The Sun.
London, England, 1862-03-26 00:00:00

THE MOVE,fiENT .4GAINS2
INCOME TAX.

-

The following additional correspondence has taken
ploce between the committee of the Income Tax
Repeal Association of Birmingham and the repre-
sentatives of that borough :
London, Reform Club, March 17, 1862.
Sir,—l have to-day received your communication of the
15th instant. The part to which you especially desire an
answer is, I presume, the following :—" Will you heartily
and willingly take up a position of resolute hostility to the
income tax, and divide the house, and vote, or assist to turn
out a Ministry, or to take any other hostile steps whenever,
in the judgment of common sense, such steps can tend to
ameliorate or get rid of the income tax ?"
In reply I beg to state—That I am not prepared to pledge
myself to " a resolute hostility to the income tax," if this
imply the total repeal of that tax.
That I am not prepared to pledge myself "to divide the
house, and vote, or assist to turn out a Ministry" on this
question alone.

That I am quite ready to take " hostile steps" whenever
I think that "common sense" recommends them as tending
to ameliorate the income tax.
In giving my answer in this somewhat pointed manner
I am sure you will not suppose that I mean any discourtesy
toward you or those acting with you. I have adopted tb's
form solely because I think it is the ono best calculsted to
convey a clear and definite reply to your questiors.—l am,
Sir, your most obedient servant,
John S, Mantor Esq.

WILLIAM PaCROLEFIELD.

Birmingham, March, 1862.
Sir,—W© are requested by the committee to acknow-
ledge your letter of the 17th, and to say that, so far from
complaining of the pointed manner in which you reply to
the main questions in their letter, they are obliged by your
directness, though they deny tho soundness of your con-
clusions.

They desire a total repeal of the income tax, because they
perceive, in common with our most advanced scientific men,
that income is not, and never can be, a just criterion of
liability to diiect taxation, and because all our indirect tax-
ation is an enormous income tax on that part of the national
income which is spent, while there is a total exemption of
direct taxation of capitalised wealth.
The regret that you are not at present prepared to assist
to turn out a Ministry on this question alone, as they be-
lieve that in this respect you are at issue with the great
majority of your constituents, who consider that the pres-
sure of these dishonest and insulting tax laws by the
Government is a paramount reason for turning out any
Ministry.

You inform us that you are ready to take hostile steps
whenever common sense recommends them as tending to
ameliorate the income tax, but you give no information
whatever as to what amelicrations of the income tax you
desire—what you consider our direct taxation ought to be,
or whether, in support of your own views, you are prepared
to vote against Ministers. We hoped you would have con-
sidered it due to the request of a large public meeting of
your constituents to express this information, as, without it,
it is impossible for them to know how far you are using the
power they give you as their representative in the House of
Commons, to subject them to extortion and insult.
If you desire to communicate any further information it
will be our duty to receive it, and to make it public.

We are Sir,
On behalf of the Income-tax Repeal Committee,
Your obedient servants,
JOHN S. MANTox, Chairman.
FRED. W. FIDDIAN, Hon. Sec. •
To Wm. Scholefield, Esq., M.P.

Rochdale, March 21, 1862.

Dear Sir,—l have to thank you for your second letter.
I do not know that I can add much to what I have already
written to you.

If Birmingham is in earnest in a movement against the
income tax, and if other towns will join in the movement,
the tax can be overthrown ; and I am not sure that it will
not be overthrown more easily than made equal and just.
I can vote against the income tax with a clear conscience,
because I believe the whole sum annually raised by it might
be saved by a Government anxious to do its duty to the
people. But I must tell you plainly that so long as there
is an apparent popular acquiescence in the present expen-
diture, and particularly in that branch of it which is con-
nected with the military services, I do not believe that the
tax will either be overthrown, or its pressure sensibly miti-
-6.4,0a.

I am prepared to vote for any honest attempt to make
the tax more equal, as I am prepared to vote for its aboli-
tion. With regard to the precise course to be taken in
the House of Commons in dealing with the subject, I must
be left at liberty to do that which at the time may seem
most judicious.

I think you should correspond with all the principal
towns in the kingdom, if you wish your views on the in-
come tax to prevail.

I am, very truly yours,
JOHN BRIGHT.
J. S. Manton. Esq., Regent Works, Birmingham.

Birmingham, March 22, 1862.
_ _

Dear Sir,—We are desired by the committee to acknow-
ledge the receipt of your letter of yesterday, and to present
to you their warmest thanks for the clear and explicit
manner in which you have expressed your opinions on the
income tax question ; and the committee are gratified to find
that you heartily agree with this movement for the total
repeal of this most hateful and iniquitous impost.
The committee aie aware of the importance of inducing
other constituencies to take similar steps to those taken
here, and they hope that the mere publication of this cor-
respondence will induce the formation in all the consider-
able towns in the kingdom of electoral associations, pledged
only to vote for candidates for Parliament who will advo-
cate the total and final repeal of the income tax, leaving the
Government to provide, if direct taxation be necessary, an
honest wealth tax, to be administered under laws and regu-
lations in which the rights and the feelings of the people
will be respected.

This committee will be glad to receive communications
from other towns, and to give every information and as-
sistance in their power to help the movement.
We are, dear sir, yours truly,
JOHN S. MANTON, Chairman.
1
FRED. W. FIDDIAN, Hon. Sec.
To John -Bright, Esq., M.P.

SERIOUS CH RGE OF ATTEMPTED
JIUR.D.ER AT BRIGHTON.

On Monday morning John Edward Belsey,
short, dark, thick-set young man, aged 21, was
charged with attempting to shoot Louisa King, cook
to Mr. Francis D'Alquen, of 8, Montpelier-terrace,
Brighton, with intent to do her grievous bodily
harm, on Saturday afternoon, about half-past one
o'clock.
It appeared that the prisoner was to be married
to Lucy Walder, housemaid at Mr. D'Alquen's,
on the Saturday morning, and then appeared
to be on the most affectionate terms with her,
and they all proceeded to St. Nicholas's
Church, prisoner walking with Lucy Walder's
mother, and the rest following. All at once the
prisoner said he had forgot his gloves, and that he
must go back and get them, adding that he should
be with them in a few minutes. He went back, and
the party proceeded to church, where they waited
his arrival for about an hour. No bridegroom ap-
pearing they were obliged to leave. The intended
bride went to Mr. D'Alquen's, and her mother to
her home. Nothing was seen of the prisoner till
mr.
about half-past 1 o'clock, when he knocked at
and
his D'Alquen's loqnu
went
tdoor, e
eupwohnowith,sic,ahs,tht
havingg reason
e ntlema
n
to ex-
pect that he would come there. Prisoner asked to
see Luoy (meaning Lucy Walder), and Mr. D'Al-
quen, jun., told him he could not see her, on which
the prisoner presented a six-barrel revolver at the
breast of Mr.D'Alquen, sen. Louisa King, the cook,
at the same time was coming up stairs, and went to
assist her master in closing the door against the
prisoner. A desperate struggle took place. Louisa
King put her head out of the door too far, not know-
ing that prisoner had a pistol, when he fired, and
had it not been for Mr. D Alquen, sen., Pulling her
away from the door (just betore the shot was fired)
the shot must have hit her. After he had fired the
Messrs. D'Alquen threw the door open, and a despe-
rate struggle ensued between Mr. D'Alquen, jun.,
and the prisoner. The latter was thrown to the
ground, and at the same time Mr. D'Alquen, sen.,
wrenched the pistol from the prisoner's hand,
when a policeman was sent for and he was taken
into custody. On his Way to the Towb
Hall
the prisoner said he intended to kill both the
girl and the old man. It appears that on the
Saturday morning prisoner tried his revolver at a
smith's shop, and said he was going on the tramp
to shoot some one. All the barrels were loaded.
The prisoner was defended by Mr. Roupell. The
magistrates, A. Big?, Esq. (in the chair), and W.
M. Hollist, Esq., decided to commit the prisoner for
trial at the assizes, and the witnesses were bound
over to appear, Mr. Roupell reserving his defence.
—Sussex Express.

owing to her being thought overcrowded for a long
voyage, are on their way to Shithead in the clipper
ship Flying Cloud. On their arrival they will dis-
embark and join the head-quarters of the regiment
in Portsmouth garrison.

General Sir John Burgoyne and Colonel Jervoise
arrived on Monday evening at Plymouth, and yes-
terday morning proceeded to inspect the progress
of the defences of the entrance to Ifamoaze and
Picklecombe-point, and the fort at Tregantle, Corn-
wall.