On Tuesday the debate on the Customs and Inland Revenue
Bill gave an opportunity to several private Members to air their views on taxation. Mr. Brookfield moved an amendment in favour of the abolition of the tax on tea. This proposal, however, was not made in the interests of Free-trade, but of Protection, for the money lost on tea was to be made up by a tax on foreign products which come into the country without paying duty. The value of the silk imported into England was £11,000,000. Why should that not be taxed instead of tea P Mr. Farquharson went a step further, and in effect advocated a duty on corn. Sir William Harcourt, in reply, while expressing no love for the tea-duties, very properly declared. that he was not prepared. to repeal the tax on tea and substitute one on corn. Mr. Bartley next urged that our present system of taxation was unfair to small incomes, and demanded a differentiated Income-tax. We have dealt with this proposal elsewhere, and will only say here that Sir William Harcourt was right in pointing out that the only reasonable and practical scheme for amending the Income-tax consists in the raising of the point of exemption and the point of abatement. The maintenance of the principle of a single rate of payment is absolutely essential to the efficiency of the tax.
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