Mr. Childers, on Wednesday, received a deputation from the Financial
Reform Association of Liverpool, which presented a memorial praying for a "free breakfast-table," and the aboli- tion of the duties on dried fruits and on plate. They thought that in exchange for these duties, the " death duties" could be increased, " so as to yield from four to eight millions more revenue," and acknowledged that their ultimate object was to abolish all indirect taxation in favour of direct, and that they included the liquor duties in indirect taxes,—this latter being,
we imagine, a new departure. Mr. Broadhurst, even suggested a graduated income-tax, increasing with the scale of wealth. Mr. Childers, after taking much trouble to elicit from the deputation their ultimate view, made a sensible reply. He was a convinced Free-trader, believed that, with some few exceptions, every reduction of duties produced benefit, and he would gladly carry through Sir Robert Peel's policy. He had not, however, succeeded, like the Tories, to a surplus of six millions, but was in a very different situa- tion. He made no promises whatever, and hinted very
distinctly that he viewed a plan of taxation under which a working teetotaller would possess a vote, yet be exempt alto- gether from imposts, with considerable distrust. The English dislike of the self-adjusting, indirect taxes, which are so popular in the Colonies, is very curious, as is the failure of any proposal to try the French tax on transfers of real property. The ideas of reformers seem to be confined to income-taxes and succession duties, though Mr. Muspratt, President of the Association, admitted that they had a proposal for a land-tax in reserve.
Previous page
