The Sun.
London, England, 1823-01-07 00:00:00

LONDON JOU ttriALs.

INICIR4CTS FROM VIE DAILY lIOUNiNCI PAPERS,
January 7,182 S.

0..1.•••ta
[MORNING CIIRONKLE.I
We suspected that the Ministerial Writers
would not be slow in drawing inferences against
Liberty from the Norfolk Meeting. You see,
they exclaim, what dreadful things popular Meet-
Jugs are; you see what the people would do, if
yon gave them their will. " The Norfolk Meet-
ing (says The New Times) has read the Gentle-
men who call themselves Whigs a lesson of most
deep and serious import. It has shewn them
the abyss to which they have been so long
and so eagerly hastening. It has taught
them, feelingly taught them, the true na-
ture and character of large popular Meetings
May they gather wisdom from the warning)"—
What, then, is to be the wisdom to be gathered
from this warning ? That the people can never
possibly be right, and that certain persons who
have arrogated to themselves the power of judg-
ing for them, can never be in the wrong ? What,
we ask, has the Norfolk Meeting produced which
was not to be expected ? The Country Gentle-
men have for a long time past seized every occa-
sion tor insinuating the advantages which, might
be derived from a reduction of the National
Debt. This has formed a leading feature in almost
all the speeches at County and District Meetings
for more than a twelvemonth, and in most of
the Essays and Letters iu the Journals, of which
the circulation lies among the Yeomanry. We
do not say the inculcation of this point was alto.
gether confined to the Tory Gentlemen ; but
they have certainly been the chief advocates of
it. Their language has uniformly been we have
carried reduction as far as it will go—the ex-
penditure of the country cannot now be lowered
without endangering its safety (the English of
which is, that they did not like to renounce the
share of it which accrued to themselves) : yet
something must be done, for the present amount
of taxes cannot continue to be paid.

[THE
The official statement of the Revenue for the
year' and quarter just expii:ed, was published ex-
clusively in yesterday's Times. The reduction
of duties on malt, leather, and salt, had prepared
the public for a diminished income, and such has
been the result both of the year and quarter, but
not, we should suppose in a degree disproportioned
tO this cause. Thu quarter ended sth instant
falls short of that expired in January, 1822, by
nearly 397,000/. Under the head of Customs,
there is a falling off of 84,0001. in the last
quarter—the more remarkable, as upon the
whole year there is an improvement In that
branch of above 250,0001.; but the fluctua-
tions in the Custom duties are no very safe
criterion whence to judge the general improve-
merit or decline of the finances, unless we take a
period of considerable extent, and thus find mate-
dais for inferring a gradual tendency to either,
lin the quarter of 182'2, there was an excess over
the corresponding quarter of 1821, of 190,0001.;
110.001004144444N0ier,40. excess Wt. back to
41130001;; the thirkvorter it advanced to
97,0001.; arid' h the deficit to the large
amount of 397,0001. took place of the for-
mer excesses. From this we do not mean
to draw an unfavourable conclusion, any fur.
they than that. the commerce of the country
does not 'seem, so far as the above data go,
to be making any sensible progress. In the
Excise there has been a reduction both upon the
quarter and the year ; bqt this being the depart-
ment which embraced the whole of the repealed
or diminished duties, the effect is one which can-
not be contemplated with surprise. The deficit
in the malt-tax only, in consequence of the Act
of Parliament, has been above 1,400,0001.
Whereas, upon the whole revenue of excise al.
lowing likewise for the repeal of the leather tax,
the deficit has not amounted to 800,000/.—an
argument tills for entertaining the belief that. the
diminution of the tax on the above commodities
has had, in a certain degree, the usual effect of
aiding the general consumption of the country.

[Dimon rims.]
The Quarter's Revenue is, as usual, cause of
" great pleasure,"---" high satisfaction," and al'
the other unmeaning expletives of the Treasury
The Revenue of the Quarter ending.. on the btl
Jan. this year is, 13,17 I =lll., being 300,971
less than th:.t of the corresponding Quarter last
year. The year's Revenue is 50,1'2'2,0941., being
808,711/. less than that of the preceding year.
The Treasury Papers vaunt that this is a proof of
great prosperity, considering that the great reduc-
tion of taxes conceded by our gracious Ministers
would have been equivalent to three times the
• deficiency. Now, when we come to compare
the Revenue in January, IS2-1, we shall be care-
fully reminded by these same journals of the
great arrears of reduced taxes in the amount now
exhibited, as we are at present, of the nutount of
arrears of horse-tax, which swelled the accounts
last year. But let their argurnents be admitted to
the utmost extent, the inference is, that taxation
bad long, before counteracted its own purpose,
and consequently that the more, you retince the
taxes the more productive you make them. It
is well known to all men of political observation
and deep discdrninent in matters of revenue, that
the collection of the taxes is no criterion of pro-
sperity. If the lowest tradesman gives to the
tax-gatherer the money with which he would fain
purchase for himself a Christmas coat and a new
year's hat, the revenue is prosperous while he
boars the clearest proofs of penury. The clothier
and the hatter are at the saute time reduced to
employmeot and -a narrowed income.
This is the reverse of national prosperity.

[MORNING rosl'.l
The accounts received yesterday. from Dublin
possess more than ordinary interest. After two
days close inquiry, the Grand Jury of the City of
Dublin have, in effect, ignored all. the bills re-
lative to the persons charged with the outrage in
the Theatre against the Lord Lieutenant. There
vete two bills) one, for a conspiracy to riot, and