The Sun.
London, England, 1852-03-11 00:00:00

in reference to the policy about to be adventured upon
by the Cabinet can be submitted to the Legislature,
and through the Legislature to the general multitude,
before Monday at the earliest. In anticipation of
those statements, however, the various parties in the
Lower House are already preparing themselves for an
encounter that appears to be inevitable. During the
past fortnight the Manchester school has been espe-
cially industrious in agitating the necessity for some
strenuous efforts at an active and aggressive struggle
against the Protectionists. During the ensuing
twenty-four hours the Whigs will in like manner,
under the roof-tree of the late Prime Minister, and
guided to their decision by tho light of that Noble
Lord's still energetic ambition, resolve upon the
course most advisable to be pursued in reference to
the treatment of the ruling Administration. Several
other sections there are ranged along the
more retired seats of the Opposition, clus-
tered on the cross benches, and grouped some
of them, and those not the least con-
spicuous, on the forms below the gangway : but
these, generally speaking, have up to the present mo-
ment preserved an impassive silence, aloof for awhile
from the stormy influences of disappointed self-con-
fidence, of Ministerial pique, and of blighted reputa-
tion. The Peelites, tiq example, have maintained an
inscrutable serenity during the whole of the past
exciting movements within the walls of the Imperial
Legislature, those Peelites who number amongst
them some of the distinguished administrators of
the age, statesmen who, like the Right Hon. SIDNEY
HERBERT, the Duke of NEWCASTLE, and, more es-
pecially, Sir JAMES GRAHAM, have revealed in a
remarkable manner their capacity for the conduct of
the affairs of government. Then, again, there is the
most gifted Minister of our generation persisting in
a very significant silence, or occasionally, as he did
in reference to the Militia question, propounding, like
the Sphinx, some riddle, the non•elucidation of which
proves fraught with unavoidable destruction. The last
of these political riddles he propounded to Lord JOHN
RUSSELL, who failing to explain it satisfactorily was
forthwith destroyed, his own destruction involving,
of course, the summary destruction of his Govern-
ment. With a Parliament thus separated into divi-
sions, the newly constructed Cabinet will have, on
Monday, to enter upon those Ministerial labours
which are at all times of sufficient difficulty, but,
which, under existing circumstances, are fraught with
an almost bewildering embarrassment.

Whether or not her MAJESTY'S Ministers will,
from the peculiar situation of parties, be enabled
during the next few weeks to bring forward the an-
nual estimates, and advance the ordinary and routine
business of the country, in spite of all the adverse en-
deavours of opposition, remains still a matter most
painfully problematical. Before many hours more
have elapsed it will be seen if the opponents of the
Administration are guided by a patriotic solicitude
for the welfare of the community, or solely by a factious
and petulant determination to push forward their
own interests exclusively. The affairs of the nation
are not, at the present moment, in a position such as
would justify any premature or precipitate dissolu-
tion. On the 15th of March, 1852, we are not very
likely to be, politically speaking, in a situation
similar to that in which the country found itself on
22d of April, 1831. Even then the appeal to the
country, resolved upon by the Prime Minister, and
strenuously urged upon the MONARCH by the
then Lord High Chancellor, was denounced by Sir
ROBERT PEEL as both mad and unwarrantable, was
eagerly striven to be warded off by the Opposition,
and was at first peremptorily and positively refused by
the SOVEREIGN. It was only carried into effect at last
by the daring of Lord BROUGHAM, by the resolution
of Earl GREY, by a resolution little short of dis-
loyal audacity, and by a daring almost amounting to
high treason on the part of the LORD CHAN-
CELLOR. Shall the course, which was then only
justifiable under the plea of an unavoidable
exigency, be tolerated at the present juncture, when
there is really no exigency at all, and when the in-
terests of the nation strongly plead against any such
perilous interference with the various and necessary
operat. the Government ? Nothing, we believe,
lig
would proceedings such as those to which we
here make allusion. By forcing her MAJESTY'S 1111
nisters into a course so dangerous to the common
weal, the Members of the Opposition, no matter
what their legislative pretext or political
complexion, no matter whether Wbig or It..tdical,
Peelite or Palmerstonian, would be drawing-down
upon their own heads a terrible and grievous respon-
sibility. The good of the people does not, we feel
assured, require any such abrupt and indefinite post.
ponement of the estimates as would be inevitable on a
speedy dissolution. It is, therefore, that we have
protested, that we do protest, and that we shall
continue to protest, against tvery movement
which appears to us to lead in that particular
direction as against an effort signally and culpably
factious in its character. No advantage is jeopar-
dized by delaying the contest of parties until after
the routine business of the country has been " got
through," but, on the contrary, much, very much,
may be endangered by needlessly forcing on
the sudden and immediate dissolution of the
Legislature. Nowithstanding the agitation raised
by the Manchester school, therefore, notwithstanding
the mistaken determination arrived at by the Hon.
Gentleman the Member for Wolverhampton, and
notwithstanding the aggregate meeting of the
Liberals convened this day at the residence of Lord
JOHN RUSSELL, we look forward hopefully to the
patriotic devotedness of the House of Commons,
sanguine that, in spite of every specious and sinister
inducement, the majority of her MAJESTY'S Opposi •
don will refrain at least for the present from placing
any factious obstruction in the way of her MAJESTY'S
Government.

The attention of fiscal and financial reformers can-
not be tco frequently or too urgently directed to the
present position of the property and income-tax, and
the peculiarly favourable opportunity thereby afforded
of obtaining judicious modifications of its obnoxious
and inequitable provisions. The law under which it
is levied will expire at the end of the current financial
year. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCUEQUER, al-
though fortunate in the possession of a handsome
surplus, cannot possibly afford to do without the
renewal of some portion, at least, of an impost
which realized in Great Britain, in 1847, no less than
5,612,654/., and which may still be averaged at
nearly five and a half millions of pounds sterling.
Mr. DISRAELI may not desire or wish to signalise his
administration of the national finances by any mate-
rial reduction, it will probably not be his object to
curry
favour with the "plutocracy," or to sacrifice
the interests of the community to the capitalists of
Lomb—A_ • .
.„,._ ssi street ; but he will likewise avoid a deficiency.
culty under the:
'finedamust,fitting substitute,
either renew the expiring tax, or
substitute a task of no ordinary diffi-
mulodst favourable circumstances, and one
present state of th
on which he
the Ministry.
be expected to enter in the
modi.sftry. He will also naturally
wish to abolish or
. paper
which
hyh some exceedingly objec-
tronable imposts of
.anedhas already complained.
The advertisement duties
tax might be got
attended to
the hop duties are not
a view to its ultimate
very productive. Even the
rid of, or at least modified, with
deserving of
unless the
unsveerfear a
it but for
removal. Other matters, too, are
notice, but none could be
Permanent and
give time a : single
be renewweedt,
year,
property
in
equitable arrangement.
That it will be renewed, then,
tax
xder to g
is certain, but in what
form ? That is the question, and it is one
of
vital importance to the character of the British
nation, and the reputation of our leading statesmen.
We cannot for a moment conceive that Mr. DISRAELI
will even for a single year not merely assent to, but
actually bring forward a proposition in every respect
so untenable and so inequitable as that every species
of income, no matter how obtained or however fluc-
tuating and precarious it may be,
should contribute
to the maintenance of the national establish-
ments and the liquidation of the national liabilities as
highly as accumulated and realized property. A
man of
inferior abilities might be disposed to shelter himself
under the plea of the very limited period which had
elapsed since his acceptance of office, or the impera-
tive necessity for an entire re-adjustment of taxation,
and the propriety of not making
any minor alterations
until the entire fiscal scheme might be submitted
fur public consideration. A cunning and unscrupu-
lous person would be desirous of
,leaving au embar-
rassing legacy to his successors, or, if pre-