The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-04-25 00:00:00

ke 3tourtribge Obserbtr.

---------
SATURDAY, APRIL 25, 1874.

THE GROWTH OF NATIONAL
PROSPERITY.

While the ccuntry is still thinking ovei
and discussing the effect of the financial pro-
posals of the government, as set forth in the
recent speech of the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer, it is interesting to take a brief re-
trospective glance at the past, and to note
the gradual advance of our national pros-
perity. it us for a few minutes examine
the situation as it was presented when the
Conservative party were last in office, and
able to support a government by a powerful
majority. It is not 311 years ago; yet what
a contrast between the figures of that day
and the present. We find that on the 14th
of February, 1545, Sir Robert Peel, who
combined the offices of Premier and Minister
of Finance, made one of his most masterly
Budget speeches. He calculated the revenue
for the ensuing year at £53,100,000, (about
£24,000,000 less than it is now), and the
expenditure at £49,000,000. He proposed

to continue the Income-Tax for a further
limited period of three years because he was
convinced that the redaction in the price of
articles which must follow, would be, if not
a complete, yet a great compensation for
such a burden. The surplus of £4,r00,000
would be applied to a reduction of the sugar
duty, the abolition of the duties on glass,
cotton, wool, and the importation of Baltic
staves. It was also intended to sweep away
the duty on all these articles which yielded
merely numerical amounts, and by this means
430 descriptions of taxes would be extin-
guished. It is curious to note that the work
of striking off the shackles from the arms of
industry, which was thus begun by Sir
Robert Peel in the removal of the excise
duty from hundreds of articles, was conti-
nued by Mr. Gladstone when Minister of
Finance under Lord Aberdeen and Lord
Palmerston, and that one of those very arti-
cles mentioned by S:c Robert Peel in 184!,
—sugar—has, after one reduction upon an-
other by Liberal Chancellors, at length been
entirely liberated by a Conservative States-
man.

For some years nothing was seen of that
extraordinary elasticity of the revenue which
has been so perceptible in latter times, and
has enabled the guardians of the public purse
to make such substantial reductions in the
burdens pressing on the people. Thus we
find that in June 1849, Sir Charles Wood,
who presided at the Exchequer, estimated
the total income for the year at £52,252,000
and the expenditure at £51,515,000. With
this small surplus he did not propose to
make any reduction of taxation. These
figures were the same with but little fluctua-
tion until the begining of the Crimean war,
when there was naturally a great increase of
the public burthens. The income-tax was
doubled, the sugar duties were re-adjusted,
and the duties on malt and spirits were in-
creased. So enormous was the presure that
on the 20th of April, 1855, when the late Sir
G. C. Lewis introduced the Budget, he esti-
mated the revenue at £63,000,000, and t.
expenditure at £86,000,000. The deficiency
of three-and-twenty millions sterling he pro-
posed to meet for the most part by a new
loan. The struggle in the Crimea, however,
while it produced much inconvenience and
even suffering, could not cripple the per-
manent resources of the country. For at
least fifteen years successive Chancellors of
the Exchequer, whether Liberal or Conserv-
ative, have gone steadily on, remitting one
tax after another, yet there seems to be no
limit to the producing power of the nat on.
We pay proportionately much less taxation
than in 1855, yet the amount poured into the
Exchequer is ten millions a year more. The
Income Tax was then fourteen pence in the
pound; it is now t \\optic°, and although it
is very useful as an engine for raising rev-
enue in times of emergency, it requires no
great effort of imagination to predict that,
should we be f,,l.tunate enough to escape
being involved in say, the time is approach-
ing when the income-tax v, ill cease to exist.
Its inquisitorial nature has often been con-
demned, and there can be no question that
it has served the purpose with which Sir
Robert Peel revived it. The object of that
eminent statesman was to relieve industry,
to develop trade, and to expand the com-
mercial prosperity of the country, and that
it is now necessary to retain the income tax
to secure the fulfilment of those aims, no one
will assert.

The advocates for paying off the National
Debt are found upon both sides of the House
of Commons, and warn us that in a time of
sunshine like the present some serious effort
ought to be made to remove this incubus,
and that we should not leave to posterity so
great a weight of obligation, if we can pos-
sibly avoid it. They argue that it would be
unreasonable to expect the prosperity which
we now enjoy to continue for ever. This is
doubtless true; at the same time, as we
have already shown, the development of the
national wealth within the present genera-
tion has been marvellous. A threepenny
income-tax to day produces more than a
sevenpenny rate thirty years ago; and there
is no reason to fear that the power of the
people to meet their engagements will grow
less. It is more likely, indeed, to become
greater. If we pay 3 per cent. interest on
the National Debt, and can make 5,6, 7, or
even 8 per cent. of our money, it will take a
long time to convince the population that
their whole duty is to posterity, and nothing
to themselves. Judging from what we our-
selves have seen, those who come after us
will be much better able to pay off the Na-
tional Debt than we are. With innumerable
reductions of taxation, we are raising four
or five and twenty millions a year more than
we did in 184.. and that we are doing it
much more easily, admits of no quest•
whatever. If thirty years have made such a
differenee, what the next half cent .try
witness? There is every robability that
those who take our places will be far better
fori tied with the means of lighting the battles,
of life than many now living have been.
The universal enforcement of education will
lead to the development of intelligence, and
those who possess ability in any walk of life,
will find that knowledge is power, and power
of the most useful kind. With such hopes
for ihe future. rlic capacity of posterity to
cope with the National Debt cannot be
doubted.

Qt.ERIK...LAND The 1111 p "Sr JAMS,"
12iI0 tire reiti- ter 'Rewire. iaslor Bothell & Roberts
110, Ect,church S.reet. London, sailed from Oravesed
on the 19th ind.. Imiccv f-r acyleirodgh. Queensland:
Captain, Ade). ; gorzeon Sunerietentlem,Mr. J.P Ryan;
Matron, Mn. 11 utchincon Ihe•. ST .1.%)1101- l• the 134th
•owiel 11.1 hen .00' c r Pie Lan ' Or•ier Sr stem the
Emit:ratiohi mad r immediate directiu n if the
Queensteorl tlovernment Office. 32 Charing Croak
London. Bhr curl, a 455 aoula, dvii. .1 into assisted,
remittance, and free pac‘engers. consisting of 280 mem-
of families, 115 single men, and single tented.,
11 OLLOWA PILLS The Great., IVoniler el Moder,
Tiete,—They correct bi.souline,a, prevent flatulency,
el ST,c the liver. and purity the aystem. 'emirate the
debilitated, strengthen the stomach. Increase the acpe
tite, invigorate the nerves, promote health, and reinstate
the weak in an ardour anti vivacity never before experi-
enced. The rate of the pity throughout the globe as.
tonishes everybody, cot vincing the most sceptical thet
Hollowee's Pills trainsem nds all other medicine t 'teem.'-
vat of disease if every name. They are indeed • Ales.
Sing to the afflicted and a boon to those who gaffer from
any disorder, inter, el ',external. Thousands of persona
bare teatifled that by their list alone they have been
restored to health alter all other remedies had proved
ammeessatel.

MASS MEETING OF MINERS AT
BRIERLEY HILL.
On Wednesday night last a large meeting
of the miners of the Brierley Hill district.
which includes Brockmoor, Pensnett, The
Lays, Round Oak, and Quarry Bank.
A,Chairman having been selocted, he stated
that they were now in the thick of a battle
ist-ween capital and labour, and it was in-
stilled into his mind that they did not intend
t lose that battle—(hear, hear). They had
offered to refer their question to arbitration,
hut as yet the masters had rejected that offer.
He spoke of the charges made about the ex-
travagance of the colliers and their large wages
which charges were untrue, and stated that
miners should have kept their wages in pro-
portion to the high price of the material.
Tne district Secretary was then called upon
and made a lengthy address to the meeting.
He said they were still upon the present con-
flict, and there seemed nothing else for them
.it present It was not the first conflict of
the kind, but he hoped it would be the last.
Much had been said during the late struggle
about the quietness of the miners; and in
consequence he had been asked "What sort
of a strike do you call this ?"—(laughter).
They wished to be quiet, and he trusted not
one of their number would so conduct him-
self as to become amenable to the law. Rea-
son told them man was a free agent, and
every man had a right to make the best use
of his abilities. They, as miners asked for
that which they were entitled to, and no more
and if the employers considered the request
was unjust, why did not they submit the
question to a third party—(cheers). The
men were still willing to submit to a middle
party. But the battle was before them, and
they had to contend with it. Undoubtedly
the masters anticipated the victory would be
theirs, but they (the miners) hoped and be.
leived that the victory would be on their side
—(applause). He was glad the general pub-
lic sympathised with the j list ice of their cause,
and not only sympathised, but, to the best of
their abilitiy, had determined to aid them—
(hear, hear).
A Miner next addressed the meeting. In
past history the masters had said that if the
working classes were educated they would not
133 able to get workmen. It would cause a
revolution! The revolution was commenc-
ing already. They had been educated to some
extent. But the revolution was not one of
bloodshed, but one of working men's minds.
They began to see they had not been paid
sufficient for their labour, and they now de-
manded a fair days wage for a fair days work.
He was aware that, if the present dispute was
not quickly terminated, it would ruin the
trade of South Staffordshire. Foreign com-
petition would be brought in, and it would
be difficult to get the trade back. They were
willing to work as soon as the masters would
let them, but not at the reduction—(lond
cheers).
Mr. Casey, from West Yorkshire, was next
announced. He had been sent to this dis-
trict for the purpose of inquiring into the
position of affairs, and had brought a few
hundred pounds—(loud cheers)—from the
Yorkshire people to assist the miners of Dud-
ley and Brierley Hill—(continued cheers).
The wages of the men, Bs. Gd. a day, far from
being too much was insufficient. He thought
it was rather too soon after the reduction in
coal for the masters to make this redaction
in wages. The colliers did not follow the
masters so closely in the market and as the
employers got the benefit of the unprece-
dented prices of coal some short time since,
they should now be satisfied with a little less,
and should wait until a further reduction
in the market before they called upon the
men. He went on to say that the York-
shire people would support them as long as
they could find confidence in them. They
had now in the Union £50,000 in hard cash
to fall back ou—(hear, hear). In conclu-
sion, he reminded them that miners in other
parts of England were watching their move-
ments with eagerness, and so long as their
conduct was worthy of confidence they would
receive assistance from all parts of the conn-
try7T(hear, hear). _ .

After some further speechifying, a resolu-
tion was passed " that the miners of Brierley
Hill are prepared to submit the difference
between them and their employers to arbitra-
tion any time that the employers may think
proper, but if that offer is refused, and no
course is left to the men but the reduction,
the miners of Brierley Hill are deterni!ned
to oppose it as long as possible "—(a Voice :
"As long as we lice ;'' loud cheers).
Votes of thanks were tendered to Mr.
Casey and the Chairman, and the meeting
ended.

THE NAILERS STRIKE AT STOUR-
BRIDGE.
At a special meeting of Executive Corn-
mittee of Nail-forgers on Wednesday night
last, it was unanimously resolved, that under
existing circumstances, and taking into con-
sideration the recent improvement made to
a part of the " thousand " nails, amounting
to only from sto 7 per cent., we perceive
to demand a 10 per cent, advance upon large
rose, spikes, plate nails, large counter clout,
and cooper's rivets, will leave the thousand
nailmakers, to whom the masters have made
the advance, in a state of agitation. We sub-
mit to accept a 5 per cent, advance upon
cooper's rivits, spike nails, plate nails, and
large counter clout, and large rose nails; the
above-named class of work having no im-
provement made upon the recent list issued."
'rhe nailers hope that the masters will ob-
serve by this that they want nothing but
peace. An early settlement of the matter is
much desired by the men.