The National Register. — London, England, 1814-12-11 00:00:00

Sit THE NATIONAL REGISTER. G a. , ort. Attornies , Messrs. Minehin and Weddell, Gosport; mad Mr. Mr. Biggs, Essex-street, Strand. W. Gill, of lino? St.. Edmund's, grocer, Dec. 19, at six, 20th, and Jan et, at twelve, at the Angel Inn, Bury St. Edmund's. At *unties. Mi. Waymati, Bury St. Edmund's; and Messrs. 13Iagrave and Walter, Symond's inn, Chancery-lane. S. Smith, of Berwiek-npott-Tweed, ',walnut'', Jan. 2,5, and 21, at eleven, at the King's Arm'. Berwick. Attornies, Mr, IVillohy, Berwick ; and Mr. Bromley, Holborn-court, Gray's-inn. J. Hodgkinson and J. Leigh, of Liverpool, merchants, Jan. 2,3, and 21, at one, at the George Inn. Liverpool. Attornies, Mcssrs. Crimp-and Lodge, Lit erpool : and Mr. Battye, Chanc!•ty-lane. A. Shepley, of Newton, Lancaster, manufacturer, Der. 26, 2R, and Jan. 21, at two, at the Talbot lim. Manchester. Attornies, Mr. Glumly, Mat:chaster ; and Messrs. Milne and Parry, 'reittple S Pittard, of Southampton, shoemaker, Dec. 16, at one, 17, at elev-n, and Jan. 21, at nine, at the Star Inn, Southampton. At torn.t.s, Mr. Allem, Clifford's-inn ; and Mr. Smith, Southampton. 3. Hcap, now rer late of 'Epworth, York, clothier, Dec. 30. 31, at tlevcu, at the Yew 'lrce Inn, Robert-Town, and Jan. 21, at ele ven. at the George Inn, Huddersfie l d , Yor k. Attornies, Mr. Ste •naon, Httlinfirth, near Huddersfield ; and Mr. Battye, Chancery lane. It. Ashby, now or late of the Poultry, engraver, Dec 13, 20, and Jun, '2l, at one, at Guildhall. Attornies, Messrs. Kcarsey and Spurr, 1.1 a it.pcgate-street-within. J. Macmichact, T. Getton, and W. Macmichael, of Bridgnorth, Sa lop, hankers, Dec. 16, 17, and Jail. 21, nt eleven, at the Castle Inn, Brilguorth. Attornies, Mr. Bigg, Southampton-buildings ; and Mr. Pritchafd, Broseley. W. Bolton, of Bury-street, St. James's, plumber, Dec. 17, and J-au. 21, at el-ven, at 4bildltall. Attornies, Alessrs. Richardson, Fishtr, a. d lake, Bury -street. A. Harrison, of Parliament street, Westminster, linen-draper. Dec. 17, 21, and Jan. 21, at twelve, at Guildhall. Attornies, Messrs. Sweet and Stokes, Basinghall-street. AI. B. 'Wellington, and 11. ‘Vellington, of Crown-street, Soho, opii &dos, Dec. 17, at one, Si, and Jan. 21, at twelve, at Guildhall. At tot tiles, Alt ssrs. Ttlson and Preston, Coleman street. DEC. 11. the country would get rid of ibis war tax, and meetings were held (the fir-t was their own Common Hall) throughout the conetry, be. cause it was apprehended that some attempts would be made to continue it. What was the consequence? The Minister was so intimidated by the general alarm which was felt at the idea of its continuance by all classes of the community, that he determined to , withdraw it, rather than incur the odium and the constitutional resistance which he would have to encounter by persevering (Hear, hear, hear !) He begged the Court would bear that fact particu larly in mind, as it would Aerve for a precedent in their present proceedings. Sir John Anderson (then one of the Members in Par liament for the (Pity, and of course a Ministerial man), came to that Court and announced the iniention of Ministers to withdraw the tax. Since that period, however, it had not only continued, hut it had undergove much alteration, especially in the manner of levying it. He wished to speak upon that point without giving offence to those Geotlemen who were nominated as Commissioners to carry the Act into afect : but in his selenin opinion, the tax itself was so odious in principle, so hostile to freedom, so destructive to families, abhor rent to every mind. that it was impossible for the Commissioners, how ever they might be chosen, to collect such a tax without oppression, without tyranny, and without cruelty (bear, hear!) There was oue im portant variation with respect to the practical application of the Act, which had silently crept in since its first passing. The appointment of the Commissioners had been taken out of the hands of public bo dies and of the people, and vested in the Crown. That change had imperceptibly taken place, and it was therefore the more dangerous. The individuals to whom was entrusted the levying of that tax were thus under the controul of the Crown, and receiving emoluments from the Crown ; in many cases their office was but a sinecure, a pretence inertly to reward them for enforcing that Aet. With re spect to its operation, it had been grievously felt by various classes of society. The lauded property, indeed, which complained that it - compelled an exposure of the amount of property often highly in jurious, had found relief; but how was it with regard to the trading interest ? All the heaviest consequences of the war had fallen upon that body, and none heavier than the Property Tax (hear, hear !). A man engaged in trade, subject to all those fluctuations that at ' tend upon mercantile pursuits, might be worth 100,0001. more iu one year than in another; and was it not a dreadful evil, one not to be borne in a free country, that an individual, whose misfortunes, perhaps, had shaken his property to its very centre, vi ho bowed down by his calamities, was afraid almost to look his very family in the face, that he should be dragged before the Commissioners to dis close his distresses, to unfold his poverty, to proclaim his wretched ness, in order to be exempt from the previsions of this most iniqui tous tax? (hear, hear !). Where trade was carried on to any grea t . extent, it might happen that the losses of one year exceeded the profits of seven, and yet the trader must pay the Income Tax to the ruin of his family. In cases of bankruptcy the injustice of the tax was equally evident. In many of those banking houses which had failed, the different partners had been paying perhaps to the Property Tax, italividnally, for incomes at the rate of two or three thousand a year, from the style in which they lived, and the appear ances they kept up. The period of peace has now arrived, and af ter having severely endured the evils of war, after having patiently borne those hurthens which the necessities of the time imposed, they had now a just right to look forward to a relief' from their taxes. No scheme, however, had yet been introduced to accom plish that end ; nothing was held out that promised the accomplish ment of it ; but, on the contrary, an intimation that our blather's would be continued. Now, therefore, was the time for the peo ple to spe k, as Parliament would not receive any petitions against a Money Bill when once brought in ; it was their bounden duty do so ; and if the whole people would stand forth with one voice and one heart in the cause, where was the Minister who would dare to persist in defiance of the universal appeal? (Ivor, hear !). He should not trouble the Court with any more observations, but should submit to it a series of Resolutions, which he wasted would inert with its concurrence, as he had caretidly worded them according to the identical expressions used on a firriner occasion. If the Court adopted them, be should offer to its notice a Petition to Parliament grounded, in substance, upon the said Resolutions. Upon the first Resolution being read, Mr. Waithman observed, that his objection, as an individual, was to the principle of the tax, and that he should equally oppose it were it reduced to one per cent. as a gross violation of personal li berty, in this boasted, laud of freedom. Mr. Alderman Wood seconded the 'notions, but said that if would be unnecessary to take up much of their time after the able manner in which they had been introduced. There was one or two facts. however, which bad come within his own knowledge, of the aura! PROPERTY TAX. A Court of Common Co'Weil was Itch) on Friday at Guildhall specially for the purpose of taking into consideration the meditated coutinnance of the Property Tax. Some private and local business, however, occupied its attention previously. Mr. Warm:Kam, in rising to bring under the notice of the Court that subject to which its attention was expected chiefly to be turned, obsarved that it was one of as mach importance as had ever come befoie them. It might be supposed that be should expa tiate al some length upon the grievous and oppressive character of the Property Tax ; but its evils were so generally felt and so uni versally acknowledged, that it would be a waste of time to dwell upon them with much amplitude. It might he necessary, however, to remind the Count of the extraordinary circumstances in which the country was placed at the hate that tax was first brought for ward. The finances and the power of this country were then thought to be nearly at their end, and it was imagined that to ex tricate it from the impending dangers no resource was hit, but some bold and provident measure of finance, which might create the means of prosecuting that contest in whirl' we were then en gaged. But it was solemnly stipulated by Parliament, and the stipulation constituted a sacred compact between the Government and the people, that whenever the war, whose necessities called for that odious and unconstitutional, though perhaps necessary men sure, should cease, that war tiax should cease likewise (Hear, hear !). still, however, it was fonad necessary to resort to other expedients to render so hateful and so abominable a tax even tolerable to the public feeling and to parliament. The promise was therefore held out, that the mode of collecting the tax should be of so mild and gentle a nature, as to pretest the possibility of any thing tyrannical or oppressive in its operation. That anticipated delicacy was highly sieceysary ; for he would venture to say, notwithstandiez the sin gular aspect of the times at that period, when any violent opposition to Government was construed 'into disaffection, without such a promise, the measure ; however becessary, however urgent, would not have been carried. lo spite, however, of all those prkautions, and all that tenderness on the pact of Ministers, that Court came to n resolution in 1798, (he believed,) expressive of its abhorrence and detestation of the principles on which the Property Tax was founied. fit 180'4 alter the peace of ,Atuieas, it Was naturally thought that I