The Commons got into Committee on the Income-tax Bill last
night without any preliminary opposition. Amendments were made in clause 5--duties to be assessed and raised under the provisions of acts recited. When the question was about to be put, Mr. BRIGHT asked for an ex- planation and the promise of a consolidating bill. Mr. GLADSTONE ex- plained, that time was an insuperable bar to a consolidation bill ; and asked how many Members would have mastered the subject bad he brought in a bill of two hundred and fifty clauses ? Some conversational debate ensued; but on a division the clause was carried by 96 to 26. Several trifling amendments were proposed, but they were negatived by very large majorities. A motion for reporting progress was negatived by 130 to 31 ; but Lord JOHN RUSSELL at length consented to report pro- gress, at clause 26, fixing the amount of income to be taxed ; and the House resumed.
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