The Express.
London, England, 1848-03-03 00:00:00

Zhe erpregg.

MAILS
The overbuy' mails for Gibraltar, Malts, Greece, the lonian Islands
Egypt, Aden, Ceylon, India, flung-Kong, and China, eia Southampton.
oill be made up on the morning of the 3rd March.
The mails for the Brazils, the River Plate, Monte Video, Peream.
then, Bahia Madeira, and Bueuee A3Tes, will be made up on the
evening ol the 4th March.
Toe overland closed malls, via Marseilles, to the Stediterrimean.
ithypt, Aden, Ceylon, India, Hong Kong, Mc., will be made up on tin
evening of the 7th March.
The mails for &dish North America, Bermuda, and the United
States. will be made op on the evening of the 10th March.
The West India Mails, excluding Bermuda, Neural', Ravenna,
Hoodurne, New Orleans, Vera Crux, TainPieo, end Porto Rins. and
including thorn for Madeira, Jeemel, Carthsgena, Santa Martha,
Chagree, Panama, West Cant of South America, and St. Juan-cle-
Nicaragua, will be made up on the morning ol the 17th March.
The mans for New South Wales, Van ihemen's Laud, sad New
Zealand will be made up on the evening of the Slid March.
The mails for the West Covet of Africa and Madeira will be made
up on the evening of the Sig March.

NOTICE.
TEN number of S VAMPS issued to the DAILY NEWS
by the authorities of the Stamp.offlce, during the year 1847,
was:
From JAN. i, U Dix. 31, 3,447,009
I This, we believe, is within eight per cent. of the number
issued to the Morning Herald, Morning Chronicle, and
Morning Post, ALL PUT TOGETLIEIL
In addition to the above, issued to the DAILY NEWS,
Morning Paper, there were issued for the Evening Edition,
TILE EXPRESS,
From JAN. 1, to Disc. 31 778,714
Which was more, we believe, than were issued either to
the Globe or Standard, Evening Papers.

TO CORRESPONDENTS.
bilmtlawassbn I model TIN twos." Leda* evestab paper, mar
be at the oaetb lboayerteamm. by Two o'clock ea tle dAy et publleatle.

MOB 'DATUM AT LONDON ISIDON.
Tao DAT—Dania,. 7 Ws. post 0 . Aftemboo. 27 Wi 0.
Toilloasew—Mama. 2W. mat 1. aDaraooa. Z ni.6 NM

LONDON, FRIDAY, MARCH 3,

THIS evening the Howse of Commons will again be
asked by ministers to renew their lease of the pro-
perty and income tax for three years. Unless the
distinction between income from realised property,
and income from professional exertions, is conceded,
• decided stand ought to be made against the pro-
-130811.
The consequences of the attempt to increase the
property and income tax must have gone far, we
should imagine, to reconcile many people to the idea
of making direct taxation the permanent means of
raising a fixed proportion of the annual revenue. In-
direct taxes can generally be increased without ex-
citing universal and combined opposition. Their im-
mediate pressure is chiefly limited to some particular
line of business, which is thereby embarrassed or cur-
tailed. Consumers grumble afterwards at increased
prices, and the necessity of stinting their consumption ;
but beforehand they entertain no very distinct notion of
what effect an augmented customs or excise duty is
to have upon their comfort. But when a man is duly
called upon to pay a certain sum quarterly, the in.
cumbrance is tangible, and that reason must be a
good one, indeed, which will induce him to submit
quietly to its being made heavier. A property and
income tax is a very disagreeable thing, but even
herein consists its safety. There are few other taxes
that ministers will find it so difficult to increase: it is
a constant check upon those profuse habits of expen-
diture which make ministers require new taxes, or
higher per centages in the old.
Our aim ought, therefore, to be, not to get rid of
this tax, but to have its weight more equally ad-
justed—more fairly proportioned in respect to the
strength of the different backs upon which it is laid.
And, as the property and income tax is only part of
our direct taxation, it is desirable that when the
question of its readjustment is under consideration,
the distribution and other peculiarities of all our
direct taxes should be reviewed at the same time.
In general the designation, " direct taxes," is con-
fined to the assessed taxes and the income and pro-
perty tax; but, in reality, the taxes upon licences,
though collected by the excise, and the taxes upon
legacies, and probates or letters of administration,
though collected by the board of stamps, are direct
taxes. The licence duty is a direct tax paid annually
by persons engaged in certain professions. The
legacy and probate duties are a property tax, paid by
one class of the community on a certain occasion.
Looking at the aliit'sr ire this point of Tics,, oar di-