The Sun.
London, England, 1815-11-28 00:00:00

THE PRO PL

MR. EDITOII,—Eim pleased to otserve that my
Letters to you on the Property-Tax have attracted
the notice of the Merchant of 'Newcastle ; for it
was my motive in publishing (bent to excite the
animadversions of those whose different situa—
tions and attention -to' the subject, might lead

them to support my vieWs'of equitably lightening
, .
the burthens- of the system', as it now operates
on every class of the cOpimtinity, and still more
pleased shall I he, should the number of• your
Correspondents increase 1 that prior :to any Par-
liamentary discussion which may ensue, some
substitute may occur th ,t will better answer the
ends proposed, than those I have advanced, tad
I will yield,the palm-.to it with greater pleasdre.
Judging from the readiness with which you have
admitted my sentiments in your so generally, cir-
culated and well-conducted Paper, I C;,11 have no
doubt of your like canflour.in admitting the pro-
position of your new Conespondent,: until when.
I should forbear to reply to those remarks you
have received ; for without reference to the whole
that,l have offered upon the subject, it can scarce.
ly h 1 consideted a reply ; but I wish to remind
him at present, that what I have ,proposed is, a
substitute for that obnoxious syStem existing, of
subjecting cVery person in Trade ,to an inquisi-,
torial scarCh into his affairs, if his :return of Pro..
fit or loss is not credited. 1 appeal to'yotur Cor-
respondent, if he is not fully aware, of the impos-
sibility of being at any certainty as to the truth.
of any statement made by an Appellant.
To investigate any man's accounts, if he is
disposed to perplex the Commissioner, though the
whole of his books should be laid before them, •
must he a work of time. How then is it possible
to be,correct in so many cases. This maybe tell-'
lug tales ;; but if he is a Commissioner, or has
ever been before them, he will know that the
ipse dixit of the apellant must. be taken, whilst the •
land and stockholders, and receivers of salaries
cannot evade the Tax the Legislature intended.
Certainly it is a matter of .opinion, and in the
difference of that lies the difficulty of regulating
the scale of duty with xvnich industry and trade
ought to be taxed. Why, he who clears 501. per
annum should be taxed, anti he who realizes `
491. 195. 11d. escapes .taxation, is not so easily
to be defined. If the merchant will refer to my
plan of taxing, every artiele,of trade and labour,'
in the first instance, at one penny in the pound
only, in the manner I have detailed, and consider,
that by the mode suggested, the difficulty of me-
gulating the scale of duty, the irksomeness of at-
tending an inquisitorial appeal, anti the pleasant-
ness of paying 'it in light, and almost impercepti-
ble stunts, instead of being called upon by the
Gatherers fur heavy payments, amongst other ad-
: vantages, would be the effect of this change in
the' system, I think he will prefer it to tne
present.
It does not •follOw that every speculation is at-
tended with profit, though certainly entered into
with that view, and until the merchant will con-
trovert instead of merely denying my positions, 1
shall believe, that even With a loss on the specu-
lation,, the system recommended is preferabie to,
the prZ..sent ; when with a gain it omit be infi-
nitely so. .The existing receipt Tax is not far re-
moved in principle from this, and those 1 have
spoken to on this scheme prefer it. The promised
proposition, however, of the Merchant may be
preferred to brith ; and 1 hope his plan will tend
to correct the objections to either of them, I
shall wait for it with much cariosity : for so lit-
tle has. been said upon the Avhole 1 have advanced,
that 1 might consider the critique as an appro‘al
7ultatin of the system thoseo points not
of
alluded to, rather than a con-

CONTRIBUTOR.