THE BUDGET.
To MBE EDITOR. OF THE "SPECTATOR."] Sue—May I venture (while approving with you Mr. Chamberlain's intention to start now to reduce Debt) to paint out that he has so far failed to do what seems to me the one vital thing--onamely, to impose Income 'Tax, even to a small amount., deducted like insurance money from wages, or sonic other direct taxation, upon all voters ? So long as nine-tenths of the voters pay no direct taxes it seems quite useless to expect M.P.'s to insist on economy; their constituents naturally prefer doles for bread, coal, Ste., &e., &c. Mr. Chamberlain should have rationed every Department; but his failure either to do so, or to insist on some direct taxation for all voters, seems to me not at all " courageous." I think the only remedy is, reform the House of Lords, to which Mr. Asquith's debt of " honour " was pledged (!), by turning it into a Senate elected by payers of, say, E5 a year in direct taxes, and by giving it the full right, as representing the taxpayers (which the House of Commons does not), to deal with money Bills.—! am, Sir, &e.,
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