The Express.
London, England, 1851-02-12 00:00:00

At the morning sitting, which commenced at 12
ticha it, some private business having been disposed of,
Mr. GRANTLET BIRKELEY gave notice of a mo-
tion, in case of the failure of Mr. lltsiterti's
proposition for relieving the agriculturists, that all
ratings to the poor-rate under lac per annum should
be commuted to a national rute.
A committee of supply having been formed, a vote
of 17,754440 U. was passed to pay off outstanding
Exchequer hills.
The adjourned debate on the Ecclesiastical Titles
Bill was then resumed by
Mr. PIIII.IP 'lowest), mho wished to record a
protest against the first retrog,rade step into persecu-
tion, as it was impossible to know where it might
stop. Throughout the country the anti-eatholic
movement had been far from unanimous, and, in the
counties of Northumberland and Lancashire, as well
as in many of the great industrial cities, had notably
failed. Remarking upon the violent expressions
thrown out against catholicism in various prelatic
and clerical addresses lately presented, he pointed
out that in some of those addresses equally violent
deeds were couns•Ucd. In his speech to parliament

isierfithi that the papif act was a %m 00... —_
A charge had been laid against the Synod of
Thurle4, that it intertered to oppose the Queen's Col-
lege and national education in Ireland; but, in so
doing, the catholic ecclesiastical body had but fol-
lowed the example set them by the majority of pro-
testant clergymen. lie bulancid the assertion of Sir
G. Grey by the counter-assertion of the Earl of St.
Germans, who affirmed that the Pope had not
attacked the rights of the English church,
having neither interfered with her posses-
sions, nor sought a legal recognition of the
Isms he himself created. For a similar conclusion
he referred to some expressions of the late Lord
Castlereagh, and to the arguments of Dr.
Wiseman and Mr. Bowyer, illustrating the subject by
a detail of the formularies observed in various ages
by the Catholic church for the erection of new secs
and the appointment of bishops. The change effected
by the papal letter war in strict accordance with
these established precedents, and with the dictates of
common sense and the example set in Canada, where
a similar proceeding was admitted to have
been no ameasion. In the much criticised " pas-
toral" of Cardinal Wiseman, the very address, limited
as it uas in express terms to the catholic clergy and
laity of the diocese, proved that there was no pur-
pose of assuming a general or overweening autho-
rity. The bill before them he characterised as far
too violent for the occasion, and as contemplating a
wanton and unprecedented interference between the
catholic pastors and their flocks. Ile concluded by
demanding for his co-religionists not protection, but
fair-jilay.
Mr. NtelEtt wondered at the pertinacity with
which certain parties had opposed—not a specific
measure—but the motion for leave to introduce one.
Palliated the act of the papacy might be, but it had
never been justified; and, by. the highest legal autho-
ritive, the most exalted dignitaries of the church, and
,the almost universal opinion of the people of Eng-
land, it had been pronounced an invasion of the law
—such as certainly required the provision and du
discussion of sonic remedial measure. Believing
1 that the act was a violation of international as well
as English law, he denounced the attempt to bully
the house, when considering how it could be met,
with threats of vehement opposition or declarations
that the act width might be passed should never
be enfinced. The hon. member proceeded to inquire
what were the pjsrinciples of civil and religious liberty
now acknowk nod by the constitution, arguing that
if those principles were infringed they were fur more
so by the attempted usurpation of the Pope than by
the protective measure indicated by the govern-
ment.
The house was left speaking, without there being
ny probability of a division being taken to-day.

REPEAL OF THE WINDOW TAX.

ORE.%T METTINO AT DRURY-LANE

TUEATRE.-(THIS DAY.)

This morning, a public meeting of the inhabitants
of Westminster took place at Drury-lanc Theatre, for the
purpose of adopting measures to secure a total end uncon.
ditional repeal of the Window Tax. Viscount DCNCAN,
M.P., in the chair, supported by Sir B. Hall,
Icy, M.P., Lord Dutlley Stuart, M.P., Mr. John Williams,
M.P., General Sir de Lacy Evans, M.l'., Mr. Lush-
Merton, 31.1'., and many other persons of distinction.
The Theatre, from the gallery to the pit, was crowded, and
a large proportion of the audience were females.
The CHAIRMAN opened the proceedings by expensing
his thanks for the honour they had conferred upon him, by
eluting him in the position he occupied, and he would eICITIAC
his best abilities in furtherance of the object in slew. He would
not however go thn'ugh the argument which for the last
six sears he bad nn e... use of in the House of Commons upon
this important subject, hut be would inform them that he
had *gain given notice of a motion for a total and uncondi-
tional repeal of the window-tax. This motion would be
brought forward to-morrow week, and unless the Chancellor
of the Exchequer should in the meantime take the
argument out of his mouth, he would not fail to
discharge the duty he hail imposed upon himself.
Some years ago, when the questiou was mooted in
the House of
i Commons, he was told that he was an
impracticable pet sent n wishing to accomplish an
impossibility ; but at 'the present moment it appeared that
the repeal of the window tax was not only possible but cx
trieuely probable. There had been some talk about •
house tax as a substitute for the window duties, but this
was not what they wanted. (No, no.) They desired an uncon-
ditional repeal 01 the most obnoxious tax that ever was imposed
upon the people of England. (Cheers.) The noble lord
then procetded to call attention to the injustice which the
public had experienced in consequence of the intentions of
Lord Althorp up the subject of the window-tax not
having been dulv carronied out. Lord Althorp had prepared
that ell those who paid the tae should be at liberty to
so many windows as they thought proper, but other
~ee
rs of the Exchequer having come into office, the
=wore called upon to pay an additional tax fur every
they opened. Such was the state of things at the
=
moraent, and the retunu to the House of Commons
that the poorer classes of the people paid a smock
law proportion of the window-tax than the members sf
She aristocracy. Now he would ask—was this fair ? (No,
no.) Then he would ask no more, for anything Bre
was not fair in England could not stand. (laud
theses.) It appeared from the government stets.
Mint of the financial condition of the country at
she present moment that the revenue presents&
• surplus of two millions and a half. The tax which hs
(Lord Duncan) proposed to repeal produced an in-
come of 1,700.00tM. 1 his was a tax which in •
time of peace the government were bound to remove.
He was not one of those who advocated the principle of •
surplus revenue, for he did not think it right that the
government should take more out of the pocket,' of the peo-
ple than was absolutely neceseary. (Ilcar, hear.)
The present government had come into othee upon
free trade meneures, and those measures had been
the means of placing the public in this happy situation
with regard to the ;revenue. They had a right, therefore,
to demand that free-trade should be established in light
and air. (Hear.) Hs thought the present was a fitting
time for removing this odious impost, and by its total
repeal every man in this country would have it in his
power to build his own " Crystal Palace." (Cheers.)
Mr. GEESIN, churchwarden of St. Jamar, proposed
the first resolution.
"That the window duty is a tax upon light and air; that
it is unequal, unjust, and detrimental to health and comfort;
that it is opposed to sanitary reform and architectural is
provements, and that it is a mode of levying taxation that
never ought to have been adopted, and, in the opinion al
this meeting, ehould no longer continue."
The hon. gentlemen proceeded to point out certain statis-
tics, showing that, as regards the window-tax. the poorer
dares were paying to the amount of from 26 to 30 per cent
and the aristocracy about 2i per cent Having demoustrated
that the tax war not only most unfair in its results, butt
the same time injurious to health. Mr. Geesin concludeto
d
by observing that the crystal palace in Hydc-park ought
be allowed to stand as • memorial of the repeal of this most
iniquitous impose (Hear, hear.)
Mr. DENG'S, churchwarden of St. Ann's, West
:Waster, seconded the resolution, and confirmed the mirk
whichof the preceding speaker in reference to rho arils
which resulted from the tax, and also with regard to the
unjust proportion in which iS was levied. He observedlhat