§ 5. "That it is expedient to prolong the term of certain annuities, and to amend the law relating to the National Debt, the Customs, and the Inland Revenue."
§ Resolutions read a second time.
§ Motion made, and Question proposed, "That this House doth agree with the Committee in the First Resolution."
168§ MR. HERBERT LEWIS (Flint Boroughs)I only rise for the purpose of asking the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will be good enough to clear up one point which is in rather an unsatisfactory condition. He has proved to-night to the satisfaction of the majority of the House that it is possible to graduate sugar, and that it is desirable that the duty on sugar should be graduated. I wish to ask why it is not possible to graduate the duty on tea in a like manner. I understood the Chancellor of the Exchequer to say, when the matter was before the House on a previous occasion, that it was possible to scientifically graduate sugar but not possible to scientifically graduate tea. I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he is not aware that gentlemen associated with the tea trade can tell what quality a particular tea is, and what is its price, even with their eyes blindfolded. I would also ask him whether he could not appoint a Government valuer with whose appraisement the tea trade would be completely satisfied, and whether it would not be quite as possible to divide lea into various grades as it is to divide sugar. Moreover, all the tea imported into this country practically comes into the port of London, which would make it still more easy to deal with it. I ask for information on this subject, because I am informed that it is perfectly easy to graduate tea.
COLONEL NOLANI wish to ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer one further question, and that is if he gets this resolution after a very brief debate and a perfunctory division, will he kindly let us go to bed.
§ *SIR M. HICKS BEACHWith reference to the question of the hon. Member for Flint Boroughs, I will inquire further into this matter, but I would remind the hon. Member, as has been already stated in Committee, that an attempt to graduate the duty on tea was tried and was found so difficult to carry out in practice that it was given up. So far as I am aware I do not think it is practicable, but I will inquire further. With regard to the hon. and gallant Gentleman's question I should like to go to bed as well as anyone else. May 169 I remind the House that I have given opportunities, and I am sure the hon. Member for Waterford will agree with me, for discussion on all the resolutions on which discussion was desired, and it would be really a very great convenience if the House would agree to the remaining resolutions to-night. Then after the debate on the coal duty resolution, I shall ask leave to bring in the Bill, and read it a first time. I am very much obliged to hon. Members for the manner in which they have discussed the Resolutions.
§ MR. JOHN REDMONDI think that the proposition of the Chancellor
| AYES. | ||
| Acland-Hood, Capt. Sir Alex. F. | Digby, John K. D. Wingfield- | Knowles, Lees |
| Agg-Gardner, James Tynte | Disraeli Coningsby Ralph | Lawrence, William F. |
| Agnew, Sir Andrew Noel | Douglas, Rt. Hon. A. Akers- | Lawson, John Grant |
| Allhusen, Augustus H. Eden | Doxford, Sir William Theodore | Lee, Arthur H (Hants, Fareham |
| Anson, Sir William Reynell | Duke, Henry Edward | Legge, Col. Hon. Heneage |
| Arkwright, John Stanhope | Durning-Lawrence, Sir Edwin | Leigh-Bennett, Henry Currie |
| Arnold-Forster, Hugh O. | Dyke, Rt. Hn. Sir William Hart | Leveson-Gower, Frederick N. S |
| Asher, Alexander | Fellowes, Hon. Ailwyn Edward | Lockwood, Lt.-Col. A. R. |
| Ashmead-Bartlett, Sir Ellis | Fielden, Edward Brocklehurst | Loder, Gerald Walter Erskine |
| Ashton, Thomas Gair | Finch, George H. | Long, Col. Charles W (Evesham |
| Atkinson, Rt. Hon. John | Finlay, Sir Robert Bannatyne | Long, Rt. Hn. Walter (Bristol, S |
| Baird, John George Alexander | Firbank, Joseph Thomas | Lowther, C. (Cumb., Eskdale) |
| Balfour, Rt. Hn. A. J. (Manch'r | Fisher, William Hayes | Loyd, Archie Kirkman |
| Balfour, Capt. C. B. (Hornsey) | Fitzroy, Hon. Edward Algernon | Lucas, Col. Francis (Lowestoft) |
| Balfour, Rt Hn Gerald W. (Leeds | Forster, Henry William | Lucas, Reginald J. (Portsmouth |
| Banbury, Frederick George | Godson, Sir Augustus Frederick | Macartney, Rt. Hn. W G Ellison |
| Bathurst, Hon. Allen Benjamin | Gordon, Hn. J. E. (Elgin & Nairn | Macdona, John Cumming |
| Beach, Rt. Hn. Sir M. H. (Bristol | Goschen, Hon. Geo. Joachim | MacIver, David (Liverpool) |
| Beaumont, Wentworth C. B. | Graham, Henry Robert | M'Calmont, Col. J. (Antrim, E.) |
| Bentinck, Lord Henry C. | Gray, Ernest (West Ham) | Majendie, James A. H. |
| Blundell, Colonel Henry | Green, Walford D. (Wednesb'ry | Malcolm, Ian |
| Bond, Edward | Greene, W. Raymond-(Cambs.) | Manners, Lord Cecil |
| Brigg, John | Gretton, John | Martin, Richard Biddulph |
| Brodrick, Rt. Hon. St. John | Greville, Hon. Ronald | Massey-Mainwaring, Hn. W. F |
| Brookfield, Colonel Montagu | Groves, James Grimble | Maxwell, W J H (Dumfriesshire |
| Bull, William James | Gurdon, Sir W. Brampton | Melville, Beresford Valentine |
| Bullard, Sir Harry | Hambro, Charles Eric | Milward, Colonel Victor |
| Butcher, John George | Hamilton, Rt Hn L'rd G. (Midd'x | Molesworth, Sir Lewis |
| Carson, Rt. Hon. Sir Edw. H. | Hamilton, Marq. of (L'nd'nd'rry | Montagu, G. (Huntingdon) |
| Cautley, Henry Strother | Hanbury, Rt. Hon. Robert Wm. | More, Robt. Jasper (Shropshire |
| Cavendish, R. F. (N. Lancs. | Hardy, Laurence (Kent, Ashf'rd | Morgan, David J (Walth'mst'w |
| Cavendish, V. C. W. (Derbysh. | Harris, Frederick Leverton | Morris, Hon. Martin Henry F. |
| Cecil, Evelyn (Aston Manor) | Haslett, Sir James Horner | Morrison, James Archibald |
| Chamberlain, Rt. Hon. J. (Birm. | Hay, Hon. Claude George | Morton, Arthur H. A (Deptford) |
| Chamberlain, J. Austen (Woc'r | Hayter, Rt. Hon. Sir Arthur D. | Mount, William Arthur |
| Chapman, Edward | Heath, Arthur Howard (Hanley | Mowbray, Sir Robert Gray C. |
| Charrington, Spencer | Helder, Augustus | Muntz, Philip A. |
| Collings, Rt. Hon. Jesse | Hermon-Hodge, Robert Trotter | Murray, Rt. Hn. A. G. (Bute) |
| Colomb, Sir John Charles Ready | Hickman, Sir Alfred | Murray, Chas. J. (Coventry) |
| Colville, John | Higginbotttom, S. W. | Newdigate, Francis Alexander |
| Compton, Lord Alwyne | Hobhouse, Henry (Somerset, E. | Nicholson, William Graham |
| Corbett, A. Cameron (Glasgow) | Hope, J. F (Sheffield, Brightside | Norman, Henry |
| Cranborne, Viscount | Hoult, Joseph | Orr-Ewing, Charles Lindsay |
| Cross, Herb. Shepherd (Bolton) | Howard, J. (Kent, Faversham) | Parker, Gilbert |
| Cubitt, Hon. Henry | Jessel, Captain Herbert Merton | Peel, Hon. Win. R. Wellesley |
| Dalkeith, Earl of | Johnston, William (Belfast) | Pemberton, John S. G. |
| Davies, Sir Horatio D. (Chath'm | Johnstone, Heywood (Sussex) | Platt-Higgins, Frederick |
| Dewar, John A. (Inverness-sh. | Kenyon, Hon. Geo. T (Denbigh) | Powell, Sir Francis Sharp |
| Dickson, Charles Scott | Keswick, William | Pretyman, Ernest George |
§ of the Exchequer is a very reasonable one. It is quite true that he has given us a fair opportunity for discussion, but what I am anxious for now is that the Bill should be introduced, in order that on the Second Reading we might be able to discuss a wider aspect of the subject. I am quite sure my hon. friends do not desire to prolong the discussion, and the sooner we get to the Second Reading of the Bill the better I will be pleased.
§ Question put.
§ The House divided:—Ayes, 202; Noes, 89. (Division List No. 161.)
| Pryce-Jones, Lt.-Col. Edward | Smith, H C (Northumb, Tynes'd | Wason, John C. (Orkney) |
| Purvis, Robert | Smith, James P. (Lanarks.) | Welby, Sir C. G. E. (Notts.) |
| Pym, C. Guy | Smith, Hon. W. F. D. (Strand) | Whiteley, H. (Ashton-u.-Lyne) |
| Randles, John S. | Spear, John Ward | Williams, Colonel R. (Dorset) |
| Rasch, Maj. Frederic Carne | Stanley, Hon. A. (Ormskirk) | Willox, Sir John Archibald |
| Reid, James (Greenock) | Stanley, Lord (Lancs.) | Wills, Sir Frederick |
| Rentoul, James Alexander | Stewart, Sir M. J. M'Taggart | Wilson, A. S. (York, E. R.) |
| Renwick, George | Stock, James Henry | Wilson, John (Falkirk) |
| Rigg, Richard | Stroyan, John | Wilson, John (Glasgow) |
| Ritchie, Rt. Hn. Chas. Thomson | Strutt, Hon. Charles Hedley | Wilson, J. W. (Worcestorsh., N. |
| Rothschild, Hon. Lionel W. | Sturt, Hon. Humphry Napier | Wodehouse, Rt. Hn. E. R. (Bath |
| Round, James | Talbot, Lord E. (Chichester) | Wortley, Rt. Hn. C. B. Stuart- |
| Royds, Clement Molyneux | Thornton, Percy M. | Wylie, Alexander |
| Sackville, Col. S. G. Stopford- | Tollemache, Henry James | Wyndham, Rt. Hon. George |
| Sassoon, Sir Edward Albert | Tomlinson, Wm. E. Murray | Young, Commander (Berks, E.) |
| Scott, Sir S. (Marylebone, W.) | Trevelyan, Charles Philips | |
| Seely, Charles H (Lincoln) | Tufnell, Lieut.-Col. Edward | TELLERS FOR THE AYES—Sir William Walrond and Mr. Anstruther. |
| Seton-Karr, Henry | Valentia, Viscount | |
| Simeon, Sir Barrington | Walker, Col. William Hall | |
| Smith, Abel H. (Hertford, E.) | Warde, Colonel C. E. |
| NOES. | ||
| Abraham, Wm. (Cork, N. E.) | Holland, William Henry | O'Malley, William |
| Abraham, William (Rhondda) | Jones, David Brynmor (Swans'a | O'Mara, James |
| Allen, Chas. P. (Glouc., Stroud) | Jones, Wm. (Carnarvonshire) | Partington, Oswald |
| Ambrose, Robert | Jordan, Jeremiah | Power, Patrick Joseph |
| Barry, E. (Cork, S.) | Joyce, Michael | Price, Robert John |
| Black, Alexander William | Kennedy, Patrick James | Priestley, Arthur |
| Boland, John | Lambert, George | Rea, Russell |
| Boyle, James | Leamy, Edmund | Reddy, M. |
| Brand, Hon. Arthur G. | Leng, Sir John | Redmond, John E. (Waterford) |
| Broadhurst, Henry | Levy, Maurice | Roberts, John H. (Denbighs.) |
| Burke, E. Haviland- | Lewis, John Herbert | Shaw; Thomas (Hawick, B) |
| Caldwell, James | Lough, Thomas | Shipman, Dr. John G. |
| Campbell, John (Armagh, S.) | Lundon, W. | Soames, Arthur Wellesley |
| Cawley, Frederick | MacDonnell, Dr. Mark A. | Soares, Ernest J. |
| Channing, Francis Allston | M'Crae, George | Sullivan, Donal |
| Crean, Eugene | M'Fadden, Edward | Taylor, Theodore Cooke |
| Cullinan, J. | M'Govern, T. | Tennant, Harold John |
| Davies, Alfred (Carmarthen) | Mooney, John J. | Thomas, F. Freeman-(Hastings |
| Delany, William | Morton, Edw. J. C. (Devonport) | Thomas, J A (Glamorgan, Gower |
| Doogan, P. C. | Moss, Samuel | Tomkinson, James |
| Duncan, J. Hastings | Murphy, J. | Tully, Jasper |
| Edwards, Frank | Nolan, Col. John P. (Galway, N. | Ure, Alexander |
| Evans, Samuel T. (Glamorgan | Nolan, Joseph (Louth, South) | Wason, Eugene (Clackmannan |
| Flavin, Michael Joseph | O'Brien, Kendal (Tipper'ry, N. | White, Luke (York., E. R.) |
| Flynn, James Christopher | O'Brien, Patrick (Kilkenny) | While, Patrick (Meath, North) |
| Fuller, J. M. F. | O'Brien, P. J. (Tipperary Mid.) | Whittaker, Thomas Palmer |
| Goddard, Daniel Ford | O'Connor, James (Wicklow, W. | Woodhouse, Sir J T (Huddersf'd |
| Hammond, John | O'Doherty, William | |
| Hayden, John Patrick | O'Donnell, T. (Kerry, W.) | TELLERS FOR THE NOES—Sir Thomas Esmonde and Captain Donelan. |
| Hayne, Rt. Hn. Chas. Seale- | O'Dowd, John | |
| Helme, Norval Watson | O'Kelly, Conor (Mayo, N.) |
§ Remaining resolutions agreed to.
§ Bill ordered to be brought in by the Chairman of Ways and Means, Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Mr. Austen Chamberlain.