THE POWER OF THE PURSE.
[To THE EDITOR OP THE "Sracrwros."]
Sru,—I read the Spectator forty years ago, and read it now. I have been trying to follow your argument in the article, " The Power of the Purse," in the last issue. You say —" If the Lords altered or amended a tax, the tax would cease to be the House of Commons' tax. It would become a different tax, and therefore the Lords would be taxing the people." I agree ; but will you point out in one of your footnotes if I am wrong in further saying :—"If the Lords rejected a tax, any substituted tax would be a different tax; it would cease to be the House of Commons' tax, and therefore the Lords would be taxing the people " P—I am, Sir, &c.,
COMMONER.
[The substituted tax would be a different tax, but it would still be a House of Commons' tax, for it would be initiated there. It could not cease to be a House of Commons' tax because the Lords had rejected some other and different tax. The Lords cannot be held to be taxing the people by not taxing them. Of course if the Lords substituted another tax, this would not be so; but no one claims this right for them. If the old Budget is not passed, but a new one substituted, the new taxes will 3 Commons' taxes.—ED. Spectator.]
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