The Sun.
London, England, 1853-02-03 00:00:00

hence the possibility of their being used to re-
awaken slumbering national animosities. We fear
that a recent flagrant instance of this wickedness,
for such it is, is but too well established in the
professed quotations of a continental journal of
high position, from one of high position here.)
Against wilful misrepresentation, of course, no
journalist can guard; still the tendency to it
abroad is a motive to greater caution to
it at home. We may even needlessly, by irri-
tating foreign powers over whom we have
no kind of control, actually lessen our
opportunities of serving those for whom we would
intercede. We may prolong captivities, and mul-
tiply stripes. Despots may seek indemnification
in the sufferings of their victims for the mortifica-
tion of our exposure of their deeds. It is a plain
fact, too, that even oppressed nations are liable to
construe an insult to their rulers as one offered to
themselves, unless, indeed, like Hungary or Italy,
they are living in a state of smothered insurrec-
tion. The hereditary or the chosen ruler of a
people is naturally regarded by them as the im-
personation of the state, and though they may
be ready enough to revile him themselves, they
will be affronted to hear a foreigner do it, just as
an injured wife will not allow another woman to
reproach her husband.
With the noblest of duties, then, devolving
upon it, yet surrounded by so many dangers in
discharging it, the English press has both a high
and delicate service to perform. It has to sustain
nd improve international sentiments, without
awounding national pride.. It may not truckle
and fawn, yet it may not assume and
bluster. Truthful and, when needful, se-
vere it must be vituperative, never. It
is bound to utter the judgments of our com-
mon humanity in the only court open to pro-
nounce them, but also not to endanger its in;
terests while aiming to promote them. Flagrant
crimes of conquerors, such as Poland, Hungary;
Mexico, and Rome, can witness to—flagrant
galised iniquity, like imprisonment or the guillo-
tine for Bible-reading, and American Negro 4
Slavery—it would be traitorous to pass over in
silence, but almost as traitorous to be blind to
the beam in our own eye. In a word, it is for
the English Press to manifest the difference be-
tween what its noblest advocate termed unli-
censed printing and licentious printing.

The time is rapidly approaching when a full and
satisfactory answer must be returned to the ques-
tion, What will be done with the Property and
Income Tax ? On that answer will greatly de-
pend the duration of the ABERDEEN Administra-
tion. If it be in accordance with the popular
will—if it be stated that the impost shall be en-
tirely remodelled, the flagrant injustice of the pre-
sent system done away with, and the matter
placed upon an equitable foundation, the country
will sustain the Ministry in the attempt, and the
people will testify their gratitude to those who
have conceded a boon in every respect so accept-
able, who have swept away a crying grievance,
under which the nation had been afflicted for a
dozen years. If, however, on the other hand,
they endeavour to perpetuate the nuisance, not
all the official experience and administrative talent
which they unquestionablypossess, were they double
or 'even quadruple, could long avert the fate
which, sooner or later, inevitably awaits those who
offer a perverse and obstinate resistance to the
reasonable demands of the community.
It is universally admitted that the impost must
be renewed, in some form, previous to the termi-
nation of the financial year. Unless something
'be done previously to the sth of April next, the
Income and Property Tax, will expire of itself ;
and not only will there be an end to the hopes of
fiscal relief that hare been so strongly excite re-
specting the Tea Duties—taxes on knowledge, and
other oppressive burdens,—but a serious deficiency,
very prejudicial to the national credit, must be
occasioned.
a deficiency,pii a
ltlhye d
econsequences
JOHN
which
have
A g been
MACGREGOR, the energetic, consistent, and talented
Member for Glasgow. Such evils are not to be lightly
encountered. We believe that there are not a dozen
men of ordinal.), education, in or out of Parlia-
ment who would dare to advocate a course so ha-
zardous. It is also certain that no efficient sub-
stitute could be provided 'that would bring in—
even a moiety of the five millions and a half of
pounds sterling that would thereby be lost to the
Exchequer. It was all but universally admitted,
by members of all sides and parties in the House
—the 53 "impracticables" alone excepted—that
there could not only be no addition to the indi-
rect imposts, already more than sufficiently oner-
ous—but that there should be a further exten-
sion of the policy that had been proved beyond
the possibility of doubt or contradiction, to be
" wise,propositionjus t and
fboern etfihcei a
increase of the House
Tax could scarcely be brought forward by the pre-
sent Govornment,- while the vote by which they
obtained possession of office, and were enabled to
grasp the reins of power, is yet fresh in the pub-
li recollection. Nor, indeed, if they could event
" screw their courage to the sticking place," so
far as to bring forward such a proposition, and
that they could induce a majority of the House
to yield a reluctant assent, would it prove an
a dequate substitute, or realise more than one-
eighth of the loss they would sustain by the 'ces-
sation of the Property and Income Tax. Some-
thing might be done by the equalisation of the
Land Tax a matter which. Mr. Digit Awu
should not have neglected during his tenure of
office—but even that would scarcely be sufficient
to supply the deficiency. Nor even, if practicable,
would it be desirable to remove the weight from
all descriptions of property, real as - well as per-
sonal, to place it exclusively on that "savouring
of the reality," to exonerate the fundholder and
mortgagee at the expense of the landed proprietor
and householder: It may, therefore, be considered
as certain that " the impost must be renewed in
some form previous to the termination of the
financial year, on the sth April next."
Two questions of "principle" will have to be
decided in the first instance before details are
gone into—first, the distinction between pre-
carious and temporary, and certain and perma-
nent incomes ; secondly, as to whether there is to
be any extension of the area of taxation, so as to
bring a greater number of persons within the
operation of the charge. These are important
subjects, which should be regarded in a sound com-
mon-sense point of view—in a very different light,
indeed, from that in which Mr. GLADSTONE here-
tofore beheld them. No refinement of casuistry,
no elaborate or plausible arguments can induce the
industrious classes to believe that labour— mental
voralupehwyistihcaal—eeuismulfoar fiscal
accumulated
dor
repaliurPsedosespropoefrtye—qual
or
artist,
sthhoaut
ldthbe
eperhoaferssgeidonala,s orohriglihtleyraroyu mhanis ,
fl
and precarious earnings as th uo
fc t uTaht ire
g
e owner e
per Cent. Consols, ohrisodfivwideeticisrocurmgrstoanuncded-
To Mr. DISRAELI is due the honour of having
Estate should be on ground-rents.
first recognised a distinction between the different
• but his was not merely a
any means far enough ,
kinds of income. It is true that he did not go by
step in the right direction--a following out of a
sound principle : he entered on the correct path,
inserted the point of the wedge—so r
that further
obsti-
ed th
progress would have been inevitable. the Whig
nacy of Sir CHARLES WOOD prevent
weakness which
ment, and indeed produced the
Cabinet, and
Ministry from obtaining the credit of the
led to to the dissolution of the B CSSELL
They had many
office as an independent party. again to hold
rendered it impossible for them
t all were neglected or misap-
a firm hold on the
popoppuiortaurnfiatvieosurof
ball
Let the Coalition
error into which they had fallen.
plied, and they had too ]ate to deplore the fatal
Ministry avoid a similar mistalte, which, in the
t they should go as far
It will not be sufficient tha
d stop short at the exact
present instance, would be more speedily avenged.
as their predecessors, an
considerably, and offer a
They must advance very
point to which Mr. DISRAELI had proceeded.
much higher bidding than was accepted as a com-
mencement. A nicer discrimination will be re-
quired. If an income be temporary, it must be
ascertained whether it is precarious or certain. If a
party be possessedof an estate for life, or for any limit-