The Sun.
London, England, 1822-02-05 00:00:00

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burdens Which occasiooed-the sufferings of the
agricultural classes, and of all clasSes. The dif-
ferenfjournals of the day, the different meetings
held in various 'parts of the country, were enough
to persuade one that the pressure was great; that
it was sufficiently estimated, and that a retitle-.
tion of the taxes was looked forward
.to as' the
only means of relief. They had been told that
those taxes had been necessary for the support of
the war. The war might have been necessary, and
the taxes might have been necessary for its sup-
port: Great doubtS. were entertained on both
points. Bat whether it had been necessary to go
into the war, or to support. it with vigour, it
was at least least equally necessary to reduce the
.taxes which Ministers had laid upon us. during
the war.—(Applause.)---Thar this wissitot done,
was sufficiently evident. In 1792, the whole
'amount of the expenditure of Government Was
7,000,000/. The army alone now cost 9,000,000/.
—much more than the whole Government cost
at the last peace.—(Applause.)—Ministers and.
their adherents could always find reason for ex-
travagant taxes and expellees, though men 'of
sense could see no reason at all in their pre-
tences.—(Applatise.)—A Committee had been
appointed by Ministers in 1817,—a Committee
of Ministerial men—(hear, hear!)—they were
called a Committee of Finance, and were to re-
duce the expenditure to what they considered
necessary. As Mini-Aerial men, they had given
the highest allowance to Ministers. Yet this
year the expenditure was 700,0001. more than
that allowance.—(Hear, hear!)—The year after
the Committee 'had fixed their standard, the ex-
penditure had exceeded it by 2,000,0001.—
(Hear, hear!)—lt had not been reduced so far
as it now wasp, till attemp:s were made last year ;
driving, harassing, tormenting Ministers, and
bringing them before 'the country in every step.
At this moment 3,000,000/. might be saved, and,
added to, that, the whole sinking fund, which
was a mere delusion, Nvoul4 make abou t 7,000,0001.
If a sinking fund was necessary, this was not
the time for it; and it ought to be given up, that
the nation might get breath and be better able
to hear it. lie admitted that 7,000,000/. was an
insufficient reduction. But looking at possibili-
ties, and at the severe pressure felt at this mo-
ment, and being by no means too. sanguine, he
though this reduction was practicable, and ought
to be instantly made.—(Hear, hear!!)
[Lord KING now presented. himself to the
meeting. Mr. Cobbett, whnhad stationed hitri
self very conspicuously on a pOst-Chaise opposite
to the Chairman, essayed to speak at the same
time. The call was universally for Lord King,
and Mr. Cobbett had the grace to be silent.]•
Lord KING said, that though he had not Signed
the requisition, it had not been from a wish to
throw any difficulty in the way : on the con-
trary, he thought-the- requisition most proper,
but he had not thought that it went far enough.—
(Cheers.)-6-11 e was ready to do all in his power
to promote the object of the Petition, and he
thought the Petition a very proper one to be
adopted. It was quite unnecessary to describe
the distress which they all felt, It was not ne-
cessary for them to come from home to hear their
distresses described.—(Cheers.)—They all knew
their distress. But it was very necessary to ins ,
quire into the cause of it. If 7 by a Course of in-
temperance, one became unwell, it was necessary
'to inquire what course of life he had led. Six I
years ago it had been said it was only a transi-
tion from war to peace. Well, the transition had
been made, but the distress had not. passed away;
Oh, then, it was the prosperity of one class
which occasioned the distress of another, and
this was an accident to which property Was al-
ways liable. Last of all came forth as the cause.
of the distress of the country—What Exces-
sive produce.—(A laugh.)--Jhe real ,evil was
excess of taxation. All other causes had been
assigned only for the purpose of delusion,: they:
were founded in fraud and deceit, and were in-
tended to keep out of view the true cause—ex-.
ce-ssive taxation. This taxation had risen to such
ext:..Ss by a war of twenty-five years, by the
height of profusion and expenditure on the part,
of a Government that was not controlled by the
House of Commons, who were ready to vote more
even than was asked. Since the peace, too.ka
. military establishment, beyond reason or, bear-
ing, was misantained ; a very large Civil Li.st Was
voted ; a paper currency all the while was making
inroads into all persons' property.—(Great ap-
plause.)—Froni the beginning he had told that
such would have been the effects of the paper cur-
rency. It was brought back again to a metallic
standard without the proper red actions w hick ought
to have accompanied it. The very lowest military
establishment was required, and the loWest re-
duction of-the expenditure, of Government : the.
Civil hist ought to be reduced in like mariner.—
That was the proper course .to be adopted. II;
possible, the• standard of 1792 ought
,to he .con-
formed to. The whole expenses, for England
and Ireland had then been but 7,600,000/.. Now
they were 21,000,000/. Why should they be
three times as much ?—(Hear, hear !)--ssitedue-
tion of taxation was tl en the only relief. It was
right to consider this subject in two points of
view—first as to the debt, and next as to the re-
duction of the estimates., -They were first to
begin with 'a reduction of the estimates, and to
carry it to the highest possible amount. He de-
sired reduction to be proportioned to our means.
The answer was, you have a great debt, and you
must have a great revenue to meet it. But he
must say, that if they did not compel, by every
possible means, a reduction suited to their ezci-
gency, they would have very little liberty or
property left. Their property would be taken
both for extravagant. establishnients., and for