The Sun. — London, England, 1833-04-26 00:00:00

.9A,TTJORID s ' r 3 HOUSE AND WINDOW TAXES. MEETING at the CROWN and ANCHOR. (ContinUed from our Paper of yesterday.) Mr. O'CONNELL said he would tell them at Westminster to-nightof the glorious meeting that took place there to-day —of the thousands that came together and said there was no re-action ; that would be an answer to those who said the people were satiese d with Reform—that they had now sunk back into their own private c oncerns—that no man now minded politics any longer—that they did not care whether Mr. Peel or Mr. Stanley was Minister, and that they bad other business to attend to. Why this was their business, if they were minding it. What could they say to the people now ? They would now see the people were doubly determined to come forward and demand a repeal of the asse ssed taxes. The electors of W es tmin s ter bad returned a Cabinet Minister to Parliament ; but it was only in appearance. He hoped they would show them that it was only in appearance, by their determination now to make their rept., sentatives vote for the suppression of these taxes.—(Bravo.) To say they wished to have those things done, and yet not to take the trouble of seeing it was done, would he, fir the first time, in juring the characters of Englishmen. Freedom and honesty were to him dearer than anything. He kopee the electors of Westminster would show, by their conduct this day, that it was their determination, as honest men, to have all slavery struck down, and that they would have justice done, by allowing the honest man to have the enjoy ment of his property unmolested ; and that they wished to see that speculating knavery which preyed up to high places, and plumed itself on what it called high law, wrung from it, and justice in every place substituted, in the place of the base service by which polititical intricue was governed.—(Hear, hear, hear.) The way to disarm their enemies was to insist on the abo lition of those taxes. Could any man say that such a tax should be permitted to intrude itself between the people and the rx trcise of their franchise.—(Cries of " Ho, his.") Why was it ti at the people should be driven to go abow among their neighbours all round the country. and get up pub in tneetinge, making one universal cry from the land's end to Julio Gr. it's house, of •t Down with the assessed taxes ; liberty for the people, and protection for property " He was obliged to leave them to go to a place wnere he was endeavouring to get a better grand jury system for Ireland—and Gad knew that it was much wanted— hut he could not reconcile himself to go there until he had first attended, and declared to this meeting that in him they might find an untalented and ungifted, but a per. severity and determined ft iend to their liberty and hemp neisa.—(Cheers.) They bad at all periods of the English history proved themselves equal to uphold their just rights, the question now was whether they would be satisfied wish the mere Reform Bill, or would make a Waterloo victory of it, when the cry was " Don't stop till you get to Paris." He exhorted them not to stop till they got to Downing•street.—(Loud cheers.) The CHAIRMAN here read the resolution, but he was received with laud expressions of disapprobation. Mr. HUME felt anxious to address a few words to the meeting, as it sus necessary for him to attend a committee sitting to enqure how the expense attending the Houses of Parliament might be lessened. They were aware that he fully agreed with the objects of the meeting. They had a right to obtain a relief from a partial and oppressive tax, which, instead of pressieg alike on all classes, pressed peculiarly on the middle class. He had seen instead of a eystem of amelioration adopted, agents were sent through• out the country, carrying with them a system of oppres aion.—(Shame.) He would read the resolution, which stated "3. That the enormously expensive machinery attend ing the collecting and levying of these obnoxious taxes, together with the harassing and irritating system of making surcharges on the original assessment—the only means of attempting a remedy against which, has been an appeal to the local commissioners, who, acting miner forced interpretations of obscurely worded Acts of Parlia ment, are unable to grant relief from such unjust sur charges—render it utterly impossible that such an op pressive system of taxation, with all these attendant evils, can longer be endured. In all pat is of the min' ry there w; s tEs double mischief of levying an oppressive tax, and taking a larger sum from the pockets of the people for collecting it than any other tax.—(Shame.) It was, therefore, one of the first taxes which the Chancellor of the Exchequer ought to grapple with, and be hoped, after the demonstration of 'eeling at the present meeting, that the Noble Lord would give that substantial relief, instead of giving a window here and a window there.—(Laughter and hear.) Fifteen years ago the people might have been content with a reduction of bait a million, but the reduction now required must be such as would give a large and immediate relief.— (Cheera.) They must looK on the state of affairs and on taxation in a different light from what they had done, and trisile be admitted, that, with the present system of m anygernent, Lord Althorp could not have gone fur etißr than he bad done, yet what reform was so snueia wanted for, was that there should be a change in the systein.—(Cheers.) In 1792 the expense of the army, vary, ordnance, civil list, &c. was only 6,000,0007., while II was now 22,000,0001.—(Cheers, and " Shame.") They had 50,000,000/ of taxes to raise, hut after p tying the public creditor 88,000,09( 01., they had 22,000,000/. ao work on, and yet they could not get relief from more than one million ! They would have then a surplus of half a million, which should aiso be applied to reduce the burdens, and he was confident the matter was not so dif ficult but they might take another million or two. It was only the will that was wanted.—(Cheers.) The people were in a condition to demand that which they had been riven to understand would be the result of the Reform Bill, Yig. a good and a cheap government.—(Loud cheers.) They were not in a condition to act tow irds aerain nobles as objeats of charity, while they levied taxer apoa the poor and friendless.—(Cheers.) It was incon saes-mit with the wishes and interests of Englishmen to give pensions to those who had performed no service— Cheers)—and the time was come when they must have a ebatige in the system. The admission which had been made by Ministers in their correspondence with the East India Company, was most important; in that correspondence it had been stated that the governors could not reduce their expenses; to which Ministers replied, take away born them their supplies, and the governors would soon reduce their expenses.—(Hear, hear.) He hoped that the meeting would hot allow une lute to be laid down by one Set of men said another by another.—(Hear.) He called upon Mi niste:s to act up to their own declarations.—(Hear.) The army of she country was five times the extent that it was in the time of war. Was that to be tolerated ? Was there any thing, he would ask, to be apprehended to this coun try from the great guns of Russia or Prussia, especial), when they h.d an ally in France! No such thing. Then why was so large a standing army to be kept up? The present Parliament had disappointed the people ; they had acted far otherwise than the people bad a right to expect ; but while he made that etatement, Fe was bound to con fess that nianv Hon. Members who had voted with Mi nisters bort dune so with the declaration that they were anxious to give Ministers an opportunity of showing what trey meant to do. The people must be determined in their oemand fur the reduction of the whole tf this two and a half m.laons ; they must state that they would be satisfied with nothing eke; and if Ministers s lid, we are aft aid we cannot part with so large a sum, they should be told that they must do so, or others could be found that would.—( Hear, hear.) It was fur the protection of the property of the country that the great debt that now exiateed was contracted ; and was it not, therefore, hut fair and just that that property ought to bear the atuden, and not the prea Nerave industry of the country.—(Clie e r s .) If Ministers were desirous of doing it, there were plenty of means of taking off these taxer, and he trusted that the Meeting of to-d .y, followed, as he had no doubt it would he, by many others in different parts of the country, would show them the necessity of adopting such a course. Mr. SAVAGE, in seconding the resolution, observed that the country had been disgraced by the incapacity of the Noble Lord who had brought forward the budget. Ile, with a deputation, !sad seen that Noble Lord that morn ing, and had stated to him, that if he did not relieve the people they would relieve themselves.—(Hear.) Why avere tlitee taxes kept on—was it because Ministers wanted them ? 10 ; but because they had a country party too strong for them in the House of Commons. The millions residing in town had a right to have their grievances redi essed—( Ca eei s)—they did more labour by far than the cogs and horses of the Aristocracy.— (Hear, hear.) Would those, he would ask, who threw the Duke of Wellin g t on out of power in 14 days, give their confidence to them who had acted as Ministers had done ?—(Hear, and cries of " No.") That Noble Duke would never have insulted the people of England by bringing forward such a proposition as that which had been brought forward by the present Chancellor of the Exchequei. • But Ministers might say—what could we do ?He would tell them—in the first place, sen d the bastards of the AtilituCf.ley packing—do justice to Ireland e—do a thousand other things. Everything might be don e with the people, but nothing without them. The CHAIRMAN, amid great uproar, put the resolu tion to the meeting, and declaredit to be carried unani mously. Mr. ROBINSON, 11I.P for Worcester, in moving the fourth resolution, holed the meeting would allow -him a short period of their time while he stated to them the important subject on txhich they were assembled time tc! day. di Yesterday having b e e n en t rus t e d w i t h most important petition, signed by four thousand pa rishioners of St. Paul's, Covent-garden, for the rep. al of the assessed taxes, and havinz pre sented that petition to the House of Commons, he took the opportunity that was then offered him of in• forming the Chancellor of the Exchequer of that which he was sure the resolutions of to-day would re-echo, namely, the sad and bitter disappointment with which the people of the metropolis, and the people throughout the whole country, whose sentiments coincided with those of the meeting's, would have of that miserable pretext of is for not relieving the people from these taxes. He told the Chancellor of the Exchequer that the people wanted subst intial relief—(Loud and continued cheering) —and he would now venture to tell that meeting, and every constituency throughout the country, in whose power and influence the Government of the country was, that it would be their own faults, and their own faults alone, if all their own re tamable wishi , s and desires were not carried into effect.—(Cheers.) Mr. O'Connell had told them not to confi !e in the present Administration. He (Mr. Robinson) would give them no such advice, because it was quite unnecessary; bitter experience had shown— (Loud cheers)—the people of this kingdom that there was no implicit confidence to be placid in any adminis tration. The peop'e should place confidence in them selves,—in their own honest, strenuous, and united exertions ; they should place confidence in those re presentatives who, after applying to them for their support, when they sought an entrance into the House o' Commons, did not forget when they entered that House the promises and the pledges they had given.—(Hear, hear.) That was the advice he gave, for whatever result they came to to-day, and whatever similar resolutions might take place throughout the country, (which he be lieved would be the case), it would be of no use, unless a majority of the House of Commons should confirm those resolutions by their votes. They had long lived on the system, as Mr. Hume had told them, that if the Government wanted a certain sum of money, as they conceived for certain purposes, they held out the language that they must have that money in some way or other; and the people of this county hail submitted to that sys tem as lung as they were able. But the time bad now come, tuifortunately, when it was absolutely necessary, that the Ministers of the Crown should he told the people were no longer able to pay the taxes levied on them. It was also necessrry the Ministere of the Crown should he told hie by the votes of the House of Commons, and that could only be obtained by an unsparing system of retrenchment and economy, carried on much further thin it had ever yet been carried on.—(Hear, hear.) After that had been dune, if the condition of the country required further relief, he knew of no plan by which that relict could be obtained, except by the adoption of a plan which he bad submitted to the House of Com mons last year, that of a commutation of taxes, which were now imposed on those who were unable to pay them, on that immense mass of the country who now contributed very little.—(Loud cheers.) The support he had received on that occasion, unconnected as he was was with any party, of 157 representatives of the people encouraged him in the belief and expectation that iu the course of a year or two some relief in the way of a com mutation of taxes would be effected ; for lie was not so tied up to any nostrum of his own as not to afford his assistance to any other gentleman who might make some such propositiou.—(Loud cheers, and cries of '' No, no, you always voted in favour of taxation." He had always given his humble support in the House of Commons to every proposition for a reasonable reduction of taxation, and for the curtailment of the public expenditure, and when the motion should be brought forward on a future day for the total repeal of the hinse and win dow tax, he would give his vote decidedly in favour of such a proposition.—(Bravo, bravo.) He would leave Ministets—as former Administrations had had the inge nuity to extract an amount of taxation from the poi kets of the people, which (as had been very well observed) with out a House of Commons could not have been extracted at all—either to make up the deficiency by a reduction of the public expenditure, or to supply !he means in some other way. He agreed that a Reformed House of Com mons was perfectly useless unless they obtained some sub stantial relief through the instrumentality of it. The people of this country had been charged by men who knew very little of them, and of their feelings, with an ignorant impatience of taxation, and, God knew, the people had a right to complain of the taxation which was heaped upon them ; but that was not to be got rid of without the exertion of powerful and vigorous means. He agreed with those who thought the present Adminis tration were very well-meaning men.—(Uproar, and cries of " No, no.") He was not, as they knew, a supporter of the Administration, but he was bound to speak as be thought; but they wanted a degree of firmness and energy, and that knowledge of the determination of the English nation which he believed these resolutions to-day would impress on their minds.—(Herr, bear.) He would now conclude his observations by advising them not to rely implicitly on any Government, and not to place toogreat a reliance on their Representatives.— (Cheers, and cries of "Burdett and Hohhouse," and great uproar ) He begged to be understood as not speaking of the Representatives of Westminster.—(Great uproar and confusion.) lie would advise the people of England not to place too great a reliance on their,Representatives, unless they found by their conduct in Parliament that they justi fied those expectations which they had a right to entertain of them. Tills was a time when the electors of the kingdom were required to do their duty, by calling upon their representatives to do their duty, and then the Mi nisters of the Crown would be compelled to do theirs; and by such means and by such exertions, he could see no reason, when be looked around him, and saw the elements of prosperity were existing in every part of the ciiuniry by the industry and intelli gence of its population, why they should not be a happy and united, instead of a dissatisfied and divided, nation..-- (Vehement cheering.) The Hon. Gentlern in, after thanking the meeting for the indulgence with which they had heard him, concluded by moving the 4th resolution : " 4. That the system of assessing the value of houses is so uncertain in its principle and so unjust in its operation, that in the opinion of this meeting it ran no longer be borne; it having been proved by Parliamentary returns, that houses built for the purposes of trade at an outlay of two thousand pounds, are actually rated as being worth more in annual value, than buildings appropriated to lux urious enjoyments, which have cost not less than one hundred times that amount." Mr. Gouc rr stated that he was one of a deputation that waited on the Chancellor of the Exchequer that morning. A large public meeting was held at Shoreditch yesterday, and it might be said that upwards of 70,000 inhabitants had sent a deputation to the Chancellor. Many of these inhabitants were in a starving condition.—(Cheers and murmuring.) The deputation stated boldly to the Chan cellor that they would pay these taxes no longer.— (Cheers.) They told him another fact. In Shoreditch here were 8,000 houses, and of these 1,000 were unuc cupied.—(Loud cries of " Hear.") He asked the meet ing if the Hoorn - led Parliament had dune anything to deserve the confidence of the people.—(Hear.) He had hoped to have seen a resolution for an address to the Throne to remove the Ministry from their places.—(Long con tinued clieers and clapping ut hands.) It was proposed, gentlemen, that artisans should go, and I went for one, to ask fur the repeal of these taxes. His Lordship said the coun•ry is not asking for the abolition of window and it use duty. He (Mr. G.) reminded Lord Althorp that ;ie had, when out of office, voted for the repeal of those taxes, His Lordship replied to this : " I voted for the ;ihelition of tire house and window taxes, and other taxes at that time, to embarrass tt,e Alinistry."—(Cries of " Oh, shame.") Tne deputation then told the Chancellor that :he inhabitants would meet from day till day till these taxes were abolished, and that they would not pay any tax-suntil the standing army was reduced.—(Hear.) l i It any man would deceive the country, it was Lurd Ai ' chorp.—(Cheers.) He would recommend that :he meet tog should assemide week by week until the taxes were repealed.—(Cheers.) He concluded by seconding the 4th resolution.—(Loud cheers.) Sir S. WHALLEY said he would not detain the meeting long, for two reasons, fhb!, because they were all agreed the objects of the meetine, and secondly that he was now a Member of a House, whose hours were as bad as their c ntluct was profligate.—(Laughter.) They kept such bad hours, that this morning they did nut break up anti! half-past 3 o'clock, and he had been unable to have sufficient rest. he could not, however, refuse to perform what he conceived to be his duty in appearing before them. When he had the honour about three or four months ago to meet the united deputations from the me tropolitan constituencies at the London Tavern, he did hope that that would be the last occasion when it would ate necessary to petition for a repeal 01 these taxes. He did hope that, after the o;iinion so loudly declared against hese taxes that there did not breathe an individual who :lad the audacity to b,y - that their repeal was not loudly called for—(Cheers)—but that Lord Althorp, in the teeth it their fixed and unalterable determination to get those taxes repealed, should declare that their repeal was not called tor, and that the people were willing to submit to them a tells longer, exceeded all credibility; indeed, if an Hon. Gentleman had not said he heard the Noble Lord say so, .e would say it was such as no. person ought to credit. They all exerted themselves to endeavour to get the Reform BID, not because there was any magic in the word Re foiTa, out as a means of ontaining an alleviation fromthe burdens that oppressed the people. The people had all along been cheered by the hope that their burdens would he removed or much lessened, but that hope, which had kept them up amidst great privations, had been, by one declaration from Lord Altborp, struck from under them. He knew of no alarm of a similar kinA except that which was expressed by the Duke of Wellington, " That the existing system of representation was perfect." In season and out of Belson, he would press on Ministers the ne cessity of a repeal of these: taxes —(Chess.) What had the Chancellor of the Taxes offered them in exchange for the support they bad tendered him? Only an insulting reduction to that class of socety on which taxes most severely pressed.—(Cheers.) The Noble Chancellor of the Exchequer would not repeal the house and window duty, but he would do that which had hitherto been adopted by all governmk nts of this country, viz. relieving the aristocracy of trade.—(Cheers.) He would not re• live large class of retail dealers, who, perhaps, had but a shop and one room, and were obliged to let the rest of the house to eke out a subsistence by lodgers. No! that. class was beneath the Noble Lord's notice.—(Cheers.) It was those establishments of 50 or 60 clerks each, those Levia. thins in trade who swallowed up the lower class, that he would relieve from a burden they were well able to afford —(Cheers)—but the grocer, the butcher, and the hiker would not be relieved one farthing.—(Cheers.) The Hon. Gentleman then read his resolution, and said had it not been that they bad hoped a r. formed Parliament would have taken off the burdens of the people, of what use was it to transfer the representation of Old Sarum to Marylebone ?—(Cheers ) He implored the people not to withdraw their confidence from their repres..ntative , , until they had proof that they did their duty no longer. The meeting would hardly believe that the house and window -tax, paid by the metropolis, was equal to that which was paid by 16 counties in Engl!nd. When the Reform Rill was proposed, it was said to be governed by population and taxation; but it was a fact that sixteen counties having ten-fold the number if representatives of the metropolis did not pay so much taxes as the metro lis alone did. Every person must agree that a house to shelter a man from the inclemency of the weather was one of the first necessaries of life, and yet a tax on that ne cessary cat a man in a humble station of life, om-tenth of his income. Why then should not a man of 100,000/. a year he taxed in the same proportion,—(Cheers.) lie contended that the time had now arrived when the house and window tax ought to be repealed—must be re pealed—and should be repealed. He concluded amidst loud cheers, by proposing tie following resolution : " S. That in our recent efforts to aid the Governm-nt in the achievement of the all important question of Par liamentary reform, we were cheered with the hope that the consummation of that great measure would be fol lowedl by a propos:tion on the part of the Government, to abolish the taxes of which we now complain; but this meeting now feels bound to declare its unfeigned regret and surprise that Ministers should appear disposed to con tinue those burdens, the repeal of which they have hereto fore strenuously advocated, and which are acknowledged to press so unequally and unjustly, on a large portion of the housekeepers of the kingdom." Mr. CORDER. having taken active part in getting up the meeting, and lest it should be said that there was no elector of Westminster ready to support the proceedings of the day, had determined to offer a few observations to the meeting, upon seconding the resolution proposed by the Hon. Member for Marylebone. He objected to the house and windov taxes, because they were so expensive of collection. I❑ Ireland and Wales there were 14,64.0 parishes, each of which had one, and some of them two or three, crown collectors. And many of the-e 14,000 had, under the Reform Bill, been employed in curtailing the rights of the people.—(Cheers.) In the metrop dis they sctewed up the ratings to meet not only the rack rent, but the improvements in the premises, and even the cost of in surance against fire.—(Shame.) Lord Althorp seemed to think because there were no petitions presented against these taxes by the county Members that there was no demand fur their repeal ; but the county members were not interested in the abolition of them.—(Hear.) Would the Chancellor of the Exchequer refuse to pay attention to the petitions of those whom they were so eager to receive petitions from in favour of the Reform Bill?—(Hear, hear.) An other objection to those taxes was, that the people were no longer able to pay them.—(Cheers.) After this meet ing was broken up, those who departed from it might pass many people of respectable appearance, unable to pay the assessed taxes.—(Hear.) Had Lord Althorp, be asked, heard of the poor widow whose chest of drawers, for which she gave 6/., was sold by the tax collector for 205.? —(Shame.) He (Mr. Corder) had been called upon to attend the death-beds of several poor men, who implored him to use any influence he might possesF, to prevent the little furniture to be left by the dying person, from being taken away from the poor widow for taxes.—(Hear.) He had laboured in his own locality to keep the public peace, and to support order and morality ; hut the time was now come, when he must recollect other duties—when he must remember the duty he owed to himself; and lie now de clared his belief that the time was come, when the exam ple of Lord Milton should he followed, and every man determine no longer to pay taxes, the continuation of which was a positive breach of faith on the part of Mi nisters..—(Cheers.) He called, then, on the Government and on those who supported the Government—(Cries of " Sir Francis Burdett, do you hear")—he called on all who supported the Government to meet the wishes of the people, and render unnecessary a refusal which might lead to the worst of consequences. In the parish wherein he resided, the number of poor rates receivers was nearly one half of the whole inhabitants.—(Hear, hear.) He would most cheerfully second the resolution. Mr. BUCKINGHAM was proud of the present opportu nity of taking part with the proceedings of the meeting, the object of which he had so much at heart. The reso lution which be li ad the honour to propose contained sentiments in which he fully concurred. It was the following : " 6. That one of the great evils of which si e com plained in an unreformed House of Parliament, was, that it had no sympathy with the sufferings of the people, but although our cause has been unexpectedly abandoned by his Majesty's Ministers, it now remains to be proved what reliance can be placed upon the peseta representatives of the people, upon whom we solemnly and unitedly call to relieve us horn taxes, which, it is universally admitted, press most heavily and un!airly upon the middling end trading classes of the community. That resolution was most able and complete. The oh- Ject of the meeting was to call public attention to two great considerations—the enormous amount of taxes, and the inequality of their distribution.—(Hear, hear.) It was said that the establishments of the country were on the lowest possible scale, and that there was no room for re duction. Now that, every one must be aware, was nut the case; but he held that the obligation of the debt of the country itself was a subject requiring revision ; and had the motion that sought for an inquiry into the tonne. tary system been carried, it would have been seen to have been necessary either to reduce the capital or the interest. What was (he use, he would a , k, of expending money in conquering colony after colony, but to place the sons of the aristocracy in situations of emolument, the money that had been expended in that way would have been far more than sufficient to have procured peace and happiness at home ? As to the inequality of taxation—the at istocracy of the country, who had large estates, paid on their property about five to ten per cent., tie merchant and manufacturer from 15 to 20 per cent., the shopkeeper 25 per cent., and the labourer upwards of 30 per cent.—it third of their entire incolue. The situation of the beasts of the field was better than the lower orders of this country ; they were well housed and taken care of, and, as compared with the artizans of this cow try, were living in luxury. This was no overcharged picture, but the truth. He considered the hou-e tax most obnoxious, and the window tax inaptoua.—(Hear,) The time had now arrived when the toast proposed so often in that room by the Hon. Baronet in the chair, of " the sovereignty of t h e p.ople," should no longer be a mere bye word, and that the sceptre should be placed in the hands of that so ven.,ignty.—(Loud cheers.) Sir F. I3URDETT (the Chairman) then rose to ad dress the meeting and was received with cheers and groans. He wished most explicitly at this stage of the proceeding to make the meeting acquainted with his sentiments, but the first place be wished to remove from their minds an obviously u nintentional misrepresentation (holding up the Times newspaper of to-day) of what was supposed to h a v e fallen from him last night in the House of C nn and cries of " There isuntro''. H distress —(ear, hear, hear, in Westminster. * ) In a sentence, it would appear to be impossible—it was so absurd and inconsistent. He was made to say that theie was no di•tress in the zaun , ry. He did nut think that any one who knew hint would believe that he would state without foundation any opinion so dogmatical, but he was made al-o to say that ' lie agreed with the Noble Lord (Althorp) in his motion respecting the standard of the currency, and yet it tp peared—and appeared truly that his name was the rhino rity against the proposition of the Noble Lord. What he did say was, that he would have supported Mr. Attwood motion, if he had put it fairly before the House, and not have involved it in any mystification, for he was as anxious as Mr. Attwood to take into consideration the state of the currency of the country, to which he attributed one of two distresses. He attributed this distiess to two different causes—there was distress among the working classes, which was caused by a greater competition for labour than the present capital of the country could remunerate, and he collected from the members of the manufacturing districts, particularlyYorkehire and Lancashire, that of late there was an ameliorating of the distress that had prevailed there. lie said also that there was an overwhelming distress caused by a return to gold payments after the currency of the country had been greatly augmented, when all prices of necessaries had risen enormously high, and when all taxes had been laid on, on a supposition of the conti• nuance of those high prices—that was the statement he had made.—(Hear.) He was afraid that no remis sion of taxes would recover the state of the produc tive classes of the country, and restore to them that prosperity of which the mistaken and ignorant system of Legislation had deprived them. He would not enter into the discussion of that question, or of any ques tion relating to politic a economy, because be thought that public meetings were not the proper places in which to discuss them.—(Cheers and groans.) lie repeated, that the House of Commons was the most proper place fur those topics, and if the people thought their representa tives did not sufficiently comprehend those subjects, it was their duty to select others who did.—(Great uproar, which continued for some time.)—With respect to the question before them, be must say that it was impossible for a reformed Parliament to draw down manna from heaven, or that any administration could give relief to the country in so short a period of time, after half a century of p.olligate government.—(Curers, groans, and cries of " Twaddle ; " off, off.'') He felt himself bound to attend a meeting which was convened by 30 large a portion of his constituents, but it was necessary that he should request that they should not be led away by their own passions.— (" Off, off," and hisses) lie asked not fur applause or approbation.—( Here the noisy and uproar became so great, that but very few sentesces of the Hon. Baronet's speech were afterwards heard.) There was not one of the reso lutions but mooted the consideration of subjects of politi cal economy, and he could not agree with any of them. As to the house and window tax—(Here the uproar increased, and while the lion. Baronet continued to speak, and with great emphasis to those near him, the itinerant orator, Dr. Wade, jumped on a table at one end of the platform, and bail d out—" I move that Mr. Murphy take the chair." Tt.is proposi tion was met with vol ies of hisses, and cries of No. The scene which took place upon this, it is impossible to describe). The lion. Baronet, we understood, amid this confusion, to complain that his name had been adver tised as Chairman without his sanction, and he bad never been consulted on the resolutions.—(Here Dr. Wade ad dressed the meeting amid general uproar and much confusion. After making a few further observations which were wnoily inaudible, the Honourable Baronet left the chair amidst loud expressions of applause and disapprobation. The room presented at that period a scene of universa confusion, and there were I..urt cries from many voices for Dr. Wade and Mr. Murphy to take the chair; while numerous voices expressed in loud terms their dissent from both propositions. Most of the respectable persons who had been on the platform left it, as did hundreds from the body of the room.) After Sir Francis Burdett had retirrd, a show of hands wss called for a Chairman, and Sir John Key was de clared ni be voted in. Sir JOHN Kay put the 6th resolution, with the follow ing addition, which was carried unanimous'y : " And we deeply regret that a large majority of the Reformed House of Commons seem to evinve as little sympathy for the distress, and as little regard for the liberties of the people, in supporting a Government who have destroyed the liberties of Ireland; who have opposed every inquiry into the distress of the people; who have upheld naval and military sinecures ; and who, ky the Budget they have brought forward, stow a determination to follow the example of the Tories in supporting an un necess .rily ex ravagant expenditure." Mr. Multriiv, in proposing the 7th, Bth, and 9th reso lutions, condemned the conduct of the Hun. Baronet for leaving the chair ; and advised that the people should agi tate and continue to agitate, until Alioisters listened to the wishes of the country. The resolutions were as follow : "7. That the House and Window Taxes were avow edly imposed for the purpose of carrying on a war ; with a solemn pledge from the Government that they should cease within two years after the termination of that war. That the country has now enjoyed eighteen years of pro found peace, and this meeting feels that it has a right to call for their immediate repeal; and it hereby pledges i;self not to relax in its efforts until that object is attained." " 8. That it is expedient, and it is hereby strongly re commended, that the electors and other inhabitant house holders throughout England, Scotland, and Wales, should forthwith transmit instructions to their respective repre sentatives, to support Sir John Key's mo.ion for the total repeal of the House and Window Taxes, which will be brought forward o❑ Tuesday, the 30th day of April in stant." "9. That a petition to the House of Commons, founded on the foregoing resolutions, be forthwith prepared by the committee who have assisted in calling this meet ing, and that the chairman be requested to sign the same on the pirt of this meeting, and that Sir John Key be re quested to present the same." Dr. WADI: seconded the resolutions. A young man, apparently an artizan, wished that the whole of the taxes should be repealed.—(Cries of " Ques tion," and " Off, off ") Sir JOHN KEY claimed for every speaker a fair hear ing. —(We understood the speaker who was addressing the meeting had an amendment to propose, but the amend ment was withdrawn.) After which the three resolutions were passed unani. mously. _ _ A vote of thanks to the Chairman was then passed, amid loud che<•rs and a flourish of trumpets. The com pliment was acknowledged by the Chairman, and the meeting separated at half-past five o'clock. SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS. (Conclusion of the Chronicle article of yesterday.) A double standard is as absurd as saving that a man should be of two heights or two breadths at the same time. But Sir Henry Parnell adz mirably exposed the absurdity of this notion : "If (he s tid) the facts of the case were examined, it would be found that every attempt which had been made in this country, and every other country, to have a double standard, had failed.—(flear, hear.) We had a double standard in this country up to the year 1816 ; but what was the state of the silver coin ? No legal coin existed. The cause was, that the Mint prices of gold and silver were so adjusted, that silver coin could not be kept in circula tion : but if the relative value should be ever so properly adjusted in the first instance, it was impossible the two metals could continue in circulation, because the value of both was liable to fluctuation ; and when any such fluc tuation took p 1 then one of the metals would be of more value in bullion than in coin, and would be melted. There had b,en much error in the course of this debate, in assuming that silver had been the standard of value in this country.—(Cheers.) It had been so nominally, but in reality it was held by all the best authorities, that in point of fact, during; the whole of the last century, gold was the standard. This was proved to be the case by the reduction of the value of the guinea, in 1717, from 21s. 6d. to 21e. being followed by a reduction in the price of gold to the same amount." Ution the whole, it may be said of Mr. Mat thias Attwood and Mr. Baring that they are well matched ; that they are acute enough to perceive the absurdities of each other; but when they come to dispense their respective nostrums, there is not a pin's point to choose between them. The only Member who has yet fairly met the argument of Mr. Poulett Thomson against the existence of distress, from the ex tended consumption of exciseable articles, was Mr. Robinson (Worcester). " He did not," he place any faith in the arguments of the Right Hon. Member for Manchester (Mr. P. Thomson) and the Hon. Member for London (Mr. Grote) that because tea and other excise able articles had increased in consumption, the comforts of the people had been augmented. In his opinion, it could only be taken as a change in the habits of the people—( Hear, hear) — that instead of having the good old roast beef, they used articles of a less substantial and less strengthening character." The consumption of tea and roast beef is not incompatible with each other. It does not indeed follow, because much tea, sugar, and coffee are consumed, that much roast beef is consumed, but neither does it fol low that it is not consumed. 'Wherever it can be afforded it will be found that the aug mentation of the liquid, does not im pair the consumption of the solid food. But though we believe that, since the peace, the produce of the soil has increased in the'ratto of the increase of the population, we lament that we can only speak conjecturally. An far as a few great towns are concerned, we believe there is good evidence of an increased consumption of animal food. We trust that Government will see the necessity of supplying the country with means for ascertaining the consumption of animal food, as well as of exciseable articles. How easy would it be to have an establishment, with branches throughout the country, for ob taining accurate information on this subject. We are convinced that, though a few of the Surrey and Southdown hills may no longer be ploughed, yet that a number of judicious agricultural im provements have been made since the peace, and that the quantity of human food, both vegetable and animal, has been greatly increased. We hear, indeed, of estates untenanted and unoccupied ; but we have never seen any in that predicament. No one tangible argument has been urged in favour of depreciation, but that landlords would be benefited by it. Mr. Lambert was very pa thetic on the hardships suffered by landlords, who, in consequence of the appreciation, found their mortgages suddenly increased in value. It is quite true that landlords under mortgages are often, at present, in their mortal throes. But if we are to take an account of suffering from ap preciation and depreciation, where are we to be gin and where to end ? How many merchants found themselves, at the peace, reduced from immense wealth to beggary ? Who does not know that all changes in the standard are fraught with ruinous consequences ? But because Mr. Lambert suffered in 1819, is that a reason for making some one else suffer now ? The gen tleman who purchased an estate twenty years ago for sixty thousand pounds, and sold it a week ago for thirty-five thousand pounds, and invested the money in the funds, must again be made a sufferer through depreciation, and find his property dwindled down to twenty-five thou sand pounds. These tricks might benefit im poverished landowners; but they cannot benefit the country. The divisions last night will sa tisfy the country that the advocates of spoliation, with all their mancauvring to catch Members to inquiry, have not the slightest chance of suc ceeding in their object. Mr. Attwood's motion was lost by a majority of 331 to 139, or 192. A long discussion then followed, on an atneNd ment made by Mr. M. Attwood to Lord Al thorp's resolution, engrafting an inquiry on it, which was lost by a majority of 271 to 134. The motion of Lord Ali horp was then carried by a majority of 304 to 49, or 255. The an nouncement of these numbers was received with loud cheering.—Morning Chronicle. We were not unprepared for the determined stand made yesterday at the Crown and Anchor, against the continuance of the Assessed Taxes. 'We do not beli.ive, however, that Ministers were at all aware of the extent of the hostility to the taxes in ques tion throughout the metropolis. There are many reasons why the people of the metropolitan districts should be peculiarly hostile to the house and window tax. In the first place, more than one-half of the whole is paid by the metropolis, though there is no proportion between the .lealth of the metropolis and the rest of the United Kingdom. Various cir cumstances have led to the inequality. There are many exemptions from the tax in the country, sanctioned by law,; but besides the legal exemp tions, the tax is scandalously evaded in many parts. At all events, there is 110 proportion between the rental, on which the house arid window duty of the metropolitan districts is levied, and the rental of the rest of the towns of the Island, to say nothing of the mansions of the nob lily and gentry. In the second place, the inhabitants of the metropolis are peculiarly hostile to this tax,becauseall their attempts t 0 obtain relief, under altered circumstances, have been obstinately resisted ; and they have been worried to death by surcharges and other acts of official oppres sion. A determination would seem to have been taken, to admit of no diminution of burden, even where rents have greatly fallen. It may be true, that the condition of the people of the United King dom is, upon the whole, as prosperous as it has ever been, and yet that the metropolis does not enjoy its share of the general prosperity. In fact, a very im portant branch of manufacture has lately taken its departure from the Eastern part of the metropolis. The outports, and especially Liverpool, have been gradually drawing more mid more of the foreign trade of London, as witness the falling off in the tonnage of London, last year, and the fall in the price of Dock Shares. hen, however beneficial the opening of the China trade may be to the country in general, there can be no doubt that London, in particular will be a considerable sufferer. The West India mortgagees and rich proprietors live chiefly in London and the neighbourhood, and the distress of that class has been much felt in the metropolis. Various circumstances indicate, in a manner not to be mistaken, the decline in the circumstances of a great portion of the inhabitants of the metropolis. The villas in the neighbourhood, which till within this year or two were seldom unoccupied are now mostly uninhabited. Go where you will you see number less cottages to let or to be sold. The price of building materials may have fallen considerably, but this alone will not account for the great depreciation of this species of property. There is no abatement, however, in the demands of the tax-gatherer. The consequence of all this is, that the people have fairly lost patience, arid that their language (the more wonderful considering the characteristic pa tience of Englishmen) is absolutely rebellious. Now though it may be true that the metropolis is not to set itself against the whole island, yet a million and a half of people, collected on one spot, ought not to be driven to desperation. We are quite sa ti,fied that many people have actually made up their minds to pay the house and window tax no longer—and that rather than hazard any unpleasant issue, it would be prudent on the part of the Go vertnnent to abandon this duty for the present, with the hope of covering the deficiency hereafter, either by further reductions of expense or by an increase on the produce of the taxes. We are far from thinking that the extravagance of a portion of the meeting yesterday is shared byt he great body of the inhabitants of the metropolis. But waving this point, there will be found among of all pr nciples a strong disinclina tion to pay any longer the house and window-tax. It may or it may not be possible to enforce the col lection of the tax. We are not fond of pronouncing decided opinions on such ticklish points. But we really think the Government, without rendering itself liable to any accusation of extraordinary weak ness, ought so far to respect the public feeling of so large a portion of the inhabitants of these islands as are found in the metropolis, as to abandon this odious tax. Some of the assessed taxes, as the duties on carrriages, dogs, &e., ought not to be abandoned. Tile inhabitants of the metropolis con fine their hostility to the house and window-tax. We put the language of the speakers out of the consideratiou, though Ministers may be assured thut the dissatisfaction caused by the determination to continue these taxes must be very great indeed, when language—not merely bold, but almos treason. able—could be, not only tolerated, but t.armly ap plauded by grave Eriglishmen 7l fornang Chronicle MAJOR ARCIILR siouito IN UPPER INDIA. —" Tile author of this work has led us among the jungles of India, vnil upon the mountains of Himalaya. We r ave -articip ited in the perils of tiver-hunting with Rajahs and their retinues; we have shared in the enjoyments of an elephant fight with Sultans and their subjects; we have joined in their falconry, followed in trieir chivalry, par taken of their fasts, gloried in their pomp, and lamented their degradation. Major ARCHER, has written a narra tive of his different tours in the upper provinces of India while he was accompanying the Commander-in-Chief in different excursions through part of the Company's terri tories, and within the kingdoms of some of the adjoining powers.".—Morniny ,Port. HOUSE OF LORDS.—(LAST Ni- HO USE OF LORD S, AFNIL °. tl On the LORD CHANCELLOR taking his seat Woolsack, at five o'clock the T c tt i t e y D f k e vv of t e R r f l o C r d H ,p i r O ay N i n D g p fo r r es t e h n e t e at o a i i P ti e o t n i t ; 0 1 o f ; slavery. ' t; a f r ' The Duke of NORFOLK presented a Pell" Sheffield, in favour of the Factory Bill. g L e o Lord ed d cUeFitahlta'eltEoLn abolitionpo r n es d e a n ay t f e t ns l eixa fi t, O ehrr, petitionsnTu fld poisTrreosbteil;,; anda gave immediate 1, titian on tie su bj ec t o f ti t h es , from Uttoxeter, 15 fordshire. the eLAord forD U t N h iiti presented soefnted slavery.a The Ferrars p petition from ifq o E th ar e l ca o r f ie ß s O A S e E t, R f E ro li m ß Y ma p n r c e h se e n st t e e r d . a P i et l i s t , i : dp di sili from Paisl e y aga i nst c h urc h patronage in Scotlso • (; Mr. NICHOLSON CALVERT, and other 3101101° House of Commons, brought up three private 13 i 119. 19 Lord SEFTON, in the absence of the Earl of presented petitions for the abolition of slavery f r ( n u 0 Shields, Stockton-upon-Tees, and other place' itien v Ldi e a r :i a nr l i..pi R:tootdoi produce ce o eLs n t s Eof: i ern saidt faa:va great tre u he r ataott of mtt ihtlh:enec:Floalyvioceenatsiorersisny.. t ßill. hnHe eec obsie :eeoo i i iir.(o,l in a state of insurrec ion, and lie wished sorneth i4 as b gl e a e :T n i:hss a „: olsolDsaheveurekproeyi placed ef orefiodfOmiOnc/t.allaeEe comfortable a Euf r nltr l it :_ a y bi e the state. Lord MORLEY presented 3 No 7 fD p p et7 ir' ti h o r3e rt in' s en ir t P ernj C ` Pl° and Devon to the same effect. Lord LYNDHURST presented a petition froOolt)I Joseph Stockdale, for a revision of the LitanY? abolition of oaths. per. Lord RODEN presented a petition fro ra T hell against the proposed Church Reform Bill. s fop . . , ..._ , tioners stated that they un d erstoo d i t was there Y'og to abolish preaching the Gospel in O le v ernacub t , e d. but as far a s he (L or d Roden) knew, he be lie ' l was not the f a ct. If i t was , h owever, be sb° 01(1 care to oppose it. The House then adjourned. EAST INDIA HOUSE, — A 2 rito , 251 (Continued from our Paper of yeaterdaY .l bAl s 'l Mr. FIELDER s a id it seeme d to b e cons idered' of ( ° Whigs and Tories—i ns an d outs--t h at t h e Cir g el almost in a state of insolvency: tint that be " i c4l deny ; for they h a d th e i r commerc i a l asse ts.-- -1 0 Though that was s a id by b ot h part i es , yet hete t. ° that both had a d m it te d t h e solvency a t " a e ote r pally, for the present Ministry had offered t° Company their dividend, themselves undertak ie W liabilities. Wo u ld th ey h ave o ff ere d t h at h a d theY what they stated, or wished to have believed ? of I A PROPRIETOR said with regard to the g ooda e te , err security offered by th e G overnment h e cou ld ' t ' j b e lie ej tainly not fr om hi s own k now l e d ge, b ut he full y 10 his informant, that the presidency of Bengal wa s '', of beggary as far as her territorial revenues cce-j'er, cerned. There wa s no d ou b t b ut t h ere was Me e ", in India, but it w as cause d b y t h e enormou s the land tax, which ought to undergo revision. - The CHAIRMAN said that th e di scuss ion had ri t o dt :e a very long tim e , a n d it was necessary to c ome pre :0 sion. He then stated the question that 1 0 ' 1 10 14 Court, and s a id th a t h e , as an individual, 0 ; 1 . support the re so l u ti ons o f t h e G a ll ant G ene ral fl l e olti s ', Malcolm. H e had no w i s h to stop any one from Ivey' but be begged that gent l emen would confine the ° 2 ,10 ., 1 1 the question before the Court. Mr. WARDE was anxious is see a set of r-taeP":l passed that would allow tie Directors to open " b o id ) „ be t r ir jOi tiation with the Government anew; and the Government would find it consistent with h o e se e to extend the quarantine fund, and so to keep tr ° cd oi s t ing what would b e a l ong di sputed quest i on of ° ho d , . Mr. ELLIOT said a f ew wor d s w hi c h wer e n°,:i - .' h 41 account of the cri e s of " Question, question," ei " ) jot kept up whil e h e spo k e . ' r ; Sir C. FORBES said unless the Hon. Court t° he stodo, every gentleman wh o w i s h e d to a dd ress them, , O ' ro priti undoubtedly move an adjournment. The Hon. jtOi l then went on to say, th at if t h e nat i ves tve: g el s o into the government, they would soon usurp it adT id l Clot. GOWAN said, in reply to remarks that 0 4' made upon him in the debate, that he could Pr e ,1 0 e 1 arlegat ons as to t he maladministration of justie e p l iati u l Some remarks h a d a l so b een ma d e b y an Hon' (Dr. Brice) upon a free press. He was of OP' it t e fes they u..nre with a very bad grace from that ri P hi G B e u ti ll tl o e f m c an a , lcu w t h ta o , hadfor whichbeen c b o e n d h u a c d t e b r e theofe ecensure 90 1 : 0 7, General Assembly of Scotland. „ r cod s ,,' h ioa' In answer to a question from Mr. noia- - ; b tir CHAIRMAN said, that in the event of a war W' t lo t r that part of India nearest China, if applie d to, co d for the hon our o f G reat B r i ta i n, furnish no ° i-Tres si3 on; but, according t o a ll f ormer prece dents, tarn would be called upon for the expense. i r op ol , l ol Sir C. FORBES said, th e great an d mos t re st° 0 1 question had as yet b een bli n k e d, v i z ., the ja i te o at t o il people of India. N; case had yet been ma de satisfaction why the 630,000/. should be put ° r e° upon that people, a nd h e f or one wou ld never so r, and he trusted that they would never submit toftr.fig", After a short discussi on on a po i nt o f o rder, A ; thr am A en n d o m th e e n r t s w to a r s m n y eg 2s t c! v u e s d sion took place to to vitiibeeC4l; was in er er to entertain any other amendm ent ' Is 31 ,;00 . having, on th e f ormer vote. agree d t h at t he ' 1° ,.., 4 0e5` John Malcolm' s mot i on s h ou ld stan d par t Of roe ? Acrd and Mr. R. Jackson's proposition being that a" : after" that " be left out, and his own resolotl Ott ie e duced. It was put an end to by the Chairma n motion to the eff ec t, " Th at t h e Court vo t : I : o e ffe'' ''e that amendment, and a ll ot h ers t h at m ight which was carried with acclamation. t, pd' iti sf The amendment of Mr. Jackson was then P?eisiod a slow of hands, was declared to be lost. A d' called for, when there appeared— For the amendment ........................ For the original moti on ................ •• e pty r ol Mr. WEEDING then brought forward Iris s:oltetel The Company, he said, were called upon t° sacrifices in their commercial interests, and l', e or ere ry e that it was entitled to the same power in the iderepore which they at present possessed. This he ca l !' il latig o di resolutions of Sir John Malcolm did mention i f a i s' s l ' i V , strong enough. He then moved, that in plae e , ° sh°,, l) J ol)' in the original resolutions, that the andu lt i, e d' 01 ,11 paid off at the end of forty years, at the rt - ecle for every 5/. 55., the words should be, at the d' tie price of such a n nuity. t the o The DEPUTY-CHAIRMAN could not suPPa r r i a cfP merit, as he considered it a ga i ns t the first P . Ala' atd justice. rt the ,1 0 " , r Sir CHARLES FORBES could not Snpr — i.t tip o " A ment—the fact was, that it was putting a d e r furl() years, when the Proprietors were to b e :00 '4l, lye capital. The fact was, that the s e terms wer e as g °°‘ fl';',l able for the Proprietors, and if th e se curity v l O Ol. 0 , 0 0 , value of India Stock would be upwards Of ' O l 3 O 0 ,0 ! might have another Lord Amherst sent Our' 'pe e el' j increase their d e bt by ano th er 15 m illions. 11 1 : e bs o have another Earl of Ana s an, for that WO r , would again plunge them in a desolating tea ts o' r heard from an Hon. and Gallant Captain t;he ° l e an Roy was quite satisfied with the security , " e i c eire' O l i ter t :, willing to pin his faith upon that perso o „,,(!.. B l ll° l,tr, upon that point or on the Reform Bi ll : i i v iridalaat r r i He was, no doubt, a very extraordinary le — oil) 'Z i ter ) , would have done better had he, while i o hl d l; r 1 ) t Ot t h ; beard and seen more, and said less. H e in _,% /s 'll his hand from a most intelligent gentle rna- c reate",„ j lob r o . stating the state of alarm which bad bee ri ., for a'" d i be e , minds of the natives by the issuing of the 1*- het minds „ D o v g Suttees. The letter stated that great dto °r e tie a n d to exhibited, sen d an a d d t e h p a u t t s a o t c io ie n t i e to s thishad c b o e u en n t f r o y ra' e rs zhy ii P. ,:b h ti ad against the measure. As it was a cornfotf i te d, theY p-ople of England were to be much benefit A nnu ity 10 I hear part of the burden—let half of then 3.d t hen , t tar cured upon the Cons o lid ate d Fund, „ l ee t btl name of the people o f I n di a , he cv °old he P d) should pay the other half. that t Captain GOWAN could not bell' saying se, uritY'gt~d Baronet was wrong in his view of the a ped th e e , ea proof of it, th e p u bli c had been satisfied had wo o ad , had risen ever sinc e th e paper of bil k d u ls n Roy, fished. As to the remarks on 11"°"fornier, theYorire°‘ teen an anti•reformer in place of a re the Hoo• , of have had a very different account from I. TI e . Nv motion Ent was th th e n en in o p v u e t d a 1 )" th e same powers" be left out of the t , ndnie This was also lust. d his atne Colonel SEANHOrE then move . alnlidactlotoit,e 7 - r " i r g t fd e t ri;:i. , / ,11 The original resolutions were pd xe I ?t r i " Fr iday o 'r, o ,,c l ' we eDr6 publishedG xtcts:nisTa having demanded a ballot, it waa fi five • ied a t half past of May. The Court adjourned 'sforamtneerndti'en'tvabhica:retb n e ir s , I:tr r r 14 a AC - PAINTER AND PUBLISHED sIC MURDO yo- - Sing . 07rics, 112, trts, LosSO RAS' 1 111 % ENn T —,AN] hereby give That „ ANy w , "t tor en ."' takin g a 11 has `)I urrin g n ° be e t° be of rn r° P , ieto o therefote:sre q' °! „ wh Cc "tett,