The discussion on the Budget has continued all the week,
the Government wisely declining to closure a money Bill,. but the Opposition make nothing by their resistance. They, are beaten on small amendments, intended really to improve the Bill, the majority standing steadily by their chief; who in occasionally puzzled, but sticks by a badly-worded draft as his only way out, and on a grave amendment they have been smashed. Captain Bethell, on Monday, moved that the new Estate-duty should be levied on the same" cOnditions and at- the same rates as the existing Probate and Estate-duties,. and thus condemned the principle of graduation. Mr. Cham- berlain, however, refused to support him, and though Mr.. Balfour did, it was definitely on the Around that though graduation might be right, the particular proposal was absurd. The consequence was that Captain Bethell was, beaten by 209 to 105, a majority of 104, that graduation is formally accepted, and that the only chance of the Opposition is to resist the small increase on the Liquor-duties, which, as we have argued elsewhere, is a most inexpedient ground to fight on. The Unionists will get votes but will fetter their future finance. The resistance to this Budget has not been
well managed, for this simple reason, that it ought not to have been resisted at all, but to have been modified by amicable agreement.
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