The Express.
London, England, 1851-08-19 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, TUESDAY EVENING, AUGUST 19, 1851.

companies, the value of which now aniollo many
millions, are creations of the half ceatthichdisi
just expired. It is fair that this to wealth, w h
is protected by the law of Vand,, ahead beo (((to
due proportion of the expen. of thee etatit:',llut Or ,
antiquated and mysterious financial system renders it
rather difficult to ascertain whether more than this
due proportion has not been transferred to the shout-
dory of the owners of this new created property, and 1
others of the same class. This mystery would of
itself he enfficient to warrant suspicion that the lords'
' of the sail base becu availing themselves of their
ascendancy in parliament to relieve themselves from
a larger share of the national imposts than they arc
entitled to do. And complicated and obscure though
our system of taxation is—difficult though it may be
to trace the incidence and operation of different
taxes—enough is apparent to show that the lords of
the soil have shifted so large a proportion of the
national burdens from their own shoulders, as leaves
them no claim to exemptions they have hitherto
enjoyed, much less to others they are struggling to
obtain.
Our Custom-house tariff, much though it has been
simplified of late years, still embraces a greater
number of commodities than any other Custom-house
tariff in the world. A greater proportion of our na-
tional income is raised by indirect taxation than is
the ease in any other country. 'The articles selected
for customs imposts are generally those of universal
use, and thus the poor man is brought within their
scope quite as much as the rich. The same holds
good with the Excise portion of our inland revenue.
It is already apparent, from the part of the evidence
taken by the Income-tax Committee, which we have
published, that the greatest facilities for false and
Imperfect returns exist in the schedule relating to
real property. Turning from general to local taxation,
we find the county gentlemen allocating an enormously
disproportionate share of the poor and other county
and parish rates on any luckless railways that may
cross their district. Returning to general taxation,
we find real property exempted in a great measure
from those Imposts upon inheritances which other
property must bear. All these things point to the
necessity of a change in the proportions of the
national imputs borne by different classes, and (as
the only menus to insure these proportions being
fairly and honestly assessed and levied) to extensive
alterations in our whole system of taxation.
This is the first great reform that the people of
this country have just now at heart. They may
not at present Nee clearly the way that leads to it,
but they feel keenly and profounillv the necessity of
treading it. Tho Liverpool and Manchester Finan-
cial Rethrm Associations, and the National Parlia-
mentary and Financial Reform Associations, have
nut tended to create this feeling—they have sprung
from it. These associations have not accomplished
much, and they appear at present to be one and
all in a state of abeyance ; hut as one of them goes
out, others of a similar kind will spring into exist-
ence. They will multiply throughout the land like
drops of water on the window-glass at the com-
mencement of a shower, and they will run into each
other as those drops do until the whole surface of the
glass is dimmed and moistened. I his is always the
way that, in a free country, the national mind pre-
pares itself for a great and irresistible etthrt. The
protectionist fiction, which would pc-rpetuate by
juggling and delusion the system of unequal taxa-
tion it can no longer uphold by barefaced power,
and the trimming Whigs, who would retain office by
playing fast and loose between that faction and the
public, may rent assured that a speedy and entire
change in our financial system is inevitable.
But a re-distribution of taxation is not the only
inevitable change indicated by the altered proportion
of the national taxes the land and its owners bear. A
re-distribution of political power is approaching with
equal certainty. Charters, constitutions, reform bills,
rarely transfer power from one class to another ;
they are, in most eases, mere formal recognitions of
a transfer that has already taken place. When the
laud bore the greater part of the national burdens,
the land constituted the greater part of the national
property. Now that land bears the least part of the
national burdens, mere land constitutes the least part
of the national property. Now there are only two
sources of political power—intellioence and wealth.
Under any form of government the possessors of in-
telligence and wealth sway the popular will and
opinion are, in short, political leaders. Indeed,
these two elements may be said to be one and the
!sante ; fur the practical intelligence which imparts
I political power, operates' in the first place by drawing
' property to itself.
%Unit mule the English barons powerful before
the Wars of the Roses ? The property which they
acquired and held by the strong hand which en-
abled them to command their retainers. What nook.
the Romiiih church powerful in England before the
time of HENRY N.M.? *the tythes and broad lands
which its innumerable agencies—priests, secular and
regular, convents of monks, friars, and nuns, altarages
mad ehaparies, confessors and itineraut preachers—
had drawn to it. What made the great aristocratic
fiunilies powerful at the time of the revolution? Let
us take, for example, the house of Russidd.. Its
abbey lauds, so much spoken of, were, in fact, but
the tine small beginnings of its fortune*. It had
speculated suet-vaulty in the improvements of the
}ens; it had availed itself of the increased value
which building gave lands in London and its vici-
nity ; it had thus become enormously wealthy, and
notwithstanding its proverbial mediocrity of talent—
" the low, dull, Bedford lever - it had 34..1111e and tact
enough to turn its wealth to account in rearing and
maintaining a structure of political power. The
annals of our own land tell us in unequivocal
language that the holders of the purse are the
rulers of the state—and the annals of all lands, if
we extend our inquiry to them, will confirm
the tale.
Well, in virtue of this natural law the owners of
the land, so long as land was the principal and
almost sole property, were the masters of England.
But two-thirds at least of the realised property of
England now exists in different forms. Nay more,
the lands of England arc mortgaged to an enormous
extent to the owners of these new kinds of
property. The national wealth is shared in by
new classes. Even the working classes—the
intelligent and provident artisans—have their
share m it. How much of the national debt
is held in small portions by that class? How
much more is pledged to them as a security for their
deposits in savings hanks? How much property do '
they possess in benefit clubs, life assurance societies,
and other similar institutions? The aggregate pro-
perty of the 'Wee of the working classes is great;
and the new organisation of industry—the factory
and mill systems -introduced by the application of
large capitals to manufacturing purposes, it' it in
sonic respects appears to place the operatives more
entirely under the control of the capitalists, on the
other hand, places the latter in a state of greater
dependence on the good will of the latter. A new
distribution of political power has taken place in
society, amid the political machine of the state will
never work smoothly until its external forms are
made to correspond exactly to the internal social

A new reform bill is as inevitable as a new sys-
tent of taxation. These are the two great tasks
upon which the energies of the English people are
about to he brought to bear.

SPAIN.

MADRID, Am 13.

TIIE GREAT EXIIIBITION.—The amount taken for
season tickets yesterday was 3/. The mmsey taken at the
doors from the visitors for the day amount,d to 2,306/. 16,,
snaking the total of receipu 2,6117. 16.. 31,325 entered the
building. _ - - • •

Itomr.—A letter from Rome of the Bth states that
Count Alexander Calsnilrelli, mini•ter of war during the
republic, condemned to ituprisuami wt fora long term of
years, is immediately to be releleied from confinement on
the intercession, it seas said, of Bsron I.7sedom, the able
minister of Prussia to the holy see.

'••-.14#
a; : hiiiNtE;
e PLR'S, MONDAY EVENIIO.
Alert ielbliolotely nothing remarkable in the po-
litic-111 woad to-day, unless it be the abeenee ,f any
new committee or manifesto. The Thaborite repub-
licans had promised to issue their " comptc reidu,"
but they seem to have changed their minds, wisely
thinking that the recent supply of such
,vacaticn pro-
sen
manifestols greh,:tbeir.„.thati
ctryt hvevldl demand.
received hien Mtohten tfaiaun.
bourgs. The ottrriers find it too prosy, and, amid
'the circumlocutions of parliamentaay language, they
I are at a loss to find out a practical meaning. Some
of the royalist papers allude to the crowds who fre-
quent the out-door amusements at the barrKres on a
fine Sunday or a fete day, as evidence that the
maws are in reality indifferent to politics. But this
is a profound mistake, and may bee very fatal one. The
working population of Paris are now perfectly calm,
because they know that the least agitation would be
the signal for severe repressive measures, and per-
haps serve as an excuse for a coup t'e'at, but they
look forward with steady determination to 185'2 as the
dawn of a new era. They believe that they shall then
really gain that sovereignty which was feeb.y at-
tempted to be set up when Louis Blanc and Albert
(ouvrier) sat on the peers' benches at the Laxeril-
' nourg. In the midst of drawing-room intrigues it is
easy to forget, while talking of other pretenders,
that his Majesty the People is also one, and ore that
must be very seriously thought of before May 102.1
It is said that the Duke do Noailles has arrived
from Frohadorff with instructions to signify the
ICount de Chambord's entire approval of the ire el
policy adopted by MM. Berryer and do Fallous.l
MM. de Itotours, de Chaulieu, and do Hesse...pier,'
partisans of M. Berryer, are, however, blamed for
giving publicity to their letters, which produced the
open schism with the l'ohlivie. It is hoped,
by conciliation, to bring the Opinion into
the fold of orthodox legitimacy. But the Gaz.ette de
France and its candidate, M. Larochejaquclin,
I are given up to final impenitence. It be-
comes, however, every day more difficult to
know who are really the followers of the various
legitimist leaders. General St. l'riest was supposed
till the other day to be an alter ego of M. Berrycr,
and to be entirely in the confidence of the Count do
Chambord, and yet the uncial has written a warm
letter of adhesion to M. Nettement.
The municipality of Paris, whose ordinary labours
were in great measure suspended during the fetes,
have been sitting diligently during the past week.
They have voted very large sums of money for
several metropolitan improvements, to be carried
into effect immediately, and have deliberated upon
various plans of amelioration which are before
them. Among the latter is a project for
the establishment of a new market, and the
formation of two wide streets in the narrow crowded
quarter of the Gros Caillou, a district 0f40,0110 souls,
possessing neither a school nor a market. The sum
of 00,000 fr., which the city of Paris votes annually
for the encouragement of artists has been appro-
priated as follows :—The paintings in seven chapels
in the church of St. Eustaclie are to be restored,
decorations and mural paintings are to be executed
in the churches of St. Sevcrin and St. Jaques do
Haut Pas, and orders have been given for sixteen
paintings to be distributed among the churches of
St. ltoeh, St. Nieolas-du-Chardonneret, St. Elizabeth,
St. Pierre-du-Gros-Cailluu, and St. Etienne du Mont.
100,000 fr. have been voted towards the re-building
of the Jewish temple in the Rue Notre Dame de
Nazareth. The school in the Cloitre St. Merry,
which now contains 200 boys, is to be transferred to
the Rue du Temple, and the numbers are to be in-
creased to 333. A demand of the prefect for a sup-1
plementary credit of 18,01101 r. for the expenses'
of the coming elections of officers of the na-
tional guard was not acceded to without some
grumbling, and some deprecatory allusions to the
large sum which the national guard costs the city.
This sum, including the pay of 813 staff officers and
008 drummers and trumpeters, amounts to 1,200,000
francs per annum, certainly a very large sacrifice for
pseudo-military parade. A vote of 205,758 fr. was
readily adopted fur proceeding with the interior de-
corations of the Hotel de Ville. The enlargement of
this stately edifice has cost a sum of 3.200,0001. ster-
liug, besides nearly a million and a half more for in-
ternal decorations and furniture. The estimated
expenses of what yet remains to be done amount to
620,923 fr. Whenever the city gives a fete, large
expenses are incurred for temponiry dceoritioiis,
and these were so considerable on the late occasion
that it is thought good economy to hasten thi com-
pletion of the permanent ornaments according to the
original design. To-day a committee of icquiry has
assembled at the I hotel de Ville, to consider the mode
of currying into effect the hew voted in the
bust dues of the sitting of the Ass.smbly,
for pr longing the ltue de Itivoli and bcilding
central markets. The execution of so vast a }un, or
one in which so many persona are interested, never!
before occupied the attention of the city of Paris. 4300
houses or warehouses will be pulled down forttwith,
and on the moderate calculation of 20 persons to each
house, there will be at least 12,000 proprietors, mer-
chants, shopkeepers, or simple inhabitants compelled
to seek for new quarters. By the terms of the law I
I on colonial banks the capital of these establishments
is fixed at three millions of francs fur each of the
hanks of Martinique, Guadeloupe and the Reunion ;
and at 70ii,1Nff. for Guiana. Of this capital two
I millions for the three first named colonies, and
sisyektf. for Guiana have been provided by a deduc-
tion mode from the indemnity allowed to the colo-
nists by the law of April 24, 1849. The remaining
capital of 1,200,0001. ntay be made up by voluntary
subscriptions either in cash or in five per cents. at
par. The minister of marine and of the colonies has
decided that subscriptions for this purpose shall he
received simultaneously in the colonies and in France.
Each subscription must be to the amount of a: least
one share of 500 E
M. de Chasocloup-Laultat, Minister of Marine arid
of the Colonies, is apoointcd to the ministryof foreign
affairs ad interim, during the absence of M. Baruche.
Yesterday the opening of the railway. from Angers
to Nantes was inaugurated by the Minister of Public
Works.
.t museum of a novel kind has been added to the
sights of Versailles. A large building has been
crec'ed at Trianon for the purpose of exhibiting a
collection of French saddlery and harness from the
earliest times, together with many specimens from
Africa and the Levant. In this building arc also to
ho placed the historical state carriages, which have
hitherto been locked up in a room on the ground
floor of the Palace of Versailles, to which the public
were not admitted. They are ten in number and con-
sist of the coronation carriage of Charles X., the
carriage used at the baptism of the King of Rome,
the carriages called the Topaz, the Victory, the Tur-
quoise, the Brilliant, the Cornclian, the Amethyst,
the Opal, and the funereal car of Louis XVIII.
General Waldemar has arrived at Strasbourg,
assumed the command of the military division of that
place, vice General Nlagnan, removed to the com-
mand of the army of Paris.
At the Bourse the Fives fell 15c. closing at 93.65,
and the Threes fell 10c., and closed at 57.35.

The Gazette of this day contains a royal decree
declaring that the prince or princess to be born of
the Duchess of Nlontpensier shall be entitled to all
the prerogatives of an Infant of Spain.
Correspondence from Cuba, of the 17th July, are
silent on the subject of the famous pronwicianultto.
he authorities of the island are prepared to crush
any outbreak.

THE LEVAN f.—We have received by the
Levant mail Constantinople journals to the nth, and
Athens journals to the 9th, both inclusively. They
are destitute of news of political importance. The
(barrier d'dthenes gives further accounts of conflicts
between the gendarmes and bands of brigands iu
different parts of Greece. There were several
killed and wounded on both sides.

DEATH WHILE BATHING AT Il.terlNGS.—Mr. W.
R. Quarry, a young man, aped 2.3. 1.»I his life here on
Sunday morning, in a very painful manner. At 20 minutes
b. fore 7 o'clock he entered the sea opposite Carlisle-parade.
with tie or seven other persons. The sea was ebbing, and
nearly at its lowest, and there wet MM..' turf, with a breeze
front the south-west. In 10 or 12 minutes the party came
out of the water, excepting Quarry, who was then missed
by hit companions. by whom he was seta about three mi-
nutes before, standing with the water breast high, and oc- I
casioually dipping. A young man nuin...l Rolland% wentto , _ _____________
the spot where Quarry was last men.but could nod no trace , FRENCH PROGRESS IN WEST AFRICA.—We leant
of him. Beats And dray were put in requitition, but without (rum the Baboon Rarer that the French have founded a
AVAIL and, although every ezerthm has been made, up to , new fort and establishment on a point called the !liaison
sYsterday the body had nut been Towel. It is supposed that Carree, and where there are already several European
th., diyeated sank in some soft mud. And that his body is houses. Hitherto the French trade in the river has been
no, concealed in it. The spot in ph.stion is the site of a sntall, but now there is a port for catching the hippnPo-
subterranean forest, and the sand* are very treacherous, tannis. A French bishop named Ressieu presides over the
owing to the presence of &compost il vegetable matter. The Homan catholic missions, and is called the Bishop of the
deceased conducted a chemist's business in All Sainwstreet. Ostrom.