§ The House having resolved into a Committee on the Excise and Custom Duties,
The Chancellor of the Exchequerrose to call the attention of the House to the duration by law of several of these duties; viz. six months after the termination of the war. The House would be aware of the inconvenience that might attend the cessation of these duties at an open period of the year, when, parliament not sitting, no modified continuation of any of them could take place, if necessary. It was his 742 intention, therefore, to propose that the excise duties should continue in force until the 10th July 1815, by which time parliament would be enabled to take the subject into consideration, and come to such a decision upon it as might seem expedient. It was his intention to propose a similar measure with respect to the customs duties, excepting the duties on the tonnage of ships and vessels clearing out, or on goods exported or carried coastwise. The right hon. gentleman accordingly moved two Resolutions, embodying these regulations.
§ Mr. Whitbreadobserved, that the right hon. gentleman had said nothing of the Income Tax. Was it to be inferred that that tax was unequivocally to expire on the 5th of April next?
The Chancellor of the Exchequerreplied, that it was not his intention to agitate that subject in the present session. There would be abundant time in the next session for parliament to determine whether any, or what part of that tax should continue to be exacted.—He added, that it was a question which must depend on circumstances that it was impossible to foresee; for instance, the progress or result of the war with America.