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also conterminous with ardent spirits . If , cerw 1 a great reform and change of system could tfl ^^ ieve ( £ the case would be different , but the result of ^ opose ' d alteration would be to increase all the objec-• ^ to the present system . There was a smack and sa-^ r of compensation about the proposed repeal . Showing V this measure would not benefit the consumer , he convfflred it with reference to the revenue , and argued from II . analogy in * h e case of Deer ( which , with 20 per cent . + kpnoff increased only 25 per cent , in 22 years ) , that the rh&nc ellorof the Exchequer ' s anticipation had been much ton sanguine . Then , he remarked , the repealing of one ¦? x in order to impose another might be justifiable , but ™ Li 1 d draw down a severity of scrutiny which this pro-S < r could not bear . The Chancellor of the
Exchouer had said that the principles ot the . Budget were newthe Home Secretary , that they were old . He could rmt hold with both , if any gentleman could ; but he inclined to hold with the former . Disallowing the riffht of the Chancellor of the Exchequer to call himself a follower of Free-trade principles , or those of Sir Robert Peel who invariably adhered to the principle of raising within the year ample sums for the services of that year , he proceeded to the subject of the Income-tax . A question had been opened , he said , of a most formidable character , but the course of the Government had been that of pandering to the coarsest passions , by casting upon the world seductive arrangements which it was known could never be carried into effeet . If there were no real plan for rearranging the Income-tax , the Chancellor of the Exchequer had been guilty of a grave offence against the public . Tnvina- much stress upon this part of the argument , he
denied that any plan for separating precarious from permanent income had ever yet been presented to Parliament . He lastly affirmed that the Chancellor of the Exchequer had presented a Budget without a surplus , and had in the earlier part of his speech gone a long way towards admitting it . Borrowed money alone was provided for the surplus of the year , and that was no surplus at all . These were not times to trifle with the revenue . He asked whether the committee was prepared to support a Government who so dealt with it ? The deeds
Chancellor of the Exchequer had laid out its good for approbation that night , as a shopman paraded his wares His predecessors had effected reformations Jike those of which he boasted , but had not found it necessary so to parade them . He voted against the Chancellor of the Exchequer and his Budget , because that Budget was the most subversive one he had ever seen , and he opposed it in support of the conservative principles common , he -believedf to a majority of the House ot Commons . He concluded with an earnest warning to the Ministerial sts +. W . ti , OT wflrfi all at the bar of public opinion , and that
they would look back upon their support of this Budget with a late but an ineffectual regret . ' After some observations from Mr . Conoixy , in reply to a few wbrds addressed to him by Mr . Gladstone , the Committee then divided , and the numbers were—For the resolution 28 *> Against it 305 Majority against Government . 19 The Chancet ^ ou of th e Exchequer then suggested the adj ournment of the House until Monday . The House adjourned at twenty minutes to four .
TENANT RIGHT . The debate on the second reading of the Tenants Compensation ( Ireland ) Bill , adjourned on the 7 th hist ., was resumed , on Wednesday , by Mr . J . D . Fitzgerald , who reproached the Government , anil especially the Attorney-General for Ireland , with dealing unfairly with the bill of Mr . Serjeant Shoe , which , although Mr . Napier had , he said , consented to its second readingwaa now stigmatized as destructive of tho rights
, of property and embody ing a Communistic principle . He ( Mr . Fitzgerald ) assented to the princip le of that bill , recognising property in improvements , though he objected to many of its ' details ; whereas he dissented from Mr . Napier ' s bill , because its dotailn rendered the claims to such property liable to be defeutud ; although ho did not oppose its being read a second time , because its pi-wimble was large enough to develop the true
principle . Mr . Napikh vindicated his own consistency , and reiterated tho explanations he had given , vvhmi he introduced this and the other Irish land hills , of the theory and principles of his new agricultural code , especially of this part of it , in which his object had been to reconcile the rights of property with the rights ofindustry . Ho gave n history of the tentative legislation with reference to this question , and , professing an honest desire to bring it to a final settlement , he proceeded to explain and defend the details and machinery of his hill , which , he observed , avoided all interference with
tho Ulster tenant right , or any other custom or private agreement between landlord and tenant , securing to tho latter all the rights which even Mr . S . Crawford claimed for him , consistent with tho rig hts of property . Ho then entered upon a criticism of Mr . Slice ' s bill , whidi , ho contended , involved tho principle of eompul-Hory valuation , and Hpeeified a variety of objections to its fowling princip les and provisions . Mr . LirOAS seconded Mr . Fitzgendd ' n call for explanation on tho subject of tho reference of the two bills to u select , cominitteo , asking wl . otl . er tho inquiry was to be an illusory one , which could have no result , or a full , bond tide , and nnbiwflcd inquiry . The ground
upon which he objected to Mr . Napier ' s bill was , that wishing , as he did , for a measure that should be conservative , he found that bill to be , not a measure of liberal conservative reform , but one that in its nature ( bating one or two principles ) was essentially revolutionary . He combated the doctrine that in only a few instances had the Irish landlords obtained rent upon improvements . He showed that since 1780 the rental of Ireland had increased 6 , 000 , 000 ^ ., and everybody admitted that the landlords had not made
improvements ; so that these were all tenants' improvements ,, which had increased the rate of production beyond that of English husbandry . He pursued this line of argument in much detail , in order to show that there had been great improvements of late years in every department of agriculture in Ireland , proving the existence there of an active , industrious , and improving tenantry . If , he said , this class had secured to them the power of calling what was really their property their own , if the Irish tenantry were encouraged in their progress , they
would become a magnificent machinery for the amelioration of Ireland . The custom in large districts , he asserted , with good as well as bad landlords , was to put , not merely high , but impossible rents upon their tenants , the distinction between the two classes ^ of landlords consisting in the manner in which these impossible rents were enforced ; and he contended , that the provision in Mr . Napier ' s bill for compensating periods would afford no remedy in such cases , of which Mr Lucas mentioned several examples .
Mr- Drttmmond said Mr . Lucas had made a speech full of most interesting matter , but he was at a'loss to understand his objection to the motion . Mr . Drummond admitted everything said by him both of landlords and tenants ; his difficulty was to know why the relations between the two classes in Ireland should differ from those in other parts of the world . If , however , this ' was an exceptional case , the remedy must be exceptional . Sir J . Shelley observed , that there were two sides to this question , and in giving a compensation to the tenant—a princip le he had always advocated—wrong should not be inflicted upon the landlord .
Lord Naas considered that , although the principle of the two bills were antagonistical and irreconcilable , their details might , nevertheless , be discussed before the select committee with advantage . He replied to Mr . Lucas , whom he accused of dealing unjustly with the landlords of Ireland , contending that , as a body , they did not deserve such wholesale condemnation , and that the agricultural improvements he had dilated upon mio-ht be attributed to the encouragement given by
landlords . He believed that the bill of Mr . Napier would satisfy the tenantry of Ireland , as it would insure to a good tenant a certain compensation for his improvements . The principle of that bill was , that the compensation to a tenant depended solely and entirely upon the improvement he should make ; whereas the other bill threw overboard that wholesome principle , legalizing the tenant-right of Ulster , which depended only upon the incoming tenant ' s disposition to buy , and introduced a compulsory settlement of rent , which was
nothing less than Communism . Lord Monck admitted that the hill of Mr . Napier was n great advance on the part of the present Government . No measure upon this subject could , in his opinion , he satisfactory to the tenantry of Ireland which was not based upon the principle of giving the tenant : » property in any additional value lie conferred upon the land by tho exertion of his industry , or by tho investment of his capital . His main objection to this bill was founded upon tho complexity of its details . Mr . WrriTESHPR defended the bill , the objects contemplated by which he briolly enumerated , and should rejoice , he Hind , if it could he improved in the committee . Ho objected to the other hill because if . was impossible in theory , wrong in principle , and impracticable in its details .
Tim bill was then read ji second time , and ordered to bo referred to u select committee . MAJOR HKIUCNI'OKd ' h CASK . Mr . ( Ion unirn , amidst tho deepest silence in the House , brought , up , on Thursday , tho following report from the select committee appointed to inquire into tho connexion of Major Berenibrd with tho transactions at llxi Into Derby election : " Tho select committee appointed to lake into consideration the petition of certain inhabitant hoiiNeholderN of tho tinl of November lasthaveto
horoiifrfi of Derby , on the < ., , report to your lionoumMo Jiouno :--Tliat your committee huvo examined wilneciHOH , ai »< t Imve hoard coihinoI in . Hupporfcof tho petition , hhwhII an oubohalf of tho Rig ht , Hon . William BeroMford , Seorntiiry-al ¦ War , and a mmnher of this house . Your commit ten hu \ o to report ; , with roferenco to tho Npoeine iillogal . ioiiH contained m tho rtiport ho-IVmi them , that tho evidence 1 i « h Htitinliod them Unit a plan for mi organized Hyutom ot bribery existed in tho borough of Derby at tho last election . That , fcho Right . Hon . William Uorestbril wroto a letter to one John ii ' ruil , of Shrowabury , in tho following torma : —¦
" < A good and safe man , with judgment and quickness , is wanted immediately at Derby . I suppose that you cannot leave your own place ; if not , send some one whom you can trust in your place . Let him go to Derby on receiving this , and find the County Tavern , in the centre ot the town . Send his card to Cox , Brothers , and Co ., Lead-works , as coming from Chester . That will be enough . - , " 'Monday . Yours , W . B . That in consequence of such letter , one Thomas Morgan , jun ., was sent to Derby by the said John Frail , and acting on the instructions therein contained , was subsequently detected and apprehended in Derby , while engaged in
carrying out the plan of the organized system ot bribery proved before your committee to have existed . Your committee do not think there is sufficient evidence to satisfy their minds that the arrangement , scheme , and object referred to in the petition were known to and concurred in by the Eight Hon . W . Beresford ; but your committee are of opinion that the equivocal expressions of that letter ought at least to have suggested to him an idea of the improper use to which that letter might have been , and , in fact , was applied . And they think it exhibited a reckless indifference and disregard of consequences which they cannot too highly censure . " It was agreed that the evidence should be printed .
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THE FRAIL-BERESFORD COMMITTEE . Although the committee sitting to decide how far Major Beresford is implicated in the Derby bribery has kept its doors closed , yet the evidence has been dribbled out to the press ; and the committee are responsible for any errors which may bave been set before the public . Substantially , the evidence does not alter the case , nor materially add to what was already known . In his examination , Major Beresford admitted that he wrote the " W . B . " letter ; that he gave it to Cox of Derby , who forwarded it to Frail of Shrewsbury . But he says that he only consented to find a man to watch the other side , prevent illegal practices , and the kidnapping of voters , on the assurance of Mr . Cox , that nothing illegal was intended . The negotiation was carried on afc the Carlton . He admits that Frail has been in his pay for three years , at a salary of 300 / . a-year . He does not clearly explain what his duties were . He could not remember anything about anything—not even his own letters . He professed not to know what he meant by such terms as carrying the borough by " sudden assault , " with KMXtf . He reiterated the charge of conspiracy against Flewker , Cox of Nottingham , and others . Morgan was afterwards examined . He
admitted going to Derby with the " W . B . " letter ; when there , he saw Flewker and Radford , at the County Tavern . Radford merely said , "How are you ? " Morgan said , he thought he was to be a pollclerk ,- then found he was to pay legitimate expenses to the holders of tickets for 21 . ; and wondered why they were not paid in an attorney ' s office . He paid . such as brought them , having no idea what they were for . A " man in drab" gave him the money to pay with ; he believed the man in drab was Flewker , whom he had previously seen in black . But the landlord of the County Tavern proved that Flewker wore black each time when he culled : and Lund admitted
that he carried heavy parcels to the tavern , and that he wore a drab coat ; so that Morgan ' s attempt to fix the charge of * bringing the money on Flewker failed . Morgan could not remember whether ho agreed to the signal before it was used ; but ho remembered tho signal perfectly . It will be remembered that Mr . Ueivsford said Morgan was sent fo prevent illegal practices ; but Morgan admitted Hint ho never heard of any stall" to detect bribery , or prevent kidnapping , or any such thing . Frail was examined , sitting on two chairs ; but he merely p roved tho receipt of tho " W . B . " letter ; the sending of Morgan to Derby ; and generally his own intimate relations with the Oarlton .
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ANTI-lUTlXiUT MKKTINC 1 W . Southward , formally assembled under its high bailiff , led the metropolitan opposition to tho Budget thin week . Resolutions , condemning the cardinal points ol ' tho whole scheme—the correlative doubling ami extension of the Mouse-lux , and the repeal of half tho Malttax , were agreed to , on Monday , in tho Town H » " . An additional clause was afterward * added , advising tlio adoption of a legacy and probate-duty on real property , in tho event ; of new tuxes being necessary .
Sir William Molesworth and Mr . Apsley IVllatt , tho borough members , addressed tho electors . Sir William opposes the whole Budget , as likely to create u " deficiency , " and ais bwsod on tho repeal of tho Mult-tax , which is not culled for , ami the extension and increase of the House-tax , which in unjust . Mr . l'olliit . t , like a nameless but famous candidate for Hristol , who said , "I Miy ditto to Mr . Burke , " " adheres to tho nenlimints put forth" by Sir William Molewworth . It is not . easy to discern tho Nentiineutrt connected with h tax on houHOH and u tux . on malt .
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December 18 , 1852 . ] THE LEADER , 1201
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Leader (1850-1860), Dec. 18, 1852, page 1201, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1965/page/5/
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