TOPICS OF THE DAY.
" DESPATCH OF BUSINESS."
PARLIAMENT i8 to meet on the 2d February, " for the despatch of business." And that business, if an inference may be drawn from the prevailing topics of conversation, will be mainly the adjustment of financial and commercial difficulties.
These questions are inseparable. Society cannot exist without a Government ; and Government, to be able to exist and work, must have money. That money must come from the pockets of the people ; and, take it in what manner you will, the levying of it cannot fail to interfere with and modify the working of the natural laws by which the production and distribution of wealth are effected. A sagacious Government, when it seeks to raise money from its sub- jects, will, even though indifferent to its duty of promoting their hap- piness, inquire not merely what taxes will raise money, but what taxes, by interfering least with the natural laws by which property is acquired and distributed, will least repress the growth of that fund out of which all taxes must be paid. On the other hand, the legislators who usefully advocate the rights of the people, if they feel that any taxes are calculated to impede the production of wealth, or by interfering with its natural distribution to shut out individuals or classes from their fair share in national prosperity, will, in asking relief of these taxes for the people, be prepared to overcome the reluctance of Government to let money slip through its fingers—to suggest substitutes at least equally productive at the same time that they are less oppressive.
Trading politicians are not likely to be much benefited by a dis- position on the part of Government and the Representatives of its subjects to meet each other half way in such a mood of mutual accommodation. The harvest of trading politicians is at the time when there is bad blood between the Government and the . People, and when Swiss combatants are in demand on either side to fight their battles. Trading politicians fish best in troubled waters : it is their cue to keep thrashing at the clear element to make it turbid, in order that they may catch their prey in obscurity. Trading politicians—as many of them as can get employment— fill up the unostensible, drudging, but lucrative offices under a Government; and those who cannot obtain such appointments go about to get up an Opposition, and thus cut out work for themselves. They are shrewd calculators, and know, that so long as the rulers and their subjects are on a good understanding, there is only employment for one set of them ; but that when two parties are scrambling for power, with each a strong backing among the people, two sets may be comfortably maintained,—the retainers of the party in power, who may be called the Establishment ; and the retainers of the Opposition, who are a kind of Voluntary Church. The latter are constantly persuading the people "to ask no favour of the Government, but their rights "—" to tell Government what they want ; it is the Government's business to find out how their wishes can best be complied with." This is good advice in so far as the people out of doors are concerned; but when they insinuate such doctrines into the ears of legislators, they are only ad- ministering stimulants to pride and prejudice, in order to prevent arrangements being made that might render their own services un- called for.
Nothing but listening to the sinister advice of such interested counsellors—nor perhaps even that—can prevent some steps being taken regarding our trade with Canada, or with Brazil, or with China, which, keeping up the bias given by the measures of last session, will prove a real advance to a wiser commercial and finan- cial policy, in the course of the approaching session. The advo- cates of Free Trade, in the manufacturing and commercial districts, have neither diminished in numbers nor relaxed in energy. A discussion on the Corn-law question which took place last week in the Town-Council of Glasgow, throws important light on the ground taking up by the opponents of the out-and-out Free- traders among the trading communities. Mr. LEADEETTER, the most prominent and able speaker on this side, avowed his convic- tion of the abstract truth of Free Trade doctrines, and only ob- jected to what he called over-hasty attempts to apply them in practice. Nor is it only in the manufacturing districts that the language adopted by Mr. LEADDETTER is heard. At agricultural meetings some speakers have announced that the abolition of re- strictions is inevitable, be the consequences what they may ; others have more or less covertly endeavoured to reassure the despondent listeners to such declarations by hinting that the consequences of free competition may not be so disastrous as they anticipate, or that they may even be beneficial. When to a party which expli- citly and it may be dogmatically asserts the truth of a doctrine, is opposed a party which announces its opinions hesitatingly—scepti- cally—there can be no doubt which creed must ultimately prevail. The tide has set in strongly in favour of unfettered trade ; and whoever wishes to govern this country must sail with the tide. It is a time for encouraging Government to yield to circumstances. And there is no means of accomplishing this so likely to be effec- tual as by relieving Government of any apprehensions it may en- tertain, that by lightening the heavy duties which cramp some branches of trade it may be thrown into financial difficulties. All governments have a morbid fear of not getting money enough : judicious legislators, when proposing any change in taxes, will en- deavour to avoid exciting this fear, by suggesting substitutes when- ever they ask to have any taxes taken off or diminished. Now the opponents of the Corn-law cry out, most of them for a total repeal—
the most moderate will insist upon a greater boon than the
8s. fixed-duty. Again, the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce hare petitioned for a reduction of the duty on tea. The first fruits of the progress of Free Trade opinions are applications from all qmr. tars to have duties abrogated or remitted. This is enough Is make any Government pause : however strong may be men's theoretical conviction that the whole produce of an impost may be increased by lowering the rate, it is a delicate matter trying the experiment where the revenue of a nation is at stake. It is enough to make every judicious legislator pause : for if all have an interest in being left to the free exercise of their own industry, all have at least an equal interest in the maintenance of those institutions which are a security against foreign foes and domestic dishonesty or violence. It is the business of the earnest, sincere Free-traders in Par- liament, rather to come before Government with the suggestion of substitutes for the duties they ask to have abolished, than to join in a factions unrefiecting cry against those that Government may have recourse to. The theory of the Free-trader is that every ins. post that drives trade out of natural into artificial channels is injurious ; that every indirect impost, whatever the object of its being at first laid on, has more or less a tendency to affect trade in this manner; that, consequently, direct taxes, though more disagreeable, are less hurtful than indirect ones. The honest Free-trader is prepared to see direct taxes laid on as substi- tutes in proportion as indirect taxes are removed. The honest Parliamentary Free-trader, therefore, though he may find fault with some of the machinery of the Income-tax, and though he may think some even of its claptrap arrangements calculated to make it unequal and unjust in its pressure, will not countenance the objec- tions raised against the principle of the tax on the grounds that it is " inquisitorial," a " war-tax," or other allegations of shortsighted selfishness or senseless ignorance. He will probably ask for some modification of the arrangements for ascertaining how much indivi- duals ought to pay, and for collecting the money ; but be will sup- port Government in calling for direct taxation in proportion as in- direct taxation is relinquished. He will look to the necessity of maintaining national credit ; and will admit that, to prevent dan- gerous panics in the money-market, Government must have the guarantee of a direct tax before it abrogates indirect taxes on any large scale. He will look to the necessity of keeping up our courts of law, police, and defensive establishments, and admit that Govern- ment must have money in hand. He will remember that the duty of Parliament is to get government not only as cheap but also as good as possible ; and that the duty of a wise Member of Par- liament now is, not so much to reduce the aggregate amount of taxation, as to see that it is equally imposed, and its proceeds honestly expended for proper objects. And he will leave to trad- ing politicians—professional patriots—the whole war of wordy and recriminatory invective—the cant about " inquisitorial Income- taxes," and the like, and lend a band to smooth rather than to distract the path by which Government must carry his views into effect.
This is one way to render " the despatch of business," for which Parliament is ostensibly summoned, something more than a name.
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