§ MR. DISRAELIsaid, as there was some misconception respecting the Amendment of which he had given notice for to-morrow, in consequence of a change that took place in the position it originally occupied in the paper, and in consequence of some conversation that took place between himself and the right hon. Chancellor of the Exchequer on Monday night, he would take the liberty of removing that misconception, and to state the mode in which the Amendment would be put. He consented to the arrangement by which it was proposed to bring it on, merely with a view of consulting the convenience of the House to the conduct of public business; but, in consequence of what fell from the right hon. Gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer, several Gentlemen were under the impression that he (Mr. Disraeli) was about to propose an amendment to a proposition on the part of the Government for the repeal of the window tax. That was not the case; that was not his intention; he was not prepared to oppose the repeal of the window tax. The question before the House would be a Motion to go into Committee for the imposition of a house tax; and, under these circumstances, he considered it was the best way of asking the opinion of the House upon the omission from the financial statement of that important body of Her Majesty's subjects, the owners and occupiers of land, who are in a state of suffering and depression at the present moment. In consequence of the change of the notice from the place which it originally occupied, he had been obliged to make a slight alteration in its language. The right hon. Gentleman, he was sure, would agree with the statement he had made, that he consented to the Amendment being brought forward in the manner he did, merely to suit the convenience of public business, and that it would not be submitted as an amendment to the repeal of the window tax.
§ LORD JOHN RUSSELLsaid, the hon. Gentleman made a statement that the proposal of the Government was to go into 1354 Committee for the imposition of a house tax. He thought it would be more correct to say that they proposed to go into Committee to repeal the present mode of assessing the tax by the number of windows, and to substitute another mode.
§ MR. DISRAELIsaid, he only wished to put himself right with the House. The Amendment, which he had slightly altered, was to ask the opinion of the House on the omission of the owners and occupiers of land from the financial statement, and not with any intention to oppose the repeal of the window tax.
§ The CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERsaid, he should propose to-morrow that the House should go into Committee to impose a house tax instead of the window tax, and the hon. Gentleman was to move an Amendment upon that resolution. Did he understand the hon. Gentleman now to say that he did not propose so to do; would he give him his Amendment?
§ MR. DISRAELIsaid, the Amendment which he intended originally to propose had appeared on the paper, and it was his intention to propose that resolution to the House before any of the measures in detail arising from the Budget should be submitted to the House. The Amendment he should move was—
That in any relief to he granted in the remission of taxation, due regard should be paid to the distressed condition of the owners and occupiers of land in the United Kingdom.He had omitted the words, "in the first instance."
§ Subject dropped.