The National Register.
London, England, 1812-08-09 00:00:00

449

CMIIIMMOININAIWNOLM
What thcv had so often favoured them with before, and to
that added some observations, on what they were pleated to
call a hint v;iven by the 01.1.11.cv.,!..7,!, of the EXC last
t'iat it vs his iutention to a tr.:: ,:t•-0n capitil. it watt
to to obcrrie the eftl;,;t -.ilace:l by Cie ,peeches made
sAs,eti_oe Alek.a.:,gesttestrers. They,. poer cieal
ts'res I after all,
.(11,1 not seem to uialer•taod what they wels
atA. many .at last retired
viii w: ether the -.13\
u pi; c'arit:i!,. was to be a tax upon ?Ili•riticrs in New-
. -vat-, ot. on the capital pri:cs in the next State.Lotterv.
pciecipal :.ctors in this scene most 'have found it dif
ficuit to luep Weir countenances white. ahey contemplated
the grotesque appearance of their.gaping auditory. if there
hid been any ground for the statements they made, which
we shall presently :hew there. was not, still it would have
been rather bard on -the trimly group, who attended, thus to
be detained in Abe rain, when the business going on could
not at all:concern them. The moving representations sub-
Mitsed to them respecting a tax upon capital, by .the capital-
osi tie hu-stings,. was like a pathetic address from an Al-
derman, on the advancing rice of turtle, to a gang of beg-
Ors starving for want. of bread.
NiSthing is more easy than to make a most alarming state.
Ment appehr very pier' 'Me, if facts are in the first instance
mistattd r nothing mo....easy, if We set out with false assump-
tions, to come with an imposiug show of fair reasoning to
conclusions in themselves perfectly unwarrantable. If, in the
first instance, we.admit that the CHANCELLOR of the Ex-
OR sr:weft has intimated an intention of imposing a tax upon
Capital, and it be also admitted that it is his intention to con-
tinue that tax for a series of years, nothing can be more clear
Olen that *by taking 10 or 20 per cent. from the capital of the
ceuntry,,year after year, the whole of that capital must be
ultimately absorbed. That such a prospect would be truly
alarming, we are as ready to admit as Sir F. 11 RDET 'l' and
Miler CA ftTWILIGIIT, but we are not so ready to take leave
of eommou sense with them, as to suppose such can ever be
the design of any Minister, who is not a traitor, anxious for
the destruction of his country, or a madman impatient for
the annihilation of his own resources. Such a project is in-
compatible with the views of human ambition; and that
such aortic has ever been a favourite with the'present CHAN-
CELLOR of the EIiCK-E4UF.R we distinctly deny. We posi-
tively agsert that he has never given us auy reason to suppose,
thatit was his intention to tax the capital of the country.
The fact is, what the CUANCELLOR of the Exentaavea
said Ott-this subject has been tnisrepresenied. When he speaks
in his place, his voice is unfortunately too weak, for that which
fills from .hitn, to be distinetli heard all over the Mouse ;
and 'this makes it impossible for those who report what
eases in Parliament, at .811 times, •to give his speeches cur-
. reetly The friends of Sir FRANCIS seem eagerly to have
taketi advantage of this circumstance on the present occasiosi,
and ensaiiling to let slip an opportunity of inflaming the
public mind, assumed.that to be his intention which he had
dhsolutely disavowed. In the debate which took place on
the Resolutions of. Finance, the CHANCEL LOIt of the Es-•
err egte a was certainly understood by several members to
'Kite tn intimation like that imputed to him,' and Probably Sir
F. IluanFur.syas one of those who so Misunderstood him.
•s4tdtnittina this, however, we
,are still at a loss to conceive.
c•lfisw.the subsequent exelanatiob of the CH*NCIL LUIZ of the
• lEkoltegt.-err could tie znisundersfoOti or forgotten, in which
itediaelainted auy intern jou of resoiting to a tax upon caps-
tell lle stated that lie.bad merely mentioned it as a resource
wpie.l)..other, nations had, been driven, and of . which this
country, in a case of exti eine necessity, might avail itself.
it is true, he, Tailtrionfl• to how that the siperation of such a
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