The Sun.
London, England, 1853-11-01 00:00:00

THE PENNY RECEIPT ACT.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

is but a few months since I addressed
the public, through your columns, when, I believe, I
pointed out (effectually) the absurdity of the then con-
templated tea and tobacco licensing scheme. I now
boldly come down upon the present Government, as
having inflicted upon the middle classes of the commer-
cial community of this country the most unjust system
of plunder that that unfortunate and invariably victimised
class has ever, in my day, experienced. Nay, start not,
Johnny, I mean the Penny Recept Act. Oh ! Mr.
Bull, Mr. Bull, what an ass you are—why do you allow
a small knot of gentlemen to be continually changing
the laws, so as to plant all the burden upon the backs of
the hardest-worked donkeys in the country ? Have you
calculated, have you thought, have you dreamt, what
this penny affair will drag out of the earnings of the
middle classes of tradesmen ? I fear, my poor unfor-
tunate brethren, you have slumbered in the mist, and
have allowed a march to be stolen upon you which will
make some of us look aghast when we come to draw a
balance of our earnings a year hence. Some of us I think
will find this penny tax an item of many pounds. Let
me, ye poor deluded bipeds, point out a few of the
inequalities which must occur in the operation of this
wise and just law. Let me premise. I know lam likely
to be answered that a man receiving 21. or upwards can
afford to sacrifice one penny. True as a general rule it may
be concluded so, but I contend it is hard that one class
of the community should have to pay pounds towards
the taxation of the country in proportion to others'
pennies. To wit—here is a case (although I admit an
extreme one).—My Lord has a rent roll of 70,0001.
per annum ; his land is let to say one hundred and
fifty tenants. These tenants pay their rents—l suppose
half-yearly (they generally have to pay up to the mark).
This would make, in round numbers, 300 payments an-
nually, for receiving which sum, 70,0001., the noble lord
will have to give 300 penny stamps—just 255. Twenty-
five shillings per annum for receiving 70,0001. bona fide
income. Now, look at the contrast. lam a trades-
man : I transact about 25,0001. worth of business per
annum, all wholesale ; my goods are of that description
that I have customers upon my books many of whose
accounts do not exceed 21., some of them (only a few)
occasionally .purchase parcels which amount to hundreds
of pounds, but the payments I receive throughout the
year will not average more than five pounds each, con-
sequently I have to pay towards the same tax 5,000
pence, or 201. 16s. Bd., and mine is only a fluctuating
or circulating return. It may be, and often is, that
some parties situated as I am (although making a
return of 25,0001., or more in the course of the year)
upon drawing a balance find no profit is left—nay, some-
times, through bad debts and a variety of other
circumstances which the trading portion of the comma-
-nay is subject to, a loss appears. Is this equal taxa-
tion ? Is this encouraging commerce ? Is this reward-
ing industry or the sweat of man's brow ? No ! ye
tyrannical gormands, it is all tending to the silently
working system of keeping the rising man down, and
just the order of taxation which is certain to be lauded
in a leading article of the limes newspaper. How
strange is the anomaly ! Just at this identical period the
very party whose duty it was to cheek the growth of
this abuse in the bud is now nourishing the seeds and
roots which planted the rank weed upon our soil:, I
mean the Manchester cotton lords. No doubt these
gentlemen have not thought of the probable working of
the system because they (in a great measure) are similarly
situated to the landowner, inasmuch, as this, that these
gentlemen's trade is done by large sales at a time, and
perhaps many of them turning over many thousands in
the course of the year will not have to pay half so
much towards this tax as I shall have to pay for my few
thousands ; and I believe there are many whom it will
affect in proportion even more than myself.
I wonder, sir, if any one has yet ventured upon a
guess what this measure is likely to produce the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer, for it is said the law is rigidly
to be carried out. I tremble to contemplate (if the tax
is strictly enforced) what the sum will be. Will it be
hundreds, will it be thousands, or will it be millions ?
Mark my words : I prognosticate that the revenue de-
rived from this source will be many millions. Well,
then, suppose it is ; we shall, no doubt, have a reduc-
tion of other taxes. But what taxes will be reduced to
benefit the middle classes ? Will they be such as the
assessed taxes, which the generous Chancellor of the
Exchequer has reduced, amongst his recent botches, or
will the 1001. income tax scheme (which has recently
been inflicted upon poor widows and clerks) be abo-
lished ? This, of course, remains to be proved ; but here
is a fact that is already proven. _ _