§ Mr. LEONARDI beg to move to leave out the Clause.
I do not want to travel over the ground that has already been touched upon by various hon. Members on both sides of the House, but to-day we are dealing with a commodity which, in my opinion, is just as important as the commodity which was the subject of discussion yesterday. It is a beverage which is indulged in by practically every man, woman and child in this country. It is to be found in the homes of all types of persons, but particularly in the homes of the common people of this country, and for that reason I am very serious and earnest in my demand for the exclusion of this Clause. I am not going to participate in any detailed discussion or examination of the merits of tea as a food or as a beverage, but I want to say definitely that it does impinge to a very large extent upon the lives of the people. From these benches we have on previous occasions endeavoured to limit the duration of the duty, but the proposal was rejected. We endeavoured also to reduce the amount of the duty, and that proposal, too, was rejected, it being the desire of the Treasury that £4,000,000 or thereabouts should be found from this source.
In this connection there occurs to my mind the statement of the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Epping (Mr. Churchill) that burdens are not hard to bear provided that they are distributed in a suitable and scientific manner; but, before I distribute this burden, I want to see that it is on the proper shoulders. I am concerned with the burden as a burden, and with the shoulders that are capable; of bearing it. I do not know if I have touched upon this point before, but I want to express the opinion that to place this burden upon a commodity of
§ such importance in the homes of the people of this country is not a proper and scientific proceeding if you have the interests of the people at heart. I find, from figures published by the Commissioners of Inland Revenue, that in the 10 years prior to the publication of their report there has been a reduction of £615,000,000 in the income of the common people of this country, while from the same source we are informed that there has been an increase in the income derived from rent, interest and profits of no less than £308,000,000. If this country requires £4,000,000 for any purpose whatever, we are entitled to ask that it shall be obtained from the people who have increased their incomes by £308,000,000, and not from those whose incomes have been reduced by £615,000,000. It is for that reason that I speak strongly on the proposal to enter upon further taxation of this character.
§ I know it has been stated before, and I make no apology for again stating it as my opinion, that this is a direct effort, which I have no doubt will be successful, to take from the shoulders of the direct taxpayers burdens which they rightly should and can bear, and by indirect taxation to find the money from the people who are underpaid. I also recollect that when tariffs were introduced, under the guise of the Abnormal Importations Bill, we were told a good deal about luxuries which were not indulged in by the poor. Tea, however, is not a luxury. It is one of the common things on the tables of the people of this country. Therefore, I protest strongly against this duty, particularly as I have the honour to represent an organisation that has sales of £5,600,000 of tea a year going into the homes of people who can ill afford any greater burden being placed upon them.
§ Mr. EDWARD WILLIAMSI beg to second the Motion.
§ Question put, "That the words proposed to be left out stand part of the Bill."
§ The House divided: Ayes, 294; Noes, 42.
2129| Division No. 221.] | AYES. | [4.2 p.m. |
| Acland-Troyte, Lieut.-Colonel | Anstruther-Gray, W. J. | Balfour, Capt. Harold (I. of Thanet) |
| Adams, Samuel Vyvyan T. (Leeds, W.) | Astbury, Lieut.-Com. Frederick Wolfe | Balniel, Lord |
| Agnew, Lieut.-Com. P. G. | Atholl, Duchess of | Barclay, Harvey, C. M. |
| Allen, William (Stoke-on-Trent) | Bailey, Eric Alfred George | Barton, Capt. Basil Kelsey |
| Amery, Rt. Hon. Leopold C. M. S. | Baldwin-Webb, Colonel J. | Beauchamp, Sir Brograve Campbell |
| Beaumont, Hon. R.E.B. (Portsm'th, C.) | Goff, Sir Park | Mills, Major J. D. (New Forest) |
| Belt, Sir Alfred L. | Goodman, Colonel Albert W. | Milne, Charles |
| Betterton, Rt. Hon. Sir Henry B. | Graham, Fergus (Cumberland, N.) | Mitchell, Harold P.(Br'tf'd & Chisw'k) |
| Bevan, Stuart James (Holborn) | Grattan-Doyle, Sir Nicholas | Mitchell, Sir W. Lane (Streatham) |
| Birchall, Major Sir John Dearman | Graves, Marjorle | Morning, Adrian C. |
| Bird, Sir Robert B. (Wolverh'pton W.) | Grimston, R. V. | Morris-Jones, Dr. J. H. (Denbigh) |
| Boothby, Robert John Graham | Guinness, Thomas L. E. B. | Morrison, William Shepherd |
| Bossom, A. C. | Gunston, Captain D. W. | Moss, Captain H. J. |
| Boulton, W. W. | Guy, J. C. Morrison | Muirhead, Major A. J. |
| Bower, Lieut.-Com. Robert Tutton | Hacking, Rt. Hon. Douglas H. | Munro, Patrick |
| Bowyer, Capt. Sir George E. W. | Hamilton, Sir R.W.(Orkney & Z'tl'nd) | Nation, Brigadier-General J. J. H. |
| Boyce, H. Leslie | Hammersley, Samuel S. | Nicholson, Godfrey (Morpeth) |
| Braithwaite, J. G. (Hillsborough) | Hanbury, Cecil | Nicholson, Rt. Hn. W. G. (Petersf'ld) |
| Broadbent, Colonel John | Hanley, Dennis A. | North, Captain Edward T. |
| Brockiebank, C. E. R. | Hannon, Patrick Joseph Henry | Nunn, William |
| Browne, Captain A. C. | Harbord, Arthur | O'Neill, Rt. Hon. Sir Hugh |
| Buchan, John | Harris, Sir Percy | Ormiston, Thomas |
| Buchan-Hepburn, P. G. T. | Hartington, Marquess of | Ormsby-Gore, Rt. Hon. William G. A. |
| Burnett, John George | Hartland, George A. | Patrick, Colin M. |
| Butler, Richard Austen | Harvey, George (Lambeth, Kenningt'n) | Peake, Captain Osbert |
| Cadogan, Hon. Edward | Harvey, Major S. E. (Devon, Totnes) | Pearson, William G. |
| Caine, G. R. Hall | Haslam, Sir John (Bolton) | Perkins, Walter R. D. |
| Campbell, Edward Taswell (Bromley) | Hellgers, Captain F. F. A. | Petherick, M. |
| Caporn, Arthur Cecil | Hepworth, Joseph | Peto, Sir Basil E. (Devon, Barnstaple) |
| Castlereagh, Viscount | Hope, Sydney (Chester, Stalybridge) | Peto, Geoffrey K.(W'verh'pt'n, Blist'n) |
| Castle Stewart, Earl | Hornby, Frank | Pickering, Ernest K. |
| Cautley, Sir Henry S. | Horobin, Ian M. | Pickford, Hon. Mary Ada |
| Cayzer, Sir Charles (Chester, City) | Horsbrugh, Florence | Pick, Cecil F. |
| Cayzer, Maj. Sir H. R. (Prtsmth., S.) | Howitt, Dr. Alfred B. | Potter, John |
| Cazalet, Thelma (Islington, E.) | Hudson, Capt. A. U. M.(Hackney, N.) | Pownall, Sir Assheton |
| Cazalet, Capt. V. A. (Chippenham) | Hunter, Dr. Joseph (Dumfries) | Procter, Major Henry Adam |
| Chalmers, John Rutherford | Hunter, Capt. M. J. (Brigg) | Pybus, Percy John |
| Chamberlain, Rt. Hn. N. (Edgbaston) | Hunter-Weston, Lt.-Gen. Sir Aylmer | Ralkes, Henry V. A. M |
| Choriton, Alan Ernest Leofric | Hurd, Sir Percy | Ramsay, Alexander (W. Bromwich) |
| Chotzner, Alfred James | Hutchison, W. D. (Essex, Romf'd) | Ramsay, Capt. A. H. M. (Midlothian) |
| Christie, James Archibald | Jackson, Sir Henry (Wandsworth, C.) | Ramsay, T. B. W. (Western Isles) |
| Churchill, Rt. Hon. Winston Spencer | Jackson, J. C. (Heywood & Radcliffe) | Ramsbotham, Herwaid |
| Clydesdale, Marquess of | Jamieson, Douglas | Ramsden, E. |
| Cobb, Sir Cyril | Jesson, Major Thomas E. | Ray, Sir William |
| Cochrane, Commander Hon. A. D. | Joel Dudley J. Barnato | Rea, Walter Russell |
| Colfox, Major William Philip | Johnstone, Harcourt (S. Shields) | Reed. Arthur C. (Exeter) |
| Gonant, R. J. E. | Jones, Lewis (Swansea, West) | Reid, James S. C. (Stirilng) |
| Cook, Thomas A. | Ker, J. Campbell | Rentoul, Sir Gervals S. |
| Cooke, Douglas | Kerr, Hamilton W | Renwick, Major Gustav A. |
| Courtauld, Major John Sewell | Kimball, Lawrence | Reynolds, Col. Sir James Philip |
| Cranborne, Viscount | Knatchbull, Captain Hon. M. H. R. | Rhys, Hon. Charles Arthur U. |
| Craven-Ellis. William | Knight, Holford | Ropner, Colonel L. |
| Crooke, J. Smedley | Knox, Sir Alfred | Rosbotham, S. T. |
| Crookshank, Capt. H. C. (Gainsb'ro) | Law, Sir Alfred. | Ross, Ronald D. |
| Cruddas, Lieut.-Colonel Bernard | Law, Richard K. (Hull, S.W.) | Ross Taylor, Walter (Woodbridge) |
| Culverwell, Cyril Tom | Leech, Dr. J. W. | Ruggies-Brise, Colonel E. A. |
| Dalkeith, Earl of | Lees-Jones, John | Russell, Albert (Kirkcaldy) |
| Davies, Maj. Geo. F. (Somerset, Yeovil) | Leighton, Major B. E. P. | Russell, Hamer Field (Sheffield, B'tside) |
| Davison, sir William Henry | Lennox-Boyd, A. T. | Salmon, Major Isidore |
| Denman, Hon. R. D. | Liddall, Walter S. | Salt, Edward W. |
| Denville, Alfred | Lindsay, Noel Ker | Samuel, Sir Arthur Michael (F'nham) |
| Despencer-Robertson, Major J. A. F. | Llewellyn-Jones, Frederick | Samuel, Rt. Hon. Sir H. (Darwen) |
| Dickie, John P. | Lloyd, Geoffrey | Sandeman, Sir A. N. Stewart |
| Drewe, Cedric | Locker-Lampson, Rt. Hn. G.(Wd. Gr'n) | Sanderson, Sir Frank Barnard |
| Duncan, James A. L. (Kensington, N.) | Lockwood, John C. (Hackney, C.) | Scone, Lord |
| Dunglass, Lord | Loder, Captain J. de Vere | Selley, Harry R. |
| Eden, Robert Anthony | Lovat-Fraser, James Alexander | Shaw, Helen B. (Lanark, Bothwell) |
| Edmondson, Major A. J. | Lumley, Captain Lawrence R. | Shaw, Captain William T. (Fortar) |
| Elliot, Major Rt. Hon. Walter E. | Lyons, Abraham Montagu | Skelton, Archibald Noel |
| Ellis, Sir R. Geoffrey | Mabane, William | Smiles, Lieut.-Col. Sir Walter D. |
| Elliston, Captain George Sampson | McCorquodale, M. S. | Smith, Bracewell (Dulwich) |
| Elmley, Viscount | MacDonald, Rt. Hn. J. R. (Seaham) | Smith, R. W. (Ab'rd'n & Kinc'dine, C.) |
| Emmott, Charles E. G. C. | Macdonald. Capt. P. D. (I. of W.) | Smith-Carington, Neville W. |
| Emrys-Evans, P. V. | McEwen, Captain J. H. F. | Somervell, Donald Bradley |
| Essenhigh, Reginald Clare | McKie, John Hamilton | Soper, Richard |
| Evans, Capt. Ernest (Welsh Univ.) | McLean, Major Alan | Southby, Commander Archibald R. J. |
| Falle, Sir Bertram G. | McLean, Dr. W. H. (Tradeston) | Spears, Brigadier-General Edward L. |
| Fermoy, Lord | Macquisten, Frederick Alexander | Spencer, Captain Richard A. |
| Fielden, Edward Brocklehurst | Magnay, Thomas | Stanley, Hon. O. F. G. (Westmorland) |
| Flint, Abraham John | Maitland, Adam | Stourton, Hon. John J. |
| Foot, Dingle (Dundee) | Makins, Brigadier-General Ernest | Strauss, Edward A. |
| Foot, Isaac (Cornwall, Sodmin) | Ma, Edward Lancelot | Strickland, Captain W. F. |
| Fuller, Captain A. G. | Mander, Geoffrey le M. | Sueter, Rear-Admiral Murray F. |
| Ganzoni, Sir John | Manningham-Buller, Lt.-Col. Sir M. | Tate, Mavis Constance |
| George, Megan A. Lloyd (Anglesea) | Margesson, Capt. Henry David R. | Taylor, Vice-Admiral E.A.(P'dd"gt'n, S.) |
| Gilmour, Lt.-Col. Rt. Hon. Sir John | Marsden, Commander Arthur | Thomas, Rt. Hon. J. H. (Derby) |
| Gledhill, Gilbert | Martin, Thomas B. | Thomas, James P. L. (Hereford) |
| Glossop, C. W. H. | Mayhew, Lieut.-Colonel John | Thomas, Major L. B. (King's Norton) |
| Gluckstein, Louis Halle | Merriman, Sir F. Boyd | Thomson, Sir Frederick Charles |
| Glyn, Major Ralph G. C. | Mills, Sir Frederick (Leyton, E.) | Titchfield, Major the Marquess of |
| Todd, Capt. A. J. K. (B'wick-on-T.) | Warrender, Sir Victor A. G. | Winterton, Rt. Hon. Earl |
| Todd, A. L. S. (Kingswinford) | Wayland, Sir William A. | Wood, Rt. Hon. Sir H. Kingsley |
| Touche, Gordon Cosmo | Weymouth, Viscount | Wood, Sir Murdoch McKenzie (Banff) |
| Tryon, Rt. Hon. George Clement | White, Henry Graham | Worthington, Dr. John V. |
| Turton, Robert Hugh | Williams, Charles (Devon, Torquay) | Young, Rt. Hon. Sir Hilton (S'v'noaks) |
| Vaughan-Morgan, Sir Kenyon | Williams, Herbert G. (Croydon, S.) | Young, Ernest J. (Middlesbrough, E.) |
| Wallace, John (Dunfermline) | Wills, Wilfrid D. | |
| Ward, Lt.-Col. Sir A. L. (Hull) | Wilson, Clyde T. (Wett Toxteth) | TELLERS FOR THE AYES.— |
| Ward, Irene Mary Bewick (Wallsend) | Windsor-Clive, Lieut.-Colonel George | Sir George Penny and Lord Erskine |
| NOES. | ||
| Attlee, Clement Richard | Hall, George H. (Merthyr Tydvil) | Mason, David M. (Edinburgh, E.) |
| Brown, C. W. E. (Notts., Mansfield) | Healy, Cahir | Maxton, James |
| Cocks, Frederick Seymour | Hicks, Ernest George | Parkinson, John Allen |
| Cove, William G. | Hirst, George Henry | Price, Gabriel |
| Cripps, Sir Stafford | Holdsworth, Herbert | Salter, Dr. Alfred |
| Daggar, George | Janner, Barnett | Thorne, William James |
| Davies, Rhys John (Westhoughton) | John, William | Tinker, John Joseph |
| Duncan, Charles (Derby, Claycross) | Jones, Morgan (Caerphilly) | Wedgwood, Rt. Hon. Josiah |
| Edwards, Charles | Kirkwood, David | Williams, David (Swansea, East) |
| Greenwood, Rt. Hon. Arthur | Lansbury, Rt. Hon. George | Williams, Edward John (Ogmore) |
| Grenfell, David Rees (Glamorgan) | Lawson, John James | Williams, Dr. John H. (Lianelly) |
| Griffiths, T. (Monmouth, Pontypool) | Leonard, William | Williams, Thomas (York, Don Valley) |
| Groves, Thomas E. | Logan, David Gilbert | |
| Grundy, Thomas W. | Lunn, William | TELLERS FOR THE NOES.— |
| Hall, F. (York, W.R., Normanton) | Maclean, Nell (Glasgow, Govan) | Mr. Duncan Graham and Mr. Gordon Macdonald. |