The National Register.
London, England, 1816-03-11 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS, Moro4y, MARCH 4.

Petitions were presented from Monmouth, Litchfield, Mac-
clesfield, Bridgewater, High Wycombe, Belford, Caine, Hun-
tingdon, Mile End, St. Luke's (Chelsea), Oakingham' Lime-
street Ward, Sonth Molton, and Tewksbury, against the Pro.
perty.tax.
A new writ was ordered for Lewes, in the room of Thomas
Read Kemp, Esq. who has accepted the Chiltern Hundreds,
Mr. C. CA I.VERT presented a Petition front the Parish of St.
George's, Southwark, against the Property.tax, and one from
the Ward of Dowgate, signed by every individual in the Ward,
with the exception of Ise. This ward had, on all occasions,
been ready to conic forward in support of the Government,
whatever Ministers directed the affairs of the Empire.
Mr. flancts v presented &similar Petition from Lambeth.

Mr. VAN.;ITTART wished to remind the House, that with re-
spect to the. Property-tax, it had been originally brought in by
Mr. Pitt. fur the service of the then war, and pledged for an
millions, or rattler to continue for eight years. When the re-
newal of the war obliged Lord Sidnuinth to resort to this tax,
he proposed it, not on Mr. Pitt's funding plan, on which money
might be borrowed, but as a tax for one year; Parliament re-
sei sing to itssof the light of continuing it or not, as seemed to
them most proper. It was thus that the tax was granted as a
War-tax, and the words " so longer" were originally introduced
into the Bill ; the question whether it should continue in peace
being, as he before stated, vested in Parliament. In lbOi;
Lords Grenville and Lansdowne were placed is similar circum-
stances; for these two Noble Lords, with respect to this tax,
tid not consider the faith of Government pledged to its discon-
tinuance in the event of Peirce, no more than himself, and
tierefore It ft the question open for the consideration of Par-
litietent. He would now state, what had Wpm ned since. On
the 20th of Februnry, !Ste, !what, made to the House a general
statement oldie means in the bands of Government for defray-
g the public expenditure, in %hi. h the Property-tax was not
IL -hided ; it being considered an inconvenient and unpropiti-
em measure then, on the eve of the expiration of a war. On
that occasion he bad stated, that the reablie filth was nid
pledged, and the question would remain open for decision. He
now thought that circumstances were greatly changed. Those re.
"(Aimee to which Government looled for assistance were mort-
gaged ;and the only choice was. either to make &huge addition
to the Assessed Tames, or adopt the Property-tax. Any addition
to the Ayr/eased Tases'Must be much more burtheneome and trou-
blesome; and as Government must have one or the ether, they
judged it the most expedient to cad for a contiutiance of the
rt impel tv4alc.
. Vi-oN v maintained, that thoughthe Right lion. Gent.
did Hut consider the faith of Parlionsent pledged, there were
rosily in the idolise, end inure out of it, who did. The Aat
ex-
pressly des:shined " that it should continue until the 411, of April
followiug the definitive Treaty of Praire." Where words were
as significantsy exit/rued what oilier opinion entail the polite(
have Tile Right Hon. ('cut. hail talked of the choirs aforer
fa two ii.jog, namely. the Assessed 'faxes addition, or the
Property-tax. To he (Mr. P.) wonld say, " lei
need of either."---(lfear, hoe')—He lipid the !tight lion. Gen
tleman would athard to the suggestion s,f tte Hon. Baronet, us
the wisest Comae of proceeding. and abandon the tax.
Mr. West:vax presented a Petition from the Freeholders
of Suntee,rt-diiie against the tax, which mated the distress's of
the dipientriaral inkiest, which war in a sate older:is : theme's
and lawgiver. r4e, ;oboyo.(1, caustd by the overwhelming in-
!lnmate of taros, p+a.lug for a redisetism of the military e.ta-
bliihaveut, the ahmition oi'silie:nre places, .he..vc 'Floe Hon.
dew-called the attention of Aloe tees, not only to the general
&abject of the itetitlon, last to +mother imp°, tent fcatine OCes-
fiened by vie disteesaos of the ottionsiten. He stared, that every
day the French Am!.amerior was in the practice of grantitig
passports to diairestatal ;senors . who wet* lerr.ng the country.

'ft! NATIONAL REGISTER.

Mr. M Exist EN considered himself imperiously called upon to
speak, haviug seconded the address to the throne, vvhieh was
so generally acceded to by the House, and to remind Nlinisters
of the pledge of economy held out by the Prince Regent in that
address. He considered himself as security thr that pledge,
and regretted to see extravagance still persevered in—m
promises there held out, still uni Hear. itear.`--1 t was
the duty of Ministers to go to the Prince Regent, and to tell
him, as his faithful advisers. that it was but just that he shook!
have no more excesses in the Civil List--nu more fancifnl cot-
tages, pavilions, and pagodas, or things of that kind Bear,
hear )—to tell him, that the contributions paid by France, for
the maintenance of the army there, were not the exclusive pro-
perty of the crown, but 'whinged to Parliament to recommend
to his Royal IFgliness to add practice to his theory, and then
he would win the people's hearts. Snob advice might be un-
palatable—but retrenchments wile neeessaly.— (Hear,haws.)
Such was the ditty of the contillential advise', of the Cross ii.
(fa deaf ear were turned to their refurnish...locos, he hoped it
would not be long before the House 'mold rise. with one ac-
cord, to approach the throne. and to coos ince the people (what-
ever might be said to the contrary by persons from malicious
or designing tints) that public spirit was yet alive within
(lie walls of Parliament --(Lour! cries oil &a t, tear.)—The Hon
Gent. here noticed an error which had EOM' abroad, that he
voted for the estimates going into a Committee, as Implying
that he approved of them generally. The fact was not so. In
the Committee each item would hr discussed, and by with-
holding his assent to the Committee he should base been voting
against keeping up one army.
Mr. LASIBTON observed, that the speech of the Hon. Se-
conder did him great bottom., and he congratulated the !louse
and the country on the eetieral manifestation of opinion against
the tax. He also condoled with the 31inisters on the bidisposi-
tion, the length of attack, mid recommended profuse blt eding,
either by a lancet or a leach—(a laugh.)`-Indeed. he could not
recommend a better operator to them than a Commissioner tinder
the Income-tax. With respect to the tax, he wished to remind
country gentlemen, that the time had now arrived when a great
stand must be made to ward off profusion and extravagance in
the public expenditure; for landlords could obtain no rents.
tenants could not find a market for their produce, labourers
were out of employ, and the poor were obliged to abandon the
work-homes to make room fur their masters and former cm-
'doyen'. hear)—'f his was the issue of a war, and the
beginning of a peace, for which the Noble Lord opposite had
obtained a blue ribbon and a Marquisate, and the people no-
thing but undiminished taxation and a military despotism—
(Mae, hear).
Petitions were presented against the Property-tax from Ches-
ter and Beverley ; on presenting the last,
Mr. FORBES expressed his hopes that the Chancellor of the
Exchequer would give way to the voice of the pimple, thus
generally expressed. If, however, that Right Hon. tientlernan
should still persist in bringing forward the 11114.45111 e, he trusted
he would he eventually foiled in the attempt.
Lord MILTON pi eseuted petitions from Vann, Gistiorough,
and Leeds against the rcuewal of the Property-tax. On pre-
senting the last,
Lord LAINCELLES, observed that some mod:ficatiotis were
absolutely necessary to be made in this tax, it' it was indeed
to be pressed upon the country, particularly as related to the
landlords and tenants tax, and. commercial men. With respect
to the distressed state of the agricultural interests, which
were now invariably united with the property tax, be must
confess lie did tint entertain any very saueitine hopes, that any
thing the House could do, would much relieve that part of the
community. The dishes.: of the agriculturist arose mostly.
from the extensive failures of country batiks. the increased
caution of those which remained, and the consequent diminu
Lion of the eirculatinc ilium. In his Hob l i 11l 1, the only relief
which could be afforded, would be a diminithus of taxation
by an introduction of saving into all the departments, from the
highest to the lowest.
Mr. PONSONBT said, a Noble Lord hod staled his objection
to the tax as related to the tenants, because few of then, %Vete
able to pay it. He also objected to the laudlord's tax, be-
cause he thought it bore hard on then' in ninny eases; and lie
objected to its application to eannowreial inew, because in
these times of distress exposure of their 01mm:stances might
lie ruinous to them. After these three classes wets exetnpt,
he would ask the Noble Laird who would remain to pay the tax
—and what could be thought of the Minister who should press
this unproductive and obnoxions tax upon the people.

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