The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1805-02-19 00:00:00

war, and the formatitio of Continental engagements,
And to have agreed to the sum for the establishment
of them (say 5,000,0001.) in a Committee of Sup-
ply, before they adopted this premature metb,nl of
voting the Ways and Means for the year Fot
when the question came afterwards to he regularly
discussed on the subject of these foreign engage-
ments, the House might thus be afterwards told,
that, by not objeding, in the first instance, to the
sum for which credit was now to be taken, they
had given an implied pledge to agree to such
a vote. Against any such pledge, he must solemnly
protest. He did not, however, now mean to ehjet to
the Right Hon•wrable Gentleman's providing for
that sum ; yet, this should not preclude him or
others, from objecting afterwards to the time or
manner of entering into such foreign engagements,
or the quantum of money allotted for the fulfilment
of them. With resped to the particular taxes now
proposed, there were one or two of them which ap-
peased to him highly objectionable. The first was
that on horses employed in agriculture. 1 le could not
help thinking, that the present tax was already felt
exceedingly hard. With respect to the tax on salt,
he also felt very considerable objections. Them
was another view in which he differed from

the Right Honourable Gentleman. He would not
dispute the expediency of raising great war taxes,
but he differed from him in tilt- general result ; for,
excepting the tax upon salt, there was hardly any
thing now proposed to be raised, in a strict sense,
upon consumption. In ascertaining the permanent
resources of the country, he thought the best crite-
rion to judge by was, tit.: articles of consumption.
He saw already a diminution of 1,200,0001. of re-
venue ; and though that sum, out of 30,000,0001.
was not of itself sufficient to alarm, yet it afforded

....._ .. _ . .
ground to infer, that we were drawing nearer to
the lionts of the taxes on dire& consumption
than he could wish. He was also sot ry to hear
an addition of 25 per cent. to the property tax.
It seemed to approach the baneful principle of taking
property diredly from the individual, and it would
be difficult to see, where we were to look far an
end of thissort of taxation of taking property im-
mediately from the subjea wherever we could find
it. This tax, he was also of opinion, was levied un-
equally, for those whose property resulted from
commerce did not pay in the same proportion wish
those who paid ou land or funded property. He
really trembled to think what would be the conse-
quence, if the property tax was to become any thing
like a regular permanent mode of taxation, for if so,
he should be afraid that, after a certain number of
Tears, it would come to be voted annually, like the
Land Tax. He really thought he discerned the
symptoms of approaching that rim where ordin try
modes of taxation were almost exhausted. When
this happoted, nothing would remain but to pro-
ceed to take the interest, and possibly afterwards tie
principal, from the subjed. He sincerely wished,
therefore, that some other tax, rather than such :t
one as this, should be resorted to ; for he really
thought that it would go to the absolute destrudion
of property throughout the kir.!:doin. In this case
the subjed could have no real security for the enjoy-
ment of hi, property. The present were taxes
which he silvered would be found to fall exceed-
ingly heavy ; and that others, in lieu of them, must
eventually be resorted to. These remarks were for
the serious consideration of the House, and of His
Malady's Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr. Pitt).
The CIIASCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
replied, that he perfealy concurred in the first ob-
servation m tile by the Right Hon. Gentleman, for
it never could have been intended that, by agreeing
to the resolutions now submitted, any member
1 sacrild he pledged to an approbation, or to the ap-
plicazion which may hereafter be proposed of any
sums of money for continental purpii,es. Such a
pledge never was and never could, on any parlia-
mentary ground, be supposed ; but a hen the time
arrived for a measure of that kind, the House would
have fully before them the means which would enable
them freely and fully to judge of the time, the
a minim, the application, and the objets of any
continental subsidy which may be entered into.
At this moment no arrangement was formed, or
in such maturity as to be laid before them, but it
was, for many reasons, thought right that the
statement of the Ways and Means of the year
should not be delayed to a later period. Had the
negotiation for the Loan been delayed, the conse-
quence would be, that much speculation would en-
sue, and that the revenue would be injured 11
the produce of the quarters being thrown hack,
and the taxes be realised much later than the public
, service may require. The consequence of that
would be felt in the produce of the Consolidated
Fund. For the same reasons, a partial Loan
now would be of great inconvenience, and upon the
whole, there was nothing which could be thought
irregular in this early proceeding, except perhaps
the vote of 5,000,0001. for Continental purposes,
which would come in the proper stage under the
consideration of Parliament. The Hon. Gentle-
man (Mr. Fox) appeared to compi tin, that the
produce of these taxes was not to come from articles
of general consumption. but an that he seemed to
forget that there was an additional duty on Salt,
than which there was no article of more general
consumption. The duty was still less objeaionable
which was proposed upon pleasure horses, which
most be acknowledged to be an article of luxury.
That upon horses used in agriculture was in no
more than a fair ratio, worthy the improved cul-
tivation of the country ; and the additional duty in
the Post Office only kept pace with the public con-
venience. These last, though net diredly taxes on
consumption, fell upon the articles made use of for
purposes of consumption, and out of the 1,500,0001.
1,100,0001. may be fairly stated as laid upon con-
sumption. These articles had. for the three last
years, been subjeaed to many new and unavoidable
butthens; but it was no slight argument in their fa-
vour, that the encrease was not attended with any
diminution of the wealth, prosperity, or the con-
venience of the country. He should not, however,
at all enter into the subjea now, as there would be
ample opportunities of doing so, when the different
Bill, should be brought in, and come distindly under
the consideration of the House. As to the Proper-
ty Tax, it must be acknowledged, that it had many
advantages over the Tax upon Income; and though
it was natural enough, that direa tales should be
more unpleasant than those which were otherwise
imposed ; yet it must be allowed, that they were
much more cecouemical, and highly beneficial too i