The Sun.
London, England, 1833-01-22 00:00:00

immaterial to ma which you call it. I believe it will be
found impossible to find any old Reformer like myelf
who will object to such a measure.—(Leud cheers.)
I have always,whenever an opportunity offered, desicnated
the Septennial Act as one of the most infamous Acts that vas
ever passed in the House of Commons. I will not detain you
more on that point, but slightly advert to the subject of the
other petition. With regard to the ballot I have long consi-
d2red that subject, and more especially during the late elee' ion,
and I have had so many opportunities of observing the work-
ings at the elections, that I believe I should be able to pre.•
duce considerable evidence on that point, which would go a
great way in inclining me to adopt such a measure, and f.orn
which I thihk the House of Commons itself will be convinced of
the necessity of the measure.—;Cheers.) With regard to the
assessed taxes I have always opposed them, but I think it
probable that there might be some mode of dividing then:.
If we could at the same time get other taxes repealed
which hear most heavily—(Cries of ‘' No, no")—Weil,
only hear me, and I think you will sly. Yes, yes."
With respect to the window duty. I think that Ms obe
nexious a tax as ever was thought of, and ought never to
have existed. But, with regard to those taxes which fall
more peculiarly upon the rich, I think a moditiva.ion of
them would be enough. Such, for instance, as the tam on
carriages. I think people who are able to k-ep a carrieee
are equally able to pay the tax upon it; but I wirulil net
include under that modification ti.e ti xes on desks
and porters or warehousemen. I think that an exceeding
improper tax, and should therefore vote fir it immediate
abolition. As far, therefore, as the abolition of all ;Ma-,
mous taxes is cones' ned, I shall go along with you, and
perhaps with others, for, to do away with the machinery of
the thing would be effecting a great work. Perhaps if
Vie taxes were taken off carriages the perstms employed in
their matrufacture would get more etnployment, a, din
that sense it would do good. Now, as tee of
the independents, I should propose the taking the duty off
soap—(Cheere)—whicli bears so minds more heavily upon
the poor than the rich classes of society. Tire tea. also
upon malt ought to be done away with. Bet to make
short of it, the better way, and indeed the only way; td
lessen the burdens of the l iwer and middling classtli
to do away with taxation altogether, and have a property
tax.—(Cheers.) Taxation would then he on the shouldsr
of those who eterld heir it.—(Ceintinued cheers.)
Mr. GetrrE—Gentlemen, I shall have the greatest
pleasure and pride in exeeutinie, to the best of my ahi ity,
the mighty and important duty which you have confided
to me this day. I shall lay it befits the House of Coin:none
with all the solemnity anti earnestness which the suit} et
demands ; and, I am sure, a petition from so large a
constituency will be received with aa atterttive
and solemn hearing at least. This is the first meeting I
have had the honour of attending of those whom I am
now proud to call my constituents; and it is truly gratis
Eying to me that the business which they intrusted to rnes
is one which I should, of all other things, be glad to una
dertske, even without such extraordinary stimulus.
—(Loud cheers.) Attached as I am, anti have
long been to the representative system as the only certainty of
good government, I think that all arrangements which con.
duce to the purity of the electing system rank among
the foremost of all conceivable improvements ; and I
say that both the ballot and a shorter duration of
Parliament are most essentially requisite to
,gibe to the
people of England that security and That control which they
ought to possess over their representatives.—(Cheers.) flaws
ever, our representation has been peculiarly and materially
amended by the Reform Bill, and I shall never speak ot
that measure without the approbation it deserves ; but
at the same time, I am perfectly sensible it has
not dine everything ; for there yet remained impoitaer
evils to redress and additinnal security to be provided ; and
while I refer to the speech of Lord J ihn Russell
in introducing the Reform measure, I fiat there two
questions were specially set apart for the considerition
of the Reformed Parliament; and I do con! end
that amongst the grave and mighty matters that
will come before them, there are none to exceed in
importance the ballot and triennial Parliaments.—(iiiar.)
I will consider it one of my first duties to give notice of
a motion in the House of Commons to bring in a B ll to
erovide for taking votes by ballot—(Cheers)—and I shall
do so not less from my solemn and serious 4.onvicrion
of its necessity, than from the confidence which you
have this day resposed in me by requesting me to do it.
I shall also support the Bill which another gentleman
may bring forward for establishing triennial Parliaments
—(Cheers)—and I will support the full repeal of the
house and window tax.—(Cheers.) With regard to the
rest of the assessed taxes, not included in the house
told window tax, I age e with my Hon. Colleague,
Alderman Wood, that great discretien ought to be exert
vied, lest we mitigate too much the burdens which
press on the rich, and leave unrepealed those which press
-0 heavily on the poor.—(Cheers.) I shall best act up
to the spirit of your instructions by Iseepieg in view the
principle that those taxes which pressed heaviest on the
poorer classes ought first to be taken ~ff. Gentlemen, I
will detain you no longer at this time, than merely to
state that it gives me pleasure to attend on the present
occasion, and that it will give me slid treater pleasure to
execute your instructions to the very letter.—(Cheers.)
Sir JOHN Kay came forward amidst loud cheering, and
addressed the tneetine as follows :—My Lord Mayor, and
Gentlemen,—lt affords me the greatest gratification to attend
your meetings, for the purpose of consulting your wishes, of
ascertaining your opinions, and of receiving your instructions.
--(Loud cheers.) On those subjects on which you have this
day deliberated,and upon which I may say you have determined,
my opinions are perfectly well known to all ot you ;
therefore I may be excused from trespassing at any length
en your time, by discussing these points. I leg to assute
you, that your wishes shall receive, in the House of
Commons, my honest and determined support, on every
point to which you have this day referred.—(Cheers.)
Rut I feel peculiar gratification at your having done me
the honour of committing to my charge the Advocacy dale
repeal of the assessed taxes. Anxious as lam to advocate
the other desirable objects discussed at this meeting, because
they affect the whole country, I cannot but feel in
the highest degree interested in the repeal of taxes
which so peculiarly bear upon the inhabitants
cif London
and
anti itsentiler
environs—taxes e
ts7urr?s_thasouttrj a I who ust,soune
unfair value
aintentment in the people must rejoice in their abolition.
Proud and happy, indeed, shall I be should I prove the
humble instrument of procuring for you, the citizens of
London, their repeal.—(Cheers.) I perfi ctly concur
with Mr. Alderman Wood, in whit he has said
with respect to the expediency of abolishing all taxes—
all the present taxes—(Cheers)—and substituting fir
them a property tax—(Loud chearing)—the effect of
which would be to cast the burdens of the state in due pro-
portions on those best able to leer them.—(Cheering.)
I concur also with Mr. Alderman Wool in the peculiar
justice of taking off the tax on soap, but sill more do I
feel the necessity of taking off the oppressive tax laid
upon the buyers of food by its sr llers.—(Louti cheers.)
The repeal of the corn laws is one of those measures
which I hold to be one of our first duties.—(Continued
and loud cheering.) But I have already so fully de-
clared my opinions upon these and other surrects—epinions
which I believe to be in perfect unison with your own—
(Cheers)—ass
nl,y.oolurthe re
will
r always
sfioupdotn your
neat
thet( nhe e
pet rooss)ta—n s ttyrbroae: you wiltt I
at a only
allotted
to
have
my duties to the utmost of my abilitr, and doing
everything in my power to fufil your wishes and to
promote your prosperity,—(Laud and continued cheers.)
Mr. WILLIAMS then read the last te-olution.

That the cordial thanks of this meeting be given to the
Right Hon. the Lord Mayor for his promptitude and courtesy in
acceding to the wish of the Requisitionists for the calling of
the present meeting, and also for the impartiality and dignity
with which he has presided over the same.

Mr. NICHOLSON seconded the resolution, and took the
opportunity of explaining that the extract from the
Times of Thursday, which he tooted in his speech as
having been uttered by Mr. Walt,r in his speech to the
electors of Berkshire, at Newbury, was, in fact, uttered by
Mr. Palmer--(Laughter and cheers)—but he should be
ashamed of himself, if he had not the manliness to acknow -
ledge his error in spite of what might be said upon it —(Loud
cheers.)

Mr. HUNT begged to express his entire concurrence in this
resolution. He knew the time when a Lord Mayor could not
be found to call even a Common Hall. The present Lord
Mayor had taken upon himself the responsibility of calling
the present one of the constituency of the city at large, and he
was entitled to have their thanks, with three cheers.
Three hearty cheers then accompanied the resolution,
and

The Loan MAYOa said, I thank you for this
expression of your feelings. I did not hesitate an in-
stant in calling a meeting, though I felt that in doing co
I was establishing a precedent; bec Luse, t'iis i. the
first meeting of the kind that has taken place,
and I sincerely hope that the precedent will tic
followed by all succeeding Chief Magistrates.—(Loud
cheers.) I trust th y will always he found re idy
to give you the opportunity of expressing your sen-
timents; and I am not a little proud of tits th.it
I am the first individual who has had a vote of thanks
from the united constituency of London.—(Tremen-
dons cheering.) I therefore prize it. I said my task
would be easy—it has been so; but I am afraid
the new constituency has followed a little. the bat habitk
f
of the old one, in refusing to hear both sides; bat how.
You ever, that was all in perfect good humour. have been
happy among yourselves; I have been happy w.th
and I return you shy grAitude.
The meeting thro separated in greit goad hum I
41:41
order.