The National Register.
London, England, 1819-03-28 00:00:00

No. 1167.—V0t.. XII.]

PARLIAMENT for the last ten days (with the excep- ,
lion of an instance to which we shall advert here-
after) has been chiefly engaged ir attempting on one
s de to procure some relief from the heavy burthen
cf taxation, and to enforce retrenchment and on
the other, to resist them both. Several petitions have
been presented to the House of Commons by Mr.
Anson and others, for the repeal of the Tax upon
Horses used in Agriculture. The pressure of this
.burthen is unquestionably severe ; and the more se-
vere from the partial weight with which it bears
upon particular individuals. It is argued by many
fiat corn, as an article of the first necessity, is no
proper object even of indirect taxation, and that not
only our own produce, but the produce of the whole
world, should have a free and unfettered introduc-
tion into our public markets. This is the universal
argument of the commercial part of the community ;
and if the principle be sound, they must unite heart
and hind with the agricultural part, in endeavour-
ing to get rid of a load which must ultimately fall
upon the consumer ; as the effect of all checks upon
agriculture is to lessen, in a rapidly increasing ratio
of velocity, the quantity of its produce ; and thus,
notwithstanding the resources of foreign supplies,
o enhance the price of grain. But independent of
this general claim to support on the part of the pe-
titioners, we cannot forget that, whilst the best and
richest soils pf,England are either devoted to pas.
turage or cultivated as arable with comparatively
little labour and few horses, the poorer and lighter
soils which compose so large a portion of our own
county, must either be cultivated upon a system
which demands the greatest quantity of both, or be
left to weeds, barrenness and rabbits. Again, Nor-
folk, perhaps more than any other county in En-
gland, has the happiness to possess a very numerous
body of small landed proprietors,—a race of men
valuable to society, and which every good govern-
ment will make it an object to protect. From a
variety of causes too numerous to particularize, it
is well known that a very large proportion of their
small properties are mortgaged, some for one-
half, some two thirds, and many more for very
nearly their full value, leaving the nominal owner
for in fact he is no more—in a worse condition, as
tr iis ability to discharge any public burthen, than
t'i_t mere tenant at will. But how does this tax deal
with this description of persons ? It most inequitably
passes over all these obligations without any notice,
and begins first by taking the value of the rent of
their occupation, then doubles it because held by
the proprietor, and thus makes them subject to the
very highest scale of duty ; whilst their next neigh-
bour, upon an equal extent of business, and paying
less for rent than the little owner has to pay for in-
krat, escapes upon the lowest. The one pays his
five shillings a horse, the other seventeen shillings
end sixpence, We could point out so many cases
of teal and oppressive hardships arising from this
defect, that, if they were fairly submitted to the
notice of the legislature, they must engage its atten-
tion and procure redress. We would particularly
suggest this to our County Members.
The Salt duties have also been made the subject
of parliamentary discussion. Their present annual
produce to the revenue is about one million and a
half; and the cause assigned for their admitting of
no reduction is, that,excepting the sum above•men-
tinned, and thus raised, not a single shilling will be
Available towards the reduction of our pubic debt,