THE PROPERTY TAX. The Government and the Agricultural Interest. House of Lords, Monday, May 24.

New Zealander, Volume 8, Issue 677, 9 October 1852, Page 3

THE PROPERTY TAX. The Government and the Agricultural Interest. House of Lor ds, Monday, May 24.

On (he inohon for (he second reading of the Properly Ta\ Continuance Kill, Ihe Earl of Derby explained to their lordships Hie peculiar circumstances which compelled the Government lo ask for (he maintenance of (lie lax for another ye.ir, and .said lhaf he fell that (he impost was so unpopular and so intrinsically unjust, that he should ha\e rejoiced had lie been able to propose ils abolition, with a due icgard to maintaining and upholding the public credit and the public finances. The Duke of Newcastle contended at great length that Ihe free trade policy of the last few years had conferred great prosperity on the country. After a lengthened discussion on the question of free trade, in which Lord Berners, Lord Wodehouse, Earl Granville, (he Earl of Albermnrle, Kail Grey, and other noble peers look part, The- Earl of Derby replied a( considerable length lo the Duke of Newcastle and Earl Grey. The Noble E<ul concluded by saying — We are {old thai Mick; has been a rcdiicliou in (lie present year of 17,000 paupers in England. Now, at (he expense of the different parishes alone, (here has been 2000 emigrants from England in the coin so ol the present year. And that (acl takes no account of the amoudt of voluntary emigration, which from England and Ireland together amounted in the course of the year to 500,000 or 000,000. Why, the poorer classes have been emigrating from the country by wholesale. Earl Grey: The number is 555,000. The Earl of J)erby : I perceive that the noble earl is right in saying so. 1 find it diilicull to ascertain exactly what the precise amount of the Irish emigration is, because there is included in (he returns from Liverpool, for instance, a large number ol the Irish, which is set down as English emigration. JJut 555,000 of the pooiest classes leaving (he country in one year, it nalurally follows thai there has been such a diminution of the people of these dominions caused by emigration and famine, as it is awful lo contemplate. 1 deny, therefore, thai it is owing lo tree trade at all that there should he a diminution in the total amount of paupeiism hi (his country. I did not intend to be taken into discussion upon (he general condition of the country as estimated by Ihe amount of pauperism in it. / All L desire lo say is this. While Ido not deny that ceilain classes have largely gained by the introduction of free trade— while I believe thai they have gained considerably by the greater cheapness of some of the articles of consumption impoiled -1 believe that, in regard to the same operation of that system, that this good is not an unmitigated good, but that it has pressed heavily upon a large portion of (ho community, and upon your colonial countrymen with a seveie and oppiessivc burden. Noble lords opposite- have asked what is Ihe policy which the present Government intends to pursue ? Do they intend lo reverse the policy of the late Sir l\. Peel or not ? Now, 1 have al- | ready staled, I think vry distinctly— perhaps more distinctly than discreet — that 1 had no intention lo reverse the policy of the late Sir H. Peel, understanding by that the policy which prevailed ft om 1842 to Ihe period of 18-fG. I , have no design to reverse (he policy of the late I Sir K. Peel, as c\inced in IBU> by the reduction , ,of duties upon importation of foreign corn, i i should do^iie — and I concur with my light lion, frkwd Ihe Chancellor of the Exchequer in t!»e belief — that a moderate duly on the importation of fi>i< ign i)nrn would no! cause any appreciable (imounl of increase to (lie consume ;, and yet would be for Ihe country al large Ihe eiicip'sl and the most ett'ccfual mode ofghjng relief to (ho cl.tw* thai aio suffering i:i co.-Hequenco of the abolihiMs of such duty. (Hear.) 1 repeal nfyi'ui lh<it la;* <(iif".lion wh<'lm % i that alk'UMlne ( ' shall be adopted is one upon which the country ivu 1 .! decide (Hear, hear ) lam glad to mvc

such salMaclion lo Ihe noble lords opposite !»y wlial they call an imperial. l decollation made by mo, which was neither moivnoi less liiari losay in my belief that flic result ol the appioadiing election will nol be such <is will enable me lo piopose Ihe re-imposilion of a duly upon foreign corn— lljjit il will nol give me such a tsiajf rtly without which I ha\e pscviously decl.ued I would nol propose (lie repeal ol' Ihe present law. When Ihe noble maiquis opposite .says dial I have abandoned all wish or inlenlicn lo make such a proposition, 1 must lake (he liberty of saying Ihal U:o nolile marquis has gone one slop 100 (ar. (Hear, Ih'ar ) I have said (hat 1 will nol submit Ihe proposition Million I a (air majorily. J ha>o inlimaled Ihal we aie nol likely io have such a m.ijoiily, a.s far as I can judye from present appearances llut if Ihe seme of (he people be diUt-renl from what i anticipate, Ui.mi I hold lo my former opinion, namely, (h.il (here is no oilier mode in dealing with Ihe finances of Hie country, so advantageous for providing for the exigencies of Ihejcounlry, as filial which 1 have so olteu enunciated. But, my lord, Ihe noble earl said (addressing me) " having abandoned all idea of at any lime reimposing a duly on corn, will you nol go a step further, and declare you will do nothing whatever for the purpoee of what some noble loids please lo call ' tampering with Ihe existing .system ?'" Now, my lord**, W 1 am unable to afford relief lo the agricultural inlercsl one way (in the way in which I believe it be most advantageously :ifibivJu<l), J cannot Unircfbre propose lo abandon thorn altogether, and seek no other mode of relieving them. My lonte, nol only have J nol said Ihal, nol only will I nol say Ihal, hut it is the veiy opposite of what I have said, and which I will repeat now. J declare, whatever may be the consequence as lo Ihe support or opposition of right hon. gentlemen or noble lords, here or elsewhere, thai il is Ihe purpose of Ihe Governn»enln »en I lo seek (o aflbrd a jusl and equitable relief to those classes, who, even for Ihe benefit of the community at large have been made victims and suflerers. (Wear, hear.) And I believe Ihal in the English people (here is such a sense of juslice Ihal Ihey will nol see one class, or two, or lluee classes, deprived of ad vantages which Ihey have hilhcrlo enjojed, and at Ihe same lime subjected lo an undue proportion of burthens which they have hitherto borne. (Hear, bear.) I say therefore, my lords, distinctly, that it is my intention, and il is the wish of Ihe Government and the determination of Ihe Government, to direct their attention lo Ihe best mode Ihey can devise of relieving those suffering interests. (Hear, hear.) The extent or nature of that relief may nat be wilhin our command or control, (hear, hear), but lo Ihe affording of that relief, and at the same lime with full justice lo all classes of Ihe community, 1 declare now, and I have declared before, the attention of Ihe Government will be directed, (hear, hear,) and we shall hold il lo be our paramount duly, in some shape or other, to aflbrd that relief lo those classes who have been suffering for the good, if it he for the good, of the rest of the community. (Hear, hear.) The Duke of Argyll denied that free-trade had injured either landlord or tenants. In Scotland the rents had hardly (in most districts) been di minished, and Ihe labouring clrsses in both countries, he believed, were in a nourishing condition. ITc had heard with satisfaction the declaration of the noble earl, but regretted Ihe way in which il had been made ; rather like hanging out a secret signal lo his Iriends, instead of giving a frank and decisive declaration. The true fact was, that on this question all parlies had been compelled lo bow lo the judgment of the people, and to compromise their own original opinions. Even Ihe noble earl near him (Grey) had, in 1841, when Loid Howick aclulually advocated an Bs. fixed duly on corn as Hie hesl possible way of raising a revenue and settling the question. (Hear, hear.) Earl Grey (ralher warmly).— l haver always been in favour of free-trade. The Duke of Argyll.— Nevertheless Ihe noble earl, in 1841. made Ihe declaration [ have alluded (o (hear, hear), which shows (hat on this subject all pai lies have compromised their own opinions, and therefore noble lords opposite ought nol lo be launled with compromising theirs in deference to Ihe judgment of Ihe nation. (Hear, hear.) While Ibis question of protection was in abeyance the question of taxation could not be settled. He agreed with Ihe Chancellor of Ihe Exchequer lba,l direct taxation was nol practicable without exemptions, and with exemptions was very like confiscation. And he regretted Inning found that opinion commented upon with disapproval in a certain address issued lo the electors of Carlisle. (Hear, hear.) He believed thai noble lords on that side, and especially Iho noble marquis (Lansdowne) had expressed opinions to Ihe efl'eel Ihal in founding a system of finance on direct la\alion it would be diflicull (o avoid such exemptions as would render it impracticable. (Hear, hear.) lie did nol agree in the observations Ihal had been made as to the alteration of opinion on the part of public men, when conscientiously, he was persuaded the changes did not at all eflecl the estimation in which they were held in Ihe country. Earl Grey siid he had certainly spoken of an Bs. fived duly in 1811 -as a good compromise— (hear, hear, from the Ministerial benches)—believing such a duly would have raised Ihe revenue (hear, hear), and formed a fair settlement of the question at Ihal lime. (Hear, hear.) He had then believed it possible lo make out a case ou the part of agriculture, on the principles of political economy, for a fixed duly. (Hear, hear.) But it vas a question he bad always deemed of doubt and difllcully. (Hear, hoar.) The Duke of Argyll said he had not levelled any reproach at Ihe noble carl, but had simply cited, his declaration lo show that nil public men in the last few jeais had passed from protection lo free trade (hear, hear) ; for Ihe principle of protection was as much involved in an Bs. fixed duly as in the sliding scale. (Hear, hear.) The bill was then read a second time.

Pnoi>osKi> Nkw Onnun oi<- Ministers. —On Monday, Archdeacon Hale, in delivering his charge to (he clergy, declared his conviction (hal Iho lime was come for (he icsloration of another order of clergy, in the form of a subdiaconale. Ue had reason to believe thai, amongst (helaily of Ihib grral metropolis, as well as in oilier parts of Hid kingdom, there would be found many members ol the Chun-h engaged in trades arid proles.sions, and even ol independent fortune, who would be willing, if permitted (o do so, to devote much of their time to the iuUHnicnl of those duties which now belong to (he deacon V. ottiee, who would not disdain to assemble the poor in some humble oratory .sol ap.nl for worship, vbo would catechise the youth, and \Wit the cottages of the poor. Nothing less (ban the establishment of such an orrlei of mmislerscould meet (he wants of the limes, and as I hoy must receive a public mission in a solemn manner, a now form of ordination would be necessary. — i,oia 1. .v.'j . L- . ul. fa !j >'j ."M'amn )>i* "'.k :m.s ) > Btmn^er , it aliowq he is a citiKon of tho woikl, ntid thai I)i4 licait is no i^lsind cut Iroin other kudu, but a contmenl tlint joins tl)wn." It is Hfatecl (lint a 0010-'/al s(a(atc of (ho Kmpcror lion.ip>.r.>tc, .SO li^Pt ln^-li, ih »c> lin placed on the top of the Inuniphnl Aich,al tlio end of the Chumps Kly-^esi