The Express.
London, England, 1852-12-03 00:00:00

LONDON, FRIDA Y. DECEMBER 3.

WE have reached at last the end of the seemingly
illimitable perspective whose lights and shadows
Mr. Distudiu has so often and so variously thought
fit to paint. All the witchery of wonder and the
charm of curiosity will in a few hours be dissipated,
and the poetry of promise will give place to the prose
of arithmetical performance. The hour is come
when, if ever, the Conjuror is to keep his word, and
visibly, really, and palpably jump into the quart
bottle. At four o'clock precisely this day the doors will
open, and notice is given that those who wish for
places had better be early in attendance. We only
hope that the audience will observe both pa-
tience in hearing and reserve in pronouncing
any opinion on the first impression which the
performance may be calculated to excite. There
m, in point of fact, no occasion on which the
gullible portion of a legifl.itive assembly are more
apt to be caught by plausible propositions and half-
truths, than the first announcement of a Bete, Er
framed for purposes of effect. Every little section
whose favourite grievance is to be alleviated, or
whose pet project 'spatted on the head by an artful
CHANCELLOR of the Exeitemeelt, is readily beguiled
into premature applause. " They always knew that
the great principle for which they have so long
struggled against every disadvantage, would even-
tually prevail." No words can express their satis-
faction at finding their uncut pamphlets suddenly
emblazoned in the pompous pages of a government
measure. The consciousness of having played the
part of (front courier to the Minister of the day,
without his bidding or pay, overwhelms them with
emotions of magnanimity ; and they generously lavish
three cheers on " the only man after all" who ever
discerned the wisdom that was in them.
Let all who listen to Mr. DISRAELI remember
that not one Minister has yet avowed himself
a convert in opinion to Frei) Trade, and that
they are alt pledged to find a substitute for Protec-
tion, or something equahy good for their supporters.
Before endorsing any one or more of the forthcoming
proposals of the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER,
the house would do well to consider gravely what
the price of each is to be. The best whistle may
cost more than it is worth; and any one of ordinary
I talent and industry could put together a string of
alleviations and reliefs of fiscal bunk in, provided
the additional purse out of which they were to be
paid for, was not limited, or the means of replenish-
ing it not too closely scanned. The Assessed Taxes,
for example, are confessediy irksome in their nature,
and costly in the mode of collection. With
the exception of the House Tax, which, in
its amended form, is a fair and legitimate
tax on property, and as such ought to be
maintained the remission of the Assessed
Taxes would be popular with the classes who chiefly
pay them, and of course with those representatives
who, sitting in Parliament by nomination or pur-
chase, think, speak, and vote in accordance with the
feelings of those classes only. But should they
be propitiated by relaxations in this shape, the
question will instantly arise,—Out of whose pocket
is the balance to be made up? So in like meaner
with the Establishment Charges, as they are called,
under the Poor Law system. In round numbers,
these may be taken at 600,0001. in the entire of
England and Wales. If country gentlemen are
willing to barter all local patronage and control
over thus much of the poor rates, the difficulty still
recurs,—Who is to pay the annual amount from which
they are disinterestedly desirous of being relieved?
To talk of placiug these, or any other charges, on
the Consolidated -Fund, is merely a Leleraeliens.
What new tax is to supply the Consolidated Fund
to the additional extent required? And upon whom
is the novel impost thus rendered requisite to fall?
And, more than all,—Who is ready to sanction more
French centralization?

In a word, when after due prelude credulous
listeners are told that the suffering aristocracy are
about to be munificently presented with a handsome
gift of so much relief per annum, let honourable
gentlemen be quite sure before they cheer that WI is
not spelled so like the that no simple-minded man
can tell the difference. Splendid benefactions are
glorious things to describe, and still more glorious
things to bestow; only let us be sure, in the first
instance, how the giver came by them. Is he really
making presents out of the abundance of resources
upon which there are no paramount claims of iustiee
and of mercy; or are his showy gifts, in point
fact, the property of poor and unrepresented people,
for whom he has undertaken to act as trustee and
administrator? Hasty opinions volunteered on the
instant upon the complicated details of a financial
statement, the full bearing of which no man can rea-
sonably weigh in the course of an exciting speech or
discussion—opinions of this sort are little better than
impertinence, savouring as they generally do mainly
of awakened vanity and rashness. We have often
marvelled at spontaneous explosions of ignorance of
this sort on former occasions : we trust we shall be
spared their recurrence upon the present, where cir-
cumspection and deliberation is more imperatively
called for. We are threatened with vast and varied
alterations in our financial system. It is emphati-
cally the People's concern. Let them have a fair
opportunity of considering and weighing the
whole of the propositions that may be made
this evening, before any ono ventures pre-
sumptuously in the People's name to accept or reject
them.

The City was yesterday full of rumours regarding
com inctoennvtieoranioonn
othfeLpiafelt
Aofnn!tiinties,iste—rswtohirech-
e[ a supposed
expire within • limited period, into a permanent
charge on the state, like the Three per Cents. The
pretext for such a scheme, of course, would be a pm--
sent saving of interest, annually payable by the Ex-
chequer to the national creditors; and this immediate
relief would avowedly be purchasable by saddling
the c•nintry with so many millions more of unpay-
able debt. This would be, in short, to mortgage the
estate still deeper than it already is, in order to
create present resources available for the purposes of
Compensation to the Landlord Interest for the loss
of their Corn Monopoly six years ago. This would
be on an imperial scale to imitate the un-
principled conduct of the spendthrift father
who anticipates a portion of his children's
inheritance, in order that ho may have more to
squander on luxurious living in his own lifetime.
How readily such a proposition would be adopted by
the party who for 30 years taxed for rent thu food of
the people we need hardly say. But we own we should
deplore the folly of stn-dtaant Liberals who might
suffer themselves to be entrapped by any concessions
upon minor points, into even a constructive or
inferential acquiescence in a financial scheme of
which any such profligate expedient formed a part.

_______-----
Let every wise and considerate man take time to
deliberate on the Budget as a whole before he makes
uphis own mind or undertakes to lead the
opinions of others. Many remissions are severally
desirable if we co:ild afford them. To judge
seriously and honestly whether we C.Ol afford them
or not, the ways and means and the supply must
be carefully measured together. What is to lie our
next years expenditure? What new charges are
to be put down upon us for national defences ?What
our resources? And what might Le doe,. there.
with ? Time should be taken to estimate all these
theaecurtr accuracy
they require ; and
pose talon: any
volecotimnseidmeurVboens with
for that ptghien
of approval, either express or implied, ran be asked
for. If any duties, whether of Excise or Customs,
be intended to be remitted at a future day, a resolu-
tion of the House in Committee must be proposed
before the reeves. Then will 1w the time for reason-
able and useful discussion on the project whereof the
particular relaxation would consthut, a pail. lint
HO mun should allow himself to be too hastily hooked
by a glib speech into endorsing without due deli.
beration Mr. DisasErt's financial scheme.
1