The Press.
London, England, 1857-01-31 00:00:00

THE INCOME TAX.

At MARYLEBONE a meeting was held at the Court-
house on Wednesday evening, Sir James John llamil-
ton in the chair. A letter from Sir B. Hall, in which
he referred to the recent declaration of the Chancellor
of the Exchequer as a proof that it was never the in-
tention of the Government to take advantage of the
act by which the additional tax of ninepence in the
pound is continued until April, 1858, and declared
that he himself was in favour of a readjustment of
taxation, having been read, Mr. Nicholay charac-
terised the letter as " a jesuitical emanation from her
Majesty's Chief Commissioner of Public Works, instead
of a letter from the liberal member of 31arjlebone,"
and, in a speech denunciatory of what he alleged
to b 3 Government trickery on the question, proposed
a resolution declaring that " the immediate abolition
of the war Ud. became a solemn obligation on the
part of the Government." He expressed his opi-
nion that the disgraceful attack upon Canton was in-
tended by the Government to give a colouring to the
continuance of the tax. Mr. Whitmore seconded the
resolution, which was supported by Mr. James Bell,
M.P., who said that an attempt would be made by
the Government to embarrass members of Parlia-
ment, either by declaring its necessity in consequence
of the Persian and Chinese wars, or that if taken off
it will retard the principles of free trade. He was
sure the country would never submit to that. Mr.
Jacob Bell moved the second resolution :

That the income and property tax, as at present levied,
being unjust in principle, inquisitorial in character, and
especially oppressive to peraons of limited incomes, re•
quires great and important modifications, before it can be
rendered acceptable to the taxpaying community.

This resolution, together with a petition to Parlia-
ment and a resolution that all incomes under DOI.
per annum be untaxed, were unanimously adopted.
At St. Mary's, LAMBETII, a crowded meeting was
held in the vestry-hall the same evening, Mr. T. W.
Stratton in the chair. Mr. Knight moved a resolu-
tion, declaring that the income tax cannot be iin.
posed upon persons with incomes of less than 1501.
per annum, without great cruelty and injustice.
This resolution having been seconded by Mr. Under-
wood, Mr. Williams, M.P., delivered a speech in
favour of relieving the class upon whom the income
tax most heavily bears, and cf exercising greeter
econc.my in the expenditure of the public money. A
petition was also adopted.

The inhabitants of the two Wards of CRIPPLEOATIC
held a crowded meeting on Thursday, at which reso.
lutions were proposed and passed against the con-
tinuance of the additional Od. beyond the sth of April
next, anti a petition to Parliament praying for a more
equitable adjustment of the tax adopted.

The ratepayers of the Ward of BISHOPSGATE held
a meeting on Tuesday, and passed resolutions con-
demning the present system of levying the income
tax, and framed a letition accordingly, to be pre-
sented to Parliament by the City representatives.

A meeting of the inhabitants of CHESTERFIELD
was held on Wednesday in the Municipal-h'll for the
purpose of petitioning the Government on the sub-
ject of the repeal of the income tax. The mayor,
Mr. W. Drable, occupied the chair, and the meeting
was attended by the principal tradesmen of the town.
The Rev. Mr. Calder, M.A., proposed a resolution
for the repeal of the war 91 after April next. Mr.
W. E. Dutton seconded the resolution, which was
citified unanimously.
At DERBY a numerously-attended public meeting
was held on Tuesday, and iesulations advocating the
repeal of the war 9d. and the general revision of the
tax unanimously passed. A letter was read from
Mr. L. Heywortii, M.P., advocating a reduction in
the tax and the adoption of indirect for direct taxa-
tion, and he also contended that the repeal of the
Customs' duties would secure for us the amity of the