The Express.
London, England, 1849-11-02 00:00:00

. 4,

all have to
be relieved. pay less in tueesAlMil ma fill will',
Nay, cries Mr. Duntaxir, but we don't pay at all
enough. The burtheeb on real petty afe DO reit,
that we must forthwith—inersaie them. Profits ea
agriculture are so low that notwithstanding cheap
sager, tea, guano, tools, aid &aim the fanner can
hardly make both sods meet; and thtiore, by way
of helping him, let as raise the pries of every import
we consume, by clapping ea a general duty of five or
tea per MDR At oar prasat pass on the road
to social perdition we shall soon arrive at the grim
terminus; by all means therefore, let os put on more
steam that we get there a little fester. Since the days
of necromancy there has sorely not been seen any-
thing to compare with this for comical conjory. Yet
such is the power of faith, that three average equine,
one rural parson, and a score of tenant-farmers, were
induced to enrol themselves as members of a new
agricultural society for the relief of tax-paying pro-
perty by the increase of taxation.
The additional five millions a year which Mr.
DDOIXELI would lay on are to be spent, be says, in
baying op 31 cents. in the Stock Exchturge.
Precious ides these in which to invest so much
of the poor man's mosey. The artisan is to pay six.
peace a pound more for his tee, and twopence a pound
awe far his sugar, in order that Sir Cuestas WOOD
may have so many hundred thousand eight pence'
more wherewith to speculate in Consols. Our govern-
ment owes 800,000,0001.; and with that ponderous
memento of. pest follies round its neck, it cannot
go swaggering up and down the world as it
Wei to do. This the territorial oligarchy think a
sad privation, and hence they would greatly like to
wheedle people into the belief that they were really
about to pay off this enormous mass of debt. It is
pretty clear that, at the rate of five millions a year,
the progress of substantial diminution would be
almost imperceptible; for with increased taxation
to supply means for a sinking fund, the consumption
of every article of comfort or luxury would proportion-
ably decline; and, as happened before, the deficit in the
ordinary revenue would have to be made up either by
new loans or by appropriations out of the sinking
fund, to meet more pressing obligations. Bat the
object of the muzzled war-makers would for the time
be gained. A general belief would, they suppose, be
created, that the state was growing exceedingly
thrifty, and anxious to pay off its incumbrances. The
credit of governments, like that of individuals, is
known to rise in the estimation of those who have
money to lecd, by hearing it constantly said
I that a certain sum is laid cut every month
lit taking up old bills and bonds. The
rate of interest charged on any temporary accommoda-
tion they may thereafter chance to want is low ; and
the effect of this alteration on the money market
would be so great that the mortgaged proprietors
dream of converting their incumbrances also into
three and a quarter charges. All which ulterior and
remote results we need hardly say never would be
realised. Whilst the proximate and present purpose of
injury to the consuming classes, in order to bolster up
high rents, would be accomplished, and a transient
delusion would be created regarding the pecuniary
position of the country, which might at some par-
ticular juncture enable the Treasury to borrow a few
millions, for some questionable purpose, on better
terms than formerly.