Sir Fitzroy Belly brought on his long-threatened motion on Tuesday.
He moved "That in any future remission of indirect taxation the House should take into consideration the duty on malt, with a view to its early reduction and ultimate repeal." The Ministry generally took no part in the debate, though Mr. Milner Gibson spoke urging that the nation derived a revenue of 20,000,0001. from alcohol in all its forms, that beer had no pre- ferential claim, and that it was unjust to exempt the drink of England while taxing that of Ireland and Scotland. Mr. Neste proposed as an amendment that, " considering the immunities and exemptions enjoyed by the owners and occupiers of land, they were not entitled to consideration in the matter of the malt-tax," but if it were abolished compensation should be sought in extending the probate duty and succession duty equally to land. This amend- ment was withdrawn, and on a division the original motion was defeated by 251 to 171.
