The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1803-07-06 00:00:00

4,
Ste 30 El N AI;DERSON said, the Honse did not
yet know what were the provisions of the Bill, there-
fore Le ehould vote for the Speaker leaving the
Chair.
Mr. BASTARD said, he Iwas one of those who
thought that the country had better perish than the
Income Tax be laid on, but he wished to know to
what extent land was to be taxed, before he gave his
consent to the Speaker's leaving the Chair.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
said, that even if he gave an unftvourable answer to
,the Hon. Gentleman's question, it would not justify
him in opposing the Speaker's leaving the Chair, be-
cause it was open toany Gentlemantopropose amend-
ments in the Committee. His answer to the Hon.
Gentleman's question was this : the proprietor of
land could not be taxed more than 5 per cent. for
the land he let to his tenant ; but if he united the
charaeters of landlord and tenant, and kept his land
in his own hands, he would pay in both situations,
viz. Is. in the pound as landlord, and 9d. as tenant.
In reply to what had fallen from the worthy Alder-
man, he said, that when the Income Tax was brought
forward, lie gave it.his support, because he consider-
ed it as a wise measure, and he was far from wish-
ing to possess any popularity from having pro-
posed to repeal it, because he, upon that occasion,
stated, that that measure, or some modification of
it, must be resorted to again at the commence-
ment of a war. He never considered that it was
impassible to soften that measure ; but until he had'
looked into it, with the best assistance he could pro-
cure, he was not aware of the means which might
be adopted to render it palatable to the feelings of
the people. The difference between the present
Bill and the Income Tax was not in the general
priaciple, but in the mode of colleding it, because
he hoped the plan now proposed would prevent the
necessity of disclosure. It was proposed to make
a distinftion between that species of property
which was visible, such as land and money
Which was lent upon interest, and that species
of property which arose from trade professions.
With regard to the latter, it was very necessary
to avoid the necessity of disclosure as much as pos-
sible, so as not to give an opening to fraud. lie
flattered himself that having bestowed great atten-
tion to this subject, that a mode would be suggested
by which the necessity of disclosure would, in a
great degree, be prevented ; but this would be a
•matter of future consideration. Another advantage
attending this measure was, that it would be more
simple, and less inconvenient in its operation than
the Income Tax. There were some of the leading
features of the measure. His wish was, that the
House would permit the Amendments to he made
pee.fielea, that then the Bill should be printed ; all
he asked was, that the measure should be fully
and fairly examined. He by no means flattered
himself that it was possible, in a measure of
such magnitude and importance as the present, to
render this Bill completely unobjectionable : he was
afraid, that even after he had had the benefit of the
wisdom of that House, the measure would he at-
tended with serious difficulties and objedions.
The House, therefore, would not think of rendering
the Bill perfed, but of rendering it as perfect as
possible. He did not believe that it was the wish of
the City of London, that while the rest of the com-
munity was called upon to contribute so largely,
that they should not contribute their fair proportion:
he was sure such could not be the wish of the City
of London, and he trustee. that the Worthy Al-
derman would lend his assistance in the Com-
mittee to render this measure as unobjeetionahie,
and at the same time as effeaual as it was possible ;
because unless that Honourable Member was pre-
pared to suggest some other mode by which the Ci-
tizens of London,- and the trading part of the com-
munity in general could be called upon to bear their
share in the general hurthen, he would not, he was
sure, give an unqualified opposition to this mea-
sure. After the measures that had been adopted,
and the large stuns that had been raised, the House
would not do their duty if they were to stop there,
and not to call upon other classes of the community
for their share of the contribution, who were nct so
immediately affected by the measures which had al-
ready been agreed to.
Mr. BASTARD explained.
Mr. GREGOR said, he did not mean to objeft to
this measure altogether, though he thought some
parts of it were very objedionable, and particularly
that the Tax upon Land was one-ninth in the pound,
which was larger than the tax upon other species
of property.
The ATTORNEY GENERAL replied, that
land was not taxed at Is. 9d. in the pound, but the
tax went upon this principle, that land produced
two incomes, one to the landlord and another to the
tenant, and that was the principle upon which the
tax was founded, which evidently was not a tax of
Is. 9d. upon land.
Sir Robert Buxton, Lord A. Hamilton, Sir
Francis Baring, 1)r. Lawrence, Mr. Kinnaird, and
Mr. W. Smith, spoke to the question.
Lord HAWKESBURY said, he should rather
have chosen to defer the discussion on this subject to
a future day, but he did not wish the speech of the
Honourable Gentleman (Mr. Smith) to go itch un-
answered. The Honourable Gentleman had laid
down two principles, in which he perfeetly agreed,
that no tax could be perfectly equal, and that it was
their duty to make it as equal as possible. Of these
principles, however, the lion. Gentleman seemed
afterwards to have lost sight. Though an Income
Tax was unequal, it was not more so than any
other tax. The Hon. Gentleman had approved
of the idea of raising a large part of the Supplies
within the year ; but whatever might be his opinion,
or the opinion of any one respelling that subject,
with reference to the inequality or equality of a 'l'ax,
the effect was the same ; as whether ten millions or.
one were to be raised within the year, the principle
was the same. Upon this principle he would ask,
whether a Tax on Income could be considered as
bearing heavier upon the community, than taxes
upon consumption ? He knew that it had wisely
been endeavoured to impose Taxes upon Cor.sump-
Lion, but that power wets now much limited.
The Bill was then ordered to be printed and
taken into further consideration on Monday.
The SECRETARY at WAR moved the Order
of the Day for taking into further consideration the
English Militia Pay Bill.--:fhe Dill was recommit-
ted immediately.
In the Committee, Mr. Bastard said, that with re-
gard to the preetice which was to be the result of
this Bill, he hoped That the British Militia would
not learn the whole Austrian discipline. There was
a part of that discipline which neither the officers of
the ecitish Militia nor the.amen understood, and he

1 .•

IMO

lan


hoped they weuldne% er nnilerstand is—that was to re-
treat. He hoped as had been said already, that %dile
an hundred English Militia-men were together, they
would never retreat one inch ; they might advance
at command, but never retreat.—Many of us might
fall, but if this was our determination, we must be
at last successful. We wanted no instrations to
dispose of our courage any way but to exert it.—
Austrians might retreat, Austrians might be de-
feated, Austnans might be disgraced, but the
English must do neither, must tight until they
defeat their enemy, they must fight while a
man remains of them to he opposed to a foe.—
Such a spirit would be invincible, and such a spirit
the people of England possessed, and would chew
on a fit occasion for sheaving it—that was his opi-
nion. He then proceeded to make some observa-
tions on the liill as it related to the condition of Ad-
jutants and other Officers.
'Phis produced a short conversation between Mr.
Bastard, Mr. Dennis Browne, and the Secretary at
War, after which the Bill passed the Committee.
Adjourned at nine o'clock.

THE BRITISH PRESS.

LONDON,
WEDNESDAY, JULY 6.

The 3 per Cents. Reduced, were yesterday morning
so low as 51, and the Omaium was ata discount of 71.
From this state, however, they recovered consider-
ably in the course of the day, and the Omnium, to-
wards the close of the Market, was down at 51. The
most plausible cause for this change was a rumour of a
change in the intended financial arrangement of the
Minister. It was generally stated that the Bank had re-
monstrated against the tax on dividends, and declared
their determination to relinquish the management
of the funds rather than submit to collet this tax.
It was also generally understood, that the Minister,
yielding to the arguments of the Directors, has given
up the idea ofcolleaing the Tax at the Bank, and some
persons even ventured to affirm, that it was his intention
to abandon the Income Tax in toto. The credit attach-
ed to these reports, may be fairly presumed to be
the cause of the favourable change in the Market,
as the weight of the Income Tax has been ac-
knowledged a principal cause of the late depression
of the Funds. This simple circumstance affords
a curious view of the public mind. The menace of
invasion becomes every hour louder and louder.
It is reverberated from every corner, and thousands,
who thought it yesterday an impossibility, regard it
this day as a practicable enterprize. If then inva-
sion were the cause of the fall, we might expel that
the depression of the funds would keep pace with
the probability of the attempt. Yesterday, how-
ever, the funds rose in the face of the increased
alarm of invasion, upon the solitary hope of the
abandonment, or alleviation of a burthensome tax.
What are the privations accompanying such a tax,
compared with the disadvantages that must attend
a successful landing upon our shores ? We answer
nothing. The inference is therefore obvious. The
public consider invasion as a chimera, or a desperate
undertaking.

We yesterday received the Paris papers of the
Ist inst. They contain the disgusting details of
the slavish adulation paid, upon his tour, to the
Corsican pigmy. The Oilicial Journal, however,
in its faithful report, takes care to omit the salute
of the two English frigates in the road of Boulogne.

The new levies will not be kept distind from the
regular army, and trained at separate depots. They
are to be joined with the regular regiments now at
home. As soon as the ballot takes place, and the
men are mustered, they are to be sent off instantly to
the head-quarters of the nearest regiments,with which,
according to the most convenient proportions, they
will be brigaded.
The Cabinet Council last week resolved to issue
orders for impressing landsmen with vigour, the im-
press began on Saturday night and has been con-
tinued without intermission. All persons apparent-
ly idle or disorderly were seized, and on Saturday
night many tradesmen were of course found in that
character.—All the police offices had press warrants
sent to them, and they were very a6tive. Upwards
of !000 men were picked up in twenty-four hours.
In consequence of the representations made to the
French Government by those traitors who have re-
nounced the rights of Englishmen, and enrolled
themselves among the slaves of the Corsican, the fol-
iow ing modifications have taken place in the decree
for the imprisonment of the English :—l. The artists
and artizans, employed in French manufactories,
stztll not be obliged to quit the commune where those
establishments are situated, if the principals claim
them, and engage to answer for them. 2. Such '
Englishmen asliave established manufactories or com-
mercial houses in rural communes, or small towns, in
which there is no military Commandant or Officer of
Gendarmerie, may, after submitting themselves to
the Officer of the nearest city, return to their manu-
factories or commercial houses. 3. Those English-
men who, since the peace, and before the declaration
of war, manifested an intention of establishing them-
selves in France, and of becoming French Citizens,
and who have complied with the formalities requisite
for that purpose, arc not comprised in the disposi-
tions of the decree.

,4**4
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