The Sun.
London, England, 1852-09-14 00:00:00

t rule, it may be said that the tax on income ought
i not to be levied on property. Short annuities, par_
I chased without notice of the tax, may perhaps belong
rather to the head of capital than to that of revenue ; but life annuities on the other hand, and those which
may be expected to last during the life of the annui-
tant, belong to the head of income. If the Legisla-
ture has failed to distinguish between these different
forms of investment, it is at least satisfactory to know
that the lapse of ten or eleven years, during which
purchases and sales have been made with reference to
the income-tax, has gone far to correct the anomaly.
—Chronicle.

~ TENANT RIGHT" QUESTION:
The Irish malcontents having wound up the ques-
tion of " tenant-right" with a dinner, and Mr. G. H. Moore having gulped down his scruples with his
wine, they have now addressed themselves to the
twin subject, " religious equality." The dozen P. P.'s
who rendered such energetic assistance at the meet-
ings of the " League " have their own purpose to
answer, and, as one good turn deserves another,
they appear to be very well supported by their Par-
liamentar? allies. The two agitations are to proceed
together, and doubtless the same office, the same staff,
the same newspapers, the same materiel, and the
Fame figurehead, in the person of Mr. G. H. Moore,
will do equally well for both of them. For the
Boman Catholic tenantry it will be very delightful to
rJ,lket that by a moderate subscription, equivalent to
an insurance, they are delivering their land from
reel, tithes, and Protestantism at the same time; so
the double object will be likely enough to extract
some of those sovereigns which have lately stuck
with such an invincible attraction of gravity to the •
bottom of the Irish farmer's pocket. Really, too, if
the peasantry can be persuaded that both objects are
feasible, and that landlords and parsons can both be
banished from the Emerald Isle, the fearful drain of
emigration, which is playing such sad work with
chapel fees,
is evident, must
possibly be stopped. Something, it
$ must be done. The Roman Catholic
clergy, and, indeed, their lay colleagues in agitation,
have no taste for accompanying
their flocks across the
religious Atlantic to a land of real l• • ous as well as civil
equality. Excepting by a few young men from
Maynootb, the Church is hardly represented in an
Exodus amounting now to near a thousand a day,
and the clergy that rpmain, it is evidpot must find
themselves reduced to shorter commons day by day.
suggests dire ex-
So what is to be done ? Necessity
pedients, and disagreeable alliances. It will even
overcome the sense of decency, and what is more,
common sense.
Religious equality ? That is the fair pretence as-
sumed by seventeen devoted Parliamentary adherents
of the Church of Rome, and a crowd of its clergy.
The word is positive treason and heresy in every
Roman Catholic mouth. What religious equality cats
there ever be between the minister, the parson, and
the priest, between the Methodist preacher, the Arch-
bishop of Canterbury, and the Pope. The whole sys-
tem of Rome is founded on the claim of exclusive do-
minion. That claim is never dropped, and nowhere is
it advanced with so little modesty or reserve as in the
missives from St. Jarlath, and other fiery epistles
every now and then discharged from the cells of the
Reuequa Ay is the
Irish hierarchy. Religious 1.
that these men desire. very last thing
of other things besides prigviiolus equality is an equality
oppressivye
involve the same checks, genee
rgaelland pay. It would
wholesome, but in
some respects painfully
thati reduce the
Church of England to its present liar
tenour ; unless, indeed, which we donineosisiranetEll.heehraer:
these agitators would ask to release the
asked for,
Church from its present political restraints. ail. 'sit ebe
the religious equality of America Which is
by all means let it be stated. Then we shall know
what we have to deal with ; but we shall wonder all
the more that the Roman Catholic clergy manifest so
decided a repugnance to America, and prefer
starvation and empty chapels at home, to large and
well-fed flocks, with religious equality, across the
Atlantic.

There is many an object, however, which it
answers to follow, though it is worthless when
caught. Among the many thousands who daily hunt
foxes in this island, there are few who would either
swallow a mouthful of their prey, or wish there to be
one less fox in the land. Religious equality is the
rank, worthless vermin, which these political sports-
men hunt for the pleasure of hunting, with the inten-
tion of throwing it to the dogs, should they ever be so
fortunate as tocatch it. If Roman Catholics really like
religious equality, why do they not show theirprinciple
at work, where they have all their own way ? There
can be no doubt that at Rome they might exhibit a
spectacle that would edify the whole Christian world,
by allowing to every other communion, including the
Latter-Day Saints, a perfect equality of privilege.
As it is, we all know that if the Archbishop of Can-
terbury went to Rome, when Sunday morning came
he would have to go out of the city gates, and ascend
a loft over a large pigsty, in order to worship God
after the light of his conscience and the manner of
his fathers. Now, what religious equality is there
between St. Peter's protected by ten thousand French
soldiers, and the upper floor of a building of which
the principal floor is occupied, as we believe, by pigs ?
Give the English permission, and they will raise
20,0001. to-morrow to build a suitable church for
themselves in a city to the resources of which they
contribute so greatly. But no. Religious equality is
absolutely inconsistent with Papal pretensions. In
Ireland, however, that hunting-ground of party, it
may be convenient to pursue this game for a time,
particularly if a few English Dissenters can he found
simpletons enough to join in the cry. If they do, they
will certainly deserve what they will never:get,—
to experience the tender mercies of a Church which
has never tolerated a rival a moment longer than it
was obliged to do so. That the demand of " religious
equality" is quite unnecessary is evident from a glance
at any of our large populations. The rival commu-
nions of the country stand on level ground in such
places as Manchester, Liverpool, Belfast, or Cork.
Nay, `with regard to the mass of the population, they
have no real resource except in the voluntary prin-
ciple. In this great metropolis there are hundre
aof
eds
thousands who never enter a church, and who
tached to it by no tie of affection or circumstances.
.
So far as they are concerned there is perfect religions
equality between all the communions. Dr. Sumner,igious
Mr. Baptist Noel, and the as
Cardinal Wiseman,lt
new fanatic have an equal chance with them • except,
indeed, that the poorest and th
mis-
sionary will probably find
some
pprejudice
in the hearts of the ignorant ande leoaosrt.—Tieducated
ells favour
s.