The Sun.
London, England, 1830-05-07 00:00:00

Lately, and therefore excessively ; and in no depart-
!Tient of the Revenue has this been so decidedly
the ease as in that of Stamps—a branch of taxa-
tion which has long pressed heavily on our
domestic transactions—on the interchange of
°Lir property, and on its disposition after our
death—on all our commercial and money deal-
ings—on those publications which periodically
diffuse information, and on the announcement
of our wants made in such publications—and in
short on all those acts which are indispensably
necessary to the piesent state of our social inter-
course. It had been hoped that the time was
approaching when the existing Stamp Duties, the
greater
part of which were originally imposed for
temporary
purposes, and during periods of war
would he modified in their rigour, and placed
on a footing more conformable to the interests
of the nation, as well as those of the Revenue ;
and when we first learned that the CHANCELLOR
of the EXCHEQUER had directed his attention
to the consolidation and general reform of the
Stamp Acts, we certainly shared the hope that
he was about to effect an amelioration, which his
own good sense, if he chose to exercise it, could
not fail to have informed him was absolutely re-
quired.
.As, hOwever, the Right Hon. Gentleman
misled, as we believe, by Revenue Officers, has
announced his intention of introducing a new
table of Stamp Duties, not reducing the present
rates, but continuing every objectionable part of
them, with considerable additions as regards
Great Britain, and as to Ireland with augmen-
tations to an extent which the resources of that
country are utterly unable to bear, it becomes
our duty to draw the public notice to the very
oppressive scheme of taxation now under the
consideration of Parliament, in the hope that
such a general expression of disapprobation may
be called forth from the country, as to make the
CHANCELLOR. of the EXCHEQUER pause in
proceeding with the ill-advised measure to which
he appears prematurely to have given his sanction.
On referring to the comparative table of the
present and proposed Stamp Duties, we first
come to the duties on deeds, and all kinds of
legal instruments. Every one knows how enor-
mously these duties swell the bills of lawyers—
What an impediment they form to the sale, let-
ting, 'settlement, or other assignment of property
--what an oppressive tax upon those who borrow
money on security. Yet this schedule remains
for Great Britain not only unmitigated, but in-
creased, under the mask of consolidation, in
many important respects. For instance, the ad
valorem duty on bonds and conveyances, for
large
sums of money, is raised ; bonds fOr se-
curing an indefinite account current, or cash
credit, are charged 1101., instead of 251., which
cannot but have an injurious effect, particularly
in Scotland, where cash credits with bankers are
so general and so useful ; the progressive duties
011 the second or following sheets of conveyances
Ste raised from 1/. to il. 2s. 6d. each ; those on
the counterparts of leases from I/. 10s. to 11.155.;
and those on transfers of stock of the East India
Company, or other Companies, from 1/. 10s. to
1/. 15
w a.; besides other such additions which it
is" Probably thought would pass unobserved.
or Unfortunate Ireland the rates are almost
uniformly increased to the level of those of
England ; the Irish Attorneys and Proctors must
therefore piepare to pay in future, on their ad-
mission,
•251. instead of 20/. ; their clerks must
pay, on the articles, 1001. instead of 501., and
the Notaries' clerks 301. instead of 151.; the
Stamps on Indentures of Apprenticeship are
doubled, which, considering the class of persons
affected, is a most unworthy step ; those on
Bonds, Conveyances, Mortgages, Leases, Agree-
ments, and all legal instruments, are raised to
the English standard, viz., by from one•third to
forhalf and two-thirds ; Letters of Attorney
instance, from
10s. to 1/. 10s., the progres-
stve Conveyance Duty from 10s. to 11.2 x. 6d.,
and the Duties on Cash Credit Bonds from 10s. to
1/. 10s.! Such are a few of the blessings
which consolidation is about to confer on Ire-
land, in respect of Stamps onlegal documents.
Truly, if the Irish Members are not at their
Posts when the scheme is discussed, they will be
wofully deficient in their duty to their country,
Which they must know is physically incapable of
bearing these new burthens, unless she at the
Same time relinquishes all hope of that regenera-
tion, about which so much is said, and to pro-
mote which so little is done.
Ithen the
second Table there is a reduction in
•
Stamps on British Life, Fire, and Sea In-
surances, for small sums, which will do but little
good, on account of the limited sphere of its
operation. But here again the Irish Duty is
Prodigiously raised, as is also the case as to Bills
Of Exchange, Promissory Notes, and Receipts.
So also in the third Table, with the Irish Pro-
bate and Administration Duty, which at all times
is an obnoxious tax, but will now in Ireland
be found doubly or trebly vexatious. The Pro-
bate,Duty on property in Ireland, sworn under
1,0001. -will now, instead of 91., be 22/. ; and on
property under 10,000/.,
instead of 901., will be
180/. The Legacy Duty to children will be
11., instead of 10s., per cent. ; to brothers and
sisters, and their descendants, 31., instead of
1/. ss. per cent.; to other relations a propor-
tionate Increase ; and to strangers in blood, 101.,
instead of Si. per cent. All this is really too
bad ; and it is seriously to be regretted that the
CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, instead of
marking the dissatisfaction which these duties have
excited on this side of the Channel, and that not
without reason—should have so hastily attempted
to extend them to the sister island to which they
;re wholly inapplicable, in respect of her in-
dustry, her capital, and her political situation.
What is called assimilation is a mere phantom
of oppression, unless the country to be assimi-
. laced in taxation is really similar in other cir-
cumstances. Ireland is no more able to bear
the same weight
than a colt to
carry taxythaetibonurt
as
he rn
uefa t a
hu Britainrse.
Yet both Great Britain and Ireland will have
good cause of complaint if this Bill passes into a
law, which, thanks to Sir JOHN
NEWPORT
and
Mr. POULETT THOMSON, it is not likely to