desired to see economy practised in the management of the state, and he could see nothing irregular in proposing such an inquiry, more especially at a time when a general impression was entertained throughout every part of the kingdom, that the agricultural and manufacturing interests could not exist under the pressure of the existing direct taxation upon industry.

Another great source of the pressure of the public burthens was to be traced to prohibitions and restraints on commerce, which equally demanded an attentive consideration. For if relief were granted to the operative industry of the country -to the millions of consumers-the landed interest, he felt assured, would at once experience the good effects of the benefit which would accrue from it. In Birmingham alone,

But

it was ascertained that the consumption of meat had diminished by one-third. The honourable member for Callington had alluded to the case of France; but the French territory, it ought to be borne in mind, was not nearly so extended as it was during the revolutionary war,—a war actually occasioned by the heavy taxes which oppressed and weighed down the people at that time. France in those days, could not raise a revenue of four hundred and sixty millions of francs; and he had no hesitation in saying, that a deficiency of sixty millions had been the immediate cause of that revolution. what was her condition at present? Why, she was able to pay a thousand millions. It was, he said, his unalterable conviction, that we could not uphold the Corn Laws now in existence, together with the present taxation, and at the same time increase national prosperity, and preserve public contentment. That those laws might be repealed without affecting the landed interest, whilst, at the same time, the distress of the people might be relieved, he never had any doubt whatever. A general feeling prevailed, that some change must be effected and that speedily; nor were there any individuals more thoroughly persuaded of it than those who moved in the humbler walks of life. Whether a committee of inquiry were appointed or not, he was glad that this motion had been made, as the discussion would, no doubt, attract that attention which the luminous speech of the honourable member for Dover, apart from the considerations suggested by the subject itself, so richly deserved.

The House divided. For the motion, 78, of whom Mr. Huskisson was one. Against it 167.