HC Deb 30 July 1883 vol 282 cc1094-5

Order for Third Reading read.

Motion made, and Question proposed, "That the Bill be now read the third time."

MR. WARTON

said, he felt it his duty not to allow the third reading of this Bill to be taken without some words of comment, with a view principally of causing a question to be raised in "another place," where Constitutional principles were more faithfully considered than in this Chamber. He conceived that nothing more unconstitutional had been brought in by this most unconstitutional Government than this plan of re-imposing taxation which had been remitted by the House. The point was taken up the other night by the hon. Barenet the Member for Hythe (Sir Edward Watkin); but it was not answered by the Government. As a matter of fact, the House was allocating too much power to the Board of Trade. The question of electric lighting had been placed in the hands of the Board of Trade; the administration of the Bankruptcy Act was to be confided to the care of the Board of Trade; and the object of this Bill was to give additional power to this Board. The House had resolved to remit the passenger duty; but by this Bill it was proposed that if the Board of Trade was not satisfied with the proceeding of any particular Railway Company it should be within its power to re-impose the taxation. Now, this he considered the most wicked and unconstitutional principle that he had heard of for some time. Taxation could really be imposed by a Department which consisted, as they had been told, of the President of the Board of Trade. Hon. Members would thus see that this amounted to taxation by one man; and he conceived that this was altogether wrong and unconstitutional. He hoped that some limit would be placed upon the powers of the right hon. Gentleman the President of the Board of Trade. He begged to move that the Bill be read a third time upon that day three months.

MR. BIGGAR

seconded the Amendment. He, like the hon. and learned Gentleman the Member for Bridport (Mr. Warton), held that it was thoroughly unconstitutional to give any official power to tax any portion of Her Majesty's subjects. They had found the same principle in other Bills, and they had seen the most unsatisfactory results follow. They had known power given to the Heads of Departments to fix rates, and in some cases the result had been that the amount of rates fixed had been higher than those previously charged, although the work was actually the same. He felt very decidedly of the opinion that the Government, and not one particular person, should have power to tax the people of a country. If it was thought desirable to levy a tax, the proposition ought to spring from the proper quarter—namely, the Chancellor of the Exchequer for the time being. What might be the practical result of this system, if carried to a greater extent than was now proposed? The Heads of the different Departments might levy taxes amounting to £2,000,000 or £3,000,000 a-year; and in that way the Chancellor of the Exchequer would be able to lay before Parliament a very flattering Budget.

Amendment proposed, to leave out the word "now," and at the end of the Question to add the words "upon this day three months."—(Mr. Warton.)

Question put, "That the word 'now' stand part of the Question."

The House divided:—Ayes 70; Noes 8: Majority 62.—(Div. List, No. 246.)

Main Question put, and agreed to.

Bill read the third time, and passed