The Sun.
London, England, 1853-05-13 00:00:00

THIS EVENING, MAT 13,

And during the week, the entertaluments will commence with the
grand epectade of A 3IAIiOSA ; or, Scenes of Rath Warfare.
To I e followed by a &splay of Equestrian Scenes in the ARENA,
Intro ?nein 31r. c'ooke'r bitfhly-trained Steeds. The infant Victor
Claude Cooke end his pet Drawing-room Pony. The Entertain-
ment, supportcd by the emlnent. ,trustee of the Establishment. •
To to ne.ude with Hugo Vamp, Esq new Cemic Drama, entitled
IN FOit ♦ DJG; or, Lite ut the Ditoigs.
Bur-orrice ()pm daily trim I•;lereu to Four. Stage Manager, Mr. 1
W. West.

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.
Taco Dar —Morning 46 min. after 4 j Evening 3 min.aft. 5
Tp-MORROW—Morning 22 min. after 5 Evening 45 min.aft. 5

THE WEATHER.--Son Onus, MAT 13.
THERMOMETER, IN TiE SHADE.
58—highest since noon yesterday.
45—lowest this morning and during the night.
54 this day at noon.

BABOIIETBR, 30.11.
WIND, S.E.—Fine breeza,"and cloudy weather. Heavy
rain in the night.

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LONDON, FRIDAY, MAY 13, 1853.

---~_

Mr. GLADSTONE'S proposition with regard to the
contemplated extension of the Legacy Duties re-
quires much careful consideration before it can
receive the Legislative sanction, or be suffered to
pass into a law. It must not be forgotten, that
the Right Hon. Gentleman intends completely
to alter the basis of the impost, creating au new
and far more productive tax, on a very different
foundation from that already in operation. It
will no longer be a duty on bequests, but a tax
on successions. Every person coming into' pos-
session of property, real or personal—whether
under a devise or settlement, taking either as ab-
solute owner or merely as tenant for life, or other
limited interest—must pay a tax varying from 1
to 10 per cent., if his possession has been occa-
sioned by the death of a former proprietor. , The
distinc,tions between rents and personalty, settled
or unsettled property, will, so far as the tax is
concerned, be henceforward and for ever anni-
hilated. It is, therefore, to all intents and
purposes, a new tax, on settled and real
property, calculated to produce 2,000,0001.
marling per annum; and, as such, it imperatively
denaands the calm and attentive deliberation of
tie House as to its probable results, before it can
be permitted to pass through its various stages.
If it were an existing source of revenue, the argu-
ment so frequently resorted to by Financial
'Ministers might• be available, viz., that lie could
not afford to relinquish so [productive an impost.
But that argument, weak and unsatisfactory as it
is under the most favourable circumstances, is
totally inapplicable in the present instance, The
fitter must therefore be dealt with on its broad
mote. We must, to use the words of Mr. Dm-
Luna, " ask ourselves, is it a just tax ? is it ab-
stractedly a just tax ?isit a politic tax—a tax
that can be vindicated on principle I" and, if so, is
it a tax adapted to the state and condition of the
country 7 We must also reflect on the grounds
OD which this new impost can be justified ; and if
it should be intended as a substitute for any
other public burden, We should carefully com-
pare the two, in order to ascertain which is
at the same time the must equitable and the most
expedient, to be well assured that N‘e
adopting a course alike Opposed to • :,re not
JII,LIC2 and
sound policy.

Now I).:fore entering on these importaid
tlie con-
coLsi_
&rations we may considerably narrow
contrever3y by sundry adlni:;sions, which we frccly
and willingly make, It±ndering to 7.fr. GLAnsToN
the justice to
wLich he 16 eminently entitled for
the -comprehensive ilicasllre he J 1 a S brought f,r.

if

ward.

we acknowledge that if ti),
were to be retain:2d, their'exien-'
,on to recd property w,-1s
option renlaincd for :Ur. GLADSTONE, or any othe,
Minister at the bend of the Financial Department,
but to listen respectfallv to the voice of publie

'gacy I

°Pinion, and to Yield to " the pr'cs;,,m-e from with
but" which could no longer be misted. And,