The National Register.
London, England, 1821-07-08 00:00:00

REPEAL OF HORSE DUTIES.

To Coach Proprietors, Innkeepers, Posting Mask's, Trades.
men, Travellers, Higlers; in short, to all descriptions of
Persons keeping Horses, the PROPRIETORS of Laud only
excepted.
GENTLEMEN,
Although Horses denominated Agricultural Horses have
always been subject to a lower tax than any other kind of horses,
although not only theta: on a single agricultural hate is 41. less
than the tax on a single :task horse, but the agricultural horses
are exempt also from the progressive increase of taxation to which
other horses are liable . • yet, gentlemen, you see the tax on those
horses subject to the-lower duty repealed, whilst not one word is
said respecting those horses which for many years have been
subject to an unproportionable charge of duty, It was said by
one of the M.emberS, that the tax on agricultural horses was a
tax on industry, those horses being implements of the farmer;
good, I should be happy to meet him on this ground, for the
argument is much stronger in favour of trade horses. Gentlemen,
all your horses are implements in your respective businesses, and
the unequal tax you have been so long paying, is a reason why
the tax on trade horses should have been repealed in preference
to the tax on agricultural horses. Horses used in any &ranch
of trade, or by professional men, are most certainly implements;
and a tax on them is undoubtedly a tax on industry ; but a WIC
on agricultural horses, or servants, if taxed, (as they ought to
be, as well as servants in trade) is nothing more nor less than a
charge on the land; hence the removal of it; it is a boon to those
very men who repealed it; it is half a million taken front the
Treasury, and will, as soon as new lettings, and rent regulation
days will permit, be added to the rental of the landau
ETORR, and will not increase the income of the renter; and
further, if at a future day it be found that the half million now
repealed cannot be spared, it would not surprise me if Mr.
Curwen should propose some other tax, from which the LAND
must be exempted. It teally seems as if the proprietors of the
soil were to be specially protected beyond all other persons. In
time of war their rentals increase most enormously—in peace
those overgrows rentals are, if possible, to be kept up by means
either direct or indirect; if a Corn Bill direct will not operate to
their wishes, then the agricultural taxes must be repealed ; no
tax on servants hors they paid, no tax on horses are they to pay.
A Bill ceelkd a Corn Average Bill is now SILENTLY passing,
which in its effect (and no doubt in its intention) is to raise the
restriction price eight shillings per quarter. Mr. Robinson said
that it was understood in 1815 how the averages were to be
taken, or the Corn Bill would have passed with a restriction price
of seventy two shillings instead of eighty shillings, for that the
mode of taking the averages would re make tee, diffence. If,
therefore, the -Bill of 1416 is to stand at 80s. (equal in 1821 to
ltusl and the averages be altered, this must on the same prineis
pie make the {present Bill as 88.3. Bill of the currency of 1815,
or a 1345. Bill of the currency of 1841. How is all dm? Why,
the landowners are the legislators. Will the tenants thank their
landlords for this? No—A fanner said the other day, that sow he
was too old to be caught by the sound of aCorn Bill or the repeal
of the Agricultural Taxes.saat one time his tent was not abated
became his 14 per cent. Property Tax was repealed, so that
instead of his being relieved by its repeal, the LANDLORD was
bunetitted to the lull amount of 174 per cent. being his own and
his tenant's tax, effecting thereby onuther rise of 174 per cent on
his rent. At another time the Corn Bill prevented his rent being
lowered, and now he supposes the repeal of the Agricultural
Horse Tax and the Corn Average Bill will be the plea. Tl.e fact
is, that whatever be the price of the farmer's produce, or the
amount of his tuxes, the landlord a ill take care that the tenant's
situation shall be precisely the sante.
Seeing that the wealthy landowners arc thus shifting the public
heathens from themselves to the middling and lower classes, 1
would re:aura:tend the inhabitants of every place within the
extensive circulation of this valuable Paper, to prepare Petitions
without debt!), setting forth the real state of thecae:, and jiraying
an equal share in the protection to be at any time granted by the
legislature; and now to repeal the tax on all horses, except
hunters, racer.., and horses kept entirely for pleasure.
1 um, Gentlemen.
Your must obedient humble servant,
Chelknhatn, Jaw 30, 1821. SCRU'I'ATOR.

Ct* To oblige a Cot respondent, we insert the above letter, but
we owe it to outset's to add, that we consider many of his argu•
talents to be founded in fallacy, and tluit 'aurally we dissent
limn his opinions on the subject.--Ea.

A few evenings ago a house in Church-street, St.
Ann's parish, Soho, was attempted to be broken
open in the evening, by some well dressed thieves,
belonging to a gang of burglars who infest that
parish, who mode a second attack at five o'clock in
the morning, after the watchmen were off, but were
disturbed by some persons going to work. In an
adjoining street, one night last week, seven or eight
bays, who were pretending to play, nearly broke
into a house, but the I.imily were ahumed. and the
young villains escaped, leaving behind them an iron
cow, with which they nearly furoed open the duJr.