undred and
fifty articles, and that on about four hundred and fifty the duty had
been left untouched. The total diminution of revenues occasioned by
the reductions was estimated by the right honourable baronet at about
L270,000. He regretted to say that upon sugar, ministers could not offer
any reduction; but with respect to coffee he proposed a reduction of
fourpence upon British, and eightpence upon foreign, which he calculated
would cause a loss of L171,000 to the revenue. On the subject of timber,
he said that his measure would be the reverse of that which was brought
forward by his predecessors in office; he would advise a great reduction
of duty, which would benefit all classes, from the agriculturist to the
shipbuilder. His propositions were to lower the duty on foreign timber
to twenty-five shillings a load, and to let in the timber of Canada at
a duty of one shilling a load; causing a probable loss to the revenue
of L600,000. There were yet two other reductions he had to propose:
one upon the export of certain British manufactures, and another upon
stage-coach duties. These two heads of reduction would produce a loss
of L70,000. On the whole these reductions, in addition to the excess
of expenditure, would increase the deficit to about L3,700,000; but the
estimated produce of the income-tax would not only cover this, but leave
more than L500,000 applicable to the contingencies of war in India and
China. Sir Robert Peel concluded with an earnest appeal to the house to
support the name which the English had inherited from their forefathers,
untarnished: and he then moved his first resolution, which was to
grant a duty on Irish spirits. No discussion followed Sir Robert Peel's
speech: the motion was agreed to, and the house resumed.

A few nights subsequently, Sir Robert Peel entered into an explanation
of the details of the measures he had announced; especially with respect
to the machinery by which the income-tax was to be collected. On the
motion to go into a committee of ways and means, Mr. T. Baring found
fault with Sir Robert Peel's calculations; and he was followed by Lord
Howick, who strongly censured the income-tax, and Lord John Russell, who
condemned the construction of tire tariff for not working out its own
principle, but sparing certain articles, as sugar, merely from fear
of the influential interests connected with them. After three several
motions by Messrs. Cobden, H. Berkeley, and Bernai, "That th