The Press.
London, England, 1857-01-03 00:00:00

SATURDAY,

abolished. From this abolition trade had received
an immense impetus, and the country had gone on
nourishingly. The substitute proposed was in his
opinion feasible, and had been:recommended by Mr.
Gladstone when Chancellor of the Exchequer in
1853. A working man named Herbert proposed an
amendment that any deficit caused by the repeal of
schedule I) should be met by retrenchment on the
part of the Government. Ultimately this amend-
ment was embodied in the resolution, and adopted
unanimously. A petition framed on the resolutions
passed was agreed to, and the meeting separated at
about eleven o'clock.

A crowded meeting of the inhabitants of DEPTFORD
was held on Tuesday night, at the Literary Institu-
tion in that town, to adopt measures to obtain a fair
adjustment or a total repeal of the property and
income tax. The chair was occupied by Alder-
man Wire. Mr. Thwaites (chairman of the Metro-
politan Board of Works) moved the first resolution,
condemnatory of the income tax, on the grounds of
its unequal assessment, its imposition upon persons
of small incomes, and its inquisitorial character, and
pledging the meeting to adopt measures to promote
a fair adjustment or a total repeal. In the course of
a long address, Mr. Thwaites contended that it was
the duty of the electors to send such representatives
to Parliament as would vote for the removal of this
injustice. Mr. Veness seconded the motion ; which
was supported by Mt. Montagu Chambers, M.P.,
who observed that when the property and income
tax was proposed by Sir Robert Peel, he also pro-
posed to give something like an equivalent, in the
shape of an improved tariff, reducing taxation on
articles of consumption. The additional income
tax was laid on as a war tax, and now that the war
had ceased there was no pretence for its continu-
ance. The Government had managed to keep on
the additional tax for another year, by insisting that
the peace was no peace until it was ratified, but as
the various Government establishments at Deptford,
Woolwich, &c., had been reduced, and the expendi-
ture curtailed, the tradesman had a right to ask why
he should continue to pay those demands which,
during the war, he cheerfully complied with. The
hon. and learned gentleman concluded by denying
the statements which had been made respecting the
borough, which he denied to be either corrupt or
under Government dictation, as his own election
proved, he having had, in fact, the influence of two
Governments against him—the Government " in"
and the Government " out," in 1852. The. resolution
was agreed to unanimously. Mr. Reddell moved the
next resolution, for the preparation of a petition to
Parliament embodying the views of the meeting,
which was seconded by Mr. Duval. Mr. Nicholay,
as representing the Central Association for Procur-
ing the Reduction of the Income Tax, then ad-
dressed the meeting, and urged the electors of
Greenwich to ask for the removal of the burden, not
as a favour, but as a right. He suggested that the
electors should pledge themselves not to vote for any
candidate who refused to give his adhesion to the
movement for abolishing this grievous impost. He
intended himself, when Marylebone held its meet-
ing, to call upon Sir Benjamin Hall, a Minister of
the Crown, to join the movement, or " woe be to Sir
Benjamin." The resolution was agreed to unani-
mously.
A meeting of the inhabitants of DORCHESTER was
held in their Guildhall on Tuesday—the Mayor, Mr.
J. Ensor, presiding—" to consider the best mewls of
effecting a speedy abolition of the income tax." The
Rev. W. Barnes moved a resolution declaring the
income tax to be unjust in its principle and offensive
in its character, which was seconded by Mr. J. T.
Shorto. The next resolution was proposed by Mr.
M. C. Weston, seconded by Mr. T. Y. Tulloch, de-
claring that the practical operation of the laws
relating to the income tax was inquisitorial and pro-
ductive of great hardship, inequality, and injustice,
and that this meeting would be satisfied with nothing
less than their total and immediate abolition.—lt
was urged by the first speaker that there is a positive
immorality in putt►ng a tax upon virtue—and that the
income tax is a tax upon the virtue of industry;
but as a clergyman, ho found a still greater objection
so it, that it almost compels a man to tamper with
his conscience, or else he must overtax himself.
Any law (said the rev. gentleman) which tempted a
man—although not extortionate is other ways—any
law which tempted a man to tamper with his con-
science was a bad one, and would be found in course
of time to be as demoralising as it was bad. The
resolutions were all passed unanimously, and a pe-
tition to Parliament in accordance with them was
adopted.

A special meeting of the Town Council of BATR
was held on Tuesday to oppose the income tax. The
subject was introduced by Mr. Alderman Hunt, who
denounced the tax as oppressive and unjust, and
moved :

That while this council fully admits the necessity there
was for raising the property and income tax daring the
late war with Russia from 7d. in the pound to 16d., they
consider that, this war being now happily concluded, such