• In the House of Commons on Tuesday the Resolution
authorising the levying of Income-tax at 14d. in the pound was passed, after a somewhat sterile debate. The Irish Members protested against the rise in the Income-tax as necessitated by a war which Ireland condemned, while on the other hand more than one Radical Member argued that it should have been raised by 4d. instead of 2d. Sir Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett actually admitted that the Budget "as a whole was as fair as could be devised in the circum- stances," and lectured the coalowners and coal merchants for their unpatriotic outcry. Sir Michael Hicks-Beach in his reply met the arguments for the exemption of incomes below 2500 from the additional Income-tax by stating that financially it would be extremely immoral in a, year of increasing Income-tax to single out a particular class for relief. He did not look forward to a 14d. tax as a permanency, hoping that the additional taxation proposed this year would turn the thoughts of the country to the virtues of economy, and contended that by the increase of the Death- duties the burden was now practically fair as between incomes derived from brains and those derived from pro- perty. After Sir William Harcourt had expressed his entire agreement with these sentiments, the division was taken, with the result that the Resolution was carried by 363 to 88, or a majority of 275.
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