The Sun.
London, England, 1814-11-11 00:00:00

FRENCII TAXATION.

CI-WIBER OF DEPUTIES, Nor. 4.
The discussion of the projet ot the law for tht
taxation of liquors was resumed, when Monsieur
Souques, in a long speech, entered into an exa-
mination of the principles which ought to influence
the taxation of any articles of consumption,' and
declared his hostility to every thing which caul&
dliicouraged theculturcof einetAstillation ,&c. He
lai4t...down as -a
-rule,
_thaw* .a.doptiorr,pf a tax,
otight.to.4e regulated by the cost...attet.idiug its col-
lectidh. "1F this collection• be expensive, the tax
is oppressive 'and litigious., and ought to he re-.
3eCled. He-quoted-the example of The
total amount of the indirect,taxes in that country,
vt'as, be said, 80Q millions; and its population, at
-the utmost,: ecfnal •to eine:half of that of Ftance ;
i-iti zthat can' lartikreiSively contrive in a few'
years to raisethis par of• -your revenue to hall
what it is in. England, thAtis_to say, to 400 tnil-
lions, we shall pay in' fact'no• more than one-
-fourth of what our neighbours pay. The collect.
ton of these taxes usually costs them no more
;than:five per cent.
M. Sovcaties'then adverted to the extraordinary
increase which has taken place in the consump-
tion of every 'article in-,France, during the last
twenty-five years ; and instanced -the light con-
sumed in the- streets of Paris, which in four win-
ternights now requires the same quantity of com-
bustible as served, half a century ago, for a whole
year. This increased consumption he attributed
:to vanity and venality, Which had lately taken
'extraordinary strides, and instead of being check-
ed, was encouraged by the late Governmeet.—
He condemned the idea-of Making this Budget Law
only :an annual one, to be in force till i-zt Jan.
816. Temporary measures and constant changes
rliust always prevent things from coming to perfec-
tion. He adverted in terms.of particular compli-
ment to the example of Etfgland : " It is not thus
that. in England, a country always to he quoted
as an example in matters of credit, and in
searching for the means of public prosperity—
it is not thus, I say, that this prosperity has
been there attained difference of time, and
successive changes of men, have not made
any alteration in their system. There is no pue-
rile desire to carry the theories of individuals into
the direction of public affairs. All who come
conform to that which exists; and thus tlu wis-
dom of the past is always strengthened by the ob-
tervatious acquired from the present. Our duty,
therefore, is to adopt sonic system, and to remain
. faithful to it." Towards the close of his speech,
this Gentleman ptop.osed some objects of taxation,
in "which, also,. he appeals to have followed the
English model. Many objects of luxury, he
thought, wete susceptible of being taxed. Among
these he mentioned carriages,, not only those of
luxury, but all other kinds, with a progressive
• augmentation for the former ; horses, a moderate
but progressive tax on those kept for luxury ar-
morial bearings; serrants, where more than two
are kept ; mahogany, glass, gold and silver lace,
liver,: both for hangings and writing ; lamp oil,
but only that which has been refined, wax candles,
porcelain, hats, boots, shoes. " Some of these
things," observed M. Souques, " are taxed ie
England ; but there are others that I have not
mentioned which pay a tax in that country."
M. RaYNOUAIin followed M. Souques, and made
a very long speech. He spoke with particular ve-
hemence against the tax on drinkables, which the
King's Minister himself had declared to be " an
odious accumulation upon the droits reunis," the
oppressive nurture of which, and their continuance,
contrary to the pledges of the Bourbon Procla-
mations, have excited so much diesatisfaction
throughout France.

which they conceived to be of the greatest in,-
pot tetnoe to the commerce of the country.
Mr. liAtzinaloGe then addressed the meeting,
and !stated, that if tire Treasury would haft but
consented to prolong the time of paying—the
duties' till the 31st of DeCeMber, arrangetneets
might have been 'Tiede by-the merchants for that
pitrpOse, 'without producing the ruinous I'll'ect's
Which might follow from calling upon them after
•so, short a notice. If they would have consented
to postpone the time of exportation until the ist
of June, instead of requiring it to be effected in
the middle of winter,,thiS would 'also be a material
relief. He then read a memorial, which he pro-
posed to be sent to the Lords of the Treasury on
,the subject..
Mr. 134 RIS.G apologised for his absence on the
former occasion, by declaring that he conceived
the arguments against the measure proposed by
.Government to be so clear and decisive, that he
really had not entertained the least doubt of their
producing.their full effect. If the former meetings
were not more numerously attended, he believed
the reason was that the merchants conceived that
the Treasury could not persevero in the measure
that they bad threatened. He regretted much,
that Lord Liverpool and the Chancellor of the
Exchequer if 4.not condescended to state the rea-
sons ‘v hy these arguments appeared to them insuf-
ficient. He was gitite at a loss to guess,what their
reasons were. As to a:certain clamour that had been
raised about monopolists wishing to.eoliance the'
price. of merchandise, he believed 'that 'exery body
acqUainted with the principles of trade, .must know
that the stocks whin wholesale dealers kept inttieir
possession wwere the best security for the public
being regularly supplied at a reasonable rate. The
perishable nature of the inerehandize was of itself
se'ettrity against it being too long with-
held from the market. He thought that the Me-
morial .shotiltl be generally signed by the, Mer-
chaois ; and he did not think that it could be sup-
posed:that the merchants of London were not
desirous that the revenue should be fairly collected
for the support of the State. If the object of
Minister, was only to prevent abuses in the Ware-
housing System, and making it more perfect, there
was no doubt but that they would receive every
assistance from the Merchants.

Cot.t.vr.n, from Plymouth; preF,ened a let-
ter from the ChAMber of Commerce of that town,
in support of the .sentimehts of the Merchants of
London on that subject.
A similar letter was received from Liverpool.
Thanks were the►r'giveh to the Chairman, and
the Meeting adjourned.

‘12111,!•..

AnnlvEn-1 Dnblin, 1 Wateifurd. IltrE-1 France, 1 Hol-
land, 1 Lisbon, I Mahn, 1 Hamborgli, 1 Guernsey and

PI OE OF STCCKS
'THIS Iva l'W ELY E O'C LOCK.

Bank Stock, 216 I Bank L. Ann. 16 116th
:.$ per Cent. Red. 6:344 I India Bonds, 15s. 16s. pr.
3 pi-r Cent. Cons. 646,.3 ExCheq. Bills, Is. 51. pr.
4 per Cent. Cons. 79' (Minion), 4 311 dis.
5 per Cent. Navy Auu. 951 i Con Sols for November, 641

HIGH NVATER Al' LONDON BRIDGE To-MORROW.
hforninK, 2 minutes after 1 Evening ,47 uniitutel. after 9.

Ti

SOLE:4 (AIMS DICEItE VALIUM AUDEAT.?

LONDON,
FRII)_4Y, NOVEMBER 11, 1314.