The Press.
London, England, 1857-01-17 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

SATURDAY,

unexceptionable candidate. Sir WALTER RIDDELL is an amiable man
and a gentleman, with whose political views we may naturally be
supposed to sympathise, and if the electors shall think proper to elect
him as their Common-Sergeant, they will perhaps have no reason to
complain. It is, however, worth notice, that the Common-Sergeant's
oath has no reference to his judicial duties at the Old Bailey, but
pointedly alludes to the franchises of the City which it is his duty to
protect, and on which he has to give counsel. Mr. PULLING, the
fourth candidate, with less experience of work than Mr. BODKIN, has
nevertheless considerable familiarity with the charter, rights, and
privileges of the Corporation, to which none of the other candidates
have paid any special attention. Mr. PuLLING's work on the " Laws
and Customs of London,"—which was written we believe while he was
quite a young man, if not while a pupil in chambers—is still the
standard authority on the subject of which it treats. It is a singular
fact that the present is the only contested election for Common-Ser-
geant since Lord DENMAN was chosen soon after the trial of Queen
CAROLINE.

" Honour among thieves" is a curious text for a judge to deliver a
homily on from the bench. In his address to PIERCE, Baron MARTIN
dwelt more on his faithlessness to his fellow-scoundrels, than on his
offence against society. His pity for the woman AGAR lived with, went
so far that he cast about in his mind how he could restore to her the
plunder Agar had accumulated by his life of crime. " Harlot, you may
" call her if you please," exclaimed the Learned Judge in a burst of
maudlin sympathy, " but I would sooner have been concerned in the
" gold robbery than in stealing from her." All we know of the wretched
creature is derived from her own admission. She was accustomed
when living with AGAR to be brought home drunk in a wheelbarrow.
To read the charge of the Learned Baron one would really think that
PIERCE was on his trial for treachery to his pals, and not for the gold
robbery. This part of the address might better have proceeded from
the president of some thieving confederacy, delivering sentence on a
treacherous comrade from the top of a gin-cask, than from a reverend
judge seated on the bench of the Old Bailey. The old proverb says,—
" When thieves fall out, honest men come by their own." The moral of
Mr. Baron MARTIN'S address is,—" Thieves, don't fall out ; stick to each
other, as a certain Lord of the Admiralty would say, like bricks. If you
rob society, well, well,—you may be found out, that's all ; but if you rob
each other, you are the greatest villains unhung." The ticket-of-leave
men, garotters, and scoundrels of all kinds who infest society are
quite sharp enough to appreciate the force of the Learned Baron's
hints and to profit by them. Who can tell how many of their number
joined in that burst of applause which hailed the Learned Baron's
denunciation of PIERCE'S perfidy, making the dingy court ring joyously,
and recalling days of Dick Turpin and Sixteen-stringed Jack, when
crime and chivalry went hand-in-hand, and Old Bailey trials had, as our
French friends would say, a more riant aspect than they have worn
until this incident occurred to brighten them up a little.

The movement against the Income Tax continues to extend.
Most of the principal towns in the kingdom have met to protest
against it, and Sir JOHN PAKINOTON has added his weighty opinion
against a continuance of the war 9d. to the d( clara.tions of Admiral
BERKELEY and other Ministerial speakers. The whole question will
be found discussed at great length in our other columns. As figures
are tough mental food not easy of digestion, we sum up the results
The Peace Expenditure for eleven years from 1843 to 1854 averaged
something under 51,000,0001.. including 16,000,000 E for the army and
navy, which was an addition of four millions and a half to the lowest
point of expenditure for those services reached in 1835, when the esti-
mates were only 11,657,0001 Allowing about 17,000,0001 for army and
navy in future, and 2,500,000/. for interest on the recent loans, ani for
a sinking fund to clear them off, our total expenditure may rise to
54,000,000 E, but ought not to exceed that amount. As to revenue, Sir
G. C. LEWIS, on the 19th of May last, estimated the net revenue for the
'ear which will end 31st of March next at 67,160,000/ As the returns
have been better than he expected, the revenue will probably be about
68,000,000/. The Income Tax of 16d. in the pound yields just
16,000,000/. By reducing the war 9d. there will be a loss of 9,000,000/.
and the available revenue will be 59,000,0001. Something like fivo
millions may by our estimate be still available for reduction of taxa-
tion. We suppose all the liabilities of the war will be cleared up by
the large revenue of the current year, and by the loans raised, more
especially as the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER took a margin of
2,000,0001. for contingent expenses, and there have been large sales of
stores accumulated for a continuance of the war, and never wanted.
The great question then is, whether the probable surplus after the re-
duction of the Income Tax to 7d. shall be mainly applied to extinguish
the tax altogether, or shall be employed to reduce the tea duties.
This is the point for the public to decide, and they ought now to
speak. By repealing the Income TAX altogether, a great impetus
would be given to industry. Capital would seek new channels for em-
ployment Production, both in agriculture and manufactures, would
be stimulated with the usual results of cheapness and plenty, and the
fruits of economy would be stored in savings banks, or grow up into