The National Register.
London, England, 1816-03-11 00:00:00

PROPERTY TAX.
----...--

Wednesday a most numerous said highly respectable meeting
of the Merchants, Bankers, and Ti Act s of the City of London,
was hi Id in the Egsptian-hall at the Mansion•koc..o, ptmsuaut
to requisition, for the purpose of Ci,n,idering the p 1 topriely of
lwiitiomiug Parliament for a repeal of the Income-tax. The
Hall was crowded thus's:Jima.
The I Aird Mayor, haying taken the chair, said, that when he
came into office he had stated, that he would take a share in
no party boat ter whatever; that he was determined to ill: all in-
der emien t .Slag istrate ; and he had acted 11p to that text. He
was still determined to pursue that line in cur-Meet. But for
himself, he thought he had a right to declare it as his opinion,
that this was the most odious and oppressive tax that ever was
laid on a nation. (Hear, hear.) kit could state to them a Case
which WOlllll astonish them all ; but as he saw that Air. Grew
fel had brunght the subject before Parliament. he would detail
it to hint. lie would content himself with sayin, that he had
himself paid 2,,i001. Property-tax for a house in the country,
against which all extent had been sent down ; although it was
proved, to the satisfaction of the Commissioners, that that rt
house had It. t, during that year, 00,01101. He then read iise
requisition for calling the meeting.
furs G. Hibbert said, that to the Requisition %%Melt had
.1,1
been read, his name was early affixed ; and in the course of Ito
little he should say on a subject of so ungracious a nature, it
would be neressal y for him to allude to the individual then ad-
dressing them Lt 1798, there was a very general opinion,
especially among the Nierchants of London, that the war would
lie arduous and ex pesssis e; and yet that the pretensions of the
enemy were so arrogant that they ought not to be listened to ;
that large s of money would be necessary for the public
exagency ; and in order to avoid the increase of our funded
debt, the money should be raised by other means than by nay
of loan ; and he (Mr. H.) while Sir C. Glyn tilled the risk
chair. in that Hall, proposed and Carried certain resolutions,
which, he had no doubt, were the forerunnets at the Income-
tax. Indepenilant of that meeting, he was a!de to state, that
at the meetings of the merchants privately held before it, the
measure Alai adopted was considered as an uncommonly bold
measure only to be resorted to under strong necessity, nod
merely tor the purpose of carrying on the war; and if now, in
the midst of his tellow-eitizens, he should afore other resolu-
tions, declaring that this tax ought to cease, so far fo'otn his
being inconsistent, he should consider himself as acting the
most consistent part in the world ; his motive being now as then
--the public welfare. Ile could safely. assure them, that what
was done in 1190 (on the subject he had alluded 101 with Nli-
nisters, he Wad no hand in ; and he could now Ins' Isis hand on
his heart, and say. that in what be was how proposing to them,
he had no comsectiou with ally party whatever. But he thought
it his duty to call fur the unanimous sense of that Hall that
this tax ought to be abolished on our return to a state of i/CACC.
The tax had continued, with little alteration, limit HMI to this
time. In the result it might truly be said; that this tax had de-
throned Buonaparte ; yet it must be confessed to have bottle
bard on those who had that very object in view. When he
said it was an wiroustitutional measure, he was nit to be un-
derstood as ate: g that any thing done by the three branches
oh' the Legislatore was unconstitutional ; lint, on looking back
to the history of our finance, it would be toned to be of an un-
constitutional spirit, not partaking of that voluntary species of
taxation to a hid' commerce and trade generally submitted.
lit the failure of their opening their ledgers to the Commis-
sioners, they subjected themselves to any arbitrary assessment.
That it was oppressive and unequal, it would be idle Mt him
to attempt to prose, for it was • well Looms it treated alike
the property gained by a daily exertion ofindustry or genius with
absolute capital. Such a measure must he arbitrary. It was hard
to tax a man w Ito, depending on his hands or his head, might
he deprived of his property by sickness. There were now
men bankrupts, and wanting bread for thesusel yes and families,
who might have been in prbsperioy had they been able to re-
tain the contributions they had paid to this tax. As to its
exactions and inquisitorial oppression, he might appeal to
every one who heard him from the combined difficulties aris-
ing from this tax, the commissioners did not make a backward
step. In cases that had come under his knowledge, he would
acquit the officers; for he had seen in them every disposition
to accommodate, as fir as they thought it consistent with their
duty. But ought the rights and clearest interests of a free
people to depend on the constinction an officer might put an
an Act of Parliament? lie had not heard one of these men say,
that he had a right to charge lOW. on every 10001. bill trans.
nsi tied from any of our colonies to a merehant in the city. That
was said in the Nlinister's parlour, who told him he must not
exact it. But it was a hard ease that they must go to a Minis-
ter s parlour for protection from such exactions. We were now
at peace and ae ought to rid ourselves of such a grievous tax.
He had heard that the tax was to be modified, so as not to
enact certain classes; and that it was only asked to pay the
cs.ruses of the war. lint was it worth while to convulse the
country front one cud to the other fur the suns of 10 or 12
Italian's? Although the Resolutions he should propose were
confined to this tax, yet their Representatives ought to watch
with jealousy that extravagant expenditure which alone ran
render it necessary to have recourse to this tax in time of
peace. Could any one think that the deti nee of this country
ought to depend MI a large standing army ? The British soldier
had been accustomed to tight abroad for his father's cottage,
anxiously and ardently longing to return to it. But separate
him from that cottage, and shut him up in barracks, when
called on to defend his rountrv, the arm might be there, but
he was afraid the spirit would he gout.. 1t henever we blasted
to a standing army flor our defence, we might be assured we
were about to be governed by soldiers. Petitions were pour-
ing in flout all pasts of the Empire against this tax, to which
ke hoped tam Itinesentatives, and even Ilse Ministers, would
not be deaf. It was a measure which ought never to be re-
newed, except in eases of the greatest necessity.—He then
snoved the first Resolution.

Mr. Turner said, the Resolutions were so temperate, and at
the same time so firm, that, he trusted, s ken embodied in the
form of a Petition, they would meet from Parliament the at.
tentioo they merited. It had been said, that no pledge had
been given that this tax should cease with the war; that was a
quibble that would have disgraced the meaae.t peteirbggel
Applause )—But, fulling from the tips of a British ielieei•ter,
• must have been heard with astoni -lenient equalled .ml. by
dignation. The battle lead Leven fought—the victory won—and
tlee apprehemied tyranny had been de itreiyed therefore the
pledge s of all the Ministers concerned with the. tax ought to
be redeemed ; namely, that it should cease with the war. At
this time of dal; it wits too Mild, to tell thelli, that an igum am
impatience' existed against thi No country had ever
suLmitted to taxation, he neigh? ntol•e' diem fully then this.
But the time of danger was gone, un,i tiei• tax sta., only to be
submitted to iu thee. of the greatest difficulty and public elm f -
genes'.
Roatcroft apposed the fourth Desolation, contending

•