The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-02-14 00:00:00

KOSSUTH AT ROCEDA LE.

•
On Wednesday evening, M. Kossuth delivered his first
lecture at Rochdale, " On Continental Europe," to a
large audience, in the Public Hell ; Jacob Bright, Esq
the mayor .presided The chairman made a few prelim-
inary remarks, and said it had never before fallen to his lot
to introduce to a Rochdale audience so distinguished a
man as the lecturer who that night honoured them with
his presence. He was a man whom all appeared to
welcome ; and in introducing him to them, he might
be expected to give utterance to the respect and ad-
miration whioh were eu..ertained In Rochdale. Tte
name" of Kossuth was familiar thrOughout the world.
Who did not remember the great movement for Hun-
garian • freedom? They watched it with unprecedented
interest. Ha remembered when they anxiously waited
for the newspapers and for telegraphic despatches which
brought them news of the struggle ; and be remembered
that-they were elated when victory was geined by the
patriotic party, and depressed when dangers assailed
them, followed by a sense of gloom when the cause
of the despotic powers triumphed. (Hear, hear )
From that time they had regarded Kossuth as the
impersonation of his country's cause. Few men had so
deep a love of freedoM as they had, and the liber'y to
expressit. That was not the case throughout the land
now, for the established powers had the power of
restriction in their own hands. The press was under
their control. That night they were going to have a
discussion of European politics by one who represented
human aspirations after freedom. After a few more
remarks, the chairman introduced His Excellency Louis
Kossuth, who was received with rounds of applause.
After it had subsided, he proceeded to deliver the lecture.

SUPPOSED DROWNING OF THREE SEAMEN AND A OAP-
TAlN.—Captain Bakker and three of his seamen are missing:
from the vessel Arentina Jacobs, lyine in the Humber, and
it is supposed that they were drowned between half past
eleven and twelve o'clock on Tuesday night, when passing
between the vessel and the shore. The boat's oars were
found yesterday floating in the Humber.—Eastern Counties
He,

VANITY IN CHURCEI.—A coresp-mdent writes to a Bristol
paper to complain of " a vanity which is almost profane."
"Selecting," he says, "a book of common prayer in a
stationer's shop in Bristol a few days ago, I' saw some
prayer books having a looking glass inserted in the inner
side of the cover, in order I have no doubt that the fair owner
might be able to arrange her hair and admire herself during
the service 1"

AN UNPUOJECTED VOYAGE.--A singular incident has
occurred during the last few days to Mr. Barker, of the
firm of Barker and Iliffe, plumbers and glaziers, of this town
The following are, as we have been informed, the facts :
The brother of Mr. Barker was•aboutlo proceed to Aus-
tralia' and the latter accompanied him to Liverpool to see
him off. The vessel by which the voyager was about to
proceed lay in the river, and as isetsual, passengers were
conveyed from the dock to her in a boat. On reaching the
ship, Mr. Barker accompanied his brother on deck, and
whilst there the boat returned, leaving him on board the
Australian bound vessel, which subsequently proceeded on
her voyage.— Wolverhampton Chronicle.
WEIGHT OF RKCRUITS.—From a table showing the
weight of 648 recruits admitted into the service, according
to ages, and seem ding to ages and heights, it appears that'
the average weight of the whole was 13llb soz, or
9st 81b 5 z. Comparing the weight with that of a regiment
of Bengal Native Infantry and of. Madras Native Infantry,
the advantage was greatly in favour of our recruits. The
latter were respectively 1291 b, or Oat 31b, and 1111 b, or
under Bst. The weights of recruits according to ages
:advanced progressively as fellow: 18 years, 1291); 19
years, 1321 b ; 20 years, 1351 b; 21 years, 137,b; 22 years,
1391 b 3 z ; 23 years, 139. b 7oz ;• 24 years, 1351 b ; 25
years, 1411 b.— Medical Times and Gazette.
SHOCKING ACCIDENT CAUSED BY A THIUSHINGMACHINE.
—On Monday last, Mr. Marratt, the coroner for the Dan-
caster district of the West' Riding, held an inquest at the
village of Armthorpe, near that town, or, view of tee body
of a boy, six years old, who was killed by being run over.
During the evidenc, it was stated. that a thrashing machine-
had been placed on tho highway, and the noise fr:ghtened
two spirited • horses in a -waggon, causing them to take
fright. f hey ran direct towards a spot where half a dozen
eniidren were playing, but happily only one of them was run
over. • The coronet celled the owner of the machine before
the jury, and cautioned him not again to allow his machine
to stand on 'a public highway. For this offence he had
narrowly escaped as indictment for manslaughter.
REFORMATORY FOE MONMOUTHSHIRE.—A. reformatory is
about to be established for the county of Monmouth, and a
memorial has just been addressed by the inhabitants of the
parishes of Goytre, Llattover, and Llanfair, to the corn
mittee who have the - management of the inetifution,
representing that the establishment of any institution for
those who have been convicted of various crimes and
offences in the centre of a country district will be
detnorialising, and injurious to the inhabitants. The
memorialists further represent that " the great increase of
murder and robbery in neighbourhoods where such crimes
Were formerly unheard of, and the continual burglaries
now committed by ticket of leave convicts, render it necessary
for us, the undersigned, to record our earnest protest
against the establishment of a reformatory in our neigh-
bourhood, and to solicit your influence to reconsider the
subject, and not to impose such an infliction upon us,"

BELGIAN FREE TRADERS
...AND ENGLISH

PROTECTIONISTS.

The Liverpool Reform Association has forw,trded us the
following communication, for publication
Though not always pleasant, it is often very advantageous,
to know what our neighbours think and say of us. The
remark is not less true nationally than individually, especially
when, as a nation, we are blinded, in some turmoil of passion
or prejudice, to .our own true interests, and turn our backs
upon principles which we have deliberately adopted as just and
true, for the purpose of again hugging to our hearts —it may
be, unconsciously enough, not the less effectually—false and
mischievous dogmas which we have as deliberately rejected.
In just such a. crisis of passion and prejudice aro we now
involved, as regards the great question of Free Trade versus
Protection. Awhile ago we all looked upon free trade as un
fail acompli, 63 far as the principle was concerned ; we were
all congratulating ourselves upon its results, and looking
forward, wi hjoyous anticipations, to its complete development.
The demon of Protection was laid, as We -flattered ourselves,
for ever. Not a Whisper was heard even from the most
obstinate of its adherents. Now, however, all is changed.
Protection is again rampant, though, as yet, under a cunningly
devised mask, and thousands of nominal free traders ktv,
ranged themselves beneath its banner, and clamour with the
most noisy of their former opponents for the undoing of the
accomplished fact, in which they but lately considered it their
highest honour to have borne a part. In the hope that we may
bring back some of our erring brethren to the colours they
have deserted, arrest others in the retrogrssive course they
are pursuing, and rescue all. from the, trap which has been so
ingeniously laid for their reception, we have much pie isure in
laying before our readers the folloWing translation of an article
published in L'llcononriste Beige of the Ist inst., the organ of
the Belgian free traders :

THE INCOME TAX QUEOTION IN ENGLAND.
An association has bzen constituted in England to demand
the reduction or even the suppression of the income tax. This
association recently sent a deputation to the Chancellor of the
Exchequer, to communicate to him the resolutions adopted at
the d fferent meetings ,which had been held in the country.
The Chancellor of the Egcliequer, 'according to his wont,
received the deputation mi h great politeness, but did not
think proper to enter into any positive engagement with it.
This question has, as we shall see, a very high importance.
It does not interest England only, it interests all civilised
nations, for, at the root of 'the question which is agitated
between the adversaries and the partisans of the income tax,
We find in the first place the question, which ought to be
preferred—direct .or indirect taxes. In the second . place,
whether it it possible for us,—yes, or no ; to complete customs
reform, by suppressing
,the custom house, excepting on a
small number of articles. Need we add that in this dispute,
the debris of the Protectionist party- have enlisted themselves
to the adversaries of direct taxation, to demand the suppression
of the income tax, whilst on the other side, the free traders
and all the opponents of 'indirect taxes are agreed to demand
its continuance, but with a modification of its defects'and

abuses.
Lot us now consider what was the origin of the income tax,
and in what it consists. The income tax was first established
in 1798, and regulated in 1803, to provide for the expenses of
the war with France. It rose at that epoch to five per cent for
the diffarent categories of income exceeding £l5O Veiling,
with the exception of the incomes of farmers, who only paid £3
15s per cent. when their incomes exceeded £3OO per annum
Thus established, it produced in 1806 about £4,500,000. But
soon the necessities of the war compelled thegovernrnent to double
the rate. Raised in 1806 to ten per cent, and 171 per cent as
regards farmers, it produced £10,000,000 in 1807,-and nearly
£15,000,000 in 1815. But at the return of peace, this tithe
imposed on the ineome of the monied and higher classes,
appeared insupportable, and they abolished it, preferring to it
indireot taxes, which would fall on the masses.
Yet the system adopted at that time—a system which threw
upon the classes the least able to bear it the greater part of the
burden of the public expenses, at the same time restricting the
commerce of the country—this system was not long before it
produced the most bitter results. Pauperism was seen to
increase in frightful proportions, and with pauperism the disaf-
fection of the masses. England was hurrying on to a revolution,
and she would have had, to her own cost, an experience of
Chartism, as Franco had. that of Socialism in 1848, under the
influence of analogous causes, when the great agitators of .the
An,i Corn Law League, the Cobdens, Brights,:Foxes, and
Wilsons compiled a change of system by 'converting public
opinion to the cause of free trade. Sir Robert Peel, with an
admirable comprehension of the wants of the situation, under-
stood that it was necessary to yield to public opinion ; he
abolished the corn laws, and proceeded with a bold hand to
reform other parts of the tariff. But it was necessary
to cover the defects which the new reforms might
cause in the receipts. Sir R. Peel provi led for it by
re-establishing the income tax, by an act of Parliament passed
on the 22nd June, 1842. It was, in fact, as a temporary
measure only that, this tax, so odious to the higher classes, was
re-establish,d. It was only to last to the 6th of May, 1845 ;
but it was successively prolonged, and finally increased at the
time of the Eastern war. 11 `t it was fixed at the rate of

7d in the pound of net income, which was about 3 per cent ;
excepting as to the incomes of farmers, who continued to enjoy
an exemption of one half in England and two thirds in
Scotland. Moreover, farmers were still only taxed when
their income exceeded £3OO, whilst all others contributing
were subject to, the tax if their incomes exceeded 150.
Ireland alone was exempted from the income tax on account
of the frightful misery she was then suffering.
The establishment of the income tax enabled Sir R. Peel
and his successors to pursue the work of tariff reform and the
reconstruction of the financial system of England. The
deficits were covered and gave place to surplus receipts, for the
reformers instead of reducing the customs revenues on the
contrary augmented them. But, in the meanwhile, the
Eastern war burst forth. It was necessary to provide for the
•extraordinary expenses which this great enterprise of foreign
policy would occasion. Two courses presented themselves,
either it was necessary to resort to loans, that is, to throw upon
future generations the harden of the strife, or to increase taxes
in such a way as to make the present generation pay the
expenses of the war undertaken by it. - On the continent it was
',found very easy to put the future under contribution,
without enquiring whether the passive which we thus
hind will not finish sotno day by getting the
upper hand 'of the active, or whether it is lawful' thus to
discount the resources of future generations. ' In England, on
the -contrary, where, Whatever may be said of' it, political
morality is more developed—whero this doctrine of Jefferson,
that each generation ought to pay its own expenses, counts
numerous partisans—they thought that it was necessary, before
having recourse to borrowing, to augment taxes, thus putting
themselves right with reference to the future. Consequently, the
income lax was increased'hy 91. in the pound, and thus raised
to is. 4d., or about 7 per cent. on the-different branches of
income. Moreover, the limit of the incomes touched by the
tax, which had been until then £l5O, was lowered to £lOO.
All incomes exceeding this sum were subject to the tax, with
the exception of those of farmers, who continued to enjoy the
exemptions which were originally conceded to them. At last
the income tax was also extended ta. Ireland. Thus extended
and increased, the income tax, which produced about
£5,500,000 in 1852, actually realised nearly £16,000,000,
that is to say, more than it brought in 1815, when the rate
was 'lO per cent.
Now that the war is over, this burden again appears insup-
portable ; and, is in 1815, its suppression, or, at least, a great
reduction of the income tax, is again demanded. An associa-
tion is founded to turn to account the complaints of the influ-
ential classes who pay the income tax. But the'adhesion to
its principles has not been unanimous ; far from it. The men
who think that it is not just to throw upon the 'masses the
greater port of the taxes which are spent by the higher classes,
and for their own advantage; those, nsoreovsr, who think that
indirect taxes favour prodigality and waste of public money,
by-concealing' from the muses, the legal spoliation of which
they aro the victims ; all those, in fine, who are of opinion that
England is bound in honour to complete her great commercial
reform—in a word all friends of progress, all the advocates of
freedom of commerce, and of justice in the matter of taxes,
are united in their-turn to demand- the maintenance of the
Income tax ; requiring, at the same time, that it shall be
freed from its abuses of assessment and collection.
The princ'pal organ of this opinion—The Financial Reform
Ass7ciation of Liverpool, has recently published a remarkable
manifesto, which we think it our duty to reproduce in extenso, in
,order to give our readers a precise idea of the question which is
debased in E igland between the advocates and opponents of
the Income Tex.
[Here follows -a translation of the address of the Financial
it form Association.]

The Hon. Sir E. Batler has entered a protest against the
return of Mr. Weguelin for Southampton, on the ground
that three polling booths were demolished and torn down
by the mob before the hour of four o'clock.
A •notice by the East India Company for tenders for
vessels to convey two thousand four hundred troops to
Madras, were issued a few days since; and it was arranged
that the decision should have been given yesterday after-
noon. Shortly before the hour fixed a further notice was
issued, stating that the taking up of vessels for the purpose
.mentioned is for the present postponed. This decision is
presumed to be in consequence of the reported arrange-
went of the Persian question..
SEAMEN'S STRIKE AT Hum..—The strike of the seamen
at Huh is likely to produce considerable excitement. A
meeting has been held, and it has been resolved upon that
the following should be the rate of wages, namely, for the
East Indies. £3 . Mediterranean and West Indies, £3 10s,
and America and the Baltic, £1 a month. They have also
issued a small placard, in which they express a hope that
the shipowners of Hull will talc° the matter into considera-
tion, for their own benefit, as well as that of the seamen,
"they well knowing how many ships have suffered out of
that and other ports with taking men unable to do their
dui y." •

MR. KEOGH, THE DUBLIN UNIVERSITY
CLUB, AND THE IRISH BAR.

The Belfast'Mercury, a print of very liberal tendencies, is
answerable for the following :—ln no country in the: world
would_ a petion with the antecedents of Mr. Keogh have
been elevated to the Bench. In England no minister
would have dared to recommend such a charaCter for
the office of Attorney General. As a lawyer, he never
had any standing at the bar. He was a clever and ready
nisi prigs advocate; but never Was anything more. He
had no legal reputation whatever to justify his selection,
as Solicitor General, by the Aberdeen" Coalition--a selection
which was on a par, with the general acts of that most incom-
petent and disgraceful of modern administrations.. When
that ministry was opprobriously driven from office, Mr.
Attorney General Brewster resigned, but Mr. Keogh had not
played his desperate game up to that point to throw up
his cards so childishly. lie remained, and became
Attorney General. Death in a brief space create d a
vacancy, and thus he stepped on the bench, a memorable
6iatnple of what grdss political immorality niay achieve
in Ireland. Few men have played a More de.sperate game, or
displayed more reckless public immorality than Mr. Keogh.
&nee his first entfance on public lite, he evinced a total
itbandonmeat of all honourable principle. Consistently ho acted
throughout his whole career, no part of which was unmarked
by political turpitude, or redeemed by the slightest reverence
for political honour, public .virtue, or any of those
ordinary conventional observances of party faith, which
even the most reckless adventurers sometimes ff.d it.,
at all events, convenient to assume. Had such a man
been promoted to the English bench, the appointment would
not have endured four and twenty hours; and it would have
endangered the position of the minister who would have dared
to make it, because at the English bar there is a public
opinion, and no matter how political feeling may run, each
man identifies the honour of the bar with his own honour,
and would as soon consent to a tampering with the one as with
the other. But at the Irish bar there is no such
feeling. On several notable occasions attempts have been
made to elicit an honourable bar opinion, hut all such
efforts have only served to show the degraded and servile
condition of a profession, which once. responded to the high,
and honourable, and pure impulses of a Yelverton, a Burgh,
a Bushe, and a Plunkett. Such being the present condition
of the Irish Bar, it is, perhaps, fitting that the Keoghs should
become the Judges. Political servility is now the ladder by which
the Bench is atcended. The third and fourth-rato Barristers
now look to a seat in Parliament as the means of obtaining a
seat on the Bench. Merit is no longer the test of success. The
ambition of a lawyer's life, to look to the ermine as his reward
for years of toilsome labour and patient study, exists only In
theory, or rather it is a dream of the past. One of the great
corrupting, sources of the Irish bar is the mockery of a court
that is still retained in Dublin. Round that centre of low
intrigue and debasing servility, like flies about alioney pot,
the bar keeps buzzing eternally, and, in such an atmosphere,
it is little wonder that high impulses, honourable feelings, and
manly independence, soon finds the common level. One of
the reforms most needed is to abolish the Viceregal nuisance.