IMPERIAL POLITICS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XC, Issue 13265, 20 April 1907, Page 5

IMPERIAL POLITICS.

COURT OF CRIMINAL. APPEAL. United Press Association—Por Electric Telegraph-i-Copyright. LONDON, April 18. In the 'House of - Commons Sir .John Lawson .Walton, Attorney-General/ introduced a Bill to establish a -Courti of Criminal Appeal, consisting of • seven High Court judges, who. will allow, or disallow an appeal on depositions, ■; and written statements submitted to them. The Court is empowered,' if necessary, to take fresh evidence, also to'give prisoners in straitened circumstances the assistance of counsel. The Patents and Designs Bill was read a second time. A BY-ELECTION. • .LONDON, April W. The by-eleetioh for Belfast North' to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Sir Daniel Dixon, resulted as follows :- Mr George Clark (Unionist) ■ 6021 Mr W. Walker (Labour) 4194 (At the General Election of 1906, Sir Daniel Dixon received 4907 votes, and Mr Walker 4616.) MR ASQUmrS ADDRESS. 'LONDON,. April 19. Mr Asquith, in delivering the Budget spoke in congratulatory terms regarding trade with the United Kingdom and the' producing countries of the; world; but emphasised that it- would' be unwise to treat each year's finance as though selfcontained. He enumerated the various causes of lowhess of price -of high class securities, and contended that "the ccWfc trv's credit remained better and higher than any other. The expenditure of -the past year was £139,415,000, arid the surplus was mainly due to an increase of three items —-coin, estate duties, and the mint. It had been a record year for tea receipts, and those;/ from, alcohol had increased. The estimated revenue for the coming year was £144,180,000, and the expenditure £140,757,000. A grant of ■£200,000 to necessitous schools would reduce the surplus to £3.833,000.

The Chancellor Raid that the Government regarded old age pensions as the iriost serious and urgent of all the/ demands for Social reform, and hopad' and intended before the close of next session, to lay the firm foundations of a, pensions scheme. •He : incidentally warned the country 'that there could be no social reform: which was not dearly purchased at the -sacrifice of freetrade. The : ninepenny tax earned on incomes woiild be collected promptly, and the loss of two millions would be balanced by the gain in death dnties which would be increased in case of estates of • the value of more than £150,000: also a slight super tax on estates of more than £1:000,000. This would leave the' nominal nucleus of £2.250,000 by 1908 for old age pensions; with the prospect of economies from, fresh sources of taxation, -increasing such nucleus. The graduation of high incomes was postponed the ground that' one ! - change for the officials to- cope with in one year would suffice. * Mr Asauith added that instead of transferrins' to local, authorities ten millions including the license duties, at the end of the present year the Exchequer woidd pay the authorities ten millions out of the consolidated fund. Tt would then be at liberty, in 1908, to incren.se the license duty for the benefit of the nation. It was also possible to deal with, taxation of motor cars. The increase of death dutias was estimated at £6OQ,OCO. From the £3,833,000 he deducted £2,000.000, leaving disposable a surplus of : £1.833.000'. Of this_:,lie retained £333,000 for s contingencies, . and added the balance to the new sinking fund, making provision for debt to the extent of £29.5C0,000. After a- 1 brief discussion, the usual resolution was. passed. THE CHANCELLOR'S SPEECH. A SURPLUS OF MILLIONS. LONDON, April 18. In the House of Commons, Mr Asquith delivered his Budget speech. The realised balance last year was £5,399,000, ; which was applied to debt redemption. ;No change in indirect taxation is proposed. It is intended to abolish the in--teiyeption of Imperial for local , authorities. It is also intended to differentiate in favour of earned income if ■under £2OCO to the extent of three pencein the £. '