The Press. — London, England, 1857-01-03 00:00:00

8 THE PRESS. THE REVENUE. 1.-THE NET REVENUE. Quarter ended Year ended ~.----..---,, ~.----A----,, Dec. 31, Dee. 31, Dec. 31, I Dec. 31, 1855. 1856. 1855. 1 1855. ----- /// 1 A CUSTOMS EXCISE 4,604,000 4,816,000 17,263,463 18,073,778 STAMPS 1,749,769 1,838,000 7,132,824 , 7,268,272 TAX ES % 1,351,000 1,356,000 3,005,845 3,105,026 PROPERTY TAX POST OFFICE 617,000 748,000 1,704,000 2,869,152 CROWN LANDS 85,600 86,000 280,515 2 1 .4,857 MISCELLANEOUS 845,517 195,842 1,103,007 971,100 TOTAL IL-COMPARATIVE STATEMENT. Quarter ended Nine Months ended Year ended Dec. 31, 1856. Dec. 31,1856. Dec. 31, 1850. -., ..- 1 -, Increase. 1 Decrease. Increase. Decrease. Increase. Decrease. A A A .1 i A CUSTOMS EXCISE STAMPS 88,231 192,262 135,448 TAXES PROPERTY TAX POST OFFICE lOl,OOO 92,000 CROWN LAN DS MISCELLANEOUS 140,475 187,042 TOTAL 1,020,396 i 149,475 2,597 t 034 187,042 4.109,675 181,901 \ X 410,921 /1,402,9112 /3,977,772 Net Increase. Net Increase. Net Increase Quarter ended Year ended ~.----A--.—„ Dec. 31, ' Dec. 31, Deo. 31, Dee. 31, 1855. 1856. 1855. 1855. --- --- S S 5 4 CUSTOMS EXCISE 4,604,000 4,816,000 17,269,463 18,073,778 STAMPS 1,749,769 1,838,000 7,132,824 7,268,272 TAXES % 1,351,000 1,356,000 11,005,345 3,105,026 PROPERTY TAX POST OFFICE 617,000 748,000 1,704,000 2,869,152 CROWN LANDS 85,600 86,000 1 280,515 2 1 .4,857 MISCELLANEOUS 245,517 195,842 • 1,103,007 971,100 . lII.—EXPENDITURE AND RECEIPTS. (From all Sources.) Surplus Balance beyond the Charge of the Consoli dated Fund for the Quarter ended Sept.3o, !Kin, viz., Great Britain Ireland .C 279,878 Income received in the Quarter elided Dec. 31, 1856, as shown in Account I 16,695,01 Amount advanced by the Bank in the Quarter ended Dec. 31, 1856, on the security of Exchequer Bills, being the first issue on account of the grant of ti,OOO,OOC, per Act 19th and 20th Victoria, chap 44, the remaining $5,000 000 of which it is expected will not be required 1,000,000 Amount received in the Quarter ended Dec. 31, 1856, iu repayment of advances for Public Works, ,to. 618,330,748 . . Balance, being the deficiency on the 31st Dec , 1556, upon the charge of the Consolidated Fund in Great Britain, to meet the Dividends And other charges payable in the Quarter to March 31, • 157, and for which Exchequer Bills (deficiency) will be issued iu that Quarter 1,031,852 *19419,in° hurt ant lastion. Her Majesty and the Royal Family continue at Windsor Castle. Her Majesty held a Privy Council on Tuesday, and gave audiences to the Turkish Ambassador and the Earls tiranyille and Clarendon. The Prince of Leiningen and Prince Edward of Leiningen have visited her Majesty during the week. His Royal Highness Prince Albert, accompanied by the Prince of Wales, the Princess Royal, and the Princess Alice, came to town on Friday, and honoured the Photographic Exhibition in Phil mall with a visit previous to the public opening this day. The Duke of Devonshire is still at Kemp Town. The Countess of Stamford and Warrington is pro gressing as favourably as can be expected after her recent severe indisposition. Mr. Lawrence and Lady Jane reel are about to break up their establishment in Kemp Town and pro ceed to the Continent for a lengthened period. Mr. John Britton, F.S.A., the eminent antiquary, died on Thursday at his residence in Burton crescent, at the age of eighty-six. Volittral. INCOME-TAX MEETINGS. Ax important public meeting was held at Gloucester on Monday evening, with a view to obtain the total and immediate repeal of the income tax, it being the second meeting held within a short time for that purpose. Admiral Berkeley and Mr. Price, M.P., were present, and the Mayor presided. Mr. Bowly nroposed the first resolution, deprecating the I come tax as unjust in its operation, vexatious in its assessment, demoralising in its tendency, and by its inquisitorial character derogatory to the feel ings of Englishmen. Mr. T. M. Sturge seconded the resolution, observing that they were unworthy the uame of Englishmen if they submitted to so iniquitous Amount applied out of the Income for the Quarter ended Dec. 81, 1858, to Redemption of Exchequer Bills (deficiency) for the quarter ended Sept. 30, 1856 Amount applied out of the Income to supply Ser vices in the Quarter ended Dec. :31, 1856 9,866,218 Charge of the Consolidated Fund for the Quarter ended Dec. 31, 1856, viz.:— Interest of the Permanent Debt .. £6,814,531 Terminable Debt Interest of Exchequer Bills (De ficiency) The Civil List Other Charges on Consolid Fund 484,910 Advances for Public Works, am .. 921,447 Sardinian Loan 8,313,406 Surplus Balance beyond the Charge of the Consoli dated Fund for the Quarter ended Dec. 31, 1866, viz.:— Great Britain Ireland 739,128 /19,419,100 a tax any longer. Admiral Sir M. F. F. Berkeley, M.P., said he had been fully led to understand that there was to be not only a direct censure upon the Government, but also a resolution to tie the hands of himself and his hon. colleague. He would say in all kindness and good will to them that he was glad that the resolution had not been so framed, because although an old man, yet he had the spirit of an Englishman about him, and never would be a bonds man as a representative : The question had been raised as to whether the Govern ment intended to take advantage of some twenty-eight days having elapsed over the financial year, and impose the increased war tax for another year. Some had gone so far as to say that it was the intention of the Govern- ment so to do. Some said that it was a quibble; some that it was worthy only of a pettifogging attorney who would be struck off the rolls for such conduct ; and they at once assumed that because a man is a member of a Government, he would be guilty of a dirty action. He would venture to contradict all those who had said that it was the intention of the Government to take this advan- tage of the people. He did not say this upon authority, but as a subordinate of the Government. He did not believe that it wouli be capable of taking such an advan tage. And why ? Let them look at the character of the noble lord the member for Tiverton, now at the head of the Government. His was no sneaking policy; his was no attempt to obtain anything by a quibble that he could obtain by asking for honourably end honestly of the re• presentstives of the nation. Therefore he would say wait till the time comes. He would not believe it till he saw it, and he, for one, would not be a party to it. Mr. Kimberley proposed the next resolution, to the effect that, while the meeting desired the repeal of schedule D, they were not opposed to bearing their fair share of taxation, and considered that some more equitable and less objectionable means might be found to meet any deficiency in the revenue. Mr. Buckland seconded the resolution. Mr. W. P. Price, M.P., contended that it was impossible for schedule I) to be repealed, unless some substitute which would produce an equivalent revenue were adopted. The income tax was a solemn compact entered into be t% cen the people and the Chancellor of the Exche quer. In consequence of its imposition an enormous amount of customs and excise duties bad been SATURDAY, abolished. From this abolition trade had received an immense impetus, and the country had gone on nourishingly. The substitute proposed was in his opinion feasible, and had been:recommended by Mr. Gladstone when Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1853. A working man named Herbert proposed an amendment that any deficit caused by the repeal of schedule I) should be met by retrenchment on the part of the Government. Ultimately this amend ment was embodied in the resolution, and adopted unanimously. A petition framed on the resolutions passed was agreed to, and the meeting separated at about eleven o'clock. A crowded meeting of the inhabitants of DEPTFORD was held on Tuesday night, at the Literary Institu tion in that town, to adopt measures to obtain a fair adjustment or a total repeal of the property and income tax. The chair was occupied by Alder man Wire. Mr. Thwaites (chairman of the Metro politan Board of Works) moved the first resolution, condemnatory of the income tax, on the grounds of its unequal assessment, its imposition upon persons of small incomes, and its inquisitorial character, and pledging the meeting to adopt measures to promote a fair adjustment or a total repeal. In the course of a long address, Mr. Thwaites contended that it was the duty of the electors to send such representatives to Parliament as would vote for the removal of this injustice. Mr. Veness seconded the motion ; which was supported by Mt. Montagu Chambers, M.P., who observed that when the property and income tax was proposed by Sir Robert Peel, he also pro posed to give something like an equivalent, in the shape of an improved tariff, reducing taxation on articles of consumption. The additional income tax was laid on as a war tax, and now that the war had ceased there was no pretence for its continu ance. The Government had managed to keep on the additional tax for another year, by insisting that the peace was no peace until it was ratified, but as the various Government establishments at Deptford, Woolwich, &c., had been reduced, and the expendi ture curtailed, the tradesman had a right to ask why he should continue to pay those demands which, during the war, he cheerfully complied with. The hon. and learned gentleman concluded by denying the statements which had been made respecting the borough, which he denied to be either corrupt or under Government dictation, as his own election proved, he having had, in fact, the influence of two Governments against him—the Government " in" and the Government " out," in 1852. The. resolution was agreed to unanimously. Mr. Reddell moved the next resolution, for the preparation of a petition to Parliament embodying the views of the meeting, which was seconded by Mr. Duval. Mr. Nicholay, as representing the Central Association for Procur ing the Reduction of the Income Tax, then ad dressed the meeting, and urged the electors of Greenwich to ask for the removal of the burden, not as a favour, but as a right. He suggested that the electors should pledge themselves not to vote for any candidate who refused to give his adhesion to the movement for abolishing this grievous impost. He intended himself, when Marylebone held its meet ing, to call upon Sir Benjamin Hall, a Minister of the Crown, to join the movement, or " woe be to Sir Benjamin." The resolution was agreed to unani mously. A meeting of the inhabitants of DORCHESTER was held in their Guildhall on Tuesday—the Mayor, Mr. J. Ensor, presiding—" to consider the best mewls of effecting a speedy abolition of the income tax." The Rev. W. Barnes moved a resolution declaring the income tax to be unjust in its principle and offensive in its character, which was seconded by Mr. J. T. Shorto. The next resolution was proposed by Mr. M. C. Weston, seconded by Mr. T. Y. Tulloch, de claring that the practical operation of the laws relating to the income tax was inquisitorial and pro ductive of great hardship, inequality, and injustice, and that this meeting would be satisfied with nothing less than their total and immediate abolition.—lt was urged by the first speaker that there is a positive immorality in putt►ng a tax upon virtue—and that the income tax is a tax upon the virtue of industry; but as a clergyman, ho found a still greater objection so it, that it almost compels a man to tamper with his conscience, or else he must overtax himself. Any law (said the rev. gentleman) which tempted a man—although not extortionate is other ways —any law which tempted a man to tamper with his con science was a bad one, and would be found in course of time to be as demoralising as it was bad. The resolutions were all passed unanimously, and a pe tition to Parliament in accordance with them was adopted. A special meeting of the Town Council of BATR was held on Tuesday to oppose the income tax. The subject was introduced by Mr. Alderman Hunt, who denounced the tax as oppressive and unjust, and moved : That while this council fully admits the necessity there was for raising the property and income tax daring the late war with Russia from 7d. in the pound to 16d., they consider that, this war being now happily concluded, such