The National Register.
London, England, 1814-12-18 00:00:00

DEC. IS..

PROPERTY TAX.

A Common Hall was held on Wednesday at Guildhall, to take
into consideration the propriety of petitioning Parliament against
the continuance or renewal of the Property Tax.—The Hall was ex-
cessively crowded.
The requisition having been read,
Mr. ‘VAITTIMAN stood forth amidst considerable applause, and
said. that in calling the attention of the Liverymen to the subject of
the Tax on Income, it would be hardly necessary fi►r him to remind

them that it was not the first time that the qnestion had been agita-
ted in that Hall : that so far back as the year 11f.8, the opinioo of the
Livery of London was fully expressed on the same sii*ct, and on
many mhsequent occasions they had manifested the same sentiments
and presented Petitions against the Income Tax or the Property
Tax, between which, indeed, there was no distinction whatever.
It would not be proper for him. on the present occasion, to go into
more minute details than he had entered into in-the Common
,because, was he disposed In go iota) the drtklTlll cases of op-
uession which had occurred under the tax in question, his strength,
gird the patience of the meoing, would be unequal to the task of at-
tending to details which would cover the whole I fall in which tl:ry
were assembled. Tit:• ohjections to the tax were two-fold--ma to
the principle and the manner in which it had been put in execution.
In a svar which was sal.] to have been undertahen for the protection
of propery, it was but just that the lea fifths should more especi-
ally tall on that property, the defence of which was the object for
which they were imposed. Whether that was the case of the niis.
called Property Tax, it was needless to ask ; they all know that the
contrary was the truth. Hut that income derived from short an-
nuities, or f«mi the personal exertion of the individual, should pay
in the same rate as landed or other property, was a piece of the
most tli.4tant injustice (applause). Because if the person who de-
rived an income from propery was taken from his family they
would enjoy the same means I sulisiatenec which be had posaeaseil,
but if the artificer or tradesman died, his family was left destitute
and starving. Being the in principle, unjust, it followed that,
however impartial and equitable the adminiatration of it might be,
there would, nevertheless, be objections to it quite inmperable in a
country like this. But when, on the other point—the manlier of
its being carried into execution—it was, and must be, so ont-
rageons to the kelings, so destructive to the peace of families,
so deergodiug to Englishmen, it was impossible that it should
be endtired. Why, it might be asked, hail it been endured
thus tong ? The reason was the necessity vit. the public stifling,
and also the necessity which had been repeatedly ineideated
on them, in that Hall anal elsewhere, of si fling nothing which
might tend to promote dissersion ; the assurance that it would be
temporary, and be carried into effect by honourable men, chosen by
the people, and the hope that by' making great exertions the war
might soon be put an end to.—At that time too, if any one ventured
to stand lap against this tax, he was called Jacobin, and branded as
an enemy to his country. The tear of such imputation terrified the
majority, though, thank God, at all times, there had been sonic
whom no danger Ire! deterred from the performance of what they
conceived to be their duty. It was stow absolutely necessary to put
an end to it altogether, for it it was continued at five per cent. the
Ministers would learn the art of.extracting more from the people
at five per cent. than had hitherto !wen done at ten (applause). The
tax had of late been so enereased, that an entirely new set of officers
had been appointed; there were Commissioners nut appointed by the
people, with salaries which could not be taken from them by the
people—indeed the machine by which this tax was levied was so
well fitted for the purposes of tyranny, that it might lie truly called
an infernal one (applause). The Commissioners, with the promise
of whom the people were billed, were not the only officers ; there
were surveyors to watch over the rommiaaioneis ; there were inspee•
tots to watch over the asseasora, who, to make the matter better,
were generally collectors. By means of these officers, all paid by
the people in the end, was the system of oppression carried on.
There might he some individuals amongst these officer% against
whom the indiguation of the Liverymen had been excited, but the
personal character of thew persons was of little consequence ; it was
a tyrannical machine, and it could not be honourably carried into
execution (applause). If the tax was levied, how coati investiga •
tints of private circumstances and consequent injury to the peace
and feelings of individuals be avoided? White some escaped paying,
others were obliged to send in returns at a larger rate than they
could afford to pay, on account of ahe appearance they kept up in
thlsworld. While an individual was labottring, with difficulty, to
maintain his credit, how could the Inquisition of Commissioners b
• supported by hint? How much less weald those support it wile

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TIT NATION

the tale agnin4 it had been clearly made out, and hoped the Hall
would be unanimous avainst it.
Mr. PERKING regretted that the subject of the American war had
been brought forward, as it might•distneb the unanimity which
would otherwise have prevailed. The American war, it would he '
recolieeted, had been tnrced upon us ( applause, and cries of no, no !).
It was the general feeling that the Americans had taken advantage
of a time when we were embarrassed with another war, to step for-
ward against us; and with respect to this contest we sheuld not be
kidded by ideas of trade and commerce, but by the wish of !Hinging
it to an honourable issue (some applause). If the cauntry WAS de-
termined to support the war. it was of coutsc necessary to provide
the Government with the means of etlvetually cart ying it on (walks
of disapprobation).
Mr. Iles r, of Bristol. said he should not have intruded urn the
notice of the meeting, after the able numocr in which the *mitten'
had been brought lomat and seconded. hut that be thought a few
topics ought to have come under discuspio.o, that day, which had not
beta touched upon. It had been said that the war with America
was a popular war ; and be was afraid that it was so. It had also
been said in another place, that in objecting to an unjust and hwl-
sitorial tax, it was not incumbent on those who made snch ()hire.
bon, to point out any other tax in its room. But the 14 millions
which the Property Tax yielded, could not so easily be made op by
any other tax (expression of disapprobation). He wished them not
Ti) mistake him ; no man more abhorred the Property Tax than he
did ; and if they would patiently listen to him, be would point out
the means of effecting Fuel' a saving as would render this tax unne-
cessary. One of the chief iavings would arise from the abolition of
sinecure places. and pensions. He would read a short list of a few
pensions, to them. which he had made out last night .from the Pen-
/lion List; awl in this list he had included some of both
patties iu dine country, 11'higs and Tories, as they are called (cries
of read. rcad). In this list would be found, the Duke of Grafton,
the Duke of Richmond, the Marquis of Rockingham, Lord Gren-
ville. the Earl of Buck inghanishire. ImO Bathurst, Lords Robert
and Hugh Spencer. Lord Arden, lady Grenville, Mr. Addington,
Mr. Bragge Bathurst, Lord Erskine, amid Mr. Ponsonby. He had
made a short calculation of l‘hat was paid to about '2O individuals,
which was little sh-rt of '200,0001 The sins drawn by these great
slave '• or State %lonia support 5000 families the year round, at 154. a
s eek each. 'the wet with America seas only a pretence for couti-
nuiug the Property Tax. Time se as at present slot fewer than
150 000 soldiers, and 300 vessels kept tip in consequence of this
American scar. It was not only oucessary to surround the Ameri-
can coast, but also to keep up a large fleet along the coast of Nova
Scotia and the West Indiers. If it It not for this war, there might
be a stsfficient saving to prevent any more money being drawn front
the pockets of the people.. He wished to put them in miaduf Dr.
Johnson's well knot n definition of a pensioner, a State hireling, paid
fur betraying his country :

" In Britain's Senate he a seat obtains,
" And one more pensioner St. Stephen gains.'
List year oil:: expenditure amounted to 115 ; our national
deist, whirls, at the bugisming of the war amounted to two bombed
millions., was now a thonsand millions. They had it in their power
to give a tone to the ft clings of the country ; and he had no doubt
that petitions would be poured in from all parts against this unequal
tax. Thu v had heard a good deal of the maritime sights of the
country, but they ought to take case that these rights were not
made into wrongs. If they gave Moistens a power to eoutione
the war, it was in. vain to think this tax could be abolished. To
spew them that of the two great parties in this country, niek:samed
lchigs and Tories, the mac set were as ready to grasp at the money
of the country as the other, he would merely mention that the Whig
Minislry increased the Property Tax from six and a half to ten
per cent. They were more to blame than the other party, because
the Whigs had always told them that the Tax was unjust, whereas
their opponents said that it was a proper tax, and here they were
isudoebtedlv the more honest of the two. When this T,!x was first
proposed, Mr. George Tierney stood up in Isis place in Parliament,
Ant: said it W3l so nojust and uoconstatutional, that the people of
Esigiand woold be juststied in taking up arms in resisting it. But
what did the same Gentleman say what he was Treasurer of the
Navy ? lie then made au able, but not quite so animated a speech,
in die defence of the same Tax, its which he thought fit to declare,
that those who lived the first floor ought to remove to the second ;
t'sose who were in the becond, into the garret ; and the last of all,
into the street. Why, the Whigs granted more pensions in one
year than their opponents in seven. (Call of Question).
Mr. HARVEY, of Colchester, said, it' he had not known the par.
titular sentime.ots of the Geutiewau who last addressed thew, tic