Tuesday, April 27th.—On the report of the Budget resolutions there was, of course, the usual attempt to get rid of the tea-duty. As Colonel Ward sarcastically pointed out, opposition to this particular impost has been for years the "by-election stunt" of every party in turn. To-day the rejection was moved by the Labour Party, and when the Chancellor of the Exchequer asked if in exchange they were prepared to extend the income-tax downwards Mr. J. H. Thomas boldly declared that for his part he was quite ready. But as it appeared that his idea of the exemption-limit was £325 a year Mr. Chamberlain thanked him for nothing.
Among the varied and ingenious arguments adduced by Colonel Guinness against the increased tax on sparkling wines the one that he evidently thought most likely to soften the heart of the Chancellor was that it would reduce consumption, since at current prices it would be an offence against good taste for anyone in this country to be seen drinking champagne. But Mr. Chamberlain could not agree. In his view the larger the taxation on the bottle the greater the patriotism of the consumer.
In advocating a slight relaxation of the cigar-duty Mr. Hurd quoted Mr. Bonar Law for the dictum that the excellence of a dinner largely depended upon the quality of the cigar that followed it, and went on to remark that he did not on this matter expect the support of the Labour Party. Mr. Jack Jones stentoriously resented this slur upon their taste. "We like a good cigar as well as anybody," he shouted, adding somewhat superfluously, "Who has a better right to a good dinner?" This outburst may have shaken the Chancellor's conviction that Havana cigars are indubitably of the nature of luxuries.
"Who has a better right [than the Labour Party] to a good dinner and a good cigar?"—Mr. Jack Jones.
Wednesday, April 28th.—According to the Duke of Rutland, who made an eloquent plea for the better protection of wild birds, their worst enemy is the village schoolmaster, whose motto seems to be, "It's a fine day; let us go out and collect something." I cannot help thinking that his Grace must have some special dominie in his mind and was arguing from the particular to the general.
The story of Lady Astor's seat is beginning to resemble a penny novelette. Evicted by the bold bad Baronet below the Gangway the heroine has been enabled by the courtesy of one of Nature's noblemen, in the person of Mr. Will Thorne, to find a new home in the precincts of the Labour Party, and seems quite happy again.
Since the American Senate takes so kindly an interest in our affairs as to pass resolutions in favour of Irish independence, Mr. Ronald McNeill thought it would be only friendly if the House of Commons were to reciprocate with a motion in support of the Filipinos' claim to self-determination. Mr. Bonar Law fought shy of the suggestion and preferred Sir Edward Carson's idea that it was better for each country to leave other countries alone. "I would be very thankful," he added rather wistfully, "if Ireland would leave us alone." But his appeal fell on deaf ears, for, at the instance of Mr. T. P. O'Connor, the House spent most of the evening in discussing the threat of the Irish dock-labourers in Liverpool to paralyse the trade of the port unless the Government released the hunger-strikers at Wormwood Scrubs.
The rest of the time was spent in getting the House to agree to the expansion of the Excess Profits Tax. This was largely secured by the special pleading of Mr. Baldwin. His argument that to call the tax "temporary," as his chief did last year, was quite compatible with maintaining and even increasing it, was more ingenious than convincing, but his promise that, if the shoe really pinched the small business and the new business, the Chancellor would do his best to ease it, combined with an urgent "whip" to secure a big majority for the impugned impost.
