The Press.
London, England, 1856-11-29 00:00:00

1136

sons, too, were persons eminently unfitted for their
office :
But what class was it from which the assessors of in-
come tax were chosen ? Mostly from the class of retired
tradesmen,—men, he did not hesitate to say, most untitled
for the office. They were paid, too, in proportion to the
return made to the assessment, slid men who had only
filled obscure positions were all at once remunerated by
au income of 6,0001. or i,OOOl. a year for carrying out a
system of espionage into the private affairs of the people
at large.

The motion was seconded by Mr. Goring. Dr.
Watts approved of the income tax ; he thought that
if a remission of import duties took place the r'lief
would be greater. A long discussion ensued, when
ultimately Alderman Sidney's resolution was carried,
and several other resolutions agreed to with a view
of preparing concurrent petitions to Parliament, and
forming district associations in connection with the
present in all the large towns of England.

THE RIGHT HON. J. STUART WORTLEY, Recorder
of London, is appointed her Majesty's Solicitor-
General.

MAJOR REED, at the Abingdon dinner on Monday.
in replying to his health, said he confessed that he
felt some alarm at the appearance of the continental
powers, and although be hoped that the alliance
between France and this country might be continued,
he for one could not recommend his fellow country-
men to remain in blind indifference to any chances
which might occur :
As they were TIOW at peace, he trusted that it would be
permanent, for he put no faith in the little differences
which were yet unsettled, nor iu the talk of the necessity
of keeping Russia up to the mark in the question of the
boundaries.

Passing to matters of a social character, be gra-
phically described the dangers of metropolitan life,
and characterised tickets of leave as a " mistaken
piece of philanthropy and legislation." He pledged
himself that, unless some measure were speedily
introduced to correct this existing system, he would
endeavour to bring forward one next session, in order
that some restriction might be put on the libera•
tion of half-reformed criminals.
Tua GLOUCESTER " INCOME TAX OPPRESSION "
DEPUTATION held an interview this week with Mr.Wil•
son, at the Treasury, to appeal against the exorbitant
assessment levied upon the inhabitants of Gloucester
by the hew surveyor. Mr. Wilson, having heard each
member of the deputation, said that of course it was
impossible at head-quarters always to control the in-
discreet zeal of their subordinates, but it. must be
borne in mind that in some instances very great
advantages had been taken by parties who had been
left to assess themselves, and he mentioned the case
of a firm who had returned their income at 1,500/.,
but who had, upon information, been charged 15,1000/.,
and eventually offered to compound at 18,000/. a
year. He assured them that prompt attention
should be paid to their representations, and promised
to communicate with some of the heads of depart-
ments to which the subject referred.
SIR RICHARD BETBELL, in his address to his con-
stituents at Aylesbury, soliciting re-election, enters
at sonic length on the programme of legal reform to
be brought forward by the Government during the
next session. He says:—
The important subject of the transfer of land has long
engaged my attention, and I am happy to inform you that
a plan is in preparation which I believe will greatly tacili-
tate the sale and conveyance of real property. I may
venture to assure you that in the coming session measures
for rendering simple and expeditious the title and transfer '
of landed property, for the abolition of the ecelesiastieal
courts, for the amendment of the law relating to marriage
and divorce, for the consolidation of the statute law, and
for rendering criminal those gross breaches of trust which
have of late been a scandal to the country, will be imme-
diately introduced, and prosecuted with energy and de-
spatch.
MR. SPENCER PONSONBY, who accompanied Lord
Clarendon in the capacity of private secretary to the
Conferences of Paris, will be appointed to the vacancy
created at the Board of Inland Revenue by the pro-
motion or Mr. Herries. Mr. Spencer Ponsonby was
previously private secretary to Lord Palmerston
during the time that he held the seals of the Foreign-
office.