The National Register.
London, England, 1816-03-10 00:00:00

'it IL ti C( II 5.

Petitioner were presented from Eao Town, Ross, Kirkeuil.
bright, Chippeilliam, I lorshain, 1 .IIfIiOVV, hingstonmpon-Thaines,
Dartmouth, Lyining toil, Annandale, Southampton, Great
Grimsby, Dim. Cambridge, and Deal, against any renewal of
the Property Tax iindor any nioditientions whatever.
Mr. Wm. Dauilas presented one from Edinburgh against the
Propurty Tim. Five others were presented from Edinburgh
and its vicinity.
Mr. S. Thornton presented ono from Clapham.
Sir rl. !lope presented ono from Linlithgow, and stated that
the nonortation of butter and cheese should be Mr a time sus-
pended.
Mr. PoNsounv wished to know if the Noble Lord opposite
considered this Petition as coining from some of those whom
the Noble Lord called clamourers against the Tax. Did he
soli eontinac to think there was only a partial opposition to
this Tax, excited by. those who sat on his (Mr. P.'s) side of the
Douse tie (Mr. P.) !flitew ofno attempts which hail been Made
to excite clamour against thy TAX ; but this he knew, that the
ailiecilOti to the Tax was so general, as no endeavonr of any
set of mon, whatever might has e been their situation, coo id
Lase eNcio.d. It was the real voice of the people from one
end of the country to the other, a voice to which he wished the
Nowt. Lord would attend,

. .
Lord C.NTLHKE.tGit did not consider the thus discussing the
subject partially as a fair or convenient mode if discussing the
Property Tax, though he did not consider it as likely to excite
clamour against it. And he had said, that those who were the
first to agitate this measure, and who me it from 6.1 to im
her coo, when they were in power, were the last who slionld
argue against the principle of the Tax. He last bight con-
ceded to Gentlemen opposite, that this was a different measure
when considered in time of peace to what it was in time of war,
and Gentle= n seemed sorprized at the concession. He would
now concede something atm e.—He should now argue it still as
a War Tax—( Ueer, hear.)—He should argue the necessity for
its continuance whilst we were yet under the influence of the,
late content. He had used the word daimon., and he would
now repeat it, and upon these grounds; namely, that thus en-
deavouring to raise debate upon every Petition, before the me-
rits of the question could be gone into, was rather to clamour
down than to argue down the Tax.
. .

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Honrsun contended, that the Property Tax and the
Establishim nts were so closely connected, that it was impossible
to discuss one s about the other.

Mr.l WAS sorry to lee the Noble Lord so sore as he
appeared to be on the subject. The Noble Lord had the talent
of blowing hot and cold—peace and war—in the saw., breath.
11Int the Noble Lord should has e known his omit 11111111 and de-
cided, whether he would has it it war or peace betere he put
the Declaration of Peace. into the Prince Regent's Speech.
Rut at that time it would appear the Noble Lord wanted a
Speech and an Address, and therefore he would have Peace ;
he had got his Speech and Address., and Peace had dune its
duty: but now the Noble Lord wanted the Property Tax, and
to get it the Noble Lord would have it War. -(lLne, hear.)—
The Noble Lord said, there was only a factions opposition to
this measure. lie (Mr. T.) was really now, without a single
word being said on the subj..et, to take the sense of the House,
man by coin, Witte Noble Lord es cold sutler it to be takeu fairly
upon the measlier.
Mr. N's issivra nT Would take this opportunity of stating
some of the modifications Inuit r which he intended to propose a
rontinnation of the Tax.—He had, on a termer night, stated his
intention to propose reducing the Tit% to five per cent.; and
further, to repeal one million of that part of it which pressed
sin the agriculturists. On consultation -.1 WI those best in-
tormed on the subject, it appeared to him that the best mode
to be adopted would be, to make the greatest part of this re-
duction Schedule B. the Tenant's Tax. This part of the' Tax
had heretofore been imposed in the proportion of three-fourths
of tl:e rent. He should propose, on this head, that in thture it
Flllllal.l 14. taken at the third of the. value of the land. Thus u
farm paying OUOI. a year reut, would be assessed at otial. and at
the rate of five per cent. amounting to a charge of and lie
should o propose, that even this reduced scale shonid not be
brought low”r than to farms of Sal. a year. The Right Hun.
Gentleman stated, that in respect to incomes of MI per nun.
the relief which would be awaited was intended to be very
considerable. nil possessing income below that sour would,
according to- the ste.cuient Ire bud before made, be exempt
from the operation of the Tax. It had been said, that in the
remoter puts of the country, the agricultural and trading part
of the community were incompetent to pay any of the Tas,
however :modified it might be. This was a subject for the con.
arderatiem of the Committee; and he propose, in the de-
tails which he should give iu the Cenniii,tce, that a distant pe-
riod be Iris en them fur making their pay incots. There would
be sonic other points of relief for the agricultural part, which
he would also state. On the subject of the trading part, there
was no mode of assessing traders, without requiring them to
matt' returns of their income. This mode had formed u pow
cipal gromid of objection raised by the opposers of the Tag,
und ou which much misrepre•enmtion had gone abroad, as to
the le sv Mg of tin' Tax, and the hardship collo' ed by' traders,
He bad formerly said that it would fall On them equally, but to
this it was retiorted, that it fell on the poor, and Het on the rich,
The fact was, that by fetal us le, it appeared that not more
than one-fourth of the very low description of traders were
charged with the 'lex. But, however, the subject would be
more properly discussed in the Co 11111 l Mee, and if any plan
could he devised, or any new mode of le vying the tax on trade
be proposed, he should be happy to lend an car to it, and if
feasible, to carry it into effect.
Mr. !Snot. on 4.M thought the modifientioos, however, wire of
so insidious a nature in respect to trade, that he trusted no
rooms y gentleman would agree to the tax; ter, in his opinion,
it was a moat dishonest mode to relieve one part of the commit.
nity at the expenee of the other. lie th,ri obsersed that tour
years ago the diseussious on the Or ders iu Council lasted near
a month, and convinced the Petitioners that their Petitions
were attended to. It had the etiret of alloyiug the ferineut in
the public wind, and produced a sneeusstill opposition to the
measure then in question. Much hail been said by the Right
Hon Gentle/nail about the modifications ; he warned the coun-
try against being dccclved by a semblance of modifications.
Nio doubt, as hue had said, he was glad to take the 'Fax on any
terms, but he trusted the Right Ilan. Gentleman would be
driven from mod,featien to modification, until at length he
wou!d be obliged to ;we it up, The Tort„ it' now agreed to,
was too large---too tempting a bait—for Ministers es er to Fire
sip. The time to oppuse it snecesslidly was now, or the oppor-
theity was log, and therefore he called upon the House and
thu country to make a stand.