The Sun. — London, England, 1833-07-03 00:00:00

_....+ ,• 3t 5t9 , 4, 567 M orr. 54 pin. 547 r. .. pm - pm. 89 LOCK. .....39ii ~591i14 WI die. 103 N 10 , 04 .. 104 W, 9 4 -N 4 18 V 4 1,0( 16% -f -f -c. -f -c. -f -c. -48 1 4 4 18%% 90 , 4 ..9tN % 4Si pm. r Share. 1114 1374 61 9l ' 24% El% 7% 36 4 hare) ..... - - 47 1 4 26 5 ~. 31 1193 ~. 4647 k hy 3,9 1 ,4 ...:1 ..• -.• ..• 1;t. ... 1 !. s. d. 0 0 0 3 17 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 of the ITS of 4DIES, IPANY )n FRP- he fore ietors a If Corn , . ent with it of his ly to be N ESDAY s)* .N 11% 14% :1 7 0 17% % 12 etary. Constantly in the House, and a few more off in consequence of its abominable state, doubt not the alteration will be made. r. BUCKINGHAM last night moved for the Ointment of a Select Committee to consider th e practicability of converting the national red for ALEX- Cani fG, JOHN • which leaning, of ages 1, cool s rather las up icier and ade some Ilandford eovil, is ion, and Pinner/ 411. night, ild not vard by did not Mem- direc• THORP lid not o great 'e same i upon feel the sing in ith his ervatile 'ality of was the rear be.. r! matter ing the curious ,d, that louse at Ins and, ch they such as Id corn- ciations D good forced ! The ed with .y, and t The e state 0 1 t to the Iv, who s of the s. Isi; ed with ASTI,II' 3 to vote petrated for the the Re- ' justice, is would circum d house ~beyond _ )n now by Ow InctuallY bt into terminable annuities ; to impose a pro ttv and incona! tax for the purpose of meet ; the expense of the conversion, and, at the tie time, raising a surplus revenue fund which mild e nable Parliament to repeal the taxes i;ch bear most heavily on the agricultural, inufacturing, and shipping interests of the untry. The motion was lost upon a division a majority of 57 to 38. We fear that Mr. LICK-INGHAM scared many Members from nsidering his first proposition by the opinions expressed upon his last. Certainly in a tall House, the number of Members who Tve chosen Lord ALTHORP for their bell ether, will be sufficient to turn the scale ainst any proposition he opposes ; but, in a rge House, there must be so many who look ion the national debt as any thing but a party testion, for luckily it presses equally upon 7higs, Radicals, and Conservatives, that a onple propositio n to consider of a practical an for its gradual abolition, would not fail to eet with a favourable hearing. A considera m of the expediency and practicability of invertin g the national debt into terminable muities, would of itself involve a consideration f the means by which any plan, having that ka in view, could be accomplished ; so that, Mr. BUCKINGHAM would contenthimselfwith ringing forward a simple proposition for a Com 'tree, we should not despair of seeing it adopted. /e should be glad to agree in his proposal to duce the interest of the Debt one shilling per int. annually, but it lays his plan open to the ejection of an immediate and large increase of ration. The same objection will apply to rais g the interest to 5 per cent.; indeed one pro osition is the child of the other. Nosy, we light, without any very great present sacrifice, able to convert a large portion, if not the hole of the Debt, into annuities terminable so distant a period as one hundred years. r. BUCKINGHAM hopes to gain converts to 's plan, by the prospect it holds out of fording relief even to the present gene lion. We grant that the low interest of Toney may be adduced as an argument in his "ur ; but that low interest can be taken ad antage of, when practicable, by reducing the iterest of the debt, and that without involving great immediate sacrifice as lie proposes. Mr. lucKlNGuArvi may depend upon it that no plan ill be acceded to involves an additional ixation of even 5,000,0001. per annum, nd w e do not exactly see how he is to reduce le sum so low, to carry his plan into full effect. We ar e sorry to see such stanch Reformers 5 Mr. BUCKINGHAM and Mr. COBBETT at isue upon what a property tax ought to be, Ilether graduated or not. Mr. BUCKINGHAM undoubtedly in the wrong in his idea of the fitness and expediency of a graduated property ; and as the main thing is to get a property ix of any kind, we would advise him to drop untenable principle. 'We suspect, by the ray, that many out of doors who join in the ry for a graduated tax, confound it with a pro ortional tax. It is fair and just that a man hould pay in proportion to his property, but graduated property tax would make men pay ut of p roport i on to t h e i r property . S u pp ose , for lstance, that a man with 1001. per annum 10 Ind) pays as a property tax Si., it is perfectly fir that every body with more than 1001. per nnum should for every additional 1001. pay an dditional Si. In that way each would pay in iroportion to the property he has protected, and lo injustice would be done to any party. But ° say that A., who has been twice as industri )usasß-, and has therefore acquired twice as ouch property, should be taxed, not in the age proportion, but in a higher proportion, is i 3 ranch as saying, that no man shall be more in tustrious than another. We have entered into his detail, for the purpose of explain hg to our countrymen, who have been led Tway by the cry for a graduated pro- Terty tax, that it s u lti ma t e effect must be to :heck th e desi re f or accumu l at i on , consequen tly 0 check the employment of labour, and of course o produce distress and misery amongst those tiho live by their l a b our . Nothing could be so atal t o the poor a s the adoption of a graduated )roperty tax. It would be a complete cutting 1p of the golden goose. On the other hand, '°thing co u ld b e fairer or more beneficial for all masses than a proportional property tax, Tit Y ( s° call it by way of contradistinction.if we tecumula it would not check the desire or power to interest in te ; for a man would have just as much one hundred makin g a second, third, and fourth first. At t P u nds per annum as he would the it - e same tim e we mus t say, that Is not the fault ofthe they have ti lav y een encou rag encouraged i e a b graduated pro uated t ax on the desire to people that n `rave seseenthat m ost of thet,ipertvxes', when they hitherto im )osed hav e b een graduated ' taxes on poverty. ` 41. • COBBETT placed both these points so dearly before the House in a few words, that Ne cannot forbear extracting them from his Ipeecb. He said, With respect to a graduated nioperty tax, he certainly had said, as stated by he N o bl e Lord, that it would amount to con iseation. He was quite content that the man with 1 ,000 acres should pay 1,000 times as much to he state as a man with one acre. But whilst m e opposed a graduated property tax, he must Ilao protest against the system which imposed a l eavy burden upon the man with one acre, and eft the man with a thousand acres almost exempt rom taxation. This was very much the case at , ,resent. If a m an di e d, an d l e f t i n a savings' lea 511 . which h e h a d scra p e d t oget h er , b o th gac but if a ri c h and prob a t e d ut y wou ld b e p a id u p on i t; man died, and left an estate worth 0 of money, it would not pay a farthing L. duty." Let thi s i n j us ti ce b e removed, and ord AuritoltP need not fear that the people will wi sh to adopt another in au opposite direc- P n av • Ind ee d , one of the worst symptoms we ue observed inLordshipis his proneness thdefend, e „, l his t o o t. hile lamenting, some Colonele niost glaring abuses of our system. the EVANs of th e very pithily put this propensity observin Noble " Lord before the House last night, g, that whenever gra d uate d t a xation was , az applicable to the rich, lie talked of spoliation ; but never t h oug h t o f i t w h e n the question wa s of a graduated tax acting merely Upon the middle and poorer classes. T o bring these observations to a close, we ajouid p ress upon BUCKINGHAM'S atten nal that a property. t ax ( a proportional" one) would he a good thing, with or without a Committee on the national debt ; and that it will be sufficient for him, if lie wishes to h ave a chanc e of success next session, simply '0 movelfor the :appointment of a Com mittee to consider of the practicability of converting the debt into annuities, termina ble at a distant date. It is well, now that the matter can be calmly discussed, to take up the subject, for it requires no ghost to tell us . that the confidence of the moneyed classes must at length be weakened by the continual indirect at tacks made upon the Funds. A gentle contention, like that between the shepherds in VIRGIL, took place yesterday fore noon in the House of Commons, between Sir A. AGNEW and Mr. PETER, on the subject of their respective Sabbath Bills. The Saint of the North contended that his was the most po pular ; he of the West, that his was the most conscientious. After an attentive consideration of the merits of the two Bills, we find ourselves in the distressing predicament of the umpire in VlRGlL—unable to come to any definite con clusion. At one moment we are decided to bestow the palm of pre-eminent absurdity on Sir ANDREW AGNEW'S abortion ; but the next, we bethink ourselves of Mr. PETER'S and feel strongly disposed to recant in his favour. It is altogether a most perplexing business. What a pity that both candidates cannot be pre-eminent in absurdity, where both have taken such pains to deserve the palm ! It will be seen that Mr. BARRON withdrew his resolutions respecting the substitution of a land tax fcr tithes in Ireland, in preference to abiding by the result of a division. The fact is that the measures now taking by the Government have rendered such resolutions unnecessary. Tithes are virtually abolished, as far as concerns their payment by the tenants of the soil. The landlord is enabled on advan►ageous terms to pay them directly instead of indirectly, and if he still leaves them as a burden upon his tenants, it can only be in the hope of ultimately putting them all into his own pocket. Letters have been received from the Hagu e stating that M. DEDEL will be here on Satur day. His protracted stay in Holland appears to have been caused by the non-arrival of information from St. Petersburgh as to the in structions which the Emperor NicHoLAs intended to give his Ambassador in London on the subject of the Belgian preliminary treaty. On Thursday last, however, an official notifica tion was received from the Hague that whether the Dutch Government should hear from the Russian Cabinet or not, M. DEDEL would be in London on Saturday and prepared to resume the negotiations with the Conference. On Monday last Prince LIEVEN received his in structions direct from St. Petersburgh, and therefore he will take part in the discussions of the Conference, unless Count MATusEwic should arrive on a special tnision, which is not expected. Early in the approaching week, there fore, unless M. DEDEL can find some new pretext for delay, the conference will resume their labours on this difficult question ; but, according to present appearances, they will do so with a much greater prospect of success than on any former occasion ; for whatever may be the views of the Empero - of RUSSIA, the Prussian and Austrian Cabinets are evidently anxious to bring the affair to a termination. Nothing can show this more than the fact, that on Sunday last, Baron &mow and Baron k.V ESSENBERG received from their respective Courts information that the Emperor of AUSTRIA and the King of PRUSSIA, anxious to give King LEOPOLD a proof of their good will, which had been delayed only by the hostilities pending in Belgium, had appointed Ministers Plenipoten tiary to the Belgian Court, who would set off for their destination almost immediately. Not withstanding our experience of the duplicity and treachery of Continental Courts, we cannot believe that this measure would have been adopted if it was not intended to compel the King of HOLLAND to listen to reason. THE FUNDS.-(THIS DAY.) CITY, TWELVE O'CLOCK. Hobart Town papers to the 9th February, and Launceston to the '.l3` d December, have been received at the North and South American Coffee-house. (From the Hobart Town Papers.) In consequence of the great quantity of wheat brought to town during the week, most of which is of this year's growth, it has experienced a small fall in price, the average per bushel being 4s. Pd. to 55., and very plentiful. English barley is also abundant. The price of grain has also fallen. The news from Davis' Straits describes the fishing in that quarter as remarkably successful. ;From the Hobart Town Courier of Jan. 18.) The panic, as it maybe called, which existed in Hobart Town for these last two or three months, owing to the depreciated state of trade and the currency, begins gradually to subside. (From the Launceston Papers.) The great scarcity of money throughout the colony has been, by various writers, attributed to different causes. The Colonial Times of last week mentions the appalling fact, that the sum of 80,0001. will this year be exported by the Hobart Town Government, from the pockets of the inhabitants of the island. We perceive that the arrival of the Polumbam with a number of Hebrew settlers, has been happily improved by our Hobart Town contemporaries, in their remarks upon the usu. rious money-lenders, who have heretofore diverted the colony. We cannot help expressing our regret, that the feelings of the new corners should be hurt immediately on their arrival by being twitted about their nation. With regard to the money-lending crew, who have so abominably fattened upon the distress of the colonists, our contemporaries should recollect that they are most of them Christians by profession, and that the Hebrews might as justly turn their usurious conduct into a general reproach upon our religion as we upon theirs. THE FUNDS. Up to the present hour we have no arrivals, either of Foreign mails or accounts from Portugal, in consequence of which we are exceedingly dull in the city, and the business in the funds is at a stand still. Consols, which left off yesterday at 90 sellers, opened at the same price this morning. At present they may be quoted 90 to for the Account. The Foreign market is also void of any interest ; prices much the same as yesterday. HALF-PAST ONE. We are still without any information from Don Pedro's ex pedition. 'We hear that General Buurmont, with a staff of twenty officers, had left for Portugal. One of the officers is an engineer of superior talent. A report prevailed that the expedition had effected a landing in Cascas Bay; but as yet this requires confirmation. It is also stated, that Don Carlos has accepted a commission in the army of Don Miguel. Great anxiety is now expressed by the merchants for accounts from Portugal, which are hourly expected. Consols were, in the early part of the morning, at 901 for the Account ; since which the Market has become heavy, and they receded to 891 j, owing to a report that the Bank ques tion is to be put off for twelve months. In the Foreign Market Mexican Bonds have lowered one per cent, In other Securities little doing. THREE 0' CL 0 CS. Consols for the Account. SO% %. CLOSING PRICES.—FOUR O'CLOCK] Bank Stock '' , l4; India Stock :3 per Cent. Red S9I Ditto 80nd5.... ......... ... 34 pm 3 pet Cent. Cons 9O South Sea Stock 99; 3; per Cent. 951 Ditto Old Ann Stii 3i per Cent. Red 9si Ditto New Ann. New 33 per Cent 97; Ex. Bills, lalt'i 54 pm 4 per Cent 102 2 Ditto 5 ,1 0/ 54 pm, Long. Ann. to expire Ditto Small 54 pm. Jan. 1860 l7 1-16 Bank St. for Ace. 2031: Oct. 1859 Consols for Ace S9I Jan. 1861) I India S , . for Acc 2471 FOREIGN FUNDS. Austrian, 5 per cent. 961 1 P or tuguese, 5 per cent.... 59 Belgian, 5 per cent 9li I Ditto, Reg. Scrip 2l Brazilian Bonds Buenos Ayres, 6 per cent. 22 Russian Bonds, 5 per cent lO4l Chilian, 6 per cent ... ...... 9.51 Ditto, Metallic 9 7: 1. Columbian, 6 per cent 2l Snish, 5 per cent ISI Ditto, 18•24 2ll D itto, ISiZ ................... .._ 16t Danish 74 French 5 per Cent ...... ....,, 1, Greek, 5 per cent. 1825 39 Exchange .............. . E —c. Mexican, 5 per cent 3O French :-1 per Cent... E —c. Ditto, 6 per cent. 371 Dutch, 21 per cent.......... 481 Peruvian, 6 per cent. IMPERIALPARLL4MENT THIS DAY, WEDNESDAY, JULY 3. HOUSE OF COMMONS. The gallery was opened at a quarter-past 12 o'clock, there being then about twenty-five Members in the House. Mr. JAMES TALBOT presented a petition from Athlone, praying that the Irish Grand Canal Company mieht be obliged to contribute towards the improvement of the river Shannon ; and a petition from Patrick Curley, late of the Ordnance Department, praying for an inquiry into the reasons of his dismissal. Mr. EWING presented five petitions from the merchanr , , the Chamber of Commerce, and other bodies in Glasgow, against the Scotch Bankruptcy Bill. Also a petition from the same place. against church patronage. Sir JOHN JOHNSTONE presented a petition from certain inhabitants of Scatborough, against the Notaries Public Bill. Mr. HEATHCOTE presented a petition from th c e roaster gunmakers of the metropolis, complaining of a falling off in trade in consequence of the operation of the game laws, and praying for a revision of the same, espe cially as regards the sale of game. The Hon. Member attrittuted to these laws, or to the failure of their suc cessful operation in preventing the illegtl destruction of game, the great increase of commitments for poaching .nd other similar offences. In 1830, the last year under the old system, the committmenta were 778 ; in 1831, the first year of tl , e new system, they atngunted to 1,355; and in 1832 they had increased to 2,820. It was also worthy of remark that i❑ 1831, whilst there were at one period 603 persons in confinement for offences against the game laws in England and Wales, there were but six in Scotland. The chief com plainers against the new system were the small farmers and tenants, in whose favour the change had taken place. Early in the ensuing session of Parliament he hoped the House would be found in a disposition to revise these laws, until when he should reserve himself to go more fully into the question. Mr. OSWALD presented a petition from the faculty of medicine in Glasgow, praying for the removal of me dical monopolies ; and a petition from the merchants and traders of Glasgow, praying that the duty en East India and other sugars, the produce of free labour, might be reduced to the same rate as those imported from the West India Islands. Mr. EWART supported the prayer of the petition. If any of his Majesty's Ministers had been present, he would have called upon them, according to their professions, to carry into execution the prayer of the petition. Tbey had been told by the Chancellor of the Exchequer that the only way of diminishing the pressure of the taxes upon the people was by increasing the employment for them. What means could he more effectually employed for that purpose than by giving free scope to our commerce And if the pi ices of the articles from the West India Gionies had so materially increased, it was the duty of the Government and the Eloise to admit the produce of the East India colonies to the English consumer. Lord ALTHORP (having just entered the House) presented a petition from the Mayor, aldermen, burgess , is, and other electors of the town of Carrickfergus. The petitioners took novice of a Bill that was then pending be fore the House for the purpose of disfranchising them, and they stated that the foundation of the Bill was not suffi ciently supported, and they prayed that it might not be passed into a law. In presenting it, the Noble Lord said he did not mean to state that his views were in accordance with the prayer of the petition, for he certainly thought a case had been made out for some interference. His L'irdship then left the House. ASSESSED TA "ES. Colonel EVANS rose to present a petition signed by 100 inhabitants, residing in the Strand, complaining of the decay of trade, and the general distress of the commu nity. The prayer of the petition was that the House would be pleased to relieve them from some portion of the heavy taxes under which they laboured. There were probably some Members of the Committee on trade present, and he would particularly recommend this petition to their consideration. He would make a few observations in support of it. He bad stated the other day the great failing off of the profits of retail dealers. There were seve ral retail trailers who hail been in the habit, a few years back, of receiving from 601. to 1001. a week who did not receive so much as 10/. to 151. a week at the present time; this fact he had ascertained frieo a v.iriety of persons. There was another fact he would advert to, which was, the vast number of unoccupied houses, in the most advan tageous thoroughfares in the city.—(Hear, hear, hear.) In former years, it vas scarcely known for a House to remain for a month untenanted ; now there were hundreds of tenants could not be procured, for be had ascertained that there were 10,000 houses in the metropolis at the present time untenanted, and if this fact could be borne out, he eonsidered it was a very serious matter for the consideration of the Go vernment, with a view to relieve the people from the taxes that st present pressed so heavily upon them. The metropolis had suffered particularly by the transfer of the East India trade to the out ports, as well as by that of the silk manufacture to Manchester. Triele was an other point to which the petitioners had called l.ia atten tion, via.-it appeared that many great capitalists were in the habit of lending their money to the small trader, who was thereby enabled to get credit to five or six times the amount by its means, and so he got into business, but the capitalist had in the meantime taken a lien on the goods and house of the trader, and by aad by he comes down with it and sweeps away all the goods in the shop, at much under their original cost. Of course, not only was the trader ruined, but he dragged others along with him. Now, the peti• tioners stated that many of these capitalists hail b ee n before the Committee on Trade, and had given very fl-t -tering accounts of the state of trade. They might well state that they were flourishing, but that was the way in which it was done—it was by the total ruin of many.—(Hear, hear.) He had another petition to ;:resent also against the assessed taxes. It was from the parish of St. James, and from the vestry of that parish, people in a respectable sphere of life. That parish alone paid more taxes than the three greatest towns in England, namely, Manchester, Birmingham, and Leeds, put together. The petitioners pointed out the great disparity that existed in the manner of rating ; they instanced Burlington House and tle humble shop next doer,—that one which bad only a frontage of fourteen feet, and had chambers above, wiiiela were separately rated, was assess -el at 105/. per annum, which was more than forty times in proportion to Burlington 11.tuse. He n as told that au income tax would lead to great inquisitiveness ; but what was the plan pursued lately in regard to the surcharges? Why. the surveyor of taxes, if he suppos, d that the house was given in below its value, summoned the occupier before the Commissioners, and there he was asked the amount of his rent ; then what sum he had given for the lease and what sum he had laid out in repairs; they put the two last sums together, and added six per cent. upon them to the rent. Now, if it was proper to follow that plan with the shopkeepers, surely it should also be fol lowed with the nobleman. Why should not six per cent. be added to the estimated rental of Northumber land , House, upon the half a million spent upon it two years ago—(Haar, hear)—or why should not the same plan be followed with Eaton Hall, up , ti which so much had lately been laid out in improve:netrt. In St. James's parish the parochial officers had, within these few days, made a fresh assessment, and they had raised Burlington-house from 1,300/. so 2,941/., so that there was great injustice done in some way. He would lease it to the House to say whether it was now or before they had riot confined themselves to that place, for they had raised one tradesman from 75/. to 110/., and others in the sane way. Then again it was surely unfair that when the parish officers raised any rental, the tax-gatherer fol lowed as a matter of course, but when the parish lowered, the King's tax collector refused to hillow that example—where was the justice of that ?—( Hear.) He believed it to be quite impracticable to effect perfect equality in the assessments ; but it was a question whether those Noblemen and others, who it was seen had been rated four hundred per cent. too low, ought not now to pay up the arrear, and so relieve those who had been so long praying for them. The Bank of England had been rated at only 2,500/. a year, anti yet, as had been excel lently put by the Times newspaper of yesterday, that same Bank in its account of assets sent into Government, states the value of their premises at 40,0001. per annum, and debits the Government with 28,000/. per annum for the portion occupied in the transaction of the Government bu: siness ; and yet is only rated at 2,500/. ! The East In dia House, which was occupying much the same ground as the Bank, was rated at 2,500/ , whilst, no dousits it was worth much more than 48,000/. a year. Pt ivate hanks in the neighbourhood of the Bank of England, which did not respectively occupy more than a twentieth, of the ground, were rated each at about 500/,, one-fiftir that of the Bank of England. It was quite out of the question that, wit's all these inconsistencies, the tax could be continued, or be submitted to any longer. In the country the four highest assessments were for persons in trade, anti it was assumed that they could afford to be so rated from the amount of their profits.—( H e ar, hear, from the Treasury benches.) But what would those Gentlemen who supported that opini n say when he told them that the Ligheit of the four, parties mentione had since the return ben Gazetted in the list of bankrupts? In Piceadil'y there was a tradesman's house of tw , ) floor , , wi , h a frontage of only fourteen feet, which was rated at 1401., higher rate than could be found in any of five counties which he (Colonel Evans) could name, having . among their inhabitants Dukes, Mar- quires, Bishops, and other noblemen and dignitaries. The authority of Atlam Smith had been quoted by the Right Hon. Gentleman opposite, as of opinion that taxation on houses and windows did not fall on the occupiers, but on the proprietors; but Adam Smith's opi nion had not been fairly stated. Adam Smith says— " Neither would such a tax (upon house rent) fall alto gether upon ground rent, but it would divide itself in such a manner as to fall partly upon the inhabitant of the house, and partly upon the owner of the ground. The final payment of this tax, therefore, would fall partly upon the inhabitant of the house, who, in order to pay his share, would be obliged to give up a part of his con venieney, and partly upon the owner of the ground, who, in order to pay his share, would he obliged to give up a part of his revenue. In what proportion this final pay ment would be divided between them, it is not perhaps very easy to ascertain. The division would probably be very different in different circumstances, and a tax of this kind might, according to those different circumstances, affect very unequally both the inhabitant of the house and the owner of the ground. Houses not inhabitated ought to pay no tax." On window taxes he says, " The principal objection to all such taxes is their inequality ; an inequality of the worst kind, as they must frequently fall much heavier upon the poor than upon the rich." And finally, upon the House tax he says, " The rent of houses, though it in some respects resembles the rent of land, is in one respect essen tially different from it. The rent of land is paid for a productive subject; the 'land which pays it produces it. The rent of houses is wad for an unproductive subject. Neither the house nor the ground it stands on produces anything. Ttie person who pays the rent, therefore, must draw it from some other source of revenue, distinct from, and independent of, this subject. It must, in short, be paid from the wages of labour, profits of stock, or trom capital or other property."—( Hear, hear.) Another eminent writer on this subject (Mr. Ricardo) says--" A tax on the rent of houses may either fall on the occupier, on the ground landlord, or on the building landlord. In ordinary cases, it may be presumed that the whole tax would he paid both immediately and finally by the occupier." And, commenting upon Adam Smith, he says, first quoting from the latter:—" Ground rent and the ordinary rent of land are therefore, perhaps, the spe cies of revenue which can best bear to have a peculiar tax imposed epon them." Ricardo observes, "It must be admitted that the effects of these taxes would be such as Adam Smith described ; but it would surely be very un just to tax exclusively the revenue of any particular class of a community. The burdens of the state should be borne by all in proportion to their means ; this is one of the four maxims mentioned by Adam Smith, which should govern all taxation." The valued rents of the houses, buildings, and ground-rent in Great Britain was eleven million' ; and the probable lent was not less than thirty-live millions, so that an equalitatiou of taxation would, as it ought to do, go far to lighten the burden that now pressed upon the firmer. The Gallant Colonel apologised to the House for having trespassed so long upon its attention, but be believed the different matters to which he had been advert ing bore more hard upon the inhabitants of the metropolis, than any part of the country. Adam Smith stated, in his observations on a house rent tax, that—" It is not very unreasonable that the rich should contribute to the public expense, not only in proportion to their revenue, but something more than in that proportion." Now, when it was proved that the rich of the metropolis did not contribute in proportion to their revenues to the public expense, but in an inverse proportion, he thought it was high time such inequitable proceedings were done away with. The Gallant Colonel regretted that Ministers, instead of doing all they could to relieve the national burthens, bad increased them by bringing forward mea sures that would have the effect of increasing the National Debt. In his opinion, such facts as he hail stated, must create feelings of strong indignation and dissatisfaction. It was his opinion, and lie would express it in that House, out of it, and every where, that unless Cie Government made out that the circumstances he had stated, with respect to the injustice and inequality of the tax, did not exist, in that case he conceived the people might not to pay such taxes. 'Jr. S. RICE said, that having received intimation from the lion. and Gallant Member of his intention to present the petitioners at the same time expressing a wish that he (Mr. S. R.) should be present upon the discussion. Agreeably to that request tie Lad made it his duty to be so, at the same time he trusted that the Gallant end Hon. Member would not feel it any disrespect to him, the sub ject, or the House, if he did not enter fully into the subject of the petition, especially when it was considered that the subject ban I itely been many times before the House, and that there was at the present mo ment a motion on the hooks on that ver:,- subject by tin Hon. Member. He should, however, be ready to meet the statements of the Gallant and Hon. :Member when the subject teone on for practical discussion. The reason fee hie refraining from entering fully into the dis cussioa now was, that he disliked entering into discus sions that would lead to nothing. He must, how ever, he permitted to make a few observations, in reply to some of those that had fallen from the Gallant and Honourable Member.—(Hear, hear, hear.) He (Mr. S. Rice) thought he had shown, if there was an ineluality in the present mode of taxation—which lie ad mitted—that the parishes themselves, if they would only look into the matter, had the means of doing justice to the parishioners in the respective parishes. The parish officers of St. James's above all, deserved infinite credit for the manner in which they had applied themselves to the correction of the abuses of inequality of taxation. —(Hear, hear.) He had never denied inequality or defended it--(Hear)—he was an advocate for correcting inequality of taxation where it had been found to exist. The officer of the Crown had no option, but to take ac e siding to the parochial assessment. If the house was rated parochially, at a given sum, the officers of the Crown were not empowered to take less. It would therefore he evident to the House and to every one, that if any inequaity existed, the parochial authorities had only to rate the House at its proper value, and if that rate steed goo, the amount of the King's taxes must follow it. The Hon. and Gallant Member had concluded by stating that Government had made no reductions, nor afforded any relict to the people. Now, in answer to that, he would state that upon an active expenditure of more than seventeen millions, there had been a reduction of three millions, which in his opinion ten led to relieve taxation. The Hon. and Gallant Member had also thrown out an opinion, that unless the evils complained of were relieved, the people would be jus tified in refusing to pay taxes. He (Mr, S. Rice) could never hear that doctrine breached without depre ceting it, and was sorry that it should have found an advocate in any Member of the Legislature. He thought the Ho n . and Gallant Member would have done better to have exhorted his constituents to use their best energies to have the taxes repealed, at the same time telling them that it `vas t he int , cest of the humblest among them more to support the law than to violate it. No man could doubt that it was violating the principles of the law to adopt :hat course which the Hun. Member had stated. Colonel EVANS thought with respect to parochial officers correcting the evils complained of, that unse:•n in fluence which had hitherto operated upon them, would will infinence them in not equalizing their mode of rati.e. With respect to the reduction of three millions by Go vernment, the late Government, of which the Right Hon. Baronet to his right was a Member, had made similar eductions. Mr. S. RlCE—Greater, to the extent of six millions. Colonel EVANS—But that had not satisfied the country any more than the reduction by the present Ministry ; nor wouiti it, as long as a much greater standing army was kept up, and no alteration made in pensions and sinecures. The petition w is then laid on the table. Mr. WILLIAM :BROUGHAM presented a peti tion, which was signed by 40,000 operative gun-makers, of London and Birmingh im, praying for a revision of the game-laws. In his opinion it was well worthy of the attention of the House, anti there was nothing th it could be more conducive to the prosperity of agriculture ,ban a well regulated system of game laws. Torre was no reason why game should not be protected to the same extent as chickens and other poultry. He cordially supported the prayer of the petition, and trusted that, in the course of the neat year, there would he ample opportunity afforded of enquiring into the operation of the present Act, and of suggesting some other measure which would he more satisfactory in its operation. Mr. COBBETT WoJerved that the country Gentlemen would undoubtedly feel very much obliged to the gun makers for their opposition to the present game laws. An Hon. MEMBER, wi,ose panic we could not learn, had been requested to support the prayer of this petition, which he did most cordially. He could not agree with the Hon. M em b er f or Old ham that the gunmakers had come forward in support of the country gentlemen. The gunmakers had found their trade so much depreciated, owing to the present game laws, that they could not sell any new guns whatever ; and if no other Hon. Gen tleman brought forward any measure upon, the subject, he hiassolf Amid ful it his duty, next session, to brie the subject of the game !awe under the eonsi feration toe House. Mr. ATTWOOD said, that if the Government suc reed,d in carrying the Bank resolutionQ, he would his life that, in less than a year, the gun-makers woul find an abundant demand for all their guns. After some further ol).ervafons from Mr. HEATHCOTT. Sir R. PEEL, and Mr. WATSON, the petition was ordere' to lie on the table. The Earl of DARLINGTON presented a petition from the iron masters and miners in the neighbourhood o' Wembridge, Wellington, sic., for the repeal of the Ne, Beer Act. He thought that the Act, 1 / 4 0 far from an swering the expectations which had been formed of it, hio! been productive of the greatest injury to society. Mr. B. CARTER presented a petition from the no taries public of Portsmouth and Cowes, against the No. taries Public Bil!. Mr. GASKILL presented a petition from the borough of Wemlock, against any alteration in the law of electing Nlagistrates for that borough. Mr. J. FIELDER presented a petition from th, weavers of Tilderily and Shackerly, in favour of the Ten Hours Labour Bill ; and a similar petition from the Na tional Poli'ical Union. Mr. THOMAS ATTWOOD presented a petition from the Northern Political Union, agreed to at a public meeting, complaining of the distress of trade, and particularly of the ►abouring classes, which they at tributed to excessive taxation, and praying for the repeal of all tiles on the necessaries of life, particularly the Corn Law•; it also prayed for annual Parliaments. The Hon. Member said, for his part he was content with, the present House of Commons if they would but take the people happy, and again make the countr what it was before—" Merry England."—(Hear.) He had also similar petitions from a parish in Fifeshire. and from Warwick. He placed implicit confidence in the present house of Commons, feeling convinced that either under the " patronage" of the present Ministry, or some either (looking towards Sir R. Peel's seat), which it wa' not difficult to imagine, that some change would be made in the policy of the country, that would bring back hap piness and contentment to the large mass of the p-op'e. After several other petitions were presented the Speaker left the chair. KING'S BENCH-(THIS DAY.) :sittings at Guildhall. before the LORD Cum JUSTICE and a Common Jury.) mum V. PETTIT ♦ND OTHERS. The plaintiff' in this action sought to recover the amount of three promissory notes. Mr. F. POLLOCK and Mr. HUTCHINSON conducted the plain tiff's case, and Mr. D. POLLOCK that of the defendants. It appeared from the evidence that a Mr. Newton, whose representative the plaintiff was, had, in the year 1613, lent the parish of Chingford, in Essex, the sum of 2.001., the defendants, who were at that time the churchwardens and overseers, giving Mr. Newton the promissory notes in question as a security. Interest had been paid down to the year IE6O, and the present action was brought to recover the amount of the notes, and subsequent interest. Mr. D. POLLOCK, for the defendants, submitted that the action should not have been bi ought against the defendants as parish officers, but as individuals. His LORDSHIP was of opinion that the action was good in its present form. The defendants were liable upon their notes to the plaintiff, and they must look to the parish to be reimbursed. The Jury found a verdict for the plaintiff, his Lordship giving the defendants leave to move hereafter to enter a nonsuit. THE MARKETS.-(THIS DAY.) CORN EXCHANGE. The arrivals of all 'descriptions of Grain this week are small, and the return of Flour is scanty. The Wheat trade remains firm at Monday's prices. Barley, Beans, and Pease, unaltered. For Oats the demand is liberal, and Monday's rates are sup.. ported. In the Flour trade no variation, though ship parcels sell freely. Wheat. English Irish Foreign 1,9.90 ARRIVALS. Barley. I Oats. I Flour. 299 qrs. 960 qrs. I.l4osacks 2,c,10 STATE OF TRADE.—The excitement in the Cctton Market at Liverpool this week has been greater than at any period since the memorable year 1825, and the sales, as will be seen on reference to our cotton-letter, amount to upwards of 71,000 bag., at a considerable ad vance on the prices of last week. The demand for yarn in this town has also been exceedingly active; and a very extensive business has been done at advanced prices, though, we believe, on some counts the increase of price has not been quite commensurate with that which has taken place in cotton. A considerable advance has also been obtained on some de,criotiona of manufactured goods ; but generally, we believe, there has not been much brisk ness in the demand for them ; and they are, consequently, lower in proportion than reeled yarns.—Manchester Guardian. THE SUICIDE IN GREENWICH PARK.- Yesterday the adjourr.id inquest on the body of Mr. T. CORFIELD, the F irveyor, of Park-street, was held at the F ise and Crown, Greenwich. Miss ELIZABETH CDR FIELD, sister to the deceased, who appeared in deep mourning, was the principal witness. She saw her brother last about Ave o'clock on Saturday afternoon, when he retied to lie down in his bed-room. He had latterly been much disturbed in his mind, owing to the multiplicity of business, and to some temporary difficulties. It appeared, however, that there was no truth ;n the statement made on the preced;ng day by LAMBERT, his assistant, that he could not obtain payment of a large debt from Mr. FLETCHER, of the highly respectable firm of FLETCHER, ALEXANDER., and Co., of King's Arms. yard. The extraordinary mistake about the failure of the sum firm was also destitute of foundation; Messrs. FLETCHER, ALEXANDER, and Co. never having contem plated stopping payment. It also appeared that Mr. FLETCHER had even made advances to the deceased. The Jury returned a verdict of temporary derangement. SUICIDE BY TAKING PRUSSIC On Sunday afternon, about two o'clock, a French Gentle man, of highly respectable appearance, went into the house of Mr. J. Burr:A, the Red Lion Inn, Greenwich, near the Hospital, and partook of some bread and cheese and ale, and after remaining about half an hour went away. Between eight and nine o'clock at night he re turned again, and inquired if be could sleep there that night? He was answered in the affirmative, and Le re tired to bed about half-pist ten o'clock. The following morning, finiiiog lie di, nut come down stairs, Mr. BUT TLE went to call him, but could receive no answer. Sus pecting that something had happened during the night, a man named ALBEitz BURR got in at his bedroom window, the door being f‘stened, when he found the unhappy man lying on the floor, quite dead and cold. Mr. SHERWIN and several other medical gentlemen were called in im mediately, and they p. onounced that he had been dead some hours. On looking about the room a small phial was found which had contained prussic acid ; and, from the odour which arose from the mouth of the unfortunate man, there can he no doubt but that he had swallowed the contents of the phial. The deceased is a total stranger, but a piece of paper bearing the name of Sparks" was sewn inside the collar of his coat. He was a man about five feet four inches high, and was dressed in a black surtout, moleskin trousers, yellow waistcoat (rolling collar), boots made in Paris, linen marked C. S., and wore blue steel spectacles, and a mourning ring on his finger, He had a black snuffbox, and 7s. 3d. in money, in his pocket. It is not a little singular that the heirs to the Thrones in England, Spain, and Portugal are all little girls; and it is possible, nay, probable that at one and the same time there will be Qleens reigning in these three countries. It is also worthy of remark, that the aspirants for the Thrones in those countries and in France (I mean HENRY the Fifth) are all minors—and we have there. fore presented to us this principle of Monarchy, wil:ch is so much extolled and talked ab .ut, in all it. helplessness, and in all its weakness. Instead of having, as in Aate rica, a now of experience, knowledge, vast acquirements, and national reputation, of matured age and opinions, selected by the mass of the people as the Chief of the Go vernment—this wonderful principle of Monarchy, which Is called eternal, and perennial, and so forth, is giving to England, France, Spain, and Portugal, four Infants, three of whom are female chil , tren, as their Sove.eiens! ! From the letters of 0. P. Q., in the Morning Chronicle. SALE OF A WlFE.—Yesterday afternoon, at two o'clock, about 1,000 persons assembled in the neighbourhood of Portman market to witness an exhibition of the above description. At the appointed time the hut band, accompanied by his wife, entered the crowded arena, the latter having been l e d to the ►pot in the tisu:ll manner, with a halter round her neck. The business then cow mynced, amidst the hissings and hooting of the popul,ce, who showered stones and other missiles on the pariies. The fist bidding was Ss., and the next 4s. ; after which an interval elapsed, amidst the call of " Going, going," from the auctioneer. At last a dustman stepped forward, and exclaimed, " I wool give five bob" (55.) The woman was " knocked down" for the sum, and the dustman carried her off, nothing lotb,runidst the hisses of the crowd. FRENCH TTIPATRICALS. The following critiir”, from Calignani's Itiessenser, contains an amusing specimen of popular dramatic in •ertaintnents in France PORTE ST. MARTIN.—The selection of the late un fortunate Queen of England, whose adventures are still fresh in the memory of all Europe, for the heroine, and the sturdy hhck-whiskered postillion Bergami, who hail the good fortune to attract her Highness's notice, for the hero of a five act drama, argued a certain degree of boldness on the part of the writer, which we own led us to anticipate favourably of the piece produced at this house on Thurs day, notwithstanding the apparently intractable nature of genius, subject. eniu::a as, for This sort e i xampie, of temintheeritinyefq instances s nt o l ac f y compans Victor Hugo ie and Alexander Dumas. In fact, subject is an affair of very inferior importance to genuine talent ; it will adorn the most barren ; rind the wildest desert become a paradise under the ward of genius. But, alas ! temerity is not confined to talent, and the rashness of presnuaptuoua inca pacity was perhaps never exhibited more conspicuously titan in the drama we are about to describe. Indepen dently of its more prominent demerits, it displays an ig norance of English customs, feelings, opinions, and even of common events connected with the subject on which it is founded, calculated to excite no little astonishment, consi dering the intimate intercourse which existed between the rwo countries at the period the circumstances took place. In fine, there is scarcely a character or an incident in the entire piece which is not a burlesque upon truth and pro bability, as the reader will perceive from the following outline. At the rising of the curtain the spectator finds the Princess travelling in Italy ; she is rep.e -.ented as a model of innocence and virtue, suffering exile from the unjust suspicions and neglect of her husband the Prince Regent, who, among other abominations, has dissipated the large dowry she, Caroline of Brunswick, brought him on their marriage. Bergami (who, we should state, gives its name to the drama) has driven her to the Alh,rgo, and is greatly smitten with the grace and beauty of the fair traveller, who herself no less pleased with a certain dash of roman ticism which softens the manly vigour of the well-looking postillion, at once elevates him to be her equerry. Her Highness is followed throughout her journeyings by a Lord Ashley, who figures as a spy employed by her hus band, and who, of course, misrepresents her innocent at. tentions to Bergarni, and likewise mistakes the affectionate lelity displayed by the late postillion towards his gene rous mistress for a warmer feeling. and transmits informa tion on the subject to his employer in England. Tie death of George 111. is now-announceal, by which event the Princess necessarily becomes the Queen of England ; n attempt is made to bribe her to remain on the conti nent, and not to insist on her right to share ihe throne ; hot she rejects the offer with disdain, and, strong in the cou rage of her innocence, resolves inat oily to lir;:ve her ehernies and sets sail immediately for Britain, followed by Bergami and the rrinairoler of her suite. She is received with ac clamations try the populace, and the spectator is introduced to our old friend Alterman Wood (Absolute Wisdom, as he was appropriately named for his conduct and advice to the Queen on this occasion), to the civic authorities, the trades, and various other public bodies of the people, who wait on her Majesty with their congratulations, and as surances of their confidence in her spotless fame. The su.hor next brings George IV. to wait on his wife; he haa, by the way, been kept in attendance some time, hav ing arrived at the same moment as the worthy burghers mention:al above; hut the Queen, on bring a-keil which should first have the honour of an audience, majestically replies, '• Le pruple"—a preference which seemed to give flinch satisfaction to a part of the audience, who applauded the answer lustily. The King endeavours to induce her to leave the country by persuasions, and on her persisting in her refusal, threatens her with a trial before the House of Lords, which accordingly takes place, and in skilful hands the scene would have been powerful ; as it is, we base a common-place melodramatic affair, by no means unlike Sheridan's burlesque scene in the Critic, in which a child (intended, of course, for young Austin) who has ivag 3ccomparile4 the Paincess, and which is suspected to be her own, is discovered to he the lost brother of an old associate of Bergami's. (The co mique of the piece, such as it is, lies upon this character.) This scene terminates with a grand insurrectionary row a la Francais.:; discharges of musketry are heard, and one of the Peers (said by some of our contemporaries to be Lord Castlereagh, who was not a Peer) is either shot or " knocked o' the head" with a stone, at the tnotrrnt he is about to give his vote. The Lords having pro nounced an acquittal, the Queen presents herself an uninvited guest at the grand Coronation banquet, which speedily follows. Her•, having fairly bullied the poor King, she places herself with him at the head of the table, and exacts all the honour due to her rank ; in the midst of the regal festiv . ...y, however, she is poisoned! by her implacable enemy Lord Ash ley, who himself perishes by the hand of the faith ful and calumniated Bergami. Such is a brief sketch of this trumpery affair, which is not more deficient in historic truth than is probabi,ity, or intera.t. Ma demoiselle Georges played ta,e Queen ,o well as to make us regret that she bad not a character worthy of her talents. iII. Lorkroi acted Bergami to perfection, that is to say, he was as like a postillion as possible throughout. Lord Ashley was well performed by Pre vost, wearing a red wig, which we presume is de ripueur for Englishmen at the Porte St. Martin, as George IV. wore also a similar piece of furniture on his capta. The part is a bad one, and was acted accordingly. The ace nory, dresses, Sm., am excellent, and the music, which is by Picini, ought to make money for the composer. Noex hibition of wild beasts, fire-eaters, or mountebanks of any description, ought to be without it for a single day. Messrs. Fontsn, Depeuty, and Maurice Alhoy, were named as the authors. Notwithstanding the wholesale defeats we have described, the stature of the subject will doubtless attract crowds to the theatre ; an unusual number of Eng • ;i,h were present at the first representation, an I doubt less few English person• will •isit Paris during its per firmance without paying it a visit. The stormy weather has of late greatly re tarded the bay harvest in this neighbourhood. On Mon day last the storms of rain and hail, accompanied with thunder and lightning, were extremely heavy during the whole of the day; the hailstones were of an uncommon sitte; and we are very much afraid have done considerable injury to the apple crop. The appearance of the corn is beautiful, and promises an abundant crop ; indeed, such is the luxuriant ap p earance of the couutry that we beiieve it was never surpassed in any former season.—Skerborne Journal. Unfavourable statements relative to the ap pearance of the wheat crop have succeeded in exciting a speculative spirit, and large purchases have in consequ-nce been made of native wheat, and extensive orders trans mitted to Dantaic, Hamburg, and other ports. The ap pearance a the wheat in this neighbourhood doe• not jns tify any bad opinion of the crop.-e- Worcester Journal. THE GLOVE TRADE.—WhiIe the general condition of the country is certainly improving, this branch of trade continues greatly depre.std. Last we.k a manu facturer of this city attended in London for the purpose of making his periodic ii sale of gloves, when nut of 2,000 dozens of pairs he could only dispose of forty deeens The number of persons empl. , yed in this manufacture through out the county is said to amount to 600, of whom, it is calculated, 300 only are fully employed ; in this city there are about 250, one-half at least having merely partial or occasional work —Hereford Journal. MIDSUMMER EVE AT PENZANCE.-- Midsummer is a jubilee throughout Cornwall, but in no p of the county is it celebrated with more hilari y than at Penzance and its neighbourhood. No sooner dms the sun withdraw himself from the hor;zon than the young men begin to assemble in several part, of the town, draw ing after them trees and branches of wood and tote.-, all of which had been accumulating week after week, from the beginning of May. Tar barrels ore presently erected on till poles, is, me on the quay, others near the markei, and one even oo a rock in the mdet of the sea. Female children are Peen tripping up anddown in their best attire. decorated with garlands, and hailing Midsummer eve as the vigil of St. John. In a moment the torches make their appearance—the heaped up wood is on fiie.— the tar barrels send up their intense flames. Ladies and gentlemen parade the streets or walk in the fields, or on the terrace that commands the bay ; thence they behold the fishing towns. farms, and villas, vying with each other in t , ,e number and splendour of their b nfires. Then comes the finale. No s •oner are the torches burnt nut, than the inhabitants of the Quay quart.r (a great multi tu,le), male and female, young, middle-aged. and old, virtuous and vivioter, sober arid drunk, take hands, and s , trief, fo, ming a long string, run violently through eves,' v u h e rea th l e of sin 4 e - pulace run under and through; • : lane, and alley, crying, " An eye! an eye! a7:Yernorm,,li. At last they stop sudderey ; end an : h t° e al string (whose clasped hands are elevated and ar needle being opened by the I.st twcho..l,r), amus em e nt till wearinesr dissolves the union, and send s them home ro be d, which is n e ver till the hour of mid ani nn aphical Library. then'int night.—Coors roPo.gr . _ <.,.;~