On November 23 the House of Commot ut into Committee on the Finance (No. 2) Bill. On Clause 1, Sir H. 8. Foster moved as an amendment to reduce the tea duty from 5d. to 4d. per Ib, The Unionist party desired to see the daties'apon the necessaries of life—and tea was one of them—eitber abolished or greatly reduced.
Lord Castlereagh said the Chancellor of the Exchequer was never tired of essing his sympathy for the poor old people of the country, to whom tea was undoubtedly " necessity.
Mr, Gibson Bowles denied that tea was food—it was a stimulant which undoubtedly did a great deal of harm in the country. It produced saffragetism, sssanlts on the police and Ministers. (Langhter.)
Mr. Hobhouse (Financial Secretary tothe Treasury) said that the Opposition talked about the foreigner free market in this country having no free market in foreig countries. The real fact was that for every single £1 worth of moon: factored goods sent into this country we sent £2 worth abroad. (Opposition laughter.) In 1905 the Opposition imposed a tea duty of 6d, bat they were now soxioas to forget their former votes. In the name of the poor they proposed to reduce the tea daty by one penny, bat also in the name of the poor they proposed to pat upon cora, (Opposition cries of Foreign corn.") He hoped that when they talked to the farmers of the country about the benefit they were to get under the proposal, they would also explain to the consumer how the price of the commodity was not going to is c cheers.)... ranging from the classics to the un familiar compositions of Pirani, glis and Leroar. Mme. de Beckma possesses in a marked degree thi quality of magnetism, that mutual influence passing between performer and audience, without which even the most) highly trained and accurate singers can fail to please. Her di is pure, and she seems able to grasp the essence of a song aber its details, Open: ing with an Aria from the Messiah," which she sang with much warmth of feeling, Mme, de Beckmann on ber second appearance gave two familiar! songs by Tschaikowsky. The second Rose d'iliver was the happier of the two and proved quite one of the most pleasing items of the even: ing, with its very dainty sccompsnithe second If of the programme special mention mast be made of the Romance of Debussy, and also the Lo Nil, which was given for second time s an encore.
The violin obligates in the last two items in the programme by Timmerecheidt were particularly gracefal.
Mme. de Beckmann was very ably assisted by ber accompanist, Mre, Cochrane, the perfect, accompani ment of the Aguirelles deserving passages and graceful tone could bardly be improved pon.
Ais interpretation of the Wieniawsky Legende was a little disappointing missed the touch of passion necessary for " complete rendering of this well-known work.
Of the three comparitions for two pianos given by Frax Gerecke and Mra. Cochrane the Etude de Concert of Pirani was the most pleasing. It was little uofortanate that one of the pianos should have to face the wall, as the effect was to make the tone taneqaal; this was. particularly noticeable in the symphonic poem of These three items, which were rely prefer to pay a tax of 54, on tes] than one of 2s, on corn. (Ministerial cheers.)
The amendment was defeated on division by 122 votes to 45.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.