IRELAND-IRISH FISHERIES COMMIS- in Australia, to state whether those men | Lord Chancellor or the Lord Lieutenant, have yet been released, or whether, in but is ex officio a justice of the peace, as consequence of the conduct of those who the chief executive magistrate of the have been released in Ireland, the re- corporation. lease of those in Australia, or of any of them, will be stopped; and, if not, whether those thirty-four Fenian Convicts, or any of them, are to be brought back to this Country; and, if so, are any of them to be brought back at the public expense; and, if so, how many of them. Has the Report of the Law Officers of the Crown in reference to the proceedings at the meeting held at Cork on the 17th of March, and presided over by the Mayor of that City, been received yet; and, if so, has it been acted upon; and, is the Mayor of Cork still in the commission of the peace? the Chief Secretary for Ireland, WheMR. DODDS said, he wished to ask ther he is aware that two of the Special Commissioners for Irish Fisheries addressed a letter on the 11th April 1868, to the Irish Government, requesting advice and direction on the following point wished the business of the Commission -namely, whether the Government to be carried on on the principle that, in the event of differences of opinion existing between the three Commissioners, the opinion of the majority must govern each official act; and, further, stating that unless that point were authoritatively settled by the Government the transaction of the business must be se MR. CHICHESTER FORTESCUE: Sir, the greater part of this Question I have already answered twice. I will answer it again as nearly as I can in the words I used before-namely, that Her Majesty's Government have no intention to bring back, at the public expense, the riously impeded; and, whether he is political convicts for whom an order of aware of the reason why the Governrelease has been sent to Australia; but, ment refused to answer and has never at the same time, they think it right to answered the appeal so made to them secure their own liberty of consideration by their officers? He also wished to in any individual case which may, by know when the Copies of Correspondpossibility, come before them hereafter. ence, &c., relating to Fisheries (Ireland), The next part of the Question is "Whe-ordered on the 22nd of March last, will ther, in consequence of the conduct of be in the hands of Members? those who have been released in Ire land, the release of those in Australia, or any of them, will be stopped?" The release of the convicts in Australia will not be stopped. The seditious language which has been used in Ireland by two or three of the released political prisoners, which has been very generally reprobated in that country, and which has had no effect but that of injuring the unhappy cause on behalf of which it has been used, is not, in the opinion of the Government, any reason for altering the advice given to the Crown as to the amount of clemency which should be extended to the political prisoners. With regard to the last part of the Question, the Government have taken the advice of the Law Officers, and have decided not to take any steps against the Mayor of Cork. They think it would be very unadvisable and injudicious to do so; and I have to remind the hon. Member that the Mayor of Cork is not a justice of the peace under the control and supervision of the MR. CHICHESTER FORTESCUE replied that the Returns were being prepared with all speed. With regard to the Question why the appeal made by the Fishery Commissioners had never been answered, he would prefer that the of the late Government for information on that point. hon. Member should ask some Member LOCAL TAXATION.-QUESTION. SIR GEORGE JENKINSON said, he wished to ask the President of the Poor Law Board, If he will state when the Returns on the subject of Local Taxation, moved for by Mr. Hunt, will be ready, and will be presented to the House? MR. GOSCHEN replied, that the Returns on the subject of local taxation, moved for by the right hon. Gentleman (Mr. Hunt) occupied 660 pages. The whole of that portion of the Return which was obtained from the overseers, occupying 600 pages, was in the printer's hands, and was being prepared as rapidly as possible; but, as there the same as the Bill originally introduced was an immense mass of figures to re-by the right hon. Member for Northampvise, he could only say that the Returns tonshire (Mr. Hunt) he should consider should be laid on the table with the it his duty to proceed with the second least possible delay. reading that night, if it could be brought on before eleven o'clock. ACCIDENTS IN COAL MINES. MR. GREENE said, he would beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, When it may be expected the Government Bill for further prevention of Accidents in Coal Mines will be brought before the House? SCOTLAND-PORTPATRICK HARBOUR. QUESTION. SIR FREDERICK HEYGATE said, he wished to ask the President of the Board of Trade, If it is true that the works of Portpatrick Harbour have lately received serious injury from storms; also, if he can state the probable sum that would be required to put it into repair, and render it a safe Harbour for a MR. BRUCE said, in reply, that a Bill was in course of preparation for the prevention of accidents in coal mines, and that he hoped to be able to intro-Packet Station; and the total amount duce it in about a week's time. that has been altogether expended upon the Harbour? MR. BRIGHT in reply, said, it was true that some damage had recently been done to the South pier and jetty in the storms of the past winter. In July last a representation was made by Mr. Coode, civil engineer, that £9,000 would be required to repair the damage caused before that time, and that not less than £21,500 would be required to place the harbour and pier in a condition of permanent safety; and, of course, in addition to the latter amount, a sum would be required to repair the damage caused since the estimate was made, in July last. With respect to the total expenditure on the harbour, the sum down in the books of the Department was not less than £252,112 148. 7d. IRELAND-MAYNOOTH COLLEGE. QUESTION. MR. NEWDEGATE said, he would beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury, Why Clause 19, of the Act 8 & 9 Vict. c. 25 (the Maynooth Act of 1845), which requires that the Reports of the Visitors of the College of Maynooth shall be annually laid before Parliament, has not been regularly complied with; what Department of the Government is responsible for complying with the Order of this House, dated the 8th of March last, by presenting the accounts, &c., required by that Order; whether any further Order on the part of the House is necessary to explain the meaning of the words "otherwise maintaining the College of Maynooth," which form part of the above Order, so as to insure the production of accounts showing the sums of Public Monies voted, granted, or borrowed, that have been paid and expended for the purposes of the above College, other than for the building, enlarging, improving, and repairing the fabric thereof; and, if no further Order on the part of this House is necessary, when the above accounts, which are not included in Return No. 102 of the present Session, will be in the hands of Members? only been overlooked, and that a proper explanation will be given, CENTRAL ASIA.-OBSERVATIONS. MR. GLADSTONE: Sir, I am desirous, if the House will kindly permit me, to make an appeal to the hon. Member for Penryn (Mr. Eastwick), who has a Motion on the Paper for to-morrow; and I could not well postpone making it till to-morrow or the House would be taken by surprise. The hon. Member has a MR. GLADSTONE, in reply, said, Motion which stands for to-morrow to that no Department of the Government call the attention of the House to the had any knowledge or responsibility with state of affairs in Central Asia, and to regard to the Reports of the Visitors of move for Papers in relation to it. Her Maynooth College, but he would make in- Majesty's Government, having consiquiry on the subject, and state the result dered the terms of that Motion, are of to the hon. Member as soon as possible. opinion that, although it might in some With regard to the recent Order of the respects be inconvenient to have some House, the Treasury was responsible for parts of that subject discussed, there are compliance with it, and the delay in the others which might with advantage be presentation of the accounts had been discussed; yet, on the whole, it would occasioned by the construction put on not be for the interest of the public serthe words calling for the accounts. The vice that a discussion should be raised terms of the Return required a statement in this House in regard to it. Some of the sums expended on repairs and so misapprehensions have undoubtedly gone forth, and the words "otherwise main- abroad with reference to the nature of taining the College of Maynooth" were the transactions in Affghanistan, which understood to be in pari materia; but as might be cleared up. The chief misapit was now understood that the hon. prehension is as to an annual subsidy to Member desired to have a statement of be paid by the Indian Government to the mode in which the money granted the Ameer of Affghanistan. That is an by Parliament had been laid out the entire misapprehension. But the CenTreasury would present the accounts in tral Asian is a much larger question. the way desired, and it would be un- There have been communications, I am necessary to make a new Order. The happy to say, of a very friendly and Government would make every effort to favourable character between Her Maplace the accounts in the hands of Mem-jesty's Government and that of the Embers as soon as possible, and he might inform the hon. Member that the Parliamentary Paper No. 301 of last Session contained a great deal of information with respect to the repairs of Maynooth College. MR. PEMBERTON said, he would beg to ask, Whether it is not the duty of the Attorney General for Ireland to enforce compliance with the Order? MR. GLADSTONE: I am not aware that there is any peculiar duty incumbent on the Attorney General for Ireland to enforce the Orders of this House. [Mr. PEMBERTON: The Orders of an Act of Parliament.] There is really no such formidable issue here before us to bring the Attorney General into action. Compliance not having been given, it is reasonable to suppose that the matter has peror of the Russias, but those communications have not reached a conclusion, and it would not be, in our opinion, advantageous or conducive to the satisfactory progress of the subject if the matter were prematurely discussed. When the conclusion has been reached I shall be very happy to make it known to the hon. Gentleman and the House, and I trust to his kindness and prudence that he will accede to the request I now make, that he will postpone his Motion, reserving, of course, an unfettered discretion for its renewal at any future time he may think fit. MR. EASTWICK said, he was most anxious, as he believed other Members were on both sides of the House, that the Motion of which he had given notice for to-morrow should be discussed. He had given a previous Notice on the sub-ence to this specific matter, which, though ject, but at the intervention of the Go-introduced into his financial year, had vernment he had postponed it. He was really nothing to do with it. The Comquite aware that there might be a cri-mittee will, therefore, please to undertical point at which, when negotiations stand that, in the analysis I submit, I were pending, public discussion might omit at present the subject of Abyssinia, be disadvantageous; but if postpone- except so far as it was present in the ment of discussion were to become a mind of the right hon. Gentleman when system it must be detrimental to the he moved the Estimates in Parliament public interests, as tending to stifle all on the 23rd April last, reserving a full discussion on foreign policy. But after consideration of it to the time when I the appeal made to him by the right have gone through what I have to say hon. Gentleman he felt bound to give with regard to our Estimates. The right way on this occasion, trusting, however, hon. Gentleman on the 23rd of April last that on an early day he should be en-year estimated the Revenue for the curabled to proceed with his Motion. WAYS AND MEANSFINANCIAL STATEMENT. Considered in Committee. (In the Committee) THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER: Mr. Dodson-In the long and intricate statement which I am afraid it will be my duty to submit to the Committee, I feel I shall have extreme need of their kindness and indulgence. I am quite aware that under no circumstances could I be equal to discharge adequately the task which is imposed upon me; but there are certain difficulties and disqualifications peculiar to myself which make my discharge of it more onerous to the Committee than it might have been in other hands, and I therefore earnestly hope to receive their patience and indulgence. With these few words of preface I address myself at once to the Financial Statement which it is my duty to make, and in which there seems to me to be wanting no element of difficulty and embarrassment. In order to make the observations I have to submit on the Accounts of last year as clear as possible, I think it will be advisable to eliminate from them all matters connected with the Vote for services in Abyssinia which I obtained some weeks ago from this House. The Vote of Credit was given by the House; but the Ways and Means have not yet been provided, and by introducing that large sum into the calculations, I should, I think, only disturb them. It will be fair to the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Northamptonshire (Mr. Hunt) in the analysis of his statement which it will be my duty to make, to do so without refer rent year at £73,150,000. The actual Receipts for the year have been £72,591,991-showing a receipt less than the right hon. Gentleman estimated amounting to £558,009. The Estimate of the right hon. Gentleman, as compared with the actual receipts, stands thus-The Customs he estimated at £22,800,000; the Customs have fallen short of that amount by £376,000: the Excise he estimated at £20,330,000; the Excise has exceeded that estimate by £132,000: the Stamps he estimated at £9,650,000; the Stamps have fallen short of that amount by £432,000: the Taxes he estimated at £3,540,000; the Taxes have fallen short of that amount by £46,000: the Property Tax he estimated at £8,700,000; the Property Tax has fallen short of that amount by £82,000: the Post Office he estimated at £4,650,000; the Post Office has exceeded that estimate by £10,000: the Crown Lands he estimated at £350,000; the Crown Lands have exceeded that estimate by £10,000: Miscellaneous he estimated at £3,130,000; they have exceeded that estimate by the large sum of £225,991. So that the Receipts are less than the Estimates by the sum of £558,009. Having made that comparison, I proceed to compare the Revenue of the year 1868-9 with that of the previous year. I find that the total Revenue of 1868-9 amounted to £72,591,991; while the Revenue of the previous year amounted to £69,600,219; so that there was an increase of receipt over the former year of £2,991,772. It will be interesting to the Committee to know under what heads the Income last year fell short, and in what it exceeded the previous year. The receipts of the Revenue during last year have exceeded the receipts of the year before, in the Excise by £22,286. The Army expenditure he by £300,000, in the Property and Income Tax by £2,441,000, in the Post Office by £30,000, in Crown Lands by £15,000, and in Miscellaneous Receipts by £769,772; while there has been a falling off in the receipts from Customs of £226,000; in Stamps of £323,000; in Taxes of £15,000; the net increase of Income on the year being £2,991,772. With regard to these items one remark occurs at once-it is, that the articles of consumption by the wealthier class have, on the whole, held their ground and even improved; while the articles of consumption by the poorer classes have, I am sorry to say, apparently suffered most. On tea there has been a falling off of £234,000, on sugar of £153,000, on coffee and chicory of £50,000, on tobacco £41,000; whilst on wine there has been Having stated the Estimates for the an increase of £51,000, and on spirits, Revenue and the Expenditure, it now those consumed by the rich, such as remains to compare the two together. brandy, there has been an increase of The result, still excluding Abyssinia, is £200,000; while on British spirits there that the Revenue for the last year achas been a falling off of £350,000, and tually collected was £72,591,991, and on rum of £175,000. On malt there has the Expenditure actually incurred, been a gain of £210,000: that, however, £72,972,816: so that there was an is attributable to our dealing with the excess of Expenditure above Revenue duty last year. There is a decrease on of £380,825, which was the deficit for marine assurance of £80,000, occasioned the past year. If to that we add the by alterations in the law by the right £2,000,000 voted last month, it will hon. Gentleman the Member for Buck-give a deficit, in round numbers, of inghamshire in 1867. The legacy and £2,381,000. That, however, is a matter succession duties have fallen off, curiously enough, to the extent of no less than £170,000-a matter, I must say, in justice to the right hon. Gentleman, of sheer ill-luck, for although death has been busier than usual he has avoided striking at those whose death would enrich the Revenue. As these things, however, compensate themselves in I now pass from this subject to the cycles, we may-I must not say hope more interesting one of the Estimates -but expect a corresponding increase for the present year; and I shall pursue in these duties next year. The large the same course in leaving out Abyssinia, increase of the income tax is due to the except so far as it was dealt with in the imposition first of 1d. and then of 2d. Estimates of the right hon. Gentleman. The next comparison I have to make is I am sorry that the Estimates are not between the Estimate and the Expendi- in the hands of Members. The difficulture of 1868-9, including the Estimate ties in the way of getting them ready and Supplementary Estimate of the have been many and various, but I trust right hon. Gentleman as compared with that in a day or two they will receive the actual Expenditure of the year. them. At any rate I will compare my The case stands somewhat thus-The estimate with that of the right hon. interest of the Debt charged on the Gentleman. So far as the interest of Consolidated Fund he estimated at the Debt is concerned the amount is £26,700,000: it was less than that by £81,674. The other charges on the Consolidated Fund he estimated at £1,865,000: they were above that sum which I have purposely excluded, because it would appear to swell the deficiency, and I wish to deal only with the Expenditure which the right hon. Gentleman contemplated when he framed his Estimates. He estimated the deficit at £202,000, but the deficiency really has exceeded his estimate by £179,000. absolutely identical, and stands at £26,700,000. The other charges on the Debt are £1,700,000. The right hon. Gentleman estimated them at £1,865,000; |