MR. MOFFATTsaid, he begged to ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what day he would introduce the Resolution for the reduction of the duties on tea, and whether, in the event of the House passing the Resolution, it would have immediate effect?
§ The CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERsaid, he was quite aware of the importance of the question put by his hon. Friend, and he was desirous to answer it as far as the matter depended on himself. Of course his hon. Friend was aware that the House had it in their own discretion to prolong or curtail those discussions on which they were now engaged, and upon which the proceedings of the Government must depend. The course, however, which would be taken by the Government would be this. After the vote on the Income Tax Resolution they would propose the Legacy Duty Resolution; and after the vote on the Legacy Duty Resolution they would propose the second reading of the Income Tax Bill. After the second reading of the Income Tax Bill they would then propose the second reading of the Spirit Duties Bill; and it would then be competent for the hon. Gentleman, who he believed had given notice to that effect, to contest the principle of that Bill. After the second reading of the Spirit Duties Bill, they proposed to carry the Income Tax Bill into Committee, losing no time in carrying it through the successive steps he had detailed. After the Income Tax Bill had passed through Committee, all the Resolutions with reference to the remission of Customs duty would be proposed; and in the event of the Resolution with regard to the tea duty being agreed to, the remission would take effect from and after the day the Resolution was reported to the House.