§ The CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERsaid, he would now state, for the convenience of the House what he proposed with regard to the Customs Resolutions. It was admitted on all hands to be of great importance that these Resolutions should be passed as soon as the House might find it convenient; and he believed that with respect to a very large number—nearly the whole in fact—of the proposals of the Government in reference to the Customs, there was no disposition either to oppose or to debate them. With regard, then, to those portions of the Resolutions, he should propose, on whatever evening they finished the Committee on the Income-tax Bill, and at whatever hour it might be, to pass all the remissions of customs duty with respect to which there was no disposition to raise any question, reserving for a future evening those portions of the Resolutions to which he understood objections were to be made.
§ MR. DISRAELIsaid, it would be more convenient if the right hon. Gentleman would bring forward the Customs Resolu- 440 tions on Monday, and take the Committee on the Income-tax Bill on Friday.
§ The CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERsaid, it was most important that they should take the Committee on the Income-tax Bill before the Customs Resolutions.
§ SIR FITZROY KELLYsaid, he hoped the right hon. Gentleman, considering the immense importance of the subject to all classes of the community, would consent to delay the Committee on the Income-tax Bill till Friday. From a circumstance, which was well known, a large number of the Irish Members were now absent, and they would probably not be in their places on Monday. It would be scarcely fair, therefore, towards those Members, and would certainly be attended with great disappointment and inconvenience, if the Committee on the Income-tax Bill—a measure in which they felt particularly interested—should be proceeded with on that day. Consider in get that no opposition had been made to the second reading of the Bill, he hoped the Chancellor of the Exchequer would consent to the suggestion of the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Buckinghamshire (Mr. Disraeli) and take the Customs Resolutions on Monday, reserving the Committee on the Income-tax Bill till Friday.
§ The CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERsaid, it would be extremely agreeable to his Colleagues and himself if they could meet the wishes of the right hon. Gentleman opposite; but he was very sorry to say that public duty obliged them to adhere to the order of business which they had announced to-night only in conformity with former intimations. The success of the Income-tax Bill depended mainly upon its next stage, and, as that measure was regarded by the Government as the basis of the whole of their financial propositions, they felt it necessary to withhold all remissions of duties until the House had given its assent to the Income-tax Bill. He might remind the hon. and learned Member for East Suffolk (Sir F. Kelly) of the announcement made before the recess—that in the event of the House agreeing to read the Bill a second time to-night, it should be considered in Committee on Monday next. He could not but think that the Irish Members would be found, as they certainly ought to be, in their places on Monday, and that, too, after having enjoyed quite as long a Whitsuntide vacation as was usually allowed.
§ Subject dropped.