The Sun.
London, England, 1830-03-27 00:00:00

SPIRIT OP THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

It does not appear to us (as we stated in yester-
day's Paper) that a motion was ever submitted to
Parliament which had the recommendation of being
supported by-a statement of facts more valuable and
incontrovertible than that brought forward by Mr.
Poulett Thomson on Thursday evening, in proposing
that a select committee should be appointed to can-
-ider the expediency of revising our present system
of taxation. The Hon. Gentleman maintained two
principles :-Ist. That certain taxes of small produce,
but pressing upon the people with a vexatious and
costly severity, altogether disproportionate to the
extent in which the Treasury is enriched by them,
should be repealed ; and, 2d, that certain other taxes
on articles of which the consumption had been nar-
rowed by progressive and enormous augmentatioes
of duty, or insufficiently extended by its partial re-
duction, should be diminished : the general inference
from the Hon. Gentleman's proofs on both subjects
being, that the revenue would not be impaired by
the repeal or by the diminution. We shall not pre-
tend to follow Mr. Poulett Thomson over the vast
field of financial history which he occupied, which
would be to give merely a representation of the Hon.
Gentleman's instructive and satisfactory speech,
because, amongst other reasons, we hope that he
will, without loss of time, send it forth in a de-
tached and authentic form to the public, thereby
making a powerful addition to the mass of know-
ledge and wholesome argument already furnished by
the pamphlet of Sir Henry Parnell, and helping to
familiarize the whole body of the nation with the
real workings of the fiscal system, which is brought
home to the inmost sanctuary of every private house
in the kingdom, and with the means of effectually,
and we hope very speedily, alleviating its pressure
on the citizen, without injuring its productiveness
to the state. ft does not, we are bound to say, ap-
pear to us that the proposition of Mr. Poulett
Thomson was fairly met in argument, although we
do not mean to affirm that the appointment of , the
Committee moved for would have been absolutely
free from inconvenience. We, for our parts, see
nothing whatever in the suggestion of referring" the
consideration" of any given question to the Coin-
mittee, like " delegating to a select 'Committee the
whole power of the Government and of Parliament."
The power of the Parliament is that of making laws
—that of Government lies in the execution of them.
A Select Committee, appointed to inquire, consider,
and report, is not vested with either of these powers.
If so, there are 50 Committees on record which might
have been accused of usurping the functions of Go-
vernment arid of Parliament. It will be observed
that the Althorp and Huskisson opposition—if
the former can be called an opposition—voted with
the Hon. Mover; while others, who from situation
in the House and country, had probe y' een looked
upon as likely to support a proposal having for its
object a reform of the financial system, rest-fed the
motion,. on grounds peculiar to themselves. Mr.
Baring, whose views we are seldom so fortunate as
to concur with, repeated his disapproval of the re-
peal of taxes already announced by his Majesty's
Ministers, and talked about the necessity of a sur-
plus revenue, of which none denied the usefulness,
or wished to lessen the amount. But he went
further still, in declaring his opinion that the
country would experience no relief from any change
in the system of taxation Now Mr. Baring is a
merchant of great eminence, and conversant with
the nature of " commission" in all its branches.
We would put it, therefore, to the Honourable
Gentleman, whether he would riot be sensible of a
very material difference in his own commercial pro-
fits, between being obliged to pay a collecting clerk
eight or ten per cent. on the amount of the debts
which were due to him, and only two and a half or
three ? Yet this difference is one grand object of
consideration proposed for a Committee of Inquiry.
It is directly meditated as one of the most important
circumstances involved in the question of commut-
ing one class of imposts for another; it being candidly
admitted by Mr. Goulburn, that there were some
taxes raised with more, and some with less injury to
the tax-payer. Mr. Baring, therefore, we respect-
fully submit to him, ought to be cautious in
what he says on financial subjects, on which
fallacious doctrines lead to much practical abuse;
and Mr. Baring is a person who ought to , be
doubly cautious, because there is nothing more
mischievous than that great names like his
should be put forward in support of rank absur-
dities.—lt is a matter of great encouragement to see,
from the tone of Mr. Goulburri's speech, that Go-
vernment are not so averse to the substance of Mr.
Thomson's proposition, viz., that the taxes aught to
be revised—as to the former part of it—namely,
the appointment of a Committee. The objection
was to the instrument, not to the end, which latter,
we believe the Duke of Wellington to be conscien-
tiously earnest in promoting, with as much expedi-
tion as, in his own judgment, the situation of the
country will allow of. We are glad, also, to observe
the repulsive tone of Ministers whenever any Mem•
her throws out a hint of a property tax—a tax which,
under the suggested regulations, would be compara-
tively trifling in amount, but abundantly vexatious in
its operation.—Times.
Those who have paid most attention to the sub-
ject, and best understand it, are we believe agreed
that the taxation of this country is more injurious
from the manner in which it presses on the industry
of the country, than from its positive amount; and
a great relief would be experienced by repealing a
variety of duties on articles which form the raw ma-
terials of manufactures, and by reducing duties when
they are so high as to affect consumption. This
important subject was brought before the House on
Thursday night by Mr. P. Thomson, in an able
and luminous speech, which had for object the ap-
pointment of a Select Committee, to inquire into the
various taxes, with a view to a remedy, if possible,
for the evils complained of. A distinguished poli-
tical writer, in art imaginary dialogue, makes a philo-
sopher thus address an English Lord, who was
boasting of the blessings of the English Constitu-
tion You will not take it amiss, my Lord, if I
point out to you a few defects in your administration
of affairs. In your island, which it is so easy to
render inaccessible to your enemies, without neigh-
bours, and rich with the productions which a fertile
soil lavishes on you, what had you, in God's name,
to do with the quarrels of Europe ? Why did you
take it upon yourselves to maintain, at a great ex-
pence, a balance which would have been kept up
very well without you ?" But what is done is
done, and we must reconcile ourselves, as well as
we can, to the situation ieto which we have brought
ourselves by our follies and indiscretions, instead of
imitating the old man in Moliere, who, when called
on to pay his son's ransom from the pirates who
had carried him off while examining their galley,
keeps exclaiming—" But what the devil took him
on board that galley ?"—Still, however, it is per-
mitted to one sinking under a heavy load, to relieve
himself if he can by throwing the weight on another
part of his body. As far as the consolation, is open
to us of a choice of evils, we are at liberty to enjoy
it. Taxation at best is an ugly bUsinesi; but if we
cripple our industry we add to the pressure. The
ass, meaning by ass (with reverence be it spoken)
John Bull, must be kept on foot if possible, for
were he to break down, our glorious constitution,
our liberties, and the franchises of such asylums of
them as East Retford and Old Sarum, might all be
in great danger. The statement submitted to the
House, of the injurious manner in which the exist-
ing taxes press upon various important branches of
manufactures, may or may not be borne out in all
its extent on inquiry ; but it certainly affords a
strong prima facie case for inquiry. We say no-
thing of the adulterations to which the high duties
necessarily lead, and which is carried so far in tea,
that we have, it seems, hardly anything under that
name in this country but sloe leaves. "In 1783,"
said Mr. P. Thomson, " the quantity of adulterated
tea in this country was not less than 4,000,000
pounds. With that fact before them, be world
leave the House to judge what the amount of adul-
teration wus now. A foreign gentleman with whom