, it would be
a good plan to grant relief to the productive classes by a reduction
of taxation, and the imposition of a property-tax. Mr. Peel protested
against the appointment of a committee which, he contended, was to
be neither less nor more than a delegation of the powers of the whole
house, and of the government likewise, to twenty-one members. The house,
he said, had been found sufficient in former times for the management of
the taxes, and he saw no reason why it should now resign its power. On
the other hand, Mr. Huskisson maintained that there was nothing unusual
in referring questions of taxation to a committee. The salt-duty and the
tax on leather had been referred to committees; and in these cases there
had neither been alarms in the public mind, nor change of government,
nor loss of confidence in his majesty's ministers. If the house could
not refer such subjects to a committee without endangering the safety
of the country, he thought that it had better give up inquisition
altogether. He did not, indeed, expect any further reduction of taxation
during the present session from the labours of this committee; but
still the inquiry would do good. On a division the motion was lost by a
majority of one hundred and sixty-seven against seventy-eight.

COMMITTEE ON THE EAST INDIA COMPANY'S CHARTER.

{GEORGE IV. 1830--1831}

At this period it was the public opinion that the monopoly of the
East India Company imposed a mischievous restraint on the trade of the
country, without any reasonable cause or counterbalancing advantage. One
large portion of the community, indeed, wished to have the renewal
of their charter refused _in toto_ to any extent, or under any
modification; while another professed themselves willing to be satisfied
with reducing the company to the level of ordinary merchants in matters
of trade, leaving them in the possession of their widely-extended
territories. In this conflicting state of opinion government had
determined not to take the responsibility of proposing any measure of
its own; but had promised that in the present session a committee
should be appointed to make the inquiries which ought to precede any
arrangement affecting interests so varied and important. The appointment
of this committee was moved in both houses on the 9th of February; in
the upper house by Lord Ellenborough, and in the commons by Mr. Peel. In
making this proposition, the latter said, that he had no plan to sub