The Sun.
London, England, 1840-02-21 00:00:00

CHURCH-RATES.

The NOBLE Manents also presented a petition from
A Baptist congregation, praying for the abolition of
Church-rates.

INLAND WAREHOUSES.

Viscount STRANGFORD rose in pursuance of
the notice which he had given to their Lordships on
Monday night, to move for the production of certain pa-
pers which he held to be absolutely indispensable to the
due consideration of a matter of such magnitude and im-
portance, which their Lordships thought fit to reject last
year, but which was again shortly to be brought before
them, recommended and supported by her Majesty's
Government. When his Noble Friend near him last
Session moved that the Bill be read a second time
that day six months, he stated that which had not been
contradicted—it had since been stated elsewhere,
and had not been contradicted—namely, that the
opinions of certain Revenue Boards as to the
probable operation of the Bill on the revenue
was in the highest degree unfavourable to it,
and that it was the conscientious belief of those
parties that if the measure was carried into a law,
it would have a most seriously injurious effect on
'the revenue. He thought that they had already gone
into many measures without duo consideration, and
that one ought not to be added to the number,
_more especially as only a few nights ago be had heard
a most clear and lucid statement made by a Noble Earl
not then in his place (Ripon) as to the financial pc-
sition in which this country stood, and when in the
Same discussion the Noble Viscount had so honestly
admitted the constantly increasing expenditure, and
the equally constant decreasing revenue, there was
no one but must look with considerable anxiety
and apprehension at any measure, of which persons pecu-
liarly qualified to form an opinion upon it, had an idea
that it would produce an unfavourable effect upon the
revenue of the country. Therefore it was,
he confessed, that he was extremely anxious,
before they proceeded with a measure of that
kind, to have the Dleie;ntage of particular opinions of
practical men, which he attached much more impor-
tance than he did to the theory and speculations of those
to whom they were subservient. He was afraid the Noble
Viscount was not disposed to grant the returns, because,
as he said, in the firstl it was unusual to produce
such documents, and in place'
would be detriments; tolt'herBec°bni!l pl,:ce, the production
public service. Unusual it
certainly was not, for he then c.1)1 held in his hand a report
from the Board of Customs' to the Bo:ad of Trade
upon the question of Sugar from Foreign States refined
in London. As to its being detrimental
,t to the public
service he could not see how t
might be inconvenient to her ]Majesty's
be, but it
'it)s Ministers.
It; however, any real case of inconveniencej could be
made out, he was the last man to press l
hoped the Noble Viscount would 'Ave the Hr °nu'
if
iHaine
assurance of his anxiety to furnish these returns:
was in his power ; because if he did not assign a goad
reason for withholding them, and at the same -time
withheld the returns, what was the conclusion to
which the country at large would come, from the
fact of that double denial being given ? It would come
to the just and inevitable conclusion, that the Noble
Viscount, in spite of the previous warnings he had had,
and the recommendations he had received to the con-
trary, had persisted in acquiescing in measures of
that description, with a full and .perfect fore-
knowledge of the inconvenient and prejudicial results
to which they would lead, for there were still visions
of future taxation before their eyes ; and he warned the
N ible Lord that when the country was called upon to
pay more taxes, it would not do so without a
previous inquiry as to whether . they were
mPosga from uncontrollable and Inevitable no.