TO-DAY the House of Commons reassembles after the "Whitsuntide recess, while the House of Lords prolongs its harmless holiday till to-morrow. The last part of the last Session of the present Parliament has thus begun. We cannot expect that much business of the first Importance should be transacted in it. The Budget Bill stands for second reading on Monday, and there is sure to be as animated discussion on the amendment of Sir Michael Hicks-Beach. Sir Michael Hicks-Beach objects to the beer and spirit duties being raised because the rise is not accompanied by a corresponding increase is the duties on wine, and also to augmenting the succession duty on real property without at the same time effecting a readjustment of local taxation. The answer in both cases is obvious. The increased duty on beer and spirits, so far as it will affect the consumer at all, is the only part of the budget which reaches the working man. An eightpenny income tax may be necessary, and, if it is necessary, it will be cheerfully paid. But it is unfair, as the labouring classes would he the first to admit, that the whole financial burden of the Empire should fall upon the shoulders of these who pay direct taxes. These who by their votes control a policy should also help to defray the expenses of its results. As for the rest of Sir Michael's amendment, it is not very much to the point. The incidence of local taxation is one thing. The equalisation of the sums payable on the transference by death of real and personal property is another. The second point is a small one, and the propcsal of Mr. Childers in regard to it is obviously just. Local taxation opens up very large and difficult questions, as to which there is a general agreement that they must wait for the new Parliament to decide. We must, however, warn Sir Massey Lopes and his friends of one thing. If they insist, or rather, since they have insisted, on going theroughly into the comparative amounts which real and personal property respectively contribute for public purposes, they must not forget, or if they do they will be reminded of the Land Tax. The Land Tax is based on the value of land at the time of the Revolution, which is not exactly the same thing as its value now. Ireland threatens to occupy a large share of the time remaining to the present House of Commons. The partial renewal of the Crimes Act for even one year is sure to excite the hitterest and most prolonged opposition. It has been argued that to make the new Bill terminable at the end of twelve months will be to raise an undesirable issue at the General Election. But, as we have already pointed out, the new Parliament cannot be ousted of its jurisdiction over the matter.
Daily News, June 4, 1885.
The Meeting of Parliament
The Meeting of Parliament
Table of Contents
Miracles of healing - Christian Miracles or Healing
History of Russia: Christian Versus Barbarian
History of Japan: Early Christian Martyrs
The Jesus of History
The Assyrian Origin of Devil Worshippers
The Christ Of Dogma
The early history of Constantinople
