The Express.
London, England, 1851-02-21 00:00:00

CONVICT DISCIPLINE

Sir W. mouiswownt having moved for ecipira of all
petitions that have been presents d to her Majesty, or to the
llouac of Commons from Australia or Van Dia men's Land,
on the subject of convict discipline and transportation since
the year 1511,
Mr. 'fIIOItNELY said that the petitions were already in
print by order of the committee. They were 17 in number,
and 11i had beer 'ell.

-4t
ANIF.NDMENT OF THE LAW (IRELAND).
Mr. HATCH ELL moved fiir leave to blintz in a bill to
consolidate and amend the laws Mating to civil bill. and the
Croatia of Quarter tbsoions in Ireland, and to transfer to
the Assistant Barristers certain jurisdiction as to insolvent
debtors.

Alley a few words from Mr. M,Cauxon, leave was
given to bring in the hill.
EDUCATION IN SCOTLAND.

On the motion of ViAeount MELO ven
to hring in a bill to reform and extend the wink)! estubli,h-
molt of Scotland.
ASYLUM HARBOUR AT H01111E111)
• • •

On the motion of COMO DUNNE, a return was ordered
of the names of naval officers, civil engineers, and other
persons who have reported in faYlur of or against the pru-
posed plan for the Asylum Hlm arur at H&oly al, or that
have reported that IlUlyhead is not a suitable place for an
asylum harbour, and whose reports have been made or
printed by order of parliant.nt, pretious to the introduction
of the Holyhead Harbour Itill into parliament east session ;
distinguishing thaw who have reported in favour from thow
who have reported against such harbour, together with the
cost of the same OS estimated by the several engineers re-
ferred to; and copy of any report or paper forwarded to
the Admiralty in the year 11417, on the part of the ship-
owners of Liverpool and others, on the nature of the an-
chorage ground of the proposed Asylum Harbour at Holy-
head, and signed by Captain James 11. Christie and Lieut.
It. &infield, R.N., together with the plan annexed
thereto.
PASSENGERS ACT AMENDMENTS BILL.

The house having resolved themselves into committee on
this bill,

Mr. ADDERLEY said it had been his intentioa to projwwe
a dawn. extending protertion to cabin passengers, had not the
hon. member for Wiltshire informed him that he had the
authority of the government to say that the subject should
bo referral! to a select committee, and that her Majesty's
ministers would afford every facility fur inquiry, in order
that a measure should he carried through parliament this
session embodying the object he desired to attain.
Mr. HAWES explained that the object of the present
measure was to secure the mime safety and protection to
parties going from one British port to another as was w-
cured by the existing Passengers Act between British and
foreign port..
The bill passed through committee,
MILLS AND FACTORIES (IRELAND) BILL.
This bill passed through committee.
The house adjourned at nine o'clock.

PARLIAMENTARY DIVISION.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.
COUNTY FRANCIIISE.—Ayss, 100; Nuts, 52.
AYES.

Adair, Hugh E. Hail, Sir Raj imln Pilkington. James
Adair. Ito-ort, A. IL Harmer. sir John Forney, William
Monk, Thomas Harris, IL hard Power, Dr.
Anderson. Arthur Iladie, Alexander Rice, Ell./fd Boyd
Anatey, Thomas C. Ilan*, Are Sib .14 Rolairte., Thos. J. A.
Rana, Michael T. He Alan. Thomas E. Solwry Colonel
Wah, Martin J. !lodger Thomas L. Semiarid, William
Blood; Reginald J. Howard, Philip H. Scrop ~ George P.
Height. John Ilutnlthere, Mr. Ald. Shako, Robert D.
Brockiehurst, John 'Curt, William Sidney, Mr. Ald.
B-ritherton, Joaeph Jackie., William Stoney, Robert A.
Brown, William KeatinB, Robert Smith, Rt. He. IL V.
Banbury, Edward IL Kershaw, James timiih. John Benj.
Calvert, Frederic Larignos, James IL Standish', W. It. C.
Carer, John 8. Larne., Hon. Cecil StricaLintl, Sir 0.
Chaplin. tAilham J. Lenart, Thorn. IS. Stuart, Lord HMIs,
Clay, James Locke, Joarph Sail:, tn. Michael
Ch d ird, Henry M. Lowden, Pryae Tancred, Henry W.
Cobden, Richard Lushiogton, Charles Truer., Edward K.
Coebrooke. sir T. E. Mean.. Job, loolnesis, Ralph A.
Collin., Wain= M Cullogh, W. T. Thompson, Cul.
Crase.rd, Win. 8, M`Oregor, John Thornely, Thomas
'armour, RLHn.C. MoTaggart. Sir John Trelarnir, John S.
Drummond. Henry Menghrr, Thomas Villierr, Ho. P. W. C.
Duncan, Viscount Mangle, Rom D. Wakley, Monne
Ellie, John Moffatt, George Walm.ley, Sir J.
EVADA, Sir He Lacy Molesworth, Sir W. Wawa, John T.
loans, Wiliam Moore, George 11. Williams, John
Ewan, William Mantra Grieve F. Williiniti, William
Fagan, William O'Connor, Fearerus Wits.; Mathew
Forster. Matthew 011aherty, Anthony Wood, William p,
vox, Wiliam J. Oswald, Alexander T.LUtill.
Gibson. Rt. Itn. T. M. Pitched, Sir George B. King, Incite
Granger, Them. C. Perfect, Robert Hume, Joseph

DOES. -
AdderlEy, Charles B. Proven, Charles H. Park,. John
arbuthouti, Hos. H. Craws, (Him. D. J. Power, Nicholas
Arrostrons, SD A. Grey. Rt. Hon. Sir G. Homily. Sir John
Bonne. lin. Slr V. T. Grey, R ilph Wm. Russell, Lord John
Barrow, William 11. Ilearbell, Kt. Hon. J. Soyir.our, Henry D.
Eelow, Richard M. Hawes, Benjamin Seymour, Lord
Berkeley, Admiral Heald, Jame* Bonserville, ?fir Wm.
litkir, Stephen Henley, Joseph W. Stanley, Edward
Breraridee, Richard Hubhnuie, Him. slr J. Manton, William U.
Brockman, Ed.. D. Hood. Sir A lexander Turner, George J.
Busk. Lewis W. llornby, John Verner, Sir William
Campbell, !Lin W. Y. KoLht, rtatorick W. Wilms., Sir H.
Cowper, lion. W. Y. lightstela le, Hon. IL Wil.on, Jalol6
Cmg, Sir Wm. 0. LoocrLog. lion. W. S. Wood, Ittiloos. air C.
D1111:1411., J..bn Lead., Goo.Cornewall
• Dun 100, Admiral Mwle, Rt. How. Fun TiLLIII.
D Hon. air D. Napier, Joseph /layter, W. G.
ibm. John E. Pagrl, s wrd anew. Mt. Lord Emus
freastue, Calmat Paget, lord George
•

Ma. Loewe KTNen Morton.—Mr. Grenville C
L. Berkeley wu accidentally shut nut from the division on
Mr. Locke }Cir.(' motion, and was thereby prevented from
voting in favour of it.

M. Raikes Currie paired (till 10 o'clock) in fa-
♦our of Mr. Locke King's motion, with Mr. Baring.

GL.tNIORGANSIIIRE ELECTION.—No candidate, be-
side, Sir Geo. Tyler, is now likely to come forward. Several
Rena men of liberal principles hare been applied to, but
owing to the auppnwd near approach of a general election,
and from other mrcumatancea, they have declined the prof•
fared honour.—Swansect herald.

EXHIBITION 01, 111.11.
A N ALPHABEIIC.tL LIST of EXHIBITORS
_ci at the CRYSTAL P.‘I.ACK. HY IH:-PARK. with an amount
ot the roods they are to will aie.te.,r in lb. EXHIBITION
BXPBE4S of Ti) MOKKOW b. 22. Every perigee in.
tereeted la as Great h htion will react t lilt with int, rert, emcee
It contains, as far ay at prevent known, the eintribatione of Great
Britain to the fort 100 tog of the Nitwit, of all Nation*.
The EXHIBITIO. Elllitt Ss. 'Axe°, a d..tits:e duly pyper, is pith.
halted every lista:day 1114:100011. price 4d.—ollke, ‘slotefriaras
Lowica.

the Cyortgo,

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

,dvertiwaerdatatroded 'or "Dm Kline*" Lredou Xveshei paper.
moat be at the mike, 10, ktouveriwatrew, by Two o'clock Nib
day of pabiwation.

WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.
Tn• DAT —Mom in. SC Um. ...... A fternom, ob. 7st.
To-mos.,. —Horning. N. Va. afternoon, 4a. sir.

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LONDON, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21.

THE motion of Mr. LOCKE Kew; for an extension
of the elective franchise in counties to tenants hold-
ing at the annual value of la, has been carried by
a majority of 100 to 52.
This, in whatever light we view it, is an event as
important as it was unlooked for. The same motion
was brought forward last year, and met with the
support of the same number of the House of Com.
mons. But it was rejected upon that occasion by a
majority of la; and the country was neither sur-
' prised nor disheartened by the result. As a general
rule, it is tmiversally understoud that the honour of
fighting the up-hill battle of each successive reform
is the chief recompense that awaits its hard and per-
severing advocates. But nobody imagines that under
ordinary circumstances any individual repro-
sentative, whatever may be his talent or per-
severance, can possess sufficient weight or influence
to induce parliament to adopt no essential change in
the constitution. All great modifications of the law
are justly and naturally looked for at the hands of
ministers. They are supposed to hold office by the
predominant will of the country; and, in order to
maintain their position, it is presumed that if they
do not anticipate, they at all events endeavour to
realise in legislation, the wishes of the nation.
The misfortune of nearly every minister, how.
ever, is that he seldom mows when and how
far opinion has changed or advanced sufficiently
to render progress on his part wise and necessary.
When the opposition happens to he more liberal than
the administration, the latter is less apt to tall into
this perilous condition of political sonmantbulism.
A perpetual current of new ideas is brought to bear
upon men in office, and in spite of themselves
they are driven to concede by degrees what is
requisite for the contentment of the community. For
parliamentary peace sake they are induced to give
way. The mac is different, generally speaking,
when a goveniment calling itself liberal is in power.
Its members with us live too much amongst
themselves. They are too careful to be thought
politically genteel, to take the means which
are necessary to learn the actual feelings of the
people. Their tory adversaries fool them to the top
of their bent ; and when those who truly wish well
to their reputation and power venture to tell them
urgent but ungrateful truths, they are prone to turn
round upon them with petulant reproaelws, and weak
enough to win the treacherous cheers of their ene-
mies by the exhibition of supercilious airs to their
too candid friends.
This has been during the last three years the car-
dinal fault of the existing cabinet. They have been
steadily alienating the confidence of the men in par-
liament and of the class's in the country in win:an
they might have relied with confidence in their hour
of need. And now that their hour of need has come,
what do we find ? Last year Lard Joss amused
himself and the tones by snubbing Mr. Huns: and
others who asked for a fair and reasonable extension
of the franchise. Last night he met with his re-
ward in the wholesale desertion of his protectionist
' allies, who left him to be defeated by two to one of
the liberal party.
We rejoice nevertheless to perceive in the speech of
the Prime Minister lust night indications of an
altered tune of mind, whether he had any
misgivings as to the defeat which awaited
him on the question innnediately brought tinder con-
sideration, or that the thickening difficulties of his
position otherwise had roused him to• a sense of
danger, the country will hear with unmixed satis-
faction the distinct admission of lord Jolts that a
new Reform Bill cannot touch longer be delayed.
" If I am in office, I shall is, prepared at the begin-
ning of next session to invite the attention of Par-
liament to such measures as nay tend to place tho
representation of the people throughout the king-
dom on a more satisfactory footing. We may and
do regret even this postponement, and we cannot
help thinking that it would have been infinitely
better had the QuEEN's speech at the opening of tho
present session east the shadow of this coming
event. The raising of the new standard could not
then have been liable to be mistaken by the suspicious
as a signal of distress; and instead of making tho
redemption of the pledge contingent upon a continu-
ance in office until next year, the 1 remier would
have been in a condition to dissolve parliament, had
his new Reform Bill not been suffered to pass into a
law this session.

But the past cannot be recalled, and our business
now is with the present and the future. The imme-
diate consequence of the declaration of but night
is manifestly the annihilation of all thmo
schemes and projects of reaction regarding
free trade with which rumour has of Into
been busy. The industrious classes are plainly
1 told that the final issue shall be left to them. Wens
the present government upset to-morrow, and a pro-
tectionist administration installed in their stead, tho
great result would not be altered thereby.
With the present parliament they could not of
course go on; and at every hustings, did they yen.
turn to dissolve, the ruling cry would be "Household
Suffrage and Cheap !tread!" In any case the dream
of retrogression is over. A mine has been sprung
under the feet of those who are said to have con-
ceived it. Whether on the Treasury bench or on
that of opposition, the whigs are now committed to
a substantial and comprehensive extension of tho
suffrage ; and this, combined with free trade in all
the great articles of consumption, must render all
thoughts of disturbing the policy of l'Em. chimerical,

THE CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER has this in
his favour, that of late years, owing to the discus-
sion and ventilation of financial principles and know-
ledge, direct taxation has lost much of its former
odium, and has gained in respect, even whilst not
ceasing to gall by its weight. We may remember
aith what excuses Sir RoIIERT PEEL introduced his
measure of the income tax in 1842, how he declared
I that even to fill up a deficit he would not think
of
it, were he not at the same time prepared to
take off duties from articles of common import
' and consumption, which would prove a boon almost
espial to what the income tax subtracted. We
can remember, ton, how the whigs, one after
another, thundered against the measure, all ex-
claiming that it ought to he rejected, unless the
strongest reasons could be shown for its necessity. If
Sir CHARLES WOOD in 1842 could have been told
that in ten years he would have proposed
the imposition of an income tax, and laid
the foundation at the same time of a house
tax another direct tax that Sir Itonefer
PEEL declared to be much more unfair than the in-
' come tax itself—if Sir CHARLES Woos had been told
that in doing this, with a surplus in his hands of two
millions, he would simply propose to keep a million
of this to pay off the national debt—in other words,
dabble in the stocks at fit opportunities to keep up
the prices ; whilst his other mighty measure was
to make the state pay the expense of county lunatics
and present the great agricultural interest of Eng-
land with 30,0001. to pay for .seeds—Sir Ch ARLER
might well have wondered, of what stuff the brains
of the British parliament and public had become.
The fact is, that the CHANCELLOR has taken an
unfair advantage of that growing respect for direct
taxation which liberals both profess and feel : they
see that direct taxation weighs less upon the poor,
costs less to raise, is less subject to fluctuation, acts as
a premium on economy, not as indirect taxation does,
as a trap for unforeseen expenditure. They know,
too, that direct taxation—much more galling and
burdensome than indirect to people's feelings, if not
Ito their pockets—will beget economy and arouse re ;
instance. But the respect for direct taxation is not

-111-

o be construed into indifference towards its inequa-
lities, or into a sanction for a lazy minister to fling
it in mass upon the backs of the people, without
consideration, or distinction, or apportionment.
The result of fiscal changes and reforms of late
years has been certainly to take burdens from off the
working and the humbler classes. This has been
well done. But instead of distributing the weight
of this burden evenly over the classes above them, it
has been heaped upon the middle and industrious
chums in a far greater proportion than on the
wealthy; sad upon those of inseture wealth, who
are furred to risk it in order to make it fructify, the
charge is infinitely heavier than upon those whose
fortunes arc stereotyped in the soil, or in the
credit of the country ; 130,000 persons, comprised
under Schedule 1), pay three per cent. out of their
fleeting and hard-earned interne ; of about sixty-eight
millions they pay a million and a half annually; whilst,
an infinitely larger and wealthier number of persons,
possessed of real and durable property.pay out of their
revenue of ninety millions annually a sum of but two
millions and a half. In each claw the individual
pays the same ; the mar.whose earnings die with
m to-morrow pays as much out of it to-day, as
the owner of property entailed in past and present
from generation to generation.
One should think that if this could not be altered,
it might be compensated, or that at least in any
addition to dirort taxation the same unfair propor-
tions of burdens upon life interest would not be aug-
merited or perpetuated. Hut the proposed house-tax, in-
stead of being an improvement on the inequality of the
inconw tax schedules, es, on the contrary, an aggruva-
tion of it. It is, in fact, the laying of another million
upon schedule D. It is not the owners of house pro-
rty who will pay it, they must get the interest of
the money they hate expended and will expend. It
will be paid be the numerous tenants of town Mantes,
of which the larger proportion is the professional,
the earning, the commercial, and the employed
chores. The house tax is upon them another income
tux, the rent they pay being supposed it fair symbol
of their earning, whereas the rent of a house is
nothing of the kind, being often augmented by size
of family, by the necessity of inhabiting a certain
quarter, and by a host of causes, which it should be
no business of u fiscal inquisition to lerypenaltits for.
The house tax propmell by the CHANCELLOR of
the ExciIEOUER in a tax on towns, and upon the
dwellers in towns. We can understand such a mea-
sure if it aun intended to check the growth of a
gnat metropolis, or at least if it were intended to
check the build of large and comfortable houses,
whilst at the same time it had become a ministerial
elect to cover the green environs with monster
au awl* of houses each under Our/. annual value.

But a moo• enormous iniquity than even the tax
on new houses is the fixing and stereotyping two-
think of the present window duty upon old houses.
Whether the next generation will pay one shilling or
two shilliugx upon the houses, built after P 441, is in
the chapter of 'Amick uts. But Sir ettaitt.t.s WOOD
has declared that the pnuent generation and their,
houses, built in dear times, and of dear materials,
and which have puid over and over again their
quota of war tax and peace tax—these houses,
that is, almost the entirety of the great metro-
polis and of other towns. are condemned to IMNTE's
loofrrma of taxation, from uhieh there is no
hope of relief. Many shops and fans-houses too an•
flung into the same cauldron in which the (*mix-
etiaant proposes to seethe and scald the population
of Englund. lie is a hold man, this Citaxam.i.on.
Pier was nothing to him in broadness of demand.
And in truth we think he might vie with WisExas:
himself in audacity.

Twday, howev.er, it is not the window-tax
that come. under eowaideration. but the income tax.
The bc.t way to treat this would probably be to vote it
fur one year, and that only on the express promise of
a gene. ad amendment of the whole system of taxation
next sex tote. If the iuronw-tax is to be voted for any
longer period, it is clear that lane of its first corollaries
must be its extension to Ireland. only excuse that
the minister allegesfor reserving a million.isthe neees-
sity of pitying a part of the ten millions which
were bornawtd to relieve Irish distress. To this
it is fair that the Irish themselves should con-
tribute. If the landlords are not prosperous, we
do not want to ask them to puy more than the per-
madam• can the rents they receive. But we do not
14 1. why the &as ifidr ineanws of the inhabitants of
hablin should be taboaed to the exchequer more
than the hammy,. of the inhabitant. of London. This
aamild give the Covxum.boit the sun. which he pro-
p.... to raise font. his supplenn ntury house tax.
Should the house vote the income tax, the simplest
plats would he to repeal the window tax altogether,
and devote the surplus to it. leaving the question of
a house tax to be emasidert4 and included in the
general scheme of direct taxation for next year,
for which the country w ill regain, a capable minister.
As for the humbug of playing off driblets of the
debt, let us reeollect what was l'Eces answer when
he was asked to do this in said—

If we !velar.. the umetion of the houve for the continuance
of the ineoine tat, we %hall feel it to he our duty to null., a
great experiment with rexpr•t to taxatiim, hoping that the
1. ral pr.up•rit whirl will rimilt therefrom will contri-
bute to till up the void rauual by the mow:glow of the t t e
tar in future•r.-are. I do not propw• to maintain any
material xiirphix of revenue over expenditure, confident
that whatcri r may happen, the houxe is determined to
maintain the public errdit.