HC Deb 15 April 1902 vol 106 cc359-63

Motion made, and Question proposed, "That the additional customs duties on tobacco, beer, and spirits imposed by sections 2, 3, 4, and 5 of the Finance Act, 1900 (including any increased duties imposed by Section 5 of that Act), shall continue to be charged until the 1st day of August, 1903."—(Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer.)

(10.10.) MR. FLYNN

said they had hoped that the Chancellor of the Exchequer would announce a reduction of the tobacco duty. To the Irish working man tobacco had become almost a necessity, and he spent upon it a larger proportion of his earnings than the people of the wealthier country of England. Many a hard-working Irishman, peasant or town artisan, would rather go without his breakfast than forfeit his dearly-loved pipe of tobacco. That might be very wrong or foolish, but at any rate he paid the tax. He had been talking to a Member of the House who was a teetotaller, and who did not smoke or take tea, and the only way in which this Budget would touch that hon. Member was by the additional penny which was put upon the income tax. And yet the poor Irish peasant had to pay more upon his tea and tobacco than the hon. Member he alluded to paid upon the income tax. He thought the. Committee generally would not have objected to an additional four-

pence on the income tax, rather than that an additional burden should have been placed upon the peasantry of Ireland. The case of the poor people of Ireland had often been brought before the House, and he wished to point out to hon. Members that tobacco and tea had become almost a necessity with the Irish people, for those articles had long since ceased to be luxuries. Well-to-do people looked with amazement at the fact that an Irish working man generally spent ninepence or a shilling a week upon his beloved weed. To the Irish peasant woman, who consumed a large amount of tea, and to the Irish workman, who was fond of tobacco, the high duty now being imposed was practically a sumptuary law. He bad no association or sympathy whatever with the huge tobacco "combines" which had been formed, but he thought that in this Budget there should have been some assuagement of the burdens upon Irish working men. He hoped that before the Budget was finally adopted they would get some crumb of comfort from the right hon. Gentleman. He pleaded for the Irish working men, and he sincerely trusted that the Chancellor of the Exchequer would be able to see his way to give some little concession.

(10.16.) Question put.

The Committee divided:—Ayes, 272 Noes, 56. (Division List So. 112.)

AYES.
Acland-Hood, Capt. Sir Alex. P. Bhownaggree, Sir M. M. Channing, Francis Allston
Agg-Gardner, James Tynte Bignold, Arthur Chapman, Edward
Agnew, Sir Andrew Noel Bigwood, James Charrington, Spencer
Allan, William (Gateshead) Bill, Charles Clare, Octavius Leigh
Allen, Charles P. (Glouc., Stroud Black, Alexander William Clive, Captain Percy A.
Anson, Sir William Reynell Blundell, Colonel Henry Coghill, Douglas Harry
Archdale, Edward Mervyn Bond, Edward Cohen, Benjamin Louis
Arkwright, John Stanhope Boscawen, Arthur Griffith- Collings, Rt. Hon. Jesse
Arnold-Forster, Hugh O. Brassey, Albert Colston, Chas. Edw. H. Athole
Arrol, Sir William Brigg, John Corbett, T. L. (Down, North)
Atkinson, Rt. Hon. John Brookfield, Colonel Montagu Cox, Irwin Edward Bainbridge
Bagot, Capt. Josceline Fitz Roy Brotherton, Edward Allen Craig, Robert Hunter
Bailey, James (Walworth) Butcher, John George Cranborne, Viscount
Bain, Colonel James Robert Buxton, Sydney Charles Cripps, Charles Alfred
Baird, John George Alexander Caldwell, James Cross, Alexander (Glasgow)
Balcarres, Lord Carson, Rt. Hon. Sir Edw. H. Crossley, Sir Savile
Balfour, Rt. Hon. A. J. (Manch'r Cavendish, V. C. W, (Derbyshire Dalkeith, Earl of
Balfour, Rt Hn Gerald W (Leeds) Cecil, Evelyn (Aston Manor) Dalrymple, Sir Charles
Balfour, Kenneth R. (Christch. Chamberlain, Rt. Hon. J. (Birm. Davenport, William Bromley-
Banbury, Frederick George Chamberlain, J. Ansten (Worc'r Davies, Sir Horatio D, (Chatham
Beach, Rt Hn. Sir Michael Hicks Chamberlayne, T. (S'thampton) Davies, M. Vaughan-(Cardigan
Dickinson, Robert Edmond Laurie, Lieut.-General Ritchie, Rt. Hn. Chas. Thomson
Dickson, Charles Scott Lawrence, Wm. F. (Liverpool Roberts, John Bryn (Eifion)
Dorington, Sir John Edward Lawson, John Grant Roberts, John H. (Denbighs)
Doughty, George Lee, Arthur H (Hants, Fareham Roberts, Samuel (Sheffield)
Douglas, Rt. Hon. A. Akers- Leese, Sir Joseph F. (Accrington Robertson, Herbert (Hackney)
Douglas, Charles M. (Lanark) Legge, Col. Hon. Heneage Robson, William Snowdon
Doxford, Sir William Theodore Leigh, Sir Joseph Roe, Sir Thomas
Duke, Henry Edward Leigh-Bennett, Henry Currie Rolleston, Sir John F. L.
Duncan, J. Hastings Leng, Sir John Round, James
Durning-Lawrence, Sir Edwin Leveson-Gower, Frederick N. S. Russell, T. W.
Evans, Sir Francis H (Maidstone Levy, Maurice Rutherford, John
Evans, Samuel T. (Glamorgan) Lewis, John Herbert
Llewellyn, Evan Henry Sackville, Col. S. G Stopford-
Fellowes, Hon. Ailwyn Edward Long, Rt. Hn. Walter (Bristol, S Sadler, Col. Samuel Alexander
Fenwick, Charles Lough, Thomas Samuel, S. M. (Whitechapel)
Fielden, Edward Brocklehurst Lowe, Francis William Seely, Maj. J E B (Isle of Wight
Finch, George H. Loyd, Archie Kirkman Sharpe, William Edward T.
Finlay, Sir Robert Bannatyne Lucas, Col. Francis (Lowestoft Shaw, Charles Edw. (Stafford)
Fisher, William Hayes Lucas, Reginald J. (Portsmouth Shaw-Stewart. M. H. (Renfrew
Flower, Ernest Lyttelton, Hon. Alfred Simeon, Sir Barrington
Forster, Henry William Skewes-Cox, Thomas
Foster, Sir Michael (Lond. Univ. Macdona, John Cumming Smith, Abel H. (Hertford, East
Foster, Philip S. (Warwick, S. W MacIver, David (Liverpool) Smith, HC (North'mb. Tyneside
Foster, Sir Walter (Derby Co.) M'Arthur, Charles (Liverpool) Smith, James Parker (Lanarks
Fuller, J. M. F. M'Calmont, Col. J. (Antrim, E) Soames, Arthur Wellesley
M'Crae, George Spear, John Ward
Gardner, Ernest M'Killop, James (Stirlingshire Spencer, Rt. Hn. C. R (Northants
Gibbs, Hn. A. G. H. (City of Lond. M'Laren, Charles Benjamin Stanley, Edward Jas. (Somerset
Goddard, Daniel Ford Majendie, James A. H. Stanley, Lord (Lancs.)
Gordon, Hn. J. F. (Elgin & Nairn Malcolm, Ian Stewart, Sir Mark J. M'Taggart
Gore, Hon. S. F. Ormsby-(Linc.) Mansfield, Horace Rendall Stone, Sir Benjamin
Gorst, Rt. Hon. Sir John Eldon Markham, Arthur Basil Sturt, Hon. Humphrey Napier
Goulding, Edward Alfred Martin, Richard Biddulph
Grant, Corrie Maxwell, Rt Hn Sir H E (Wigt'n Thomas, David Alfred (Merthyr
Green, Walford D (Wednesbury Maxwell, W J H (Dumfriesshire Thomas, J A (Glamorgan, Gower
Gretton, John Mitchell, William Thompson, F. W. (York, W. R.
Griffith, Ellis J. More, Robt. Jasper (Shropshire Thornton, Percy M.
Gurdon, Sir W. Brampton Morgan, David. J (Walthamst'w Tollemache, Henry James
Guthrie, Walter Murray Morgan, J. Lloyd (Carmarthen Tomkinson, James
Morrison, James Archibald Tomlinson, Wm. Edw. Murray
Hall, Edward Marshall Morton, Arthur H. A. (Deptford Tuke, Sir John Batty
Hambro, Charles Eric Moss, Samuel
Hamilton, Rt Hn Lord G (Midd'x Moulton, John Fletcher Valentia, Viscount
Hamilton, Marq. of (L'nd'nderry Mount, William Arthur
Hanbury, Rt. Hon. Robert Wm. Mowbray, Sir Robert Gray C. Warr, Augustus Frederick
Hare, Thomas Leigh Murray, Rt Hn A Graham (Bute Wason, John Cathcart (Orkney
Harmsworth, R. Leicester Murray, Charles J. (Coventry Welby, Lt. Col. A C E (Taunton
Haslam, Sir Alfred S. Murray, Col. Wyndham (Bath Welby, Sir Charles G. E. (Notts
Hatch, Ernest Frederick Geo. White, Luke (York, E. R.)
Hayne, Rt. Hon. Charles Seale- Nicholson, William Graham Whiteley, H (Ashton und Lyne
Heath, James (Staffords. N. W. Norman, Henry Whitley, J. H. (Halifax)
Holder, Augustus Nussey, Thomas Willans Williams, Osmond (Merioneth
Hermon-Hodge. Robert Trotter Williams, Rt Hn J Powell-(Birm
Hickman, Sir Alfred O'Neill, Hon. Robert Torrens Willox, Sir John Archibald
Hoare, Sir Samuel Orr-Ewing, Charles Lindsay Wills, Sir Frederick
Hobhouse, C. E. H. (Bristol, E.) Palmer, Walter (Salisbury) Wilson, A. Stanley (York, E. R.
Hobhouse, Henry (Somerset, E. Parkes, Ebenezer Wilson, Fred. W. (Norfolk, Mid
Hogg, Lindsay Pease, Herbert Pike (Darlingt'n Wilson, John (Durham, Mid)
Holland, William Henry Pease, J. A. (Saffron Walden) Wilson, John (Falkirk)
Hope, J. F. (Sheffield, Brightside Pemberton, John S. G. Wilson, John (Glasgow)
Hoult, Joseph Platt-Higgins. Frederick Wilson, J. W. (Worcestersh, N
Houston, Robert Paterson Plummer, Walter R. Wilson-Todd, Wm. H. (Yorks
Howard, John (Kent, F'versham Powell, Sir Francis Sharp Woodhouse, Sir. J T (Huddersf'd
Priestley, Arthur Wortley, Rt. Hn. C. B. Stuart-
Jebb, Sir Richard Claverhouse Pryce-Jones, Lt.-Col. Edward Wylie, Alexander
Johnston, William (Belfast) Purvis, Robert Wyndham, Rt. Hon. George
Jones, William (C'rnarvonshire Pym, C. Guy
Kearley, Hudson E. Yerburgh, Robert Armstrong
Kennaway, Rt. Hon. Sir John H. Randles, John S. Younger, William
Kenyon, James (Lancs., Bary) Rankin, Sir James Yoxall, James Henry
Kenyon-Slaney, Col. W. (Salop) Rattigan, Sir William Henry
Keswick, William Rea, Russell
Kitson, Sir James Reid, James (Greenock)
Knowles, Lees Remnant, James Farquharson TELLERS FOR THE AVES—Sir William Walrond and Mr. Anstruther
Lambton, Hn. Frederick Wm. Rickett, J. Compton
Langley, Batty Ridley, Hn. M. W. (Stalybridge
NOES.
Abraham, William (Cork, N. E. Joyce, Michael O'Malley, William
Blake, Edward Lundon, W. O'Mara, James
Burke, E. Haviland- MacDonnell, Dr. Mark A. O'Shaughnessy, P. J.
Campbell, John (Armagh, S.) MacNeill, John Gordon Swift Power, Patrick Joseph
Cogan, Denis. J. MacVeagh, Jeremiah Reddy, M.
Condon, Thomas Joseph M'Cann, James Redmond, John E. (Waterford
Crean, Eugene M'Govern, T. Robertson, Edmund (Dundee)
Cremer, William Randal M'Kean, John Roche, John
Davies, Alfred (Carmarthen) M'Killop, W. (Sligo, North) Schwann, Charles E.
Delany, William Minch, Matthew Sheehan, Daniel Daniel
Dillon, John Mooney, John J. Sinclair, John (Forfarshire)
Doogan, P. C. Murphy, John Sullivan, Donal
Ffrench, Peter Nannetti, Joseph P. White, Patrick (Meath, North
Field, William Nolan, Col. John P. (Galway, N) Young, Samuel
Flynn, James Christopher Nolan, Joseph (Lonth, South.
Gilhooly, James O'Brien, James F. X. (Cork)
Hammond, John O'Brien, P. J. (Tipperary. N.) TELLERS FOR THE NOES—Captain Donelan and MR Patrick O'Brien.
Harrington, Timothy O'Connor, James (Wicklow. W.
Hayden, John Patrick O'Donnell, T. (Kerry. W.)
Hope, John Deans (Fife, West) O'Dowd, John
Jordan, Jeremiah O'Kelly, James (Roscommon. N