The Chancellor of the Exchequermoved that the Report of the Stamps and Assessed Taxes' Bill be brought up.
§ Mr. Humetook the opportunity of suggesting to the right hon. Gentleman, who had declined to repeal the Stamp-duty upon newspapers, on the ground of wanting funds, the propriety of devoting to that purpose the sum of 350,000l., yet remaining unapplied out of the million which had been advanced to the Irish clergy. It was now understood that the Irish Tithe Bill had been dropped altogether in the other House; and he would submit to the Chancellor of the Exchequer that it would be well, now that the money in question had been spurned and rejected by that House, for him to amend the present Bill, by at once reducing the amount of the duty to which he alluded to the sum of one penny.
The Chancellor of the Exchequerwould never consent to reduce a tax by means of an issue of Exchequer Bills, for the money to which his hon. Friend alluded was but a fund remaining of unissued Exchequer Bills.
§ Mr. Humeobserved, that when he desired the reduction, he did not contemplate the necessity of providing for any consequent decrease of revenue; on the contrary he 1093 thought a diminution of the duty would lead to an increase.
Mr.O'Connellsaid, that the House might also apply the 750,000l. which had been advanced out of the million to that purpose. They had, indeed, expressed their willingness to remit their claim to that amount on the Irish clergy who had received it, but elsewhere it had been said, that the Protestant clergy ought to repay it.
§ Report brought up.