The Press. — London, England, 1857-01-31 00:00:00

102 whole world. Mr. Bass, M.P., addressed the meet ing, advocating direct taxation as far as practicable. He did not wish it to be thought that he was pre pared to go to Parliament to vote absolutely against the tax without considering the exigencies of the country. lie believed they did not wish him to give such a pledge, and reminded the meeting that, though Lord Paninure had promised a reduction of 20,000,0001., they had burrowed 20,000,0001. last year, which would have to be repaid. The resolu tions were carried, and the members for the borough were requested to support them in Parliament. A public meeting was held at KNARESBOROUGH on Tuesday last, called in accordance with a requisition from inhabitants of all shades of politics, to petition Parliament for the " reduction or abolition of the tax." The Rev. Thomas Collins was called to the chair. Both the members for the borough, Mr. Basil Woodd, and Mr. John Dent, addressed the meeting. Mr. Woodd thought the war portion of the tax should be got rid or next April. Mr. Dent doubted whether the Chancellor of the Exchequer could dispense with it so soon. A resolution for the immediate reduction and eventual abolition of the tax was carried. A second resolution was also passed (under protest from the chair as being beyond the scope of the requisition calling the meeting) against the inquisitorial and unequal mode of assessment. The chairman, dissenting from this resolution, de clined to sign the petition on behalf of the meeting, and it was determined that separate signatures should be obtained. A county meeting was held on Saturday in the Town hall, at HAVERFORDWEST, for the purpose of protesting against the income and property tax. The chair was tilled by Mr. L. Mathias, sheriff; and the following resolution was passed : That for the property and income tax to be imposed upon the country fur the support of the war more than one year after the restoration of pence would be inconsistent with the Act of Parliament, and a breach of faith with the public ; and that a petition to this effect be drawn up, and that the member for the county (Viscount Emlyn) be requested to present it to the House of Commons. At ARUNDEL a meeting was held on Friday, relative to the income tax, when a letter was read from Lord G. G. A. Howard, M.P., in which the following pas sage occurs : Any o.ie would express my sentiments by saying that, while I should regard taxation as a subject not to be dealt with by excitement or haste, yet that I wish much to see the abolition,if possible, or at least a very great diminution of the income tax. That if we are to have further wars, an income tax is necessary ; but I trust not to have further war, and I do sincerely hope that we are not going hastily to spend British blood and treasure on Persian soil, which I would fain hope is the only present reason whereby the income tax should be continued at anything like its pre• s nt rate. Resolutions condemning the continuance of the war Ud., and a petition praying for a revision of the tax, were agreed to. At TORQUAY, Mr. Palk, M.P., speaking at a meet ing of the inhabitants, held last week, to memo rialise the Queen for a modification of the income tax, said : believe that had there been a due economy —nay, I will not even say that—but that had there not been an undue waste of public money, the income tax, which you have so nobly and cheerfully submitted to up to the pre sent moment, would have been sufficient to have paid for the expenses of the war, and that you might have reverted this session to the state you were in before the commence• ment of the war, hearing in mind the pledge of the than• cellor of the Exchequer, that in 1460 the income tax was finally to be dispensed with. However, I believe that it is well known to you all, that there was no such economy practised by the Government ; and I very much doubt whether you will hear anything from the Crown to lend you to believe that this income tax will be done without. 1 do not believe that Government will take advantage of the quibble which would enable them to maintain the nine• pence in the pound fir 'mother year; but 1 do believe that the Clumcellor of the Exchequer will have to appeal to the patriotism of the c tnntry, and ask them to renew that ninepence for another year. At But a large meeting was held on Thursday night against the income tax. Mr. Frederick Peel, M.P., Wag present, and said he thought the Chan cellor of the Exchequer would fully indorse the opinion expressed by the meeting, that it was expe- dient to r.•duce the tax to sevenpence iu the pound from the 5111 of April next. At EVESIIAM a meeting against the income tax was held on Wednesday. Resolutions were carried de• daring the present tax excessive, and the principle of taxing professional income and that derived from capital alike unjust. Sir H. Willoughby, one of the members of the borough, was present, and, in the course of his speech, observed that the war portion of the tax ought to be removed after the sth of April next, and the whole as soon as possible. As to the capitalisation of incomes, which had been talked about by the Liverpool financial reformers, he would 'hose gentlemen lest they fell i" out of the into the flre." THE PRESS. At TOTNES a public meeting was held on Tuesday, at which resolutions and a petition to Parliament, praying for the reduction of the war 01, and the general revision of the tax, were adopted. In EDINBURGH, at a meeting of the town council on Tuesday, Councillor Mackinlay introduced a motion to the effect that the property and income tax was excessive, and ought to be immediately re duced to the original amount of 7d. in the pound ; and that the tax ought to be abolished on all incomes of 1501. and under, as being oppressive and highly impolitic. Bailie Clark proposed an amendment to the eff..ct that the income tax was excessive, and ought to be immediately reduced to the lowest pos sible rate which the requirements of' the country will bear. After some discussion, in which several members objected to petitioning for the exemption of small incomes. Councillor Mackinlay altered his motion to the effect of petitioning Parliament to reduce the tax to the sum fixed by the act of 1853. The vote was then taken, when Bailie Clark's amend ment was lost by 24 to 5 ; and the motion of Coun cillor Mackinlay, as amended, was carried by 17 to 10. At RHYL also a public meeting was held, to petition Parliament for a considerable modification, if not a total abolition. of the income tax. Resolutions were passed, to the effect that the mode of levying the tax is so inquisitorial and fallacious, that injustice and dishonesty are the inevitable result, and that if direct taxation be advisable, means more in accord ance with the principles of justice ought to be de vised. A petition was numerously signed, to be pre sented to the House of Commons by Sir John lianmer, Bart., MA'. caution tho trying-pan Ikbhi prtign 6,orrtsponMut. SIR ROBERT PEEL AND THE PRINCE DE MUNE. I3nt'ssEr.s, Jan. 29. THE sensation created in this place by the publica tion of the speech of the Prince de Ligne, i❑ redly to the English deputation, is of the liveliest kind. It is not a little amusing, however, to witness the alarm of some of the more timorous, at the straightforward and uncompromising conduct of the Prince. This is wrong. It is likewise discreditable to a Belgian journal to shrink from the supposed rebuke that such honest expression of indignation might elicit from the English press. The apprehension is unworthy of independent journalism, and the senti ment partakes of what, in Peel vernacular, might be termed " the cocktail." The English press will never sanction unworthy behaviour, either in friend or foe, and is thoroughly, and not nominally, independent and honourable. It will always bear respect to fear less conduct. When M. Vilain XIV. rose in his place in the Belgian Chambers and defended the liberty of the Belgian press against the attack of a French states man, able and powerful, all England praised the undaunted Minister and gallant gentleman. That single word "Jamais," in answer to the inquiry whether he would yield to menace, placed M. Vilain XIV., for ever and aye, amongst the leading statesmen of Europe ; and the high station he has gained will be maintained with integrity, for the reason that he is independent and courageous—in corruptible, but, above all, courageous. In like manner when the Prince (le Ligne, moved by indig nation, expressed himself in tones that have been designated "chaleureux,"—an example, by the way, that his independent defenders lacked the heart to follow—there was not an Englishman in the deputa tion that did not sympathise with the chivalrous nobleman, that did not justify him in the adoption of string language to repel an outrage supreme in its violation of all the recognised usages of society. Ile spoke out like a man in defence of his honour, and he called things by their right name, in obedi ence to the frank impulse of a brave nature. _ Amongst the persons forming the English deputa• tion were men who had fought at Trafalgar, Albuera, Salamanca, Vittoria, Toulouse, Waterloo, Inkermann, and Sebastopol; and there was one whose three brothers, at one and the same time, had been Am bassadors of the Kings of England. Neither did the Church of England forbear to furnish its represen tative. That assemblage of English gentlemen told the Prince de Ligne that in their estimation he had been gravely offerickd and grossly outraged, and that they repudiated, as English gentlemen, the trespass of Sir Robert Peel against those laws which gentlemen of all nations hold to be most dear and imperative. It was also remarked that, although on a mission of amity, Sir Robert Peel had not refrained from ridiculing her Majesty the Empress of Russia, and thereby compromised the dignity of his royal SATURDAY, mistress, whose servant he then was in the double capacity of a Lord of the Admiralty and a member of a complimentary and ambassadorial mission. The insults to ➢I. de Morny, the Ambassador of the Em. peror of the French, and to the Prince de Ligne, the chosen representative of the uncle of the Queen of England, were equaliy unwarrantable. The report given in THE PRESS of January the 24th of the meeting at the hotel of the Prince de Ligne, with the expressions used, is true to the very letter. On the appearance of a modified version the members of the deputation immediately confirmed the literal and verbatim correctness of the account. in Tin; PaEss. Two words, far stronger than any that have appeared, were omitted, as it was deemed unnecessary to publish them. They are, however, ready, should the published statement of the obser vations made by the Prince de Ligne be considered deficient in energy. C. A. 11. pulp anb dolonial jatelligence. THE WAR IN PERSIA. CAPTURE OF BUSHIRE. Fru, details of the occupation of the Island of Kar rak and the capture of Bushire have been received by the overland mail. Upon the 24th of November the squadron col lected off Bunder Abbas, and on the 29th made sail for Karrak and 13ushire. On the 29th the leading ships hove in sight of the town. The Resi dent, Captain Jones, in reply to a demand for explanation from the Governor, sent from on boaid, the Assaye the proclamation of war, and a notifica tion that his mission had ceased. On December 4 the island of Karrak was occupied by two companies of the 2nd Beloochees. This small island lies about thirty miles to the north-west of Bushire, and is valuable chiPfly for the supply of water which it of • fords. On the 6th the fleet with the transports dropped down to Halilla-bay, twelve miles to the south-east of Bushire. From this place a gentle ascent leads to the town, and the necessity of sur mounting a difficult cliff is avoided. On the morning of the 7th the disembarkation commenced. The weather was fine and the sea calm. A body of Arab mercenaries were discovered in force concealed in a date grove to the left of the beach. Eight gunboats were ordered to cover the landing, and opening fire with their 24-lb. howizers, drove the enemy back with severs loss and the death of their chief. The disembarkation then proceeded without molestation, and continued for two days. No beasts of burden being procurable, tents and baggage of all kinds were left in the ships, and the men landed with three days' rations in their havresacks. On Sunday, the oth, the force, in all about 5,000 men, under Coe command in chief of NI ajor- General Stalker, commenced its advance on Bushire, distant about twelve miles. The first brigade, com manded by Colonel Stopford, on the right ; the second, under Colonel Honner, on the left. Tho steam frigates moved on the left flank 3f the army is support. Gradually drawing ahead, Sir Henry Leeke, in the Assaye, found himself about 1100 1 / 4 abreast of the old Portuguese Fort of Reshi re, four and a half miles below Bushire. This and the neigh-, bouring ruins he observed to be occupied in force by the enemy. The position is described as a strong one, the fort having the cliff on one side, and a wall and ditch, deep though dry, on the others. The Assaye, at 1,700 yards distance, immediately opened fire with shot and shell from her eight-inch guns. The effects were shortly seen in the precipitate flight from the fort of a large portion of its garrison, of which the whole force is estimated at from 1,500 to 2,000 men. Some 800 remained to stand the attack of the army, which was now rapidly approaching in line. As the troops came up with the enemy the Assaye colsed firing, and General Stalker finding the enemy's shot dropping among his men gave the word for the assault : Brigadier Stopford had dismounted to lead his brigade in the rush at the works. With a wave of his sword he was just calling to the men of his own regiment, the 04th, to come on, when a matchlock ball struck him in the breast, and he dropped dead upon the spot, shot through the heart. Furious at the fall of their colonel, his corps dashed at the enemy's position, and in honourable rivalry with the European was the other regiment of the brigade, the 20th Native Infantry, through whose ranks went the cry that the corps had never been in action before, and that now was the time to show what it could do. The 2nd Europeans and the rest of the second brigade were also well up. For a while the Sghting was sharp, and the bayonet bloodily at work as the assailants forced the enemy back from the ruined houses and the garden walls, and closed upon the fort. That entered, the survivors among its defenders broke out and endeavoured to effect their escape. Many slipped down the low cliff, and were making MI unperceived, when the 4th Rifles, who were on the extreme left of the advance, resting upon the sea, caught sight of them, and brought their fire to bear upon them with fatal effect. Others got out upon the plain and