The Sun.
London, England, 1862-05-14 00:00:00

PETITIONS.

Several petitions were presented, chiefly against the
operation of the income tax, and praying for the exemption
from the tax of all incomes under £l5O a year; for the
repression of the liquor traffic; for an alteration in the
poor law ; from certain schoolmasters against provisions in
the Revised Code, &c.

LEAVE OF. ABSENCE.
On the motion of Colonel PENNANT, a fortnight's
leave of absence was granted to Mr. Holland, on the ground
of domestic affliction.

REDUCTION OF THE PUBLIC EXPENDITURE.
Sir C. DOUGLAS (in the absence of the hon. member
Mr. Stansfeld), gave notice that on that day three weeks
his hon. friend would bring forward a motion to the effect
that it was desirable to reduce the public expenditure.
(Hear, hear.)

OUR RELATIONS WITH CHINA.
Mr. WHITE gave notice that on an early day he should
call the attention of the house to our relations with Obhui,
THE BALLOT.

Mr. BERKELEY gave notic9 that he would, on the
27th instant, move for leave to introduce a bill providing
for the taking of votes at elections by ballot. (Hear, hear,
and laughter.)

REMUNERATION TO POSTMASTERS,
Mr. W. MARTIN asked the Secretary to the Treasury
whether it was the intention of her Majesty's Government
to give any remuneration to the postmasters in consequence
of the additional labour imposed upon them by the institu-
tion of post-office savings banks.

Mr. PEEL said that the question was under considera•
tion.

LUNATIC ASYLUMS (IRELAND). '
Mr. MACEVOY asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland
whether any, and, if any, what changes had been recently
made by the Irish Government in the rules and manage-
ment of district lunatic asylums?

Sir R. PEEL said that the subject of lunatic asylums in
Ireland and the rules which had been introduced for their
more efficient management, had given great satisfaction,
CIVIL SERVANTS IN BOMBAY.

Mr. ADAM asked the Secretary of State for India whe-
ther he had received any memorial from her Majesty's
covenanted civil servants in Bombay praying for the redress
of certain grievances, and when the memorials from civil
servants in Bengal and Madras would be in the hands of
members ?
Mr. BARING said that these papers had been laid on
the table last Friday.
Mr. HODGKINSON asked the President of the Poor-
law Board, whether he had any official knowledge that, in
consequence of the Government having in the last and the
present session promoted a bill to amend the law respect-
ing Parochial Assessments, the revision of the assessments
in a large number of parishes was postponed; and whether
there was a probability of the bill now before the select
committee of which he vas chairman being reported to the
house €o as to give sufficient time for its consideration and
being passed into law during the present session.
Mr. V I LLTERS was understood to say that he had re-
ceived no official information in reference to the subject of
the first question. With regard to the other question, the
bill alluded to would shortly be prepared, and would be in-
troduced in time to enable its being passed this session.
MISCELLANEOUS EXPENDITURE.

Lord It. MONTAGU asked the First Lord of the Treasury
if it was the intention of her Majesty's Government to bring
forward any measure, during the present session, for the pur-
pose of carrying into effect the recommendations contained in
the report of the committee on miscellaneous expenditure,
so far as they suggest a transfer of all public works (save
those for naval and military purposes) to one depart-
ment, and the appointment of a permanent commissioner of
works. _

Lord PALMERSTON said that all the public works,
with the exception of th^co ''''""AQa £0? nßval nnd ranitaz.y
purposes, were under the control of the Commissioners of
Public Works. Her Majesty's Government had no inten-
tion whatever of appointing to the head of the Public
Works Department a permanent officer, because the effect
would be to deprive the house of the control which tkey
now possessed relative to public works.
COURTS OF JUSTICE MONEY BILL.
Mr. COLLINS asked the First Commissioner of Works
whether it was his intention to proceed with the Courts of
Justice (Money) Bill, the second reading of which was
negatived on the 10th of April last,
Mr. CO WPER said it would be most convenient to
proceed with this bill.
PENSION TO MR. GEORGE LINNIEUS BANKS.
Mr. BENTINCK asked the Secretary to the Treasury,
whether it was true that Mr. George Linnams Banks had
been placed on the Civil List for a pension of £5O per an-
num?
Lord PALMERSTON said that no such pension had
been granted. It was represented to him that Mr. Banks
was a gentleman of considerable literary attainments, and
in consequence of having devoted a great deal
of his time to the promotion of mechanics' insti-
tutes, a very meritorious act, he had embarrassed himself.
Under these circumstances, he (Lord Palmerston) recom-
mended that ho should receive a donation of £59 from the
royal bounty, but that did not involve a continuance of tie
taint.
CAPTAIN COLES' SHIELDS.
lb•leply to Lord It. MONTAGU and Admiral WALCOTT,
i.
'''oakkt PAGET said that Captain Coles had written a
letter
-"A Times stating that he had not been consulted
in the repitting
of the shieldr, and as he had a great
respect for fu„
gentleman he regret ted his having adopted
such .a course., The shields in question had undergor e
experimeA
nts wll 'eupaired them to some extent, and his
noble friend the D,
(1,1 Somerset decided that they should
be subjected to a furtht,
trial with guns of 1501 b. calibre
Capt. Coles was cornmu
Nted with, and his eo-operation
invited. Ile repeated his reNtthat Capt. Coles, as an officer
on full pay, should have mAtttn. to a
newspaper on this
subject. Captain Coles was not
‘maipbuilder, and the plan
of ships which he presented to t),„
Government had been
declined, and he was only responsible
the shields.
TRAMWAYS BILL,

AYItTON, in RlOVing for l'3a" t° bring in thia

bill, to authorise the construction of tramways and other
roads in England, explained that he did not propose to
give as extensive powers in this bill as were given for the
construction of these roads in Scotland and Ireland. He
contended that tramways could be constructed cx ee from the
defects of those now in the metropolis. I a the event of
any complaint about any particular tramway to be made, the
matter might be referred to the magistates at quarter ses-
sions, and they could forbid its construction if they thought
fit to do so.

Sir J. SHELLEY opposed the motion.
After some discussion, leave was given to bring in the
bill,

HULL CITADEL.

Mr. A. SMITH moved for an address for a copy of the
case prepared in the War-office for the law officers of the
Crown respecting Hull Citadel, and their opinion thereon.

Mr. PEEL said that the law officers of the Crown were
of opinion that the property belonged to the Crown from
hereditary right.

After some discussion the house divided—
For the motion
Against it
Majority
The motion was accordingly lost.
INCOME-TAX.

Mr. HUBBARD moved that the incidence of an
income-tax should not fall upon capital or property,
and that when applied to the annual proceeds of inves-
ted property it should fall only on the net incomes
arising therefrom ; and that the net profits, gains, or
salaries of persons and partnerships (not by public com-
panies), engaged in any trade, farm, or manufacture,
profession, or salaried employment, should be subject, pre-
vious to assessment, to such an abatement as may equally
adjust the burthen thrown upon intelligence and skill, as
compared with property. Disagreeing with the report of
a committee of last year, which decided that no satisfactory
change could be made in the present system of income tax,
he would contend that such a tax ought to be derived lite-
rally from income—that is the net receipt from any source
of income ; and urged an announcement from the Govern-
ment that they would take the question into consideration
of the grievances inflicted by the present tax. One of them
might be mitigated by a deduction being made for out-
goings in the obtaining of income, which might be done by
a percentage. With regard to the assessment of industrial
earnings, that also should include a deduction which might
be calculated on an average,
Mr. CRAWFORD seconded the motion, stating his
belief that there was no chance of the income-tax ceasing
to be a part of the taxation of the country, and therefore
that it ought to be imposed on just principles. He quoted
the opinions of a number of statesmen and members of par-
liament who had denounced its present injustice and ine-
qualities.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that he
adhered to an opinion ho had expressed some years ago,
that he could not consider an income-tax a permanent source
of the revenue of the country. He was not, therefore, sur-
prised at motions against it; however, he was unable to
concur in the attempts at reconstruction of the tax which
were involved in some of these motions, and on the part of
the Government he offered a decided opposition to the pre-
sent motion, and he had no part in a notice of moving the
previous question which had been given. Having criti-
cally examined the details of the plan laid down by Mr.
Hubbard, he insinuated that they were visionary and im-
practicable, but admitted that there was some case made
out for dealing with incomes under £l5O. By the proposed
plan there would be a loss to the revenue of more than two
millions and a half, while in its details it would produce a
series of inequalities in the percentage to be paid, which
would create far greater injustice than that which it was
asserted now existed. This proposition he argued and

illustrated in a most elaborate mariner, showing that in the
result, among other inequalities, there would be a disadvan-
tage to the landed interest, as against the other classes sub-
ject to the tax, to the extent of 70 per cent., while the
fundholder would be specially mulcted at a rate dispro-
portioned to that paid by other classes. On the whole he
charecterised the plan as one of mischief and danger, and
while admitting the existence of some inequalities in the
present system, he must oppose any speculative attempts
to reconstruct it.

Mr. HUBBARD replied at some length.
Mr. KNIGHTLEY, however, made some observations,
On a division, the motion was lost by 99 to 62.

Sir H. STRACEY moved that in the distribution of the
Parliamentary grant to sailors' homes it is desirable that
the Admiralty should be empowered to give assistance to
such homes as, in its judgment, it maydeem most deserving
of support, whether situated in the neighbourhood of dock-
yards or not.

Lord C. PAGET, while admitting to the full the value
of sailors' homes, was of opinion that they should not de-
pend on the support of the public purse, but rather on the
assistance of the great mercantile interests with which they
were most intimately connected. He could not assent to
the desire which he thought was implied in the motion that
a larger Parliamentary grant should be asked of the Admi-
ralty; and while the amount of the grant remained what it
was, it was only proper that it should be dispensed to those
homes to which the seamen of the navy resorted.
After a brief discussion, the motion was-Withdrawn.
AUSTRALIAN COVR An P.-

Mr. Alderman SALOMONS called attention to the esta-
blishment of a branch of the Royal Mint at Sydney, New
South Wales, and moved for a select committee to consider
and report on the expediency of legalising the circulation in
the United Kingdom of the sovereigns coined at Sydney.
After some debate,
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER expressed
his opinion that a good prima facie case had been made out
for the circulation in this country of the Australian sove-
reigns, but thought the subject should come under the con-
sideration cf a committee.
The motion was agreed to.
Mr. HENNESSY moved the second reading of the Grand
Jury Secretaries (Ireland) Bill, which was opposed by Sir
R.:PEEL, and, after some discussion, withdrawn.
Ihe different clauses of the Public Houses (Scotland)
Acts Amendment Bill were gone through in committee.
The other business was disposed of, and the house ad-
journed.

TILE FRENCH PRESS ON THE EX.

HIBIIION.

M. Texier describes, in the Siecle, his impres
sions of London during a visit to the Great Exhi-
bition, and notes with apparent satisfaction the
gradual assimilation of the English in certain ex-
ternal matters to his own countrymen. He refers
to one impertant point in particular. " For the
last ten- years," be observes—
" London has seen changes in her habits which
prove that the old English spirit is weakening, or
relaxing. England may still be a sort of Western
China, that resists foreign influence ; but assuredly
her metropolis has made many concessions to
strange gods. When Frenchmen dropped down
into London in 1851 there was a regulac hue-and-
cry throughout the West-end. The long beards of
those foreigners excited great astonishment ; and
Punch illustrated with his pencil and in caricatures
exposed in the windows of the Haymarket the epi-
grams of his shaven countrymen. Whence came
these barbarians? asked fine ladies. Arc they
Scythians or Frenchmen ? Wore they born on
the shores of Lake Aral or on the banks of the
Seine ? What a complete metamorphosis ! Young
Englishmen—they whom we meet cantering be-
tween 2 and 4 o'clock in the aristocratic alley of
Rotten-row, by the side of young ladies,have beards
lof fabulous length, which seem false from their
exaggeration. The astonishment of our neighbours
was at once followed by imitation. London has
taken our beards; and so it is that the immediate
result of the first universal Exhibition was a revo-
lution in British visages. It is true, a few Puri-
tans have protested against the invasion of this
Continental fashion ; and the Rev. Dr. Cumming,
who has got into the habit of predicting every six
months the approaching end of the world, sees in
this unexpected crop of the Anglo-Saxon chin a
new sign of the times. The fact is some years later
the austere guardians of the old principles whis-
pered to each other certain extraordinary thingq.
There were seen in the environs of Regent's-park ele-
gant little houses, inhabited by handsome young
womerl,who had come no one knew whence, without
money or introduction ; who lived like the most opu-
lent families. The handsomest carriages were theirs
the freshest toilettes, the finest horses. They had
their boxes at her Majesty's Theatre or Covent-
garden, and they looked not less haughty and some-
times more handsome than the ladies in this alley
of Hpde-park, where you behold the most illustrious
of Great Britain. Clearly Old England had lost the
rigidity of her ancient LIWI RogPnes-riark came
to be an accursed quarter ; a London Breda (a street
in Paris of indifferent repute) ; the abominanion of
desolation. It was not possible to close the eye to
such evidence. The demi nzonde, this pestilence of
the Continent, had crossed the Channel."
The censor of the Siecle enters into some further

details on this topic,Which;ve been known
to the English public. lie touches another topic, the
Tableaus Vivants, Which a previous writer in a Paris
paper has already alluded to. " If from the wealthy
classes," continues M. Texier_

" We descend to the lower ranks of the peoples
another fact appears which is also new to London.
This vast city has in all its quarters a number of
taverns, where you can enter on Payment of a shil-
ling, since the attractior of a show has been added
to that of the ale and porter, which you pay for
over and above. These innumerable taverns might