The Sun.
London, England, 1848-02-29 00:00:00

CI) tlliliff : Mk,

LONDON, TUESDAY. FEBRUARY 29, ►B4B

The overwhelming interest excited amongst all
classes by the extraordinary events which have
occurred during the past week, and are now occur-
ring in the French metropolis, the brilliant spectacle
of a nation emancipating itself from the fetters by
which its liberties have hitherto been restrained, and
casting off the shackles which an unwise policy had
attempted to render too galling, have partly diverted
the public attention from those domestic topics which
would otherwise have awakened all our energies, and
aroused the British people to the utmost activity and
exertion. The general feeling with respect to the Mi-
nisterial proposition for the increase and permanency of
the odious income-tax has, however, been too plainly
testified, too clearly expressed, to permit the sli..4htest
doubt to remain that the measure would receive
every constitutional opposition, not only from the
Members of the Legislature, but from all classes of
the community. Meetings were held in every dis-
trict, and resolutions adopted expressing the firm
determination of the people to resist the impost to
the very utmost. It was not the burden of the tax
alone that excited the public indignation—the inqui-
sitorial and vexatious character of the machinery,
prying into the most private affairs of every person,
engaged in any trade or profession, by which profits
amounting, or even approaching to, 1501. per
annum might be realised, were apparently for-
gotten. The gross injustice of placing on the
same footing, and subjecting to an equal charge
incomes derived from precarious and fluctuat-
ing sources, and liable to constant alterations, with
those of a fixed and ascertained character, such as
dividends from funded property and the rents of real
estates, outraged every principle of equity, and in-
duced the most determined resistance of the people.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer last night admitted
" that from all quarters of the House, and from ali
parts of the country they (the Ministers) had received
the most unequivocal demonstrations of the disap-
proval of the increase of two per cent.;" and again,
that " there was an unanimous concurrence in object-
ing to the additional two per cent. on the income-
tax."

The decision at which the Government arrived on
ascertaining this universal feeling is deserving of the
highest approbation. It is a course worthy of a Li-
beral Ministry, of those selected to administer the
affairs of a free and enlightened nation. They did
not persevere in an obstinate adherence to
the propositions they had brought forward.
They recognised the sovereign will of the people,
expressed through their representatives, and acknow-
ledged the right of those representatives to dictate to
the Government, and more especially so on a question
relating to taxation. The constitutional principle of
" no taxation without representation" never received
a stronger sanction or a more unequivocal admission
of its validity. Although the Right Honourable
Baronet believed that the more prudent course would
have been to have complied with his demand, he
abandoned the proposition he had submitted to the
House, expressing, at the same time, the regret he
felt at the necessity which left him no alternative.
How different might have been the condition of
affairs amongst our continental neighbours had the
Guizot Ministry exhibited a similar submis-
sion to the public feeling of the country.
We have seen the result of an unwise
resistance, which led, not merely to the overthrow of
a Cabinet, but the destruction of a dynasty. 'We
shall also see the consequences of a different line of
conduct in the additional strength acquired by the
Government who made so prompt and judicious a
concession to the popular will.
The Government now make no new demand upon
the pockets of the people. They, of course, reserve to
themselves the right of proposing some amount of
taxation which will equalise the income and expendi-
ture of the country ; every prudent reduction con-
sistent with the national credit and the national safety
should be made in that expenditure. But, however
anxious we may be for a remission of the burdens
that press so heavily on the industry of the
people, any undue precipitation is to be avoided,
which might not eventually prove to be real
economy. The estimates which by any possibility
could be cut down should be examined with the
utmost care. Everything approaching to extrava-
gance or waste should at once and for ever be got rid
of; but the efficiency of the several establishments
should be maintained, and full regard bad for the
honour and dignity of this great nation. The
deficiency will probably be but of a tempo-
rary character, and the very fact that there
is a deficiency will induce every exertion
to bring our expenditure within our ordinary in-
come. No additional provision should be made until
a full investigation has taken place, and it is made
manifest that no further reductions can take place.
Then, and not sooner, must we consider of the means
by which an additional revenue can be obtained. We
would not have a permanent deficiency, nor would
we cast upon our posterity the burdens which, in
justice and equity, should be sustained by ourselves.
Whatever is ascertained to be necessary must be pro-
vided for, however great the difficulty in procuring
the necessary funds.

We are now only asked to renew the present in-
come-tax as it at present stands. There is certainly a
very material difference between retaining a charge
already in existence, and the imposition of a new,
or even the increase of an old one ; but still
the inequality of the pressure of the present tax, and
its injustice on a certain number of the payers is so
manifest, that some alteration should be made. The
honourable Member for Glasgow, in his admirable
work on " the Progress of America," has shown that
in 1845 the amount of all incomes in Great Britain
above 601. per annum amounted to nearly
258,000,000/., of which " 200,000,000/. (or nearly
fourth- fiths of the whole) might he estimated as the
rents and profits of all realised property, viz., the
rents and profits of all lands, tenements, houses, con-
structions, funds, stocks, and shares, including fac-
tories, workhouses, docks, shipyards, railways, canals,
public funds, Bank of England stock, East
India and South Sea stock, and the stock
and shares of all companies whose stocks and
shares are bought and sold in the market." It is
impossible to find a more equitable tax than one
charged on this description of property. At 5 per
cent. it would amount to ten millions per annum,
which would not only supply the present deficit, but
would enable the Chancellor of the Exchequer to
repeal the tax on light and air, and others that un-
duly press upon the industry of the people. An
equitable modification of the stamp duties would also
produce aetrust considerableustwilln
addition
b
elost
ts o the
sightnationalof I,hn he
when the
which
proper time arrives.

LAMARTINE is the soul of the Revolutionary move-
ment in Paris—he is the representative of the public
opinion of France—he is the author, the herald, the
orator, the statesman,
the genius of the Republic. In