The National Register. — London, England, 1815-01-01 00:00:00

1 II " v i mom* imtisitorial. oppressive. atotionembtitistional tax. lie hoped Ina( this peace won'd be la:sting; owl that two great uations, having common digit!, speaking the same language, ,and feeling an egpal %esiceation for the great principles of civil and religiiiiis' liberty, would no longer waste their strength in sanguinary and ruinous wars - szainst each fishes, but that they would always be united foie the common good .of mankind, and in sheltering the weaker powers front the oppressions of the powerful. As to that *bat obnoxious ▪ tax,. which was called the Property Tax, the principle of it had already so often and so fully discussed, that he thought it unneces sary for him to dwell at any length upon the subject. It was ear- " rail into .exectstinit by commissioners, from whom there was no appeal. it was a tax that bore heavier upon the poor than on the • rich. (Applause, end cries or, "it does. it does," frem some who appeared of the former !leseriplion). &opposing that a limit received :3101. a year. it would not be coil% too for to say, that 1001. a year seas taken from him in other taxis, and that he had only tool. lett t ., .r himself. If; then, be Vilt4 culled upon to pay 301. on account of iiscome, it was in fact :301. per cent. awl not 101. per cent. that . noa4 taken froth him. When the tax was first imposed, the country was cog:teed in a war with a most ambitions ani powerlid tyrant, and the couutry was willing .to submit to great burdens, when dr en sistaitees appeared to make it necessary. That tyrant had, how e i. 41, fallen, and with him ought to fall the Property Tax.- It was tae custom of one of the greatest of the ancient nations. the Nu -loans, appoint a Dictator in times of extraordinary difficulty and danger; hut when that danger passed, his office existed no longer. He thought:thot this country should so far follow their example, as to bear with patience the pressure of heavy taxes when they ap , • peered absolutely necessary.' The people had. however, borne those iiiirtl.ns with unexampled patience and cheerfulness ; and it would be a very bad reward, indeed, for the zeal that. they had strewn, to continue the same burdens on them in peace. He then descanted for sotne time on the wMte of public money in unnecessary pensions, pt ye+, &c. ;Nand concluded by moving a airing of Resolutions, pri eipally atotinst the Property Tax. The question having been Tut on the first resolution, 111111jOrCARTWRIGUT addressed the Meeting. He app rehended that Ilse cessation of the American war would laterite the "scontinti ones of this tax on property, at least to its present amount. It was itet, however. the question as to it's amount, or whether the per contogeationld be inereas4d or dimitrislted,..but it was time spirit and &armlet of the linposition which ought chiefly to attract their vointidoratiem.' The lion's . whelp might be a barmiest; plaything at ilralhhnt-ifooffered to grow, wouttl . froalty prove himself to be a lion. 'illy Peri*, for which they were thetPassembled was three-fold : tosemtlider of the general state of .the national taxation ; se condly; of tits property tax in particular ; and thirdly. with respect 10 - itlar-proereilings which it was ineumlient in them to adopt on this They ought not to confine themselves to the mere con ▪ '..6ladistiori 'of a tax which violated property, which oppressed indus -4114. Wel* invaded domestic privacy, and which was, therefore, ob viously itsconsgteirt with every principle of English liberty; but they might to trees this evil to its true source, to skew it le its con tiectiara with other public grievances, and to call upon the Legisla .l lure fin that grentnod ultimate remedy, which could alone insure them permanent ineependeitee and prosperity. The Chancellor of the Exchequer had, set his place in the House of Commons, not long Wince, 'broadly intimated his intention of proposing a renewal of this tax. It was for them, therefore, not. to criticise any partial defects, I • .tor ray apparent inequalities, its the principle or operation of such a measure , became the reply of the Chancellor of the Exchequer . ssisidd et rtaieny be, that he was much obliged to the persons who suggested-these objections, he was wisdoms tossupply defects, and • torehledy inegnanlies i amid, therefore, by removing, in some de • grey, their objections, lie trusted that lie should receive their luta renentio approlaation. It was their part to proclaim their Isolitility . tonic emir, tchetne, as soliveriee of their native aunt hereditary sights. No (limbs ,stie)t a !timelier* of things might arise, that bin.- . them, .ollsei wi-e nitoletahle, , would be borne by a great and free br which was utterly ion, whicli was nu administration, titan cpnld be:justified in !anvil:. 'Die Chan ail imminent sneer Paltice-yard load the-whole-state fidencial dilfmlolties of the fate of the nal ioo v meeting *honk} deem it or to busy itbrif *Many other . set tion co f its own they were as capable the bar, or anrillink. Wishart) had truly told them, were now absorbed by- a variety of taxes before the pinperty tax came into application ; and that this tax, applying to the nuniltua whole, was, to practical effect, a tart not of I'o' but o; gO per rent. He certainly win not apprehensive that, after the'fortnnate eoncht sion of peace with America, the present tax could be any longer continued ; but lie had his fears that it might be produced in another shape, or in curtailed proportions. He should not be nine's stir prised to see another property tax brought forward,—a little pro perty tax---a young cub, (a loud laugh) which, as he had before ob served. might be perfectly innocent in its infant state. but by the time that its claws and teeth should attain their fulfpower, would have grown up into a- formidable and ferocious monster, that might devour them and their children. (Applause.) It was their duty. then, to be Vigilant at the outset, to crush the evil in its birth, and to set an example to nther meetings, which might secure co opt:ra tion in the salutary work. In the year 1795, in a memorable peti• tion, it was-brought home to the House of. Commons, that they did not represent the sense, nor express the voice, of the people, pm.. poses which they were instituted to accomplish , and rights to which the constitution had given every Englishman a elainh What hail keen the course of public events and of national suffering since the House thought proper to disregard • this. important demonstration? •The Government of that day had plunged ns, under tlMporetemee of* abort war, into a contest of 0 years' duration ' • and for the take of terferiug iu the internal regulation of another kingdom, end of yeti**. guishing opinions which were not acceptable to their taste, had entail. ed on Great Britain that tremendous load of taxation under which she was now bending. When James 11. adopted unconstitutional antes of taxation, the sienna ;almost with one voice stood np against him ; yet the country did not then. owe a single million. and was now indebted in a thousand. He repeated it to them, the country now owed a thousand millions. The condition of France was ion intensely happy ; she had IA such debt; plenty aml cultivation reigned over her soil, and the consequence was, that thousands and ten of thousands were repairing to enjoy there what they could not obtain in their native landa—an easy and comfortable subsistence. The rich were going tot itend their comforts, the poor to acqutre the Means of livingntall. This was the state to which the country was now reduced ; and to restore it to a better condition. it was first necessary to restore purity to their representative system : with out. this, future wars and future taxes were in store. - Was it pos sible for them to forget that a biltish_miniater had once entertained the project of imposing a tax on capital, and,, that the petition of the Westminster electors against it had at least been serviceable in saving the country from that infliction? In reference to the general system of taxation, what could be more obtiorsions than the measure for redeeming the land-tax. That tax took away one-fifth of *befoled property of the country,and had been sold. Four other inch • operations would comprehend and vest in the Crown the whole landed property of the realm. He had intended to have offered to them several other observations, but the state of the weather and Of his own health induced him to abstaip. He had only to thank theta for the patience with which they bad already !maid him, (applause). The first Resolution was then put and carried. The several others, together with Omsk* to Sir F. Burdett, Lord Cochrane, and Mr. Whitbread, were likewise voted nnanimously ; and it was agreed that a petition Mended on these Resolutions should be presented by Sir F. Burdett, who was instructed to support the same. Major CARTWRIGHT wished to inform the Meeting, that it Was • Sir F. Burdett's decided intention to bring forward, in the course of the. present session, the important question of a radical reform in 'the representation of the people . . Hu was happy. at .the same th in s to-observe, that petitions were in preparation nom all parts of the country in sniport . of the sante. object—(ioud applause), Thanks were then given .to the High. Boilitl; who expressed the suitable acknowledgments, The new Minister of • War, Souit, has published an Or dcr of the Day relative to the more speedy payment.of the arrears of the troops. He says, that the King, i 4 his pater nal solicitude, does not for an instant lose sight of theln +crests of the brave men who. have a claim fo their arrears of their pay. Re desires that that sacred portion of the Olio "' debt be speedtly . discbargeti. Soult's appointment -t o the War Department is very generally applauded. • W I -- W ettatitry with patience sod alscrity ; but a tax Whit triecoodlejible tOl'ls6 spirit of a tree Constitution, Ig",/#Vi'o4,ntl,gribtlintr; and oppressive in its admit ft yoits . niquisitoriil andpartial in its principle, mini partial nor iiiterr any coMbittation of ciremmtatte callok.or the'txchrepter miglif, if he Plrssed, with all obserrif, :itnit he feared thegentlenictrassemblcd in I Doi sitificiently takereitito *their deep cdttaideration of tothlic.aft4trs, tile foreign relations, the fidkneial the count rv, c 'Miserable; in his opinion, *as the fai pod eltecrrovi it 4 prospects, when a popular greeting expedietit to Realetratt On gram of GoVetnineuti ..:. : • fro% • • hil 1: - • 's , - 1' .. -.. topic than.snch as briongcd to its provinee—the aq- vn inalienable and con(tii utmost rights. These rights pabk of understanding and valuing as any lawyer at Minister of the Vrown. Ni, worthy friend (Mt. nit, told them, that two-thiids of every, man's income -- - -- ---- •---