Mr. Chamberlain, who followed, denied that any absolute reversal of
our fiscal system was involved in the policy be had outlined, or that there was any difference between himself and the Premier, or any inconsistency between his utterances and those of Mr. Balfour or Lord Salisbury. No new policy was contemplated ; but before his suggestions could be carried into effect a new mandate would have to be given to the Government by the country. No detailed plan could be placed before the country at the moment, bat the principles involved needed full discussion. It was his own honest opinion that a rigorous adhesion to the unbroken doctrine of Free-trade, and a refusal to offend foreigners, rendered a united Empire fiscally and politically impossible. When the Government got their mandate from the country, then they would produce their plan. He agreed with Mr. Balfour that it was not desirable to tax raw material, but he was not without the hope that he could reconcile the working men to taxation of food by the prospect of higher wages and old-age pensions. The new duties on food would bring in a very large revenue, and as the working classes paid three-quarters of taxes on food and the well-to-do one quarter, the former were entitled to every penny of their three-quarters, and he would give them the quarter contributed by their rioher fellows as well " When I am talking to a working man and asking him to compare advantages and dis- advantages, another argument—I tell it you in anticipation —will be, Not only will you get back any benefits intended entirely and alone for you, but the whole sum you have paid you will get, in addition to the whole of what is paid by the richer classes." A remarkable feature of the debate was the absence of practically the entire Opposi- tion Front Bench. We propose to deal fully with Mr. Chamberlain's momentous declaration next week, and must confine ourselves for the moment to pointing out that whereas Mr. Balfour admits that discussion is desirable, Mr. Chamber- lain has practically formulated an electioneering programme of the most far-reaching and subversive character.
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