The Sun.
London, England, 1853-06-18 00:00:00

tory. Why should the double machinery be pre-
served, and double costs incurred (for the duty' to
Government will only constitute a portion of the
disbursements of a successor to either real or per-
sonal property) on two distinct sets of duties,
arising on, or rendered payable by, the same event,
viz., the transference of property on, or in conse-
of any party ? Why should
quence of, the death
not the Probate Duties, and Legacy Duties, or
duties on successions, be completely amalgamated ?
and any questions arising in respect thereto
adjudicated on by a single tribunal, and in
a single suit in place of having one cause in
the Prerogative Court, or, if there be bona
notablita in different dioceses, causes in several
distinct Prerogative Courts, another in one of the
Superior Courts of Common Law, and another in
Chancery ? Surely, if charges so onerous are to
be maintained and extended, the machinery
should be rendered as simple, the charge of col-
lection as moderate, the interference with the
parties as limited, and the inquiries as little inqui-
sitorial, as could be consistent with the preven-
tion of fraud, and the evasion of the duties sanc-
tioned by the guardians of the public purse.
At present the machinery is of the most com-
plicated character; and it is admitted,. on all hands,
that many difficulties must arise, many years
elapse, and an enormous quantity of litigation be
encountered before the state of the law can be
considered as settled, or judicial interpretations
of the different provisions obtained on the multi-
plicity of cases that must be of almost daily oc-
currence under the contemplated enactments.
What an extensive field for litigation must arise
under the 7th clause as to what should be con-
sidered as "fraudulent evasions" of the duty ?
How many questions will occur on the clause pro-
viding that " duties shall be paid on the suc-
cessor becoming entitled in possession but in the
case of outstanding interest, on the determina-
tion thereof ?" How will it affect the adminis-
tration of trusts ? and who will, under such cir-
cumstances, be induced to undertake such onerous,
responsible, thankless, and ill-requited duties ?
But all these difficulties are occasioned by the de-
sire of .the Chancellor of the Exchequer to
exhibit undue favouritism towards the landocracy,
and to avoid carrying out that full and perfect
equality of taxation which he averred to be the
principle of his Bill, and which afforded so
favourable an opportunity for self-gratulation.

There is a well-known and famous theory of the
origin of us lords of the creation, according to
which, from an almost invisible monad, we be-
came successively jelly-fish, dog-fish, reptiles,
apes without tails, and, lastly, men. The tenant
farmers, it would seem, have got beyond the rep-
tile stage, and soon, therefore, we may expect to
see them begin to walk erect and gaze upon the
sky. Mr. BERKELEY declares that, in respect to
ready transference from Toryism to Whiggism, or
vice versa, according as landlords change, and in
perfect docility under the process of being put
now on the Tory, now on the Whig side of the
hustings, the farmers are veritable Buck-rabbits ;
yes, tame Buck-rabbits. He gave the House some
specimens of the taming process, but in truth
they were not needed. Nothing is better known,
to any one really acquainted with the agricultural
districts, than the perfect subservience of the
farmers to their landlords. The Reforva Bill has
entirely changed the character of the county re-
presentation. Previously to that the independent
freeholders were a very large proportion ; since
then the tenants, a Large part of them being even
tenants-at-will, have completely swamped the free-
holders. It was trivial of Mr. SIDNEY HERBERT
to tell us of a few wealthy tenants-at-will in
Wiltshire not voting for a corn-law repealer in
South Wilts ; that was a venial offence in the eyes
of landlords. The political surface of the English
and Welsh counties is, beyond dispute, one
nearly unbroken level of Toryism, or at
least, of Landlordism a vast Conservative
prairie, with a casual tree of Liberty per-
haps in a metropolitan county or manufactur-
ing half county. Indeed, Mr. BUTT, and other
Reformers in his line, might attain their ends
most easily by a bill to put the franchise directly
into the hands of the landlords. The half million
of voters in England and Wales would be quite
as well polled through their 30,000 or 40,000
vote-owners. It would save the stewards much
rather unpleasant work, and materially dimi-
nish the cost of county elections. The land-
lords could easily poll in a single day, and they
would certainly not need the Ballot. So entire is
the prostration, that even in the better cultivated
counties, as in Norfolk and Suffolk, where leases
are general, it makes little difference. The ten-
ant who dares to have an opinion and a will of his
own, much morethe tenant who ventures to speak at
public meetings for anything but "the repeal of the
Malt Tax," and "taxing the foreigner," becomes a
marked man. He is published amongst the landlords
like a criminal amongst the police; even his brother
farmers think him a fool for his pains, so com-
pletely do they look upon tenant slavery as one of
the " domestic institutions" of agricultural dis-
tricts,
well knowing that to seek escape from it is
not only a hopeless attempt, but even embitters
the bondage of the submissive. When his lease
is out, his alternative not unfreouently is to quit
the county, if not the country. One of the'
strongest evidences of their bondage is that they
dare not even ask for liberty. There is not a
class who long for the Ballot more than the tenant
farmers, especially where, as in the more highly
cultivated counties, they are men of some intelli-
gence ; but they dare as soon cut off their right
hands as sign a petition for the Ballot. Mr.
BE KELEY'S picture of "putting on the election
screw" is true to the letter. Why, Lord JOHN
RUSSELL himself has felt it in his own case. He
surely has not • forgotten how, on his becoming
Home Secretary in 1835, all the Buck-rabbits of
South Devon, or some 600 of them at
least, were handed over from him to Mr.
MONTAGU PARKER, the Conservative. The rab-
bits kicked not, that we heard of, but his Lord-
ship did kick a little, and threatened in his wrath
that he would visit those who took them by the
ears with the Ballot ! Nor is it only the tenant
farmers who are "screwed"—it is notorious that
intimidation is practised in every conceivable mode; SALE OF THE MIrROPOLIS ROADS.---Yesterday the
mobs, priests, creditors, lawyers, employers, cus- sale
a wasth
emetropolis
oroads
then orthnth of Jun
of the Thames,ein
tourers, every one who has hold on another's fears,
consequencewh adjournedof the greater portion of them not
may and, as the rule, does make use of it in elec- having been disposed of, was resumed and concluded
tion contests ; by no means always openly. The at the• office of the commissioners, Whitehall place,
trembling voter too generally knows that he, may tfrhoemEarl
the Kensington
Lonnssindaalteonin the chair.
whichTh e
fteotollhsedarislianagt
not displease his evil genius. We have always year 16,5301., were now offered by the commissioners
insisted most strenuously on the deep and real for 16,0001.; they fetched 16,4401. The Harrow-roads
grievance of the intimidated voter, and we are tolls sold or 1,0901. last year ; they fetched 1,1601.
glad to see that Mr. BERKELEY made it the The tolls of the Highgate and Hampstead roads went
for 18;010/. ; last year they sold for 18,2301. The
strongest part of his admirable and really Cav-road tolls were knocked down for 3,2101. ; last
tiLCilbu.rn
interesting speech on this . almost threadbare year they realised 3,2401. The above tolls were
topic on Tuesday evening ; indeed such stress did bought Messrs.a Bwoelrtoonsoalir
foLrevzi
20/The
he lay upon it, that Mr. S. HERBERT taunted ankdodEfdtpr vtahreemobdsoing
1,0501. ; the previo.us year the
him with almost giving up the Ballot as a preven- sumas received being 3,9901. The Stamford-hill, the
tive of bribery, and claiming it on behalf of the Green-lanes 30 the Seven Sisters-roads were disposed
intimidated only. Mr. HERBERT, if capable of of for 8,1401. to Mr.mßea nbieltron;
elasatnydearaeoyhireeyturtnoellda
receiving, instruction on this subject, had it in tBfile9";evi6e.s yearTlie‘ cleared' 2,1001. ; they were offered
abundance before the close of the debate ; but we at 2,130001" and were parted with for 2,1101. These
maintain that it is precisely against this species of and the Kilburn toils weie sold too Messrs.sl TMhoorril s and
political violence that we are most of all bound to Bellamy, extensive lessees 11.1
fromevn the New Naeotrtlhet-
comprised the tolls arising
North-
protect the voter. It may be impossible to legis-produced 830/ •
• , they
• road. The previous year they'
late against a female selling her honour for money, were put up at 7501., and were knocked down for
hut the severest penalties protect her from vio- 7601. •to Messrs. Prome and ISI
on
eNamara, omnibus
lence. And so, even wore it impossible to lessen proprietors,ch whose omnibuses
sfthsEa
runl wa569,2801. The
that e;d
bribery by the Ballot (which we totallylast
deny), we total aggregate
yearam was 69,087/. The increase arose in con-
are bound to prevent the upright -voter from being sequence of the excess given for the Tyburn and Ux-
coerced to the shame which others incur for hire, bridge and the Hackney roads—the former being 4001.,
We really think it cruel and heartless banter, and the latter 3901. more than the sum realised the_ pre-
vious year. The tolls are let far one year from the Ist
and nothing better, for Lord. JOHN RUSSELL of July next.
coolly to lecture the coerced tenants on Sid- THE STOCKPORT TURN-OUT. .Everything remains
fering for liberty, as the glorious training for quiet here, the position of plies
(11safeitnhgemvbeizonlit.tie
freemen, and to refer them to the ELLIOTS and
tcohatulfeeliastNerisn'eAosfaotohiaetimonastearrse,
sa‘o
id to have given the
the SYDNEYS of past times. Why, with such pre- advance ; but the rest held out; and have issued a long
'ms lode as this, he would, as Leader of the address, in which, after reasoning with their hands, they
House of Commons in their days, have rather I state their intention to remain firm. The operatives in
other parts of the labour market for cotton manufacture
exhorted them to pine in captivity
or to bleed on
the scaare combining to assist the Stockport people, with a
ffold, than Irtve moved the House to take
instant stens f in.:, the or unlocking the dungeon or arrest- I NOTTINGHAM, June 16.—Orders for hosiery goods for
the vfaxe, His Lordship's argument gives up the United States continue to be riceived, and these
who]© case keep those moderately well employed who are engaged
" electoral sere* ~ He confesses, in fact, that the
in this branch of our local manufactuies. The lace
NEY'S scaffold
an
d finds its proper parallel in SYD- trade, however, is anything but satisfactory, and
Lordship take CareEmaor's dungeon ; but let his so long as fashion continues as at present, there is not
vious parallel with that he himself is not the a- a chance of improvement. The full price of yarn is
their tyrannical still maintained, and there is not the most remote
He argues against tLe Ballot,oppressors. appearance of a reduction taking place for a considerable
because •it would. period.—Nottingham Journal..