The Sun.
London, England, 1836-04-28 00:00:00

ANNUITY TAX.

Mr. GILL ON presented a petition from Thomas Chapman,
a prisoner in the gaol of Edinburgh, complaining of the pres-
sure of the Annuity-tax, and praying the House to in-
terfere to procure his release. It was, he said, an
instance of clerical rapacity and tyranny seldom brought un-
der the view of Hon. Gentlemen.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL had a petition to present
on the same subject; he might perhaps as well take that op-
portunity of doing so.
Mr. GILL ON intimated that he had not concluded, and
was proceeding when,
Sir G. CLERK rose to order.
After a few words from the SPEAKER,
Mr. GILLON hoped that this attempt to stifle the cries of
the victims of oppression would not be successful. He applied
to the House on behalf of Mr. Chapman, who had been most
unjustly deprived of his liberty.
The SPEAKER suggested, that in conformity with what
appeared to be the opinion of the House, the Hon. Member
should then present his petition, and give notice of a motion on
the subject.
Mr. GILLON had not concluded the observations which
he proposed to make in reference to the petition he had just
presented, and insisted upon his right to resume the statement
in which he was interrupted.
Sir G. CLERK submitted that it was not competent for
the Hon. Member for Falkirk to enter into any argument upon
the presentation of a petition. •
The SPEAKER said that the Hon. Member was at liberty
to advert to the allegations contained in the petition, but that
if he deemed it necessary to argue upon the facts, it would be
far more convenient if he gave notice of a motion.
Mr. GILL ON said the annuity.tax was confined to the city
of Edinburgh ; and if he were to introduce any Bill for the
repeal of the tax, he might be met with the objection that it
was in the nature of a private Bill, and that the time for the
introduction of private Bills had expired. He could assure
the House, however, that there was a determined intention on
the part of the people of Edinburgh to resist the collection of
this abominable tax.
Mr. C. BRUCE rose to order.

Mr. METHUEN suggested to his Hon. Friend to refrain
from further discussion for the present, and to give notice of a
motion for a future evening.—( Hear, hear.)
Mr. GILL ON called on the Right Hon. Gentleman near
him (the Attorney-General) to comply with the wishes of his
constituents, and endeavour to procure the immediate repeal of
a tax which they conceived to be at variance with the laws of
God and man.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL was as anxious as the
Hon. Member, or as any other Member could be, for the re-
peal of this obnoxious tax. He could not agree with the
Hon. Member, however, that it would be justifiable to resist
the payment of the tax whilst the law remained unrepealed
—( Hear, hear.)
Sir GEORGE CLERK wished to know why the report of
the Church Commissioners had not yet been presented ?
Ministers ought to urge them to lay it before his Majesty
without delay.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL explained.
Mr. HUME observed, that Montrose and Edinburgh were
the only two places where these differences existed.
Sir GEORGE CLERK explained.
Mr. WALLACE said he rose to present two petitions on
this very important subject—one from Mr. Councillor Russell,
at present in gaol for non-payment of this tax, and the other
from a numerous body of the inhabitants of the city of Perth.
He would treat this as a very grave and serious matter, and in
that respect agree with what had fallen from the Learned At-
torney-General. He was happy to see that the Noble Lord the
Secretary for the Home Department, had entered the House.
He would ask that Noble Lord if any plan had been devised,
or was in contemplation, for getting rid of this most scanda-
lous tax, in which term, as also respecting the shameful ex-
emption of the whole legal profession in Edinburgh, he cor-
dially agreed with the Attorney-General. It was one of the
very worst features of this tax, that the richest, the most influ-
ential, and best informed class in Edinburgh, had continued
to keep themselves out of this scrape; and he could not but
remark its savouring strangely of their having connived at the
mode in which it had been fastened on the rest of the commu-
nity of Edinburgh, and which had been so well described by
the Hon Member for Falkirk—( Hear, hear)—for it is