The National Register.
London, England, 1814-12-11 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

manner in which the hoperty Tax was levied. In houses, for in-
atance, he had known some spacious enough to contain forty or fifty
♦isitors, rated at only 601. a year. Another case came wider his ini•
mediate observation. A person made a return to the Commissioners
of losses amounting to 60 or 78,0001.; yet, he having property under
Schedule B, was assessed accordingly. He appealed, anti the case
was referred to Counsel, who delivered an opinion that he was not
liable under Schedule B. It was then cat ried before the Inspector,
and ultimately left for the decision of the Judges, but instead of go-
ing before the Judges, an extent wa4 issued and.sent down, anti
2,b001. were paid, though he had proved his losses were greater than
his gains for the last six months. If he had failed afterwards, that
2,5001. would have been so much taken from his creditors. He
concluded by expressing his thorough abhorceuee of the principle of
the tax.

Mr, DIiJN said there sea; no person in that Court who more
anxiously wished to see the Property Tax repealed than himself,
but, at the same time, time difficulties of the country must be can-
didly admitted, and, if that were abolished, where could they find
resources fur detraying the expellees of Government ? He did not
know an article of any description that could bear an increase of
duty. He suggested the omission of that part of the Resolution
which seemed to imply that it was the intention of Government to
continue the tax, and whether it would not be bettor to defer any
interference till the matter came before Parliament.—(Cries of uo !)
The Remembrances observed, that no. Petitions against a mom:).
bill would be received by Pat liament after its introduction.
Mr. Griffiths taipported the motions.
Mr. Vowel said he was certain, that if in 1791, it could have been
known that in 1798 such H tax as the Property Tax would be propos-
ed, it would have been impossible to have wrought upon the kel-
lugs of the country so as to have made it willing to go to war. Now,
therefore, was the time for the nation to express its sentiments, and
to express them decidedly, for such a breach of public faith he ima-
gined must unite all parties.
Mr. Alderman HEYGATE said, that no one conk, have a greater
objection to the principle of the Property Tax than he had, for it
violated those saered privileges of private freedom which were so
dear to our ancestors.—lt was %you ill while also to consider tem-
perately and candidly svhat was the present condition of the coun-
try, and bow far it called for a continuance of that tax. The whole
of the ordinary revenue of the state, except about one million, was
occupied in paying the dividends to the stockholders, and by the
;king FunJ, IVhat then was to provide for the other expellees
of Goverment and for the American war ? It w mild be, he replied,
perhaps, the War Taxe. Tney amounted to 21,1100,0001 of which
the Property Tax coot ributel about i-i,000,0001; a and it that tax
wet e done away, only 7,000,0001. would remain applicable to time
wants of the Government. They deceived theneelves, therefore,
it they thought they could gel rid of the Property Tax till they got
"id of the American war—a war which was no longer carried on
upon the grounds which led to its commencement, but, as appeared
from what had been published in die American newspapers, relative
to the proceedings at Ghent, for the purpose of ierriturial aggran.
disement. Now, was it worth while to burthea themselves and
their posterity with fresh northern for such a war ? (Hear, hear!)
He did not wish to weaken the hands of Government, but he did
declare, and he wished the people would decline also, that they
were anxious only for the preservation of those just maritime
rigjits, for the maintenance of which they first went to war with
America ; that America seemed willing to concede our claims upon
those subjects; and that to coutiene the war for aggran tisament
was contrary, not only to the interests of the country, but to the
original end for which the war was undertaken (Hear!) With re-
gard to the Property Tax, he tumid red it, as he always had con-
sidered it, odious and oppressive, and that it would be doing no-
thing to leave the principle and reduce the amount.
Sir W. CUItTIS thought the tax was quite as oppressive and
grievous as it had been described to be ; and if it had never be en
Imposed he had no doubt we ahindil never have been elevated to the
exalted rank which we now occupy as a nation. It was true, he
he bad heard, that it was intended to continue the whole or a part
of it, and he feared that unless that tax was levied, it would be im-
possible to pay the debts which the exigencies of the war had obliged
ns to contract, or if it were iii,contisnied the Parliament would be
obliged to find some other taxes which would, perhaps, be more in-
jurious to time mass of the people—(Cmies of no, no !). The Property
Tax did not fall with peculiar hardship on the poor, it fell on people
of property—he felt it severely hiniSelf, (a laugh), and of coarse he
had no particniar predilection for a tax that fell on himself; but he
had submitted to it, in common with others, and had been requit(
by the conclusion of peace with the powers of- the coutim lit. lie

815

agreed with thew orthy Alderman who had preeededhine in wish-
ing for peace with the Americans, but he should be.gfad, if possible,
to see them first confoundedly well flogged. (A laugh). If the lazes
were commuted to one article of consumption, it would fall on per-
sons who could not so well pay it ; -so that, perhaps. it would not
be possible to do without it) in which case be should support the
renewal of it, otherwise he should oppose it.
Mr. Wain-max, in reply, observed, that he thought any mention
of the *at with America in the Resolutions would be irrelevant; but
he should have no objection if the state of the negociations were
made public by the Government to agree to a specific motion, pro-
posed conformably to the ideas of the Worthy Alderman (Mr. Hey-
gate). To the remarks of the Hon. Harottet (Sir %V. Curtis), that
the Property Tax was necessary, in the present situation of the
country, he could only answer by suggesting to him that Wadi had
been often before recommended, as well by individuals as by the
Court itself; that he should propose or support some measure is
Parliament for the reduction of the expenditure--(hear, hear !)
and the abolition of useless and sinecure places. It was strange that
the lion. Baronet should say that the tax in quest ion fell particn-
lady On persons of property—it fell with peculiar severity on trades-
men, who, perhaps, bad no property at all. It fell with equal seve-
rity on freehold property, or on annuities of one or two years dura-
tion. It had been imposed, it was said, to support a year for the
protection of property—but why had Hot property paid for its own
protection—(Hear, hear!)—instead of extorting a portion of the
Karel-earned incomos of the labouring and trading classes? The
IVorthy Baronet (Sir W. Curtis) was aware that in the place where
they both resided, even the gentlemen of landed property had been
most unjustly assessed. Mauch was the fact, what must have been
the sufferings of the poor, whose low station deprived them of the
means of making efficient remonstrances? (hear!) He had re-
ceived hundreds of letters since he had given notice of the motion
he had made, containing accounts of the most cruel and tyrannical
acts that it was possible to conceive, which had been committed in
the progress of levying this tax. against which he called on fee Curt
to protest (Hear, hear!) If such a body as the Common Council
—the representatives of their fellow.citizens, did not stand up
at this tax, would they lint be unworthy of the confidence of
their constituents, and the rank they held in public estimati.m? • It
had been demanded, where was the money to be found ? the want
of money should have been anticipated—they had declared in May
last their expectations of being relieved from some of their bur-
them which; pressed on them. SOme measures should have been
brought forward to meet the crisis ;' some reduction of expenditure
•to meet the anticipated reduction of the taxes ; yet not a word
had been said in Parliament on the subject. _We were to have
peace ss ith war taxes mad war expenditure (Hear, hear, bear!).
Adam Smith, whom he had quoted iu the Resolutions, had said
there Was no art which a Government sooner learnt than that of
draining money from the pockets of their subjects. In this view,
it would be a great object with any Government to continue. if it
were only one per cent., of this commodious tax. He was persua-
ded there was nothing more necessary to be said to ensure the mt-
nimo:ls concurrence of the Court. If he were asked what tax
could be substituted, he could reply, that to suggest measures of
finance was not hi, business ; unless he received the emoluments
and tumours of a Chancellor of the F.xchequer ; it was not tair to
call on hini to propose new taxes, awl he confessed that the Minis-
ters seldren needed any assistance of that kiod (a, laugh).
Toe Resolutions were agreed to by a most universal show of
hands, w:llerut any opposition.