—The Irish Excise Duty bill, the Irish Stamp Duty bill, the Irish Postage Duty bill, the Irish Malt and Spirit Duty bill, and the Irish Customs Duty bill, went through a committee.—In the committee on the last,
Mr. Fosterconsented, from respect to the opinion of so many Irish members, to discontinue the 6 per cent. duty on Irish retail imports. He believed, however, and expected, that on a revision of the English duties, it would be found proper to impose something of this kind in Ireland. The other tax that was objected to, the tax on timber, he thought so unexceptionably fair, that he would persevere in it.
§ Sir J. Newportrepeated his former objection to this tax, which he thought was calculated to discourage the growth of timber in Ireland, and to defeat the produce of the tax itself, by diminishing the import. The produce on the tax on windows and auctions would so far exceed the estimate, that the tax on timber would not he wanted. He therefore moved "that this tax should be struck out."
§ Lord De Blaquierethought the duty just and well considered; its merits had been fully discussed, and the propriety of the tax established by a vote of the house the very night before, and he felt it rather hard that at that hour of the day ,he should have nothing offered him to eat but his own words, an aliment he certainly did not relish, and therefore, if it came to a discus- 61 sion, he should persevere in his former conduct.—The question being put, there appeared for sir J. Newport's motion 34, against it 80.—Majority 55. The other items in the schedule were then read and agreed to—Adjourned.