The Sun.
London, England, 1848-10-04 00:00:00

I THE FINANCIAL REFORM
ASSOCIATION.
(Abridged from the Liverpool Mercury.)
One of the most enthusiastic and numerous meet-
ings ever witnessed in this town was held on
Wednesday evening last, at the Portico, to meet the
members of the Financial Reform Association, and to
hear an exposition of the views and objects of that
body. The room was crowded. On the platform
we observed Robertson Gladstone, Esq., Colonel
Williams, . A. Yates, Esq., John Smith, Esq.,
Charles olland, Esq., Edward Brodribb, Esq., F.
Boult, Esq., Lawrence Heyworth, Esq., M.P.,
Richard Sheil, Esq., James Thompson, Esq., .R.
Farrer, Esq., J. R. Jeffery, Esq., Sir Joshua
Walinsley, H. T. Atkinson, Esq , R. V. Yates, Esq.,
and others.
On the motion of Mr. SMITH, Robertson Glad-
stone, Esq., was unanimously called to the chair.
The CHAIRMAN, in opening the business, Said :
The -first duty which I have to discharge is to ex-
' press the gratification I feel in meeting a number of
my fellow-townsmen to discuss a subject which is,
perhaps, of greater vital importance to them than
any other which could be proposed.—(Hear, hear.)
My second duty, and perhaps it ought to ha+e been
my first, is to express my sense of gratitude for being
permitted to preside over this meeting as chairman.
It is not for me, on this occasion, to attempt to harass
your feelings, or to stop for a moment to inquire into
the fearful depression that has for so considerable
a period pervaded every branch of trade. Iti is not
for me to call to your recollection those painfu scenes
that we witnessed some two winters back, w en the
poor Irish thronged our streets, driven fro their
own, countxLAy starvation, imploring
.chari y from
thosethey happened to meet, and urtng ease
still more strongly by thrusting their ' •almos inani-
mate offspring- in your faces. I have no desire o recal
to your recollection those painful scenes, bu I can-
not forget the contrast. "I -cannot forget that whilst
that misery was stalking before us the e were
those who were drawing to repletion fr at the
veins of the constitution.— (Cheers.) No , with
respect to the cause of the depressio which
has existed for so long a period —to a ! certain
extent the circumstance of trading beyolnd our
capital has, undoubtedly, been one main clause of
distress ; but the present evils under which we all
suffer, in a greater or less degree, arise froth exces-
sive taxation—(Loud cheers)—with an undue and
unlimited expenditure.—(Tremendous cheering.) To
remedy these evils the Financial Reform As4iciation
was first called into existence. In theirf report,
which has been printed, it has been said, " the
impoverished nation cannot possibly sustain the
prodigal expenditure which it has enddred in
better times, and it therefore has now becorie abso-
lutely necessary that the national revenut should
be economized with the most anxious frugality, and
the expenditure carefully confined within the ptrictest
limits of indispensable necessity."—(Applause.) Now,
the objects of the Financial Reform Association are,
first, "to use all lawful and constitutional means
of inducing the most rigid economy in the dxpendi-
ture of the Government , consistent with due effi.
ciency in the several departments of the public ser-
vice." No one can object to that proposal.—(Cheers.)
The second object is "to advocate the adoption of a
simple and equitable system of direct taxation fairly
levied upon property and income, in lieu, of the
present unequal, complicated, and expensiv6ly col-
lected duties upon commodities." Now, ! gentle-
men, the Financial Reform Association : are not
satisfied in seeking to keep the expenditure within
the income, but what they contend is, that: the ex-
penditure ould be reduced.—(Loud cheerd.) Our
gross revenue is somewhere about fifty-nine'or sixty
millions a year. Of that sum, about four millions
or upwards never reach the Exchequer. Thbse four
millions are expended in the collection ' of the
revenue by the officers of the Customs and Ex-
cise. Now, to give you an idea 'of the
way in which the national expenditure is idcreased,
I will read to you from this tract, page 1; " The
annual Government expenditure, in time of peace,
exclusive of interest on the national debt, wad, during
the reign of George 1., about 2,583,0001.; George 11.,
2,766,0001 ; George 111., 7,670,109/. ; GeOrge IV.
(1628) 21,407,6701.; William IV. (1835) 15,85,649."
This is a very tolerable decrease, and judging from
our present position, we should have been dis-
posed to be satisfied with that expenditure, but during
the current year the expenditure has amounted to
24,280,8041.—(Cries of " Shame, shame.") ! There-
fore, gentlemen—and I address myself to those who
are not members of this association—you will agree
with me that a reduction of expenditure must be
made, for the people can no longer afford to contri-
bute as wv Ley. hitherto done in the slumetuf taxes.
1 would call your 1111,CLILIULI W au exempinicauou
of Lord John Russell's desire for an econonlical Go-
vernment. In the Queen's Speech, thl House of
I Commons are thanked for, the supplies glinted-1
am not at all surprised they. were thanked.—
(Laughter.) And then it goes on to say, t" I shill
avail myself of every opportunity which the exigen-
cies of the State' may allow of enforcing economy."
The passage certainly at the time, although rather
a hacknied one, at once attracted my observation. I
felt a little curious to see what acts of economy had
been performed. Taking the last session as a spe-
cimen, the :first thing that occurred to me was the
appointment of a certain individual to the •office of
Sergeant-at-Arms, that individual being no less a
personage than Lord John Russell's own brother. I
will give you the duties of that office. The Sergeant-
at-Arms used to receive 2;3001. per annum salary; but
at the recommendation of a Parliamentary Cummittee
it was reduced to 1,5001. per annum, the present sum.
There is also a deputy-sergeant, salary 1,0001.; an
assistant at 525/. ; a time-keeper at 500/. ; three door-
keepers; one at 4001., and another at 2001. ; four mes-
sengers at- 300/., and four under-messengers at 1051.
each. All these officers are appointed by the Sergeant
at-Arms, and the messengers have what is no doubt
extremely agreeable—almost no duty.—(Applause.)
But I should like to ask whether a policeman in an
ordinary coat would not discharge that duty at 801.
or 1001.
at
ayela,srojouis.t, asw wethl al
llas
etLocradterJa4oh.—n
So much for Lord John Russell and his sincerity
i
about economy I It just rests with you how
(RCahesseerlsr.)s
long you will submit.—(Cheers.) But, gentlemen
I fear I can hold out to you no bitter expecta-
tions from Sir Robert Peel's Government. Sir Robert
Peel's son, a very estimable young man, is now at the
age of twenty-three, in the navy, in command of the
finest vessel her Majesty can boast of. And are there
no other such sons at twenty-three years of age,
equally entitled to such distinction ? There is no ser-
vice in the world where services are so badly rewarded.
I see gray heads amongst us without any reward for
past services. But that system of undue preference,
which arises from class legislation, must,. in this
country, be completely put an end to.—(Loud cheers.)
The impression on my mind, on looking into the na •
tional accounts, and seeing Honourable Lord This and
Lord That drawing large sums, which would be very
acceptable to us, whether merchant or tradesman—l
have been astonished to think how their minds could
be reconciled to such a complete state of beggary that
they should receive money under such circumstances.
—(Loud cheers.) The chairman then referred to
the providence of God, add said that the four quarters
of the globe each produced their fruits, varying in
their kinds, but all conducing to one great object—
the use and benefit of mankind ; but here it was that
man interposed between the Giver and those who it
was intended should receive, and he instanced the
cases of tea, sugar, coffee, and other articles, the ne-
cessaries of life, as charged with exorbitant duties.
The members of that association might be called de-
structives ; but he believed the result would prove that
they were the only friends of the constitution.—
(Cheers.) The aristocracy never knew what a want
was, or if they did experience it for a moment, that
want was immediately gratified. Unfortunately that
was not the case with those who were placed in a dif-
ferent position of society. He hoped, however,
that they might yet be brought to pursue a wise
course, for he had desired to see them act as the best
friends of the country. If no step was to be taken to
ameliorate the;condition of the people of the coun-
try; if nothing was to be conceded, then, on them let
the responsibility rest.—(Loud cheers.) But he
would rather find that they were animated with that
feeling which the poet had described when he said—
" Far wiser he whose sympathizing mind,
Exults in all the good of all mankind."
(The Chairman resumed his seat amidst loud and con-
tinued cheering.)
Mr. LAWRENCE HETWORTH, M.P., moved the first
resolution—" That considering th4rivationsof the in-
dustrious classes, no measure of financial reform can
meet the requirements of our national position, or satisfy
the reasonable expectations of the country, which
aims merely at equalizing the public income and ex-
penditure, without at the same time providing for a
material diminution in the present overwhelming load
of taxation, by the most unsparing retrenchment in
all the departments of the public service." The re-
solution referred, amongst other matters, to the pri-
vations which the labouring classes were now en-
during, and which had been in existence for upwards
of two years; they had been felt in every corner Jof
this empire, and to a fearful extent in Ireland, and
such privation, there was no doubt, had resulted from
heavy and oppressive taxation, and the want of a
demand for the labour of the people. The working