The National Register.
London, England, 1822-03-03 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER

KN IGHTSIIIRIDUE AFFAIR.
Mr. Ald. WOOD said be rose fur the purpose of moving,
that the petition of the city of London, regarding the Knights-
bridge allair, be referred to a committee of enquiry. Ile
understood that his motion was to I e ,eeiiiiited by nu him-
colleague o its whom he oils not oft. a in the habit of agree-
iVist. Cuttiu.)-11 e bel:eved the object of both
suns enquity ; he had no other °beet now. He moved that
the iOll% petition be referred to it committee.
Sir W. CURTIS seconded the motion. There were two

Sheriti%—tine had no authority there ; Mr. Alderman and
Sh rill' Waithinan would have been better had he ben at-

home. (War, and laughter.) Pe and the common council
meddled with to..tiers they neither understood our ought to
interfere wills ; they passed themselves Mins very imputtunt
rersunuAes ; but they were nothing Of she kind.—Thowsh
he had seconded the tom, he thought that august awesobly

would only he waguig their time n meddling with such

nousen.e.

Col. LiiiiON said, on the day in (location he had done
his utmost to preserve older; and he had to bi:111', that
throughout his sued had paid great attention to his coin.

ninth.

.....
11013110 USE et:ctiry could not be !refused
after such Micelle'lls mid btipporl.
Mr. (tierretai y) PEEL oppie,ed the motion,
blr. Ald. WOOD shortiy replied.
The Howe then divided on the question; the numbers
weir—for the motion, 56—against it, Dii—lost by a ma-
jority of I•2S.
SALT DUTY.

Mr. CALCRA FT then rose to bring forward his motion
on the subject of the salt tax. The boa. gent. entered into
detail of the particular, of the tax, and the points on which
it messed most heavily on the people.—The present duty
amounted to upward. of 3,0001. per cell t.on die price of the
article ; it was tilteen shillings por In.h,- I, and the amouut
of the produce was near a milli anal n half. The proposi-
tion is hick he had now to submit to the was to repeal
this tax, not immediately uad at mice lion ever, hut by a gr '-
dual reduction of live shillings per bliAsel ; thus the duty
would be le t rid of by de reel in thee )ears. He concluded
by moving for leave to bring in a 1,31 accurdioLly.
The CH ANC ELLO It of the EXCH EQU ER replied to
the argument of the bon, gent. and decidedly opposed hi=
propo,ition. los the present state of our finance., all a hick
could lie done In respect to repeal of taxes had been doue.—
The repeal of the malt tax would amount to near 1,400.0001.
and this year there would be no further surplus. ro adopt
the proposition of the ho n. member would take away a
a revenue of 500,0001. immediately. Tins sum, under exist-
in.= circumstances, could not be spared. No father repeal
of taxes could take place till an improvement In the revenue,

or some other circumstance, sbnul enable Gotetnmeni

again to come down w.th it proposition to that vireo. What
taxes it might next be politic or desirable In reveal, must
lest on the circumstances of the moment. The tom gent.
had described the Ina as revising naiad heavily on the public;
but on the fairest calculation it would app,ar, that on the
average it did not amount to more that two shillings per
year for each individual. The right hon, gent. concluded
by ',maint the previous question
Lind NORM:IN BY expressed his entire concurrence in
tae sentiments expressed by his hon. f lend who had intro-
duced the motion. On ilie i tttttt ediate suliect under discus-
sion, he would not offer any remarks, as they were rendered
supe, tbms by the able speeches of the hon. mover and
seconder.

Mr. LEYCESTERsupported the motion. I.le desrriboil

the tax us a grievous burden on the country at large.—The
relief grunted to the agrictiltui al interest by the reduction of
the malt duty was, he contended, quite disproportionate to
the diAiess ler which it laboured. Ile was nu fiiend to
ditch temporary expedients. II called on the country gen-
tlemen to demand such effectual measures ai would rescue
the latid-uss tier, the )comae, and the farmer, from impending
ruin.

Sir I. COFFIN expressed 1113 assent to the motion. It
wait not just that the poor man in this country should pay
183. a bushel for a necessary of life w hich the inhabitants of
other countries C11111(1 procure for 61.
Dr. MILLI 5101 IE said, he load I rough! his mind to the
comet oesioit 111111 nothing but uccessity could *loafs this tax,
but having come to the persuasion that 5,000,0001. was n•-
ce—ttry for a surplus of revenue, he could out see bow, in
six nights after, they could lake away one fourth of that
coin. It was to Ilan a painful necessity, but it was ttecessat y
to abstain a littlt longer, and he trn3ted a very little longer,
room r. pealing the tax. There would be It disposable sur-
plus next %ear, and it could not be better applied.
Mr. RAND LEY proceeded for some time to support
view. similar to those of ministers, out was ut List obliged
to %ield to the impatience of the liitu-e.
Geis: GASCOV NE adverted to the hidory of the nu on
salt. to the views with which it aas reimposed its 1796, mid
and to the express. d intention of the minister of that ray
oh it should lie alodedied as soon as possibble. The host.
and gallant getter:A Giro proem-Mid to slate that he had
h•te, ed us the deb de, mid pal tirttlarly tot he speech of 1 it"
,iglu hots: emit. the Chancellor of the L %chequer, told Lail
not heard ft single reason ag:1111,4 its leprad. The ;fts.laat
I:emeriti concluded by declaring that he would give his firm
support to SIC motion.
Sir FR N l ISOM:MANLY said, lie would vole fur the
repeal of all taxes that peculiarly n(f.rted the poor.
Sir J. S L lilt [GUT woold not only vote for the repro: Of
this lax but of others. (Hear, hear.) The repeal of taxes
did not necnoarily reduce the surplus for a sit,t.ing•funtl till
till the means of emitionty its the public expeoditure were ex.
tmbled. Retrenchment, udmttting of n seduction of taste.,
should ittittedisitely be adopted ; for if otinisit rs did 11111 het to
tett enchant it stow, they latest come to it at hot• had
heard much of the it istred4 of sip kulture out a Pat liameni,
and great I a:k of what the goo: H et to do
a Imo Parliament totseinhietl. (Lear, I car.) Tuley had
hitherto done nothing for their Quit telt. 1, or that a the
coutdry. lie mow called upon them to r ore for a sti d, if
tiles did Hot wt.!' to see their rents unpsi.d, their tehittlity
ruined, their lands wit tilt aud 11 ear labotirt rs retmet d
tobeg.ttryand ono( He called Nom them to a tome (HI
and compel ;ministers to reduce *hear hordes 3. It they forced
the repeal of 'lsis tax, iniatisterj 140,1111111.1 out a stn.% o
al • g without it. Ile called 11114111 the cm:wry geotteniets to
come forward nail tole tor that weep...Maim' which they
laud not only n right to auk, but to tleurintl. (Was )
LITTLE'fON thoiLltt the tax eriewousaial impolitic;
l:ut comialeeitig the resolution which the Goose had lately
adopted to soprani imtalic credit by :a sinking; fund of
it,o.-o.oottl. and consitlet tag that the press ut motion Was
I ilet,liSiNleat ictolutiou, lie ct,uld mot vote for its
sereal at the presrilt mane at.
Mr. EGERTON said he atovld tujirtt the motion for a
I. peal of the las.

.~ -

Mr. ARIGHT thought I hot gentlemen should not on the
present occasion fail to repeal the tots on salt, which wool/
enable them to face their constituents with satisfacilon.—.
The hon. gentleman concluded by supporting the m
Mr. Alderman II EYGAT F: congruttilieted the House and
the country, on the prospect of reduced taxation. (A laugh.)
A million and a half had been already surrendeied, and u
considerable improvement was moreover to be expected in
the public income. A variety of other chances 000ld occur
for ',cling upon a system rot economy, and they had the
pledges and engagements of Iris Majesty's tioini,irrg, that they
could omit no occasion, from year to year, of limiting and
restrainioog the expenditure. This was a slate of things
a hick he thought must he gratifying to all; and if he had no
other reason fur giving his vote against the motion, he
should be induced by the consid. ration that it is mold prevent
hint from supporting retreitchioent hereafter. (A laugh )
Mr. GI PPS said he was 11111 flow ;schooled by any desire
of popularity, but he I.llllePiveil that the lox ought to lie
repealed, and dim the lick ienry might be easily supplied
by reductions in the expenditure.
Sir C. BURRELL said he should support the motion,
as he was convinced that salt might be beneficially used iu
I tillocte, rind that a further reduction might b.: made in the
malt duty.
Mr. II EN Err (of Wiltshire) remarked, that they were
a teed as to the oppressive and ruinous nature of I lie tax
in que•tion, and it was surely obvious that a suns sof 250,0001.
might 1w saved out of our immense expenditure. lletrosted
that the country gentlemen, who had been so feelingly
exhorted to arouse themselves on this occasion, would not
fail to satisfy the ex pecintions of their constituents. (Ileac)
The Martiois of LON DON D ERR Y conjured t hem not to
trifle with their former vote, nor get rid of it by a course of
proceeding so prejudicial to the character of Parliament.
Sir 'f. LETH BRI DG E, said he felt that it might
appear presumptuous in him to follow the noble Lord, but.
there were tinsel and circumstances when common scruples
must he dismissed. His Majesty's ministers were not, he
feared, sufficiently apprised of the existing distress. For his
own part, the speech from the throne raisol a suspicion in
his mind, that It was 11111 intended to grant that relief, without
which lie trembled for the consequences. Ile perceived
ts jilt regret that the landed noteleit was foaling in that House.
lle did not know the cause a hich had led to this result; but
it was !worthily impressed upon his mind, that the gentle-
men who represented the landed interest in that house, had
by some extraordinary means been induced to tern their
backs upon themselves. (Cheers and laughter.) They were
subjected to some influence which was most mischievous to
the best interests of the country. With respect to the ques-
t' before the House, he n ished that the repeal of the tax
It id nut been proposed to he gradual, but total and imme-
diate. lie hoped, however, that the motion would be ear-
s ed ; for although the relief it proposed was small, yet it
%%is something. Nobody ought to be surprised at the senti-
ments which he had felt it his duty to submit to the House.
was for him to reflect on the opiaions of those who seat
him there.—(Hear.)—ln the name of his constituents he
represented their distresses, nod called upon Government to
came forts and with other measures to afford them relief than
those they had proposed, which were totally inadequate for
that p orpose.—(Cheers.)
Si EDWARD KNATCHBULL did not believe that the
sinking fund would be endangered, if the House should resolve
to repeal the tax upon salt ; for ministers could effect farther
retrenchments to meet their diminished income. (Cheers.)
After Mr. Brougham and Mr. Peel addressed the House,
the House divided upon Mr. Calcraft's motion, when the
ninnhers were—For the motion, 165—Against it, lee—
Majority for ministers, 4. The House adjourned at two
o'cluck.