The Sun. — London, England, 1815-02-09 00:00:00

COUNTY MEETING. In conseluence of so large a portion of eur columns !racing lately been filled with the Report of the Trnd of Si: .To4,g MottRAY, we have not had It in onr power till this day to give an account of tide Durham County Meeting, adetail of the pro ceedings at which, we now copy from that highly respeltahle Print, the Durham,. County Acker- tiser On Tuesday last, a Meeting of the Freeholders and other inhabitants of the County of Durham, was held at the new Courts of Justice in this city, to take into consideration the propriety of petitioning Parliament against the renewal, of the Property Tax. Soon after twelve,o'clock, JOHN CARR, of Dun ston, Esq. took the chair, and apofogised to the sheeting for the unavoidable absence of the High :eherill, who had delegated bins to fill his place upon this occasion. SECUTON, the Under Sheriff, then read the Tleoaisition for calling, the Meeting, after whirl), HOAR intimated, that, according to eti quette, no person could fill the chair in the abe sence of the High Sheriff, 'Without being voted ditto it ; and he begged, therefore, to move, that Mr. Carr do take the chair, which being se conded, Sir RALPH MILBANKF. rose and said, that it was unnecessary for hint to detain the Meeting, by e`ntering into any minute description, of the Tax in question, as AS oppressive nature was well known ; but he would maintain, that never taxt was imposed which bore so unequally upon the, comm.:airy that its principal weight layaipon the ni:ddie classes of_Society, and that the, agri eenitneist and commercial man felt its effects most severely. It was unjust, as taxing easual.profits, whilst it at - nailed no relief in cases of loss, The . . intodsit oriel manner in which the Commissioners _ were allowed to pry into the secrets of their neigh-' hours' trade and circumstances, he thought in-, compatible with the.character of Englishthen, and be should ever he a foe to that which went to de tract from our national character. The worthy' Baronet concluded by moving, that the Resolu tions be adopted. The Motion was seconded by Mr. BAKFR. 'Tie Earl of STRATHMOKE then 'rine and de • dared, that notwithstanding the arguments made use of by the Hon. Baronet, and the seeming de, testation in which he held the tax, (the. propriety: of continuing which, they had met to discuss), lee . would Offer to time consideration of the Meeting a , few observations of an opposite nature, by which he hoped that he should Ise enabled to chew that an absolute necessity,existed for 'the temporary continuance of the tax in question. He, as a freeholder of the county, had attended the Meet ing for the purpose of delivering his sentiments, and he would exorcise his right. The Property Tax was, in his opitaittn, tbaefairest that could, be levied ; for whilst the poor man was exempted flora its effects, the middle and higher classes paid in proportion to their inconies. It lutd, been laid on at a time whcu. imperious necessity demanded itl--inoserious necessity required continuance, and imperious necessity now demanded that it should remain in force another year. The Noble _ Lord then called to the minds of the Meeting the great advantages which this country had derived by the sacrifices she had made, and paid acCini pliment to the meniory of statesman who first proposed this tax, and thus enabled Great Btitaiu to: stand ,forth in defence-of her own . rights,,and those of the other states of Europe. His Lordship was of opinion that without, this tax, Eogland could not hare raised the necessary . supplies, and might at this time have been a Pro . since of France. The Property Tax, contineed his Lordship, was levied to defray the expenees of the war, and though the war may be at an cud, yet considerable arrears acre to be paid off, and therefore it appears evident that either the Pro . , perty Tax must he continue-:l for a year longer, or some other must he e substituted, and none cant be le secs which bears nr.).re fairly upon the public than that now in force. Besides, was.this a time, be tvonlil ask, to diScontintie the tax before the conferences at Vienna had ter7ninated, and before. the treaty of Ghent was ratified ? Might it riot enable any of tbOse Powers wild_ were hostile to our, interests to take advantage of the reduced state 9f our finances, seeing that a considerable . time mast necessarily elapse before they •eaulti be re-establisloyi. On the contrary, he had no doubt that if the Ministers found it necessery to continue the tax another year, they would be enabled to conclude commercial, treaties which would amply repay time people of this country,---- His Lordship felt conscious of the rectitude of his intentions, and he therefore had boldly declared sentiments. • Whetievee the tax could be ills ' 'continued with safety to the state, no man would :store heartily rejoice than.the individual whit had the honour addi-essing the Meeting. His Lordship concluded by movine, that the ReSoht tion which he should have the honour to-vead to the Meeting, be substituted for those which had alreadr been heard. tevit Loa ever anxionslr.this Mteting lool,s forward to the dissolution of the rroperty Tax, still tiny are unwilling un4er thy peculiar citrumstances in which this country is at pti:sent i„Ltred,,to pre 's= such a measure till it can be taLen endungeri?!;-r the best intere , ts of the empire; trn•wily.:' the wisio air, in of Parli vaen that period . shall ar -1 not a inJaiia puttin; an eba . to- a Tax, tr - ,:.• eon thilance whi:.!! not hi but ektraordinary m ma or til.! - ilea , ..nds can justify; and that the period of its re not, in the erent of tL coutirtiuinee of peace, ex- ce:,i . Ilie resolutions moved by the, Noble Lord, hay ing seeonaed by the .Rev.Lte..GRAY, LAM BTON said that he rose to address the ...i . vieeting with sentiments of peculiar satisfaction. .It was at all tittles tritst gratifying .W him to meet tiie Frcebolatt's, !lilt it no time, and un.no occa tion epa. tt ttie_stii;-Cet oetter,warrant their being stimpioned, together. than tie present. It would linnece4ary'-for hirn,:after what had been so worthy repeettd frietftti; % (.st( Ralph t 6, point out to A:1'411;i .tltikrol4lnce OFlthe subject on which they weenu l tdo . ..,?liber.4,o It must, lie thought, al so it •- et% be sufficiently obvious to them that the birth-right transmitted to them he their forefa thers : for the rielit of Petitioning was one which when used in a moderate anti constitutional way, could not fail to he the most cirectoal weapon the people - could wield against the encroachments of tyranny 5 and although-they had not now any- ty ran:lieu! measures to guard agninst., yet they had an equally jinni,' taut office to -fulfil. 'They had to show by thei s • voice, as expressed this day, that they looked with a vigilant eye on the overwhelm ing expenditure which - hears with such an oppres sive weight on the lioances at the country, mid pervades -edit a deadenint; influence every branch of its internal resources. To prove that he was not :vivant:lug unfounded, assertions,fue need only reionol them, that the lathe expenditure of the last year was withioa few pounds of 114 millions; to provide for which, was levied nearly 117 mil lloos. It therefore necessarily followed, that . to meet sa heavy a charge the weight of taxation must be extremely burdensome ; but of all the branehCs of it, none, in his opinion, not with st.inding what they had just heard asserted, was so oppressive in its effects, or so arbitrary in. its node of execution as the Income Tax. : linter taminir these sentiments, therefore, fie-confessed lie felt . most h a ppy that a requisition had been signed for a Meeting which might enable the Coun ty to express, in common with the rest or Eng laud, their sentiments on Si) injurioas a tax. He begged to call their 'attention to the period at. • kW it was first - imposed. The Income Tax, under the name of the Property Tax, was first imposed in 17,95; it was even then ushered into the world! as an extraordinary call on the patriot ism of the people, for the - purpose of preset - 0 - 1 g their country from the contaminatioA of French republican principles ; they were told that it was not a corium') cause of exertion, but that it was •in support of aojust and necessary war, and They were reininded that the Income Tax was a stir,' render of. part of their property, for the preserva tion of the remainder. (Here Mr. L. quoted part IA Mr. Pat's speech, in which •he strongly calls tin the people to exert themselves, and to submit to the tax, not merely for" recovering. thethselves, but for the general recovery-of manitincl. - ) lie now wished to ask ,the Meeting, if the people of England hesitated at thAt call, did they demur for one moment ? No, they acquiesced eheet fully, relying on the, word of the Minister that the cause. was extraordMary, and likely to be of short (tura tiOu. Tbeir delusion was gi.eat, their repentance, he feared, had been long and bitter; for the war had lasted front that time until the present period, comprising fifteen years, during which time :the faith of Parliament had been repeatedly pledged to the people that die 'lax should cease with the war, and the words of the Act confirm that asse veration. Was that solemn :iledge to be broken Was the confidence Of the people to be thus re paid with treachery and ingratitude ? and were they who, were now at peace with all the world to be taxed, as %viten die united continent of Europe and America were arrayed in arms against them ? He would appeal to any one there, and ask him if he had not felt the eilitets of this excessive tax ation. If he had not seen the middling orders of society especially effected by the ruinous ope ration of the Income 'l'ax How, lie wished to know could the vossessor of 5001. per annoin, contribute yearly 50/. to that. Tax without feeling sensibly in the diminution of his comforts, and in his increasing inability to provide for his fa mily ? lint if the' effects of the Income Tax were ruiuous and oppressive, what words could he find strong enough to designate the at bitrary and'de grading mode in which it is levied ? Was it aos ssible that the free-bur:[Englishman . could aubmit to the prying inquisition, of any niao, or any set of men ? Could he allow his- privatehallairs, his commercial accounts, his havl won :Ind precarious profits to be ransacked by colourist:timers, against whose decision there was no appeal ? To those Present, many of whom were engaged in trade, he was sure he need not expatiate ou the injustice of being obliged to disclose to a commissioner, per haps to a competitor in trade, the state of their bushiess, and the declining condition of their coin= tierce. In that point of view, therefore, he con sidered the Income TaX, as a - taNup s t.n industry and enterprise. Anti if it was necessary to keep up excessive taxation, the necessity of tt • lliclt he denied, let it, fall on those .who could sustain the but then, and on luxurious consumption ; but let not tie poor tool industrious be ransacked until they were deprived even of their very sustenance. .11e thanked the Meeting for the very flattering at tention with %viiicili, they had listened to his re marks, and would conchultby assuring them that he had studiously avoided any reflect Ants on the conduct of his Majesty's Ministers, however well they Might deserve them, wishing to consider the question as 'a National one, and perfectly pendent of Party considerations, and haying avowed it as his intimate conviction that the In come Tax': was highly tyrannical' and unconstitu tional, hecould not but heartily agree in the Re solutiOns moved by the worthy Baronet. Lord STRATIIMORE admitted the expenditure to be as represented by the Honourable Member, hut the Property Tax, on account of which so much odium had been thrown upon the Minister who first propoSed it, was increased. to 10 per cent. shoring the administration of Mr. Fox. The Bev. Wrot.taa NEsetEett attributed the motives of certain opulent gentlemeu in opPosito , the continnauce, or removal of the Property Tax, to get the pressure removed froht - their own shoulders, and have-it thrown upon those less able to bear it. Ile had come, to use the words of the Noble Peer; to exercise his right as a Free holder, and to givie his sentiments upon the sub ject before the Meeting, and--be would say, that to vote for,the discontinuance of the Property Tax at this • time would be highly impolitic. Money is wanted,to pay off the large arrears itt windifig up the war accounts, and this money must be raised in one way or other ; therefore take °tithe Property : Tax, and some other must be substitut ed, aud where can ally be found equal to the Tax in question, which fails principally upon the land holder, who could not be made to pay to an equal extent by any other species of taxation.—lfiat it bore hard upon persons of limited income : , he was ready to admiwand he should therefore be Old to eiee the act so moth i d as to excuse all pe,rsoos possessing less than 500.1. a-year. (The - • meats advanced by tie last ' speaker, enterel rather 'warmly into the subject, and repeated his opinion that interested motives actuated those-who. spoke in favour of the discontinuance of the Tax.) ---I, (continued the flev. Gentleman,) have_al ways paid to the full tunnunt of my i*ome ; I. must confess, that it would he *a very comfortiible thing to get rid of the Tax; 'Vitt I wowed rather pay double the present aMount than that toe bur then should fall upon the poor man, and here I again ask, can the sum reinired be raised without affect ing the labouring classes Let us look to the last article of taxation,- which though a trifling one,. will be fOuml.to bear doubly upon those least able to sustain it ; I allude to the tax upon leather. The poor man's shoes being twice as heavy as. those of his richer neighbour;, he is called upon ; to pay twice the amount of-duty ! and other taxes equally burthensome May be expected to follow„ should the Property Tax be discontinued at this time. The Rev. Gentleman stated, that a gentle- . man who pays as much as the whole city of Dur ham, had intended being present at the Meeting ,that day, but was preeined by indisposition. It was his intention-to* have given hiS vote in favour of the contintanceof die Tux for one year longer, and the Rev. Gentleman most heartily concurred in his opinion of the absolute necessity for so In consequence of -a remark during thedaeat o the discussion by the Rev. Gentleman, who spoke last, Mr. Lambton observed, that his name had never been so deuraded as it had been by the ex, itres.inns of the Rev: Gentleman. Sir RALPFI MILBANKE explained, and declared that-his motives in voting for the discontinuance of the Property Tax were just and honourable. — Parliament had pledged itself to relieve the peo ple from this burthen, on the sth of April next, and no arguments could justify Government in for feiting the pledge. Dr. GRAY rose to express his concern, that any thing of a personal nature, and of the warmth of private feeling, should have been introduced, as tending to prevent a calm and dispassionate consi deration of the different Resolutions which had been brought before them ; he had no wish to impeach the motives of the worthy Baronet, who was so much valued for his private worth, or of the Hon. Member, Who had certainly displayed tmech ability in supporting his Resolutions, and they both—de - served : credit for having abstained from any party reflections; but be must be -al lowed to observe, that it was not justifiable in the lion. Member, to remark so severely upon the respectable I\lagistrate ‘yhaltud just spoken, nor was it to be suffered, tl►at he should indulge the ebullitions of his pasSion upon one, to whom they must all feel obliged for the useful discharge of his duties. In contemplating the Property Tax all its operations, it was impossible not to admit that it must press with considerable weight upon the general classes of the community, and two descriptions of persons who, in his. opinion, ,suffer most materially from its effects, were such of those engaged in - commercial concerns,- as were constrained to disclose their circumstances, Ad the tenants, and occupiers of lands, who at this time are so much affeefed by the reduction in the price of the proilnee of their farms ; it was to be observed, however, that in the view of the subject before them, as it was not ih the con templation of the resolutions proposed by the No ble Earl, or of thoSe generally who approved of the tax, to extend its term beyond another year, - all objections which had been made upon the score of its being of an inquisitorial nature,- must fall to, the ground ; 'since there could beno shadow of doubt, that, for so short a time, the present as sessments would be continued, and ther-efore fur ther disclosures than what had been already made, would not he required. Ile must consider it to be inconsistent with the generous feelings of this na tion, after We have been delivered from a (Ong and threatening war, in which the welfare and safety of this country have been endangered and the li berties of Europe nearly-destroyed, and at a time when we must feel ourselves deeply indebted to a government, which miist be allowed by all to have exerted itself with vigour and firmness, and to have brought us to the prospect of a happy con clusion of our struggles ; on a sudden to with hold our assistance, to close up our purses, 'and to say to Ciovernment, you have extricated us from our danger, but you must provide now, new means for the expellees which remain, and get out of yniir difficulties as well as you can. What would be the elect of such a declaration of seti 7 timent, if it were to be general It . is to be membered, in adverting to a subject which has been ably stated by the Noble Earl, that we have' Still arrangements to settle with the Continent, and the President of the United States, and the armies in America and on the Continent are still to be supported, and brought home. What im pression wouhl be produced in Our discussion with Foreign Powers, and how must the tone of our Ministers be lowered at Vienna, arid in settling the ratification, with. America, when they haVe any point of iinPortanee to press, us for instance. the abolition of the Slave Trade, in which. the worthy Baronet and the Country have felt them selves so deeply interested, it it should be "re ported. that tire country at large had determined, to withhold the colitittllatlCC of-t,hat supply,which has so long 'supported the energies of the country, and contributed Sc' beneficially to the deliverance of Europe. He then stated, that be could no \ t by any means subscribe to the 'Resolutions first brought for ward, because they ill eged what, in his Opinion, was not correct or• fair, either to the Govern ment, or to the country ; which had paid the tax ; and he thmight that the subject should be left to the decision of Varliatuent, which alone had suf ficient information to judge .of the wants and re sources of the country.. He could notallOw that' the tax was unfair in its principle.: it attached to property wherever it was to be found, and most . usefully to those great masses of wealth, which could not otherwise be brought to contribute to the exi gencies of the State: it anoiied for ' O.n rice' to 4. rni nos, and persons'whose property is under the di rection of trustees, where there might be a large incoNe and small expenditure—to great :estates, and to all funded property—to the income of lay and ecelteliastical corporatious—to the profits of trading companies ---as that of the Beit; of the geist India and the Soorf, C.aninanieii_ The Tax was tow pro , lcietiv - e to a great extent : all the pas sages through which it passed. were cleared, and the produce' floWed in, with a Lull stream to Go verroneot. if such_a supply_ were abruptly cut off before the expellees of war terminated; it would oc-'• casion, the ticcessityof a great.. wei;; - ht 'of .neW Taxes, which must, foe threwn upon.the great body of the cumimmity. If the produce of the? tax were. reekonefl atl4 millions, the very - interest, to be imposed as apermaneot charge, would amount to seven hundred thousand a-year; or a further sun), must be raised, for a gradual liquidation ot the, capital. - The Tax was certainly considered as, a war tax, and it ,was,enacted to remain till. the fitli of April next„ after the ratification of a defini tive treaty of peace : he did not, however, under , stand what other positive pledge. could have been given, that Parliament should not, if it thought fit, revive thepowcrs of the , Act, either partially, or to its full extent, and continue it beYond that pe' riod, it exigencies 'should so require ; and the Hon. Member well knew; that no Minister could constitutionally. so attempt to fetter Parliainnt. The war with_ America had not commenced 'when this tax was imposed, and that war had necessari ly'produced considerable expellee ; he therefore disapproved the Resolutions 'first proposed, and should vote forthat which had been brought for.- ward by the Noble Earl, to whom he thought the Country was much indebted for his attendance, and for the firm and judicious manner in which be maintained what appeared to him to be consisteot with the sentiments of very many of great proper ty and respectability in this comity. He regret ted that such short of insufficient notice bad been given 'of this Meeting, which he was, convinced was the reason why so many persons hail not at:- tended, who might have assisted with their judg ment ; and he was, fully persuaded that if the opi nion of those whose authority, ought to have _weight were to be fairly takeu, it would be, not to interfere by petitions with the wisdom of Par liament, and to submit cheerfully to the continu ance of the tax, if necessary, for another year. , Mr. Hoax descanted at considerable length , and with much ingenuity, upon the various ope' rations of the Property Tax, and Maintained , that as Government had promised--which the very words of ,the Act co»finned--the discontie nuance of the tax six months after the conclusio of a definitive treaty of peace, the paople, who had so long 'borne the burdeit, had a right t° expect to be relieved from it. The Learned.Crelr tleman considered as the greateSt evil:,, or the infringemeet no the Constitution, 'the suspension of the Habeas Corpus-Act, the declaration of Oil' litaty law, and. the Income Tax, a measure which he conceived might be dispensed with by-a systea: of retie:l6lll(.lft and economy. The Noble Lor et and the Rev. Doctor had said much upon the a" rears to-be paid off, and upon. the interest o f the national. debt ; but would they tell him that there were no other means of obtaining the money th an by continuing the oppressive tax Let G o vetV went adopt a. system .of frugality, let them-di': band the twenty-eight regimynts which still remain embodied, and use every exertion !r ' t a lessen the national expenditure, ►and they have sufficient tu. meet their demands. If the e ' 4l gencies of the present year, are to be set up as, 3 : plea (continued the Learne4 Gentleman), for i t ; continuance of this tax, a similar pretext 'nig' be mad 0 e next year, and so the tax which ' 5 originally intended as a war tax, will become peace tax, and, instead of being temporary, 11 % 4 become firmly and permanently established. T" e d - Noble Lord had said, that the tax was increase to 10 per cent. during the. Administration of Fox) it was so, but for what reason'? li e caus e he found the affairs of the country in that s tate I. when lie came' into office, hanging like a nrit stone round his neck, that necessity co mpelle o him to go . on. The Learned Gentleman til e d passed some' witty remarks upon the naval vict or ' on the Serpentine River, the appointment of I ‘ ll- ; Canning as-Ambassador to Lisbon, where th e ' was no Sovereign, nor any Court to receive Ilia ) ; and concluded by recommending the original 1 11° ' .tion to the attention Of the Meeting. On the suggestion ot the Rev. Cu ARLES THO O l' the resolution proposed by the Earl of S,tratil more was put, -as an amendment to the 0ri0 3 5 motion, and a spew of handl''being called, it 0 ' 3 5 negatived by•alarge majority.• 'The Resolutio n , proposed by Sir Ralph Milbanke, were then g d spectively aed. carried by a very considera l l majority, - as jvas the Petition founded upou th °s Resolutioes. Mr. SitAtero moved that Lord Barnard and j )ir ' Lambton, he-requested to present, the Petition the House of Commens—Seconded by Mr. 133 10 14 Mr. LArdwrow.,declared his readiness to cooP .with the wishes of the Meeting, in conjunc ts ° with Lord Barnard. to The thanks of. the Meeting were then, vote(' if "Ali. Caul;, 'the Chairman, and the Meetn j° broke up. , COAL MARKET, FEa. 8. Sh;ps at Marta. • Sliiin sold. Price. 04„ 1 tk 445. Od. to 7-7's' BIRTHS. /it e . . • On the 24th ult. at TynernOuth, the wife of Captain - ander lanes, It. N. of a daughter. 3 0, On the 9.9 th ult. at LadiAon, in the County of Westn e _ the Lady of Malt Lecinge, Esq. of a daughter. .„ . .. DIEU. ' t't .On Saturday list; at his son-in-law's, in Bishopsgate-stre° Mr. John. Bircb, of Hammersmith, aged 77 years. ar °I bri the.2sth vit. •at Moffat, Scotland, in the 79th Y e hii agt.,, James Johnstone, Esc!. late of Seleuth. Nlortil 0,. Momlay se'nni,gl.4, at his hou!e-in'Tyne-street,!l - GG,.Jolin Arinstrong. O . M.D. • , Ail" Sarah Lemon, a pauper brlonng to St. James - s 11;oir aged 102: she rvt:ained all her faculties. .except that oi ing, until tii , e List. ►ti h Qn the 28th 'ult. at Shadoxburst, Mr. John liield, '''' _, woollen leg, to Miss Ann Terry, quite bri;aft, LONDON : Printed by J. B. CARST,kIB.S. No. 7 0 1? ; anti 'published by W. A..SCRIPP.S, of t" rt ise 'at the StrN-oFitec, No. I 12, Strand ; where Ad"' 0 1. moot, Clrtlerg. Lette.rs &c. must be adtll° f MARRIED. n rg e On the 25th ult. at Edinburgh, Lieutenant-Colonel —llO Hutchison, of the East-India Company's , Service, to ' c , Cutting - haute, eldest daughter of the late John Conlnf; bS , , Esq. of Port Glasgow. fs4' • On the 2atli ult. at Errigic, Ireland, William Walicert li oi of Auglinacloy, Tyrone, to Mary, third daughter of . 1 81 ' Anisettell, Esq. of Dungilliek, Monaghan. • t /l i w The soe day, at tarns, near Danilalli, Lintten a n -,, ci Meredith Irwin," 6i st Regiment, to Eliza, elde3t (laug h4 ' , Mat. Beresfurd Taylor, Esq. - 60 In-St. Mary's Church, -Dublin, Alexander Reid, Esq' lore 'Regiment, to Catherine Caroline, only daar . ill,ter of Hull Ilrownirig, Esn. of Richmond. Waiertord. ______,...."