The Sun.
London, England, 1848-02-24 00:00:00

INCOME-TAX.-DERBY.

TO THE HONOURABLE THE COMMONS OF GREAT BRITAIN
AND IRELAND IN PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLED.

The humble petition of the undersigned inhabitants of
the borough of Derby,
Sheweth—That your petitioners have read with sur-
prise and regret the proposal of her Majesty's Govern-
ment to increase the taxation of the country, and add
to the burdens which already press too severely upon
the industrious portion of the population.
That, independently of the odious and' inquisitorial
character of the income-tax, and the impolicy and injus-
tice of levying such an impost in time of peace, your
petitioners cannot but view the proposed increase from
3 to 5 per cent. with- well-grounded indignation and
alarm; and your petitioners are determined to make
every constitutional effort to resist such an imposition.
That your petitioners protest against the manifest in-
justice of taxing the incomes of those who are dependent
upon their exertions equally with those derived from
real property; and agree in the opinion of Members of
your Honourable House that if, under present circum-
stances, it be found impossible to entirely abolish the
tax upon incomes, your Honourable House ought at
least, instead of increasing it, to levy the tax upon a fair,
equitable, and graduated scale.
That your petitioners are weary of the yearly in-
creasing expenditure, and pray your Honourable House
to adopt the wise economical course of reducing the ex-
penditure to the lowest possible scale, being convinced
that in reduction alone is the wellbeing of the country
to be sought.
That the only effectual mode of curtailing expendi-
ture is the refusal of supplies, fatal experience having
taught the people that whatever may be the amount of
grants Ministers will expend them, and still be asking
for more.

That to your Honourable House your petitioners, as
is their right, look for protection, and humbly suggest
that if Ministry after Ministry is allowed to go on in-
creasing the burdens of the country, and all alike sup•
ported in ,their extravagance, the hearts of the people
will fail them, and all confidence in the Legislature be
lost.
Your petitioners therefore pray that your Honourable
House will not pass any Bill to increase the income tax;
that by rigid scrutiny the expenditure of the country
may be reduced, and no more be levied by taxation than
absolute necessity requires : that by revision and regu-
lation such taxes as press heavily on the poor may be
repealed ; and that, if it be too much to expect that the
burden should be shifted from the poor to the rich, the
rich may at least be made to bear their just proportion
of public bu►dens, imposed mainly for the protection of
themselves and their wealth.

And your petitioners will eves pray, Szc.
A memorial has been sent to the Members for the
Borough. The excitement against the Budget is great.

EAST RETRoRD.—A meeting of the inhabitants of
this town was held on Wednesday, the 23d inst.; John
Mee, Esq., Mayor, in the chair. Resolutions, condem-
natory of the proposed increase in the income-tax from
3to 5 per cent., were passed; and a petition to Parlia-
ment was prepared and signed, which will be forwarded
for presentation to the lion. Captain Duncombe and
Viscount Galway, the Members for the borough.
THE INCOME-TAX.—A meeting of the vestry of
the parish of St. Marylebone, was held yesterday even-
ing at the Court-house, in Marylebone-lane, for the pur-
pose of petitioning Parliament against the proposed
increase in this tax, and to make arrangements for a
public meeting of the inhabitants generally, in order to
obtain the expression of their opinion upon the measure.
A most numerous assemblage of the vestry having
arrived at six o'clock, Mr. Sandford was called to the
chair, who opened the business of the evening by calling
the attention of the gentlemen assembled to the particu-
lar objects which they were met there that evening to
discuss. Several other gentlemen addressed the meet-
ing, who complained of the unequal bearing of the
income-tax, which they considered not only unnecessary
and oppressive, but which might be advantageously
replaced by a tax on property generally, landed as well
as personal. A resolution was then proposed, " That a
general meeting of the parish should be called Itt the
School house on Monday next, to take into their consi-
deration the proposed increase of the income-tax." And
a committee of seven having been formed to arrange the
detail of such meeting, the vestry broke up.
OPPOSITION TO AN INCREASE OF THE lscOME-
TAX.—Yesterday a preliminary meeting of the inhabi-
tants and rate payers of the parish of St. Mary, New-
ington, was held for the purpose of petitioning Parlia-
ment against the increase of the income-tax. Similar
meetings are to be bald in the other metropolitan
parishes.