[BILL 101.] COMMITTEE. (Hansard, 23 April 1883)

§ MR. WHITLEY
said, he wished to make a few observations to the House before the Motion was agreed to. For some time past he had opposed the Bill, upon grounds which he believed to be good and justifiable. By the Bill it was proposed to introduce an entirely new and novel system of taxation. The harbours of the Isle of Man, no doubt, wanted considerable repairs; and in the year 1874 an Act was passed, by which a tonnage due was charged on all vessels using those harbours. That Act, however, had not been put in force, 997 and the harbours hitherto had been supported out of the general Revenues of the Island. A very considerable expenditure was now about to be incurred in the repair of the harbours; and, instead of putting in force the Act which was now in existence, Her Majesty's Government had brought in the Bill now before the House to meet that expenditure. In place of charging the tonnage dues, they proposed, by the present Bill, to levy a passenger duty—to make a charge of 3d. for every passenger landing in the Island, and for every person leaving the Island. They estimated that, by this system of taxation, they would be able to raise something like £1,500 a-year. He was aware that the hon. Gentleman the Secretary to the Board of Trade would say that the measure had been approved by the Tynwald Court of the Island, and by the Governor. It was quite true that the Tynwald Court of the Island did approve of the Bill; but no notice was given, at the time of its introduction, to the parties concerned, and no notice had been given up to the present moment. He believed the view of the Governor of the Island and of the Tynwald Court, that to make a charge for every passenger who, from time to time, came to the Island, was a very excellent way of avoiding taxation. The Tynwald Court was a comparatively small body; it was chiefly composed of farmers and agriculturists; and, no doubt, the novel proposition made in the Bill did at first commend itself to them. Since the idea of making this charge upon the visitors to the Island was formed, a very strong feeling had grown up in the town of Douglas, which was principally affected, against the provisions of the Bill. A Memorial had been sent to the Government; and he (Mr. Whitley) thought a Memorial signed by almost all the hotel keepers, lodging-house keepers, and the principal tradespeople in Douglas, had been submitted to the Board of Trade, stating that, in the opinion of the Petitioners, the Bill would have a very prejudicial effect upon the Island. The prosperity of the Island depended upon the immense number of strangers who visited the Island during the summer months. He believed that last year about 100,000 people visited the place; and the people of Douglas considered that any tax, however small it might 998 be, would drive pleasure-seekers to other watering places. He had no doubt it would be said he was speaking in the interest of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company. It was true the Company were affected, and they were affected in a very singular manner, for not only was it proposed to levy this tax upon the passengers, but it was actually proposed to make the Steam Packet Company the collectors of the tax. Instead of collecting the tax in the ordinary way, by means of the Custom House authorities, they made the Steam Packet Company the collectors of this invidious tax; and the Steam Company very properly objected to being tax collectors for the benefit of the Revenues of the Isle of Man. No doubt, it might be said this was, in some degree, a selfish action on their part; but they believed, and the people of Douglas believed, that to make a charge upon the passengers would be very detrimental, in the long run, to the interests of the Island. He (Mr. Whitley) thought he was justified in saying that the policy of the present Governor did not meet with the approval of the late Governor, and that, moreover, it would not meet with the approval of the Tynwald Court when another election took place. The present Court was elected without any reference to this new mode of taxation; but, at the present time, an election contest was going on in Douglas, the issue of which, he believed, would depend upon the views which the candidates took with regard to this novel system of taxation. If he could have had any hope that he could interest the House in what was, in some degree, a Local Act of Parliament he should have pressed his views, and the views of the people of Douglas, and of the Steam Packet Company upon its attention; but he was quite aware that it was very difficult indeed to enlist the sympathies of Members upon a question which might be regarded, and, no doubt, was regarded, as a purely local one, The deputation which he had the honour to introduce to the hon. Gentleman the Secretary to the Board of Trade used every argument that was possible against the Bill, but without effect, upon his hon. Friend. The hon. Gentleman thought he was carrying out the resolution of the Tynwald Court, and therefore he felt bound to persevere with the Bill. After the Bill was passed 999 in that House, it would have to go again before the Tynwald Court, and he had every reason to hope and believe that in that Court it would be rejected. He could not sit down without acknowledging the great courtesy and consideration he had always received from his hon. Friend the Secretary to the Board of Trade; and if anything could have induced him to remove the obstacles he had hitherto raised to the progress of the measure, it would have been the kindness he had received at the hands of his hon. Friend. As a matter of form, he had to move that the Committee on the Bill be deferred till that day six months.

§ MR. JOHN HOLMS
moved to leave out the word "to," in page 2, line 19, and insert the word "of."

§ MR. JOHN HOLMS
moved to insert, after "embarkation," in page 4, line 14— But if the owner or master of the vessel shows that such non-payment arises from any mistake or accident, and pays or tenders the amount of duty unpaid, the said tonnage rate shall not be enforced.