The Sun.
London, England, 1841-04-12 00:00:00

THE TRUE USES OF A FALLING

REVENUE.

" It is a melancholy reflection," says Dean Tucker,
in one of his many admirable tracts on commercial sub-
jects, " but for the most part it is too true, that na-
tions, as nations, never can learn wisdom till necessity
becomes their schoolmistress." Perhaps the best cri-
terion of the truth of the remark is to be found in the
shifts and expedients of Chancellors of the Exchequer.
But as the present necessities of Mr. Baring are great,
we would fain hope that he may profit by the lessons of
his perhaps unwelcome teacher. Her authority just
now must be acknowledged. Not only the Chancellor
of the Exchequer, but the whole nation, is her pupil.
Whether either the one or the other will imbibe wisdom
from her teaching remains to be seen. If Mr. Baring
however, do not expound the lessons of wisdom, he
may learn at her hands, clearly and firmly, we venture
to predict, that the nation, if not the House of Com-
mons, will not only profit by them, but adopt them.
The revenue is declining. The expenditure of the
country is increasing. The per tentage patchwork of
last year, which was resorted to for the purpose of rais-
ing our income to the level of our expediture, has
failed, as we predicted when the experiment was made.
The income we were to derive from the additional
ten per cent. upon our Customs, Excise, and Taxes,
has scarcely yielded a paltry five per cent. The country
looked on and smiled at beholding another Chancellor
of th© Exchequer attempting to resist once more the
financial axiom, that in taxation two and two do not
make four. The effort, indeed, was only worthy of a
disciple of the school of Vansittart ; and the result
was about as abortive as the financial schemes of the
Master.

But though the attempt to increase the revenue, by
directly augmenting the tax upon every raw material
and necessary of life failed, as it ought always to fail,
the object aimed at, the placing of our income and ex-
penditure upon a level, must be accomplished.
It is a question as earnestly a 3 universally asked
by every one who knows the perilous nature of the
pressure upon our trade and our population at home
at the present moment, and upon our widely scat-
tered interests abroad—what will the Chancellor
of the Exchequer do ? We are by no means in that
thriving and contented state at home which a states-
man, either in or out of place, would desire to con-
template. There is a strong sense gaining ground of
the injustice and the injurious tendency of our system
of taxation. It has recently manifested itself in many
large and respectable public meetings, both in England
and Scotland, held in several of our most important
commercial cities and towns. Free trade, as far as the
just necessities of our revenue will permit, and a revi-
sion of the tariff, have been loudly called for and most
ably advocated. Not by interested partisans or mis-
chievous demagogues, the subject is one far too prac-
tically useful for them ; but by men of all parties, and
by some of the aLlest and the most experienced autho-
rities in matters of this kind amongst us. Hence any
renewal of Vansittartisms would be scouted with deri-
sion through the country. The country fully admits
the necessity of meeting all necessary expenditure, but
demands, not clamorously but resolutely, that this oc-
ject shall be attained, justly and honestly
Certain it is that the House of Commons and the
landed aristocracy which fills it, may neither be suffici-
ently informed to understand them, nor virtuous enough,
if they did, to act upon them : but the people, if Mr.
Baring will do his duty, have been sufficiently ground
down by unjust and selfish taxation to appreciate his
difficulties and sustain him in his conflict with interested
prejudice and short-sighted selfishness, if he will but he
bold enough to recast and distribute fairly, the burdens
of taxation. He may remove the pressure upon our
trade, and our customs will decline no longer. He may
lighten the weight of taxation and allay every unreason-
able murmur against it. He may render trade more
profitable and more productive of benefits and blessings
to every class of the community.

There is but one rule to adopt, and once adopted, re-
solutely to follow. Abolish every protective duty strictly
such, and impose duties only for the purposes of revenue.
Protective duties are taxes tor private advantage. Re-
venue duties are necessary taxes for public and national
objects.

The duties upon the importaC,on of foreign raw
materials," says Dean Tucker again, as long ago as
1787, " to be employed in our own manufactures, are
as many fetters and chains to prevent the progress of
labour and the circulation of wealth. These imposts
were first laid on under a notion of promoting the landed
interest ; but happy would it have been for these king-
doms if the landed gentlemen had understood their in-
terest before they atiempted to show their zeal in pro-
moting it !"
We incline to the hope, then, that Mr. Baring will
turn his adversaries to account ; that he will fix his
eye steadily upon the interests of the people, and dis-
dain to heed the merely temporary interests of the party,
Why do we indulge in this hope? We have long,
as our readers know, urged upon the Government the
consideratkm of both the subject-matter, and the recom-
mendations of the reports of two Committees, which
sat during the last Session of Parliament--the East
India Committee and the Import Duties Committee.
We sh ill not stop now to do more than to advert to the
empty declamation against this Committee by Lord
Ashburton, Fortunately that Noble Lori never now
advances a single argument which he has not himself
formerly answered. And we shall pass over but with
a word of comment, the somewhat suddenly acquired
lordly inanity of Lord Monteagle. He left the House of
Commons in a blaze of admonitory eloquence against the
Corn-laws. His eloquence remains there ; but his pru-
dence and his wisdom are displayed in an increasing mea-
sure in the House of Lords, by condescending to se-
cond Lord Ashburton's attack upon the only Com-
mittee which ever sat on commercial subjects in
the House of Commons, which, by its evidence and re-
port, has attracted universal interest throughout the
country, and, up to this time, an interest unchecked
by even an attempt to refute the grounds upon which
it is founded ! From this certainly the Noble Lord
himself carefully abstained, and, we predict, will con-
tinue to do so.

Mr. Goulburn and Mr. Herries bad, it appears, been
very anxious to give in their public adhesion to so much
of Mr. Huskisson's policy as was consistent with the
maintenance of the principle of protection to British
interests ! A safe concession unquestionably Lord
John Russell most admirably replied to this anti-free-
trade doctrine ; and a doctrine, as it was stated, with-
out qualification, by Mr. Herries, as we undertake on
some future occasion to show, entirely opposed to the
principles which Mr. Huskisson laid down on more than
one occasion, as the true basis of the commercial policy
of this country.
" The principle," said the Noble Lord, " on which
the R:ght Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Goulburn) seemed to
prc,ceed was this, that you must give advantages to the
British manufacturers against the colonies. Tho
colonies must take their silk and leather, &c.
Then the people of the colonies say we feel our-
selves aggrieved by this restriction, and to satisfy them,
you say, they shall have advantages against the
farmer and labourer of the United Kingdom.' Then
they complain, and you, to satisfy them, give them ad-
vantages against the manufacturer, and so you go on i❑
this vicious circle of constantly endeavouring to do
something for the advantage of a particular class, in-
stead of looking to the benefit of the whole commu-
nity.—(Cheers.)"
Again—

" The Right Hon. Gentleman spoke of introducing
foreign articles, and giving protection to the home ma•
nufacturer at the lowest rate required. If the Right
Hon. Gentleman would adhere to this principle so
stated—namely, to the principle of the lowest rate of
protection really required, he did not think the Right
Hon. Gentleman would find much difference of opinion
between himself and the Members of the Goverment.
He thought the principle a sound one.—(Hear hear.)
He considered it needless to enter, even if there was a
larger House and a more formal debate, into the general
principles upon which the question of duties in a
country entirely free, or at least not in the situation of
this country, ought to be regulated. It was enough to
say that in the present state of this country it
was necessary that protection should be granted,
but that that protection should be very carefully
considered. It should be moderate where they had
one class with superior advantages as against other
classes. They could not say to one set of manufac
turers, 'you have less ingenuity, you require greater
protection, and the article you produce shall there-
fore be very dear,' and to another great interest, such
as the cotton manufactures, you produce an excellent
article, you require very little protection, and therefore
we will frame a system which shall give you no advan-
tage whatever.' "

But the concluding sentences of this very ab!e
speech, which does not appear to have been very fully
reported, from the accounts communicated to us by
those who heard it, aro perhaps the most deserving of
notice.

-" On all those subjects," continued the Noble
esLveoenrredrt,ahl:‘yabgetleienomku re: opinionsgthiit3n
rtaopthadereCd atbninaentt ;unoanniamlloutshleys,ewbsucbli--
r responsibility psons iwb iilti
sub-
jects the Cabinet is
ad-
vantage of all the interestsny
htyathvaiet wmtaoyt
belongthe
to it.—(Cheers.) Whether tthheemeasurese%yve refer. It
for-
ward I t
a to which they
will not shrink from
country, it will be for
Parliament,his, at least, I may
are useful measuresH nfoerse
of
this House, the other
country in genera), to consider ;but
we are bringing forward that and the
ialt which is,
say, that we are not insensible to tit immense impor-
tance of this subject, and that in bringing forward this
question now,
ex confesso, an undeniable good—(Hear, k H. eart
o—that
we will endeavour, in every measure we. submit,
that which is supported by the greatest we;- • +-u take.
ment, and confirmed by the longest ex1e,.1.6" a argu.
we are not mistaken in our views, we ~heinnicee and if
carrying on a policy of this kind, with d ue d-- that, by
eliberation
and at proper times, we shall render V lig
great benefit, and that, if we fail, we sh country very
have the
consolation at least of thinking. that our plans wer_
taken with an honest intention of pr Oplotmg the enl7

merce, the industry, and the fortunes of this mighty
ernk,ire.—(Much cheering.)"
This spirited declaration was generously met as
it deserved to be by the Liberals.
" They had avowed themselves," said Mr. Villiers,
" with great distinctness, advocates of the policy avowed
by Mr. Huskisson, and had expressed that confidence
in the justice of his and their own opinions, that made
them independent of further inquiry.—(Hear, hear.)
They seemed from their speeches aware of the wants of
the country and the colonies, and only to desire the
power to carry out their liberal views.—(Hear, hear.)
After the speeches, indeed, he had heard from them
to-night, he should watch their course with interest
and with hope.—( Hear, hear.)"
We repeat, then, that this speech of Lord John Rus-
sell, and the measures to which we have alluded, in-
spire us with the hope that no means will he resorted
to, to raise an income to the level of our expenditure,
unaccompanied with a " clear and satisfactory develop-
ment of some financial system based upon existing
facts," and we, will add, founded upon justice to all
classes. The time is favourable. The public mind is
better informed upon financial and commercial subjects
than at any former period. Trade languishes; there
is a general expectation, engendered mainly by the la-
bours of the two Committees we have referred to, that
some measures will be proposed to improve our trade,
and through an improved trade, and through it alane,
to improve our revenue. The Colonial Resolutions
and the East India Rum Bill are but an earnest of
what we trust will be done, on a more extended scale,
to ameliorate the condition of our commercial and ma-
nufacturing interests at home. Necessity will then
have successfully discharged the office of our school-
mistress, and her lessons will be remembered through
all time. . • • . • • •
But then those truths involve a reduction of duties,
and at a time when our existing duties yield a reluctant
and declining income. They do. " The surrender of
revenue for great commercial purposes," said Mr.
Pitt, in his speech on the commercial treaty wit's
France, " was a policy by no means unknown in the
history of Great Britain."—" Taking this evil at the
worst, a surrender of revenue for great commercial
purposes was not contradictory to sound policy, nor to
established practice." But a surrender of revenue for
great commercial purposes is not synonymous with a
surrender of income. Fact after fact, measure after
measure, attest the difference. The whole course of
Mr. Huskisson's policy proved it.
In Mr. Pitt's time, moreover, what was the revenue
derived from corn, sugar, timber, &c? a revenue as
unjust as it is impolitic ; the offspring of war and of
self-interest only ; and striking at the root of the health,
the peace, and prosperity of the country. A surrender
of revenue in these cases would be an augmentation of
income. Justice and policy would both command it.
It was the boast of Augustus that he found Rome of
brick and left it marble. It would be a nobler boast,
and of infinitely greater importance to mankind, if our
Sovereign should be able to say that She found the
tariff of her kingdom oppressive and unjust, and She left
it just ; that She found it framed to benefit the rich,
She left it framed to benefit all ; that She found it framed
to restrict the supply of food, and camp the industry
of Her People ; that She removed every restriction
from the one, and every impediment calculated to ob-
struct the other.

This would be a noble object of ambition, and one
worthy the Sovereign of a mighty State, whose power
and position amongst the nations of the earth depend
upon enlightened commerce ; and whose commerce
carries Christianity and civilization and freedom hand
in hand throughout the globe.—Examiner.

THE NEW HOUSES OF PARLIA-

MENT.

THE RIVER WAlL.—This wall, so essential to the
ultimate security of the stupendous edifices erecting in
its rear, is more than 30 feet in breadth or thickness,
and forms the Terrace level, the facings of granite, and
being built in a " battering" form, offers not only a
counteracting influence to the great weight at its Tear,
but also forms an impenetrable barrier to the great body
of water pressing upon it without, aid the action of
which it will still resist, when ages are passed away. Its
height above the bed of the river is 15 feet, and it is
calculated that a spring tide will reach to within three
feet of its summit.
THE NORTHERN WlNG.—This portion of the
structure, adjoining Westminster-bridge, and intended
for the official residence of the Speaker of the Hou,e
of Commons, is more advanced than any other portion
of the works ; and, as viewed from the river or the
bridge, already conveys to the mind of the observer a
very good idea of the ultimate gigantic and magnificent
appearance the Houset will present when finished.
The first stone of the superstructure was laid on the
27th of April, 1840. From that time the " setting"
has gone on rapidly, and this part is now carried up to
the transom of the first or principal floor windows,
a height of 26 fe©t 9 inches from the basement floor.
The only embellishment yet to be seen on the exterior
of the northern wing arc beautifully-executed crowns,
rimed under the niches of the windows. Beneath
these crowns are shields, the surfaces of which arc
as yet plain, but ultimately various coats of arms
will be richly carved upon them. The crown and
shield are encircled by the garter. In the interior of the
northern wing, or Speaker's residence, the little screens of
the entrance hall are completed, as is also part of the
grand staircase. A portion of the north flank, begin-
ning at the clock-tower in Palace-yard, containing the
house of the Sergeant-at-Arms, is also in course of erec-
tion. It is considered that the north wing will be car-
ried up to the summit of the windows of the principal
floor by the end of the present summer. The progress
in the interior will be in the same ratio.
THE TERRACE PaotiT.—ln continuation with the
northern wing is the middle curtain or terrace frontage.
The whole of this part will be occupied by the Com-
nsittee rooms of both Houses, the libraries, refreshment
and waiting rooms. The progress made is not quite so
great as in the northern wing ; the masonry is, however,
carried up to the first-floor windows. immediately in
the rear of the external wall, and between that and the
intended Committee and other rooms, runs a corridor ex-
tending the whole length of the terrace frontage, which
effects an easy and convenient ingress and egress to the
various apartments. There are several other corridors
running out of this, the archways of which only are as
et turned, the groins of neither the greater or lesser
ones being filled in. Through this corridor and the ter-
race front are the Lords and Commons entrances to the
terrace itself. The archways of which are also turned.
THE TERRACE will be about 32 feet in breadth, with
a parapet of about three feet high running along its
super verge. It will be exclusively devoted to the
Members of both Houses. It was at first intended
that there should be an approach to the Houses from
the river by means of a noble flight of steps descending
from the carpe of the terrace ; but this idea is, we be-
lieve, altogether abandoned.
THE SOUTHERN WING, containing the apartments
of the Usher of the Black Rod, the Librarian, the House-
keeper, &c., has reached an altitude of rather better
than 20 feet. Another portion of the South Wing, not
yet so far advanced, contains accommodation for the
Lord Great Chamberlain on state occasions. At the
end of this wing is a space left open called the Royal
Court-yard, which will be entered through a noble arch-
way, the carriage way of which will be 14 feet wide ; it
is termed the Royal entrance to the terrace, and is par-
tially erected.

THE VICTORIA TOWER, the chef d'ccuvre of the
whole, will be situate at the angle of the buildings, next
Abingdon-street. Workmen are busily engaged at
the excavation, and it is considered that the foundation
will be laid down in about three months. This tower
will have a gateway, that will be opened on great oc-
casons, such as when the Queen comes to open or pro-
rogue Parliament. It will abut into Abingdoa•street,
near to the Chequers Tavern.

THE HOUSES OF LORDS AND COMMONS will oc-
cupy a central position, judging from the excavations
now going on on the site of the Speaker's garden. In
connection with this excavation, there are one or two
circumstances of antiquarian interest, which are the
exposure of two massive stone walls, running parallel
with the one recently erected, and which were, at a
remote time, evidently built for the same purpose, viz.,
that of confining the water. The first is about 120
feet inland from where the river now runs, and the
other about 100 feet beyond that, running close up to
the foundation of St. Stephen's Crypt. These facts
show that at no very distant time the river flowed
where the houses of Legislature now stand. The
workmen find it extremely difficult to demolish these
walls, which are built of stone and flint, and several by
cement, more difficult of separation than the materiel
itself. The ground the Lords will occupy is 201 feet
by 82. The Commons 214 feet by 92.
The entire length of the whole buildings (river front)
is 876 feet.
The number of men employed by Messrs Grissel and
Peto, the contractors, is very nearly .500, of which, 248
are masons and carvers.

INTRODUCTION OF FIRE-11,NGINES.-- Ad_
vertisement transcribed from the London Gazette of
August 14, 1676:—" Whereas his Majesty bath granted
litters patent unto Mr. Wharton and Mr. Strode, for a
~----
teienratlaisatrenew
-invented,
with an extraordinary toret, t, engine for quenching of fire, with
leathern pipes, which carries a great quantity and a c
top of any house, into any room, passage, or all- - mne
much more useful than any that hath i' ' --4 n• ; being
vented, s
otcr.d.,Tahsomwaass,satitito'spe;d, . boo hands of the Masters
tin der ..iinerto been inc:
as in the lap, Olt and officers of the same parish,
benefit P.- ' - great fire of Southwark, to their great
-.4a advantage. This is to signify," &c.
Are learn with much satisfaction from Dublin,
that the riband of the Order of tae Knighthood of St.
man, devoting all hip time
provement of his
1 Patrick, vacant by the death of Lord O'Neil, is to be
I conferred on the Earl of Arran. If we mistake net, the
grandfalier a the present Earl was one of the original
and his resources to the kn.
rim,
tuil
bent3einantry, who
Knights of St. Patrick ; but what renders the expected
honour to the Earl of Arian truly a matter of gratification
Mime and
the well-being and in Ireland Ireland is, that it i 3 to be Come
his on a resident noble-
look up ~,
pines, of his
.estates, aril 1,,,, ~ him as their beat
ctor.,Sunday ,Paper, ' .

FOX HUNTING.

On Saturday, the 27th u the fox hounds of Janes
Maebell, of Newsy Bridge, ha,l three galiar.t
runs on Whitbarrow and over the neighbouring country ;
the first went to earth, the second, a kill, and the third
saved himself by night-fall. The following is a brief
account of the country, and the manner in which the
dogs did their work :—They threw off on Whitbarrow,
with a fair field of horse and foot, the latter preferable
in such a rocky country, and, in addition, one or two
of the gentler sex, amateurs of the noble sport. Rey-
nerd was awake to dangerous and coining events : he
jumped up among Wakebarrow rocks, and went at a
speed as if determined to save his brush or
die nobly. The rush and cry were now cheering
and the rocks reverberated the music ; he ran in an
easterly direction for Crosthwaite Fell-end, but here
swerved to the south, for Lyth Woodc, Ansty's, Raw-
son's and White Scar, and thence to Margery Rake and
Buck Point, stealing along the side of the tell among the
Screes. Finding here neither earth nor rest, fOr the
szent was high and the dogs coming on at a galloping
pace, he stretched away for Low Crag Wood, thence
for Chapel Scar and Hieh Park Wood ; here he
rounded the wood several times, running his foil to
baffi: the enemy, but "it was no go"—he was hard
pressed and driven from cover ; his last and saving ef-
fort was Low Park, and he saved his bacon by going to
earth in Hag Scar, the dogs close up, as if determined
on mischief, but destined to disappointment. After
breathing awhile, a second fox, not liking either his
company or situation, got up close by and went off
at the top of his speed, " Tally ho !" was the word—
the dogs took the hint and dashed into action. He
went through Elleray Copi.ice, by Bowgreaves, and for
the Fox Leap on the west side of Whitbarrow, but he
thought it would not be safe to tarry and try the Leap.
Un the Screes he went, and, crossingWhitbarrow, made
for Johnscales Woods, where he expected to earth ; but
he was balked, for they were stopped. Here he changed
his route, and ran westward for How-Ridding to Fairy
Scar, through High Park Woods to Black Yews and
Chapel Scar. His powers were now evidently on the wane,
the dogs had run him at view, and after a few vain strug-
gles, swerving rapidly right and left, they ran into him,
and the cry was, " Whceup." There was a fair race for
the brush between a daughter of Nimrod and the
master of the pack. The lady won the race, but
lost the brush--a third person securing it by ac-
cident ; bat he had gallantry enough to make
her a present of it. A third fox was found
in Lawes Wood still in the same country ;
Merryman challenged—he never challenged in vain—
and the word was " Hark to Merryman, hark !"
Reynard was awake, up and off, and away they went
for Strickland-hill, Rakefeot, Yewbarrow, the Screes,
and Birk Scar. The running here was furious, and
the dogs close upon him, but he slipped away, and
made for Hillmess Wood and Low Park, skirting Pool-
bank to How-Ridding. and thence for the large planta-
tions on Crosthwaite Fell. His cunning induced him
to run on the rocks and crags. Here the scenting was
low and cold, so that the dogs lost ground, and the fox
took the advantage. He ran for Rawson's Scar, and
thence to Johnscales Woods. The dogs had rallied
and were well up again ; but night came on, and men
and dogs having had enough, the chase was abandoned.
Such three runs have not been witnessed for many a
day ; the distance could not be less than seventy
rails in six hours, and over such a country. One
enemy is gone—he will no more disturb turkeys at the
end of any fell, nor steal any more hens and chickens
by moonlight.—Kendal Mercury.