The Sun.
London, England, 1853-04-16 00:00:00

the time when the former one expired, but that is
an unfair, and, we may add, an unconstitutional
course. It is not right or proper that a manwho has
received and expended his earnings should be called
on, under an ex post facto law, to contribute any
portion thereof to the national exigencies. But
Mr. GLADSTONE has, by his mysterious silence,
most unnecessarily brought this serious incon-
venience on himself, in addition to the others,
which are, and have been, inevitable. If, how-
ever, he brings forward a just and politic measure
on Monday evening, his former financial offences
will be remitted. If, on the contrary, he maintains
a perverse determination to place the certain and
permanent proceeds of accumulated and realised pro-
perty on the same foundation as the precarious and
fluctuating profits of industry, he must receive a
decisive and humiliating defeat—a defeat that
must lead to a change of Ministry—for no appeal
to the country could confirm in power a Govern-
ment that was defeated on such a question.
We shall not now enter into the argument so
frequently urged against the gross inequality of
the tax as at present assessed. The voice of pub-
lic opinion has already proclaimed the truth. It
has been heard even in the most secret recesses of
Downing-street. It cannot be evaded, or treated
with disrespect. The late CHANCELLOR of the
EXCHEQUER, in his Budget, against which
his successor in office was the most strenu-
ous opponent, recognised the distinction be-
tween the different kinds of income. He did not go
far enough, but the admission was important, and
as he was the first Financial Minister by whom it
was made, he became entitled to considerable in-
dulgence in consequence. But Mr. GLADSTONE
must go much farther. He is only known as
the most persevering and dangerous opponent
of the modification, and no half measure will be
accepted at his hands.

If he abandon his fine-drawn objections, he
must do so fully, completely—must give ample
relief to those who have for so many years been
suffering under gross and palpable injustice.
Monday's explanations will clear up the existing
doubts—dispel any remaining uncertainties. But
on the result of the statement then made the
fate of the ABERDEEN-RUSSELL-MOLESWORTII Go-
vernment must and will depend.

Seldom, perhaps, has there been witnessed at
Portsmouth in a time of peace any more interest-
, ing spectacle of a purely maritime character than
the trial on Monday afternoon of the leviathan
screw-three-decker, of 131 guns, the Duke of
Wellington. The occasion naturally awakened
considerable attention in the locality, for it was
one of no less importance than that of testing the
steaming powers of one of the most extraordinary
vessels now floating on salt water. It is gratifying
to know that the memorable experiment of the
11th instant proved in every respect, and in the
highest degree, satisfactory. Doubly gratifying,
when it is remembered that the trial so far from
being slovenly, or superficial, was conducted from
first to last with the utmost caution and under no
ordinary circumstances. Among those present,
besides the persons more immediately- connected
with the giant steam-ship, besides the builder,
Mr. ABETHELL, besides the dockyard officers, and
a number of other officers representing both ser-
vices, and various officials connected with the
Dockyard College, there were recognised in that
throng of nearly 40,000 spectators, the Naval
Surveyor, and the Rear-Admiral Superintendent.
It is worthy of especial remark that at the period
of these very attractive proceedings, our monster
man-of-war had on board nearly 400 tons of
coals, 180 tons of shot, and 200 tons of water—
drawing at the time 23.4 forward and 24.3 aft,
although it is calculated that, with her guns
embarked and when fitted out for sea with her full
complement, her draft will be 25 forward and 26
aft. Allowances, it is true, must therefore be
made in the consideration of the result of Monday
afternoon's experiment bearing in mind the
additional weight which will have to be carried,
and the additional draft which must be the con-
sequence. Nevertheless we cannot but think that
even while making such allowances, the speed
attained during these preliminary proceedings will
be generally regarded as in every way satisfactory.
A declaration not very extravagant, we conceive,
when the rather startling facts of the case are pre-
served in our recollection. It was expected by
many that the highest speed capable of being
attained by the Duke of Wellington would be
about eight knots an hour, and this according to
a rather prevalent supposition ; instead of which,
ten knots an hour was the actual average of the
six runs made on the 11th instant along the mea-
sured mile at Stokes' Bay—ten knots an hour by
the largest war-steamer in the world—a speed
really surprising, all things considered, and cer-
tainly beyond even our most sanguine anticipa-
tions. In fact, the average of knots per hour are
given as subjoined :

10.022 t 10.187 l 10100
Remembering the importance of the trial made,
the detailed particulars, as given in the semi-offi-
cial report already published in our columns, are
not undeserving in this place of careful repeti-
tion :