The Sun.
London, England, 1851-08-12 00:00:00

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LONDON, TUESDAY, AUGUST 12, 1851.

Notwithstanding the decision arrived at on the day
of the prorogation, against reporting the evidence
taken before the Select Committee on the property
and income-tax, portions of that evidence have al-
ready oozed out, and it is almost certain that they
will be quite familiar to the public generally before
the Committee resume their labours. The absurdity
of attempting any degree of mystery on such subjects
will be thus rendered apparent. Sir CHARLES WOOD
will not be permitted to hoodwink the public, to sup-
press the testimony unfavourable to his own
distorted views, and publish that only which
is agreeable to himself. He may through
the exertions of " the whipper-in" command a
majority in a thin House, a portion of that majority
consisting of " the waiters on PROVIDENCE," who are
at all times at the beck and call of the Minister, being
actuated by a lively sense of favours to come, and
ready to vote black white, or white black in obedience
to the behests of the " patronage secretary," and
others, who, with honester motives, are yet afraid to
oppose the Government in any matter, lest they
might aid in procuring the advent of a Protectionist
Ministry, or to endeavour to obtain a more fair
and equitable assessment of the income-tax,
fearing that by doing so they may endanger the per-
manency of the impost. These doctrines are even
more dangerous than those of the thick-and-thin Mi-
nisterialists. The motives of the latter will be
thoroughly understood, and the evil thus be neu-
tralised. But a person of unquestionable honesty,
although he may be mistaken must be respected, and
many will be induced to follow the mischievous pre-
cedent who would otherwise repudiate such doc-
trines. It has been truly said that a strong
and vigorous Opposition is essential to the
welfare of the country. Why is it so ? Simply be-
cause the officials are thereby held in check, and pre-
vented from attempting to force by the strong arm
unjust and inequitable measures on the country,
being well aware that they would be unhesitatingly
exposed by their opponents, and very probably
defeated by the aid of the independent Members, who
would never lend their aid to perpetrate a job, or to
carry a measure that could not bear the closest in-
vestigation. The slavish doctrine that Ministers
should be supported, right or wrong—that they
should be permitted to drag their friends
through the mire on every occasion, would
deprive the country of this salutary guarantee for
the preservation of its liberties, and confer despotic
authority on the Prime Minister for the time being.
Never was there a more wise or judicious proceed-
g than that of the veteran Member for Montrose,
who proposed the renewal of the tax for one year, in
place of three, as demanded by Sir CHARLES WOOD.
This suggestion was nut put forward because JOSEPH
HOME was the advocate of indirect taxation, or be-
cunse he desired the renewal of a bread-tax, which
might be rendered necessary, if the impost on pro-
perty was abolished. No, there is no man
in either House of Parliament whose fiscal principles
are sounder than those of the staunch Reformer who
advocated the most liberal doctrines before a borough-
mongering and ultra-Tory Parliament, and who in
his advanced years is enjoying the respect and honour
earned by the conscientious and efficient services of
his youth and middle age, and continued through a
green old age—as we trust they may long be—with
credit to himself and advantage to his country. He
was, therefore, desirous of making a direct charge
on property the principal source of national
revenue ; but, in order to do so, he must be well
aware that it should be fairly apportioned, so that
every man should contribute to the liquidation of the
public liabilities and the support of the national esta-
blishments, secundum status et facultates. He knew
that the equal assessment of all descriptions of
income, no matter how derived, was so unsound in
principle and unjust in operation that it could not
possibly be continued without inflaming the public
indignation, already sufficiently excited to the highest
point, and endangering the entire fabric. To preserve
the whole the rotten timbers should be removed, and
it was with that object that the Member for Mon-
trose brought forward his amendment.
We confess that we should also desire that the tax
should only be continued from year to year. We
have already pointed out the vast advantages that
would result from the Executive being dependent
on the legislative authority, not merely for the
supplies, but for the ways and means to pro-
vide for these supplies. If a difference should
unfortunately occur between the Crown and
the Parliament,—such a contingency is not alto-
gether without precedent,—and the money was in the
Exchequer, it would be forthwith seized, the delin-
quents trusting to the chapter of accidents to justify,
or at least escape the penal consequences of the mal-
appropriation, whereas, if the collection could only be
enforced when all parties were cr accord, it would not
I only prevent the possibility of such a contingency,
but it would give to each estate of the realm
its legitimate authority. The popular, or, as
it is usually termed, the democratic element
would be especially strengthened thereby.
- It is also in strict accordance with the principles of
the British Constitution, and although it has been
infringed upon, partly to suit the convenience of
place-holders, and partly from the necessity
of having import duties on foreign com-
modities invariable, we are yet, despite the
chidings of Ministerialists, or of Ministerial toadies,
disposed to take our stand on the ancient principle,
and to say that the taxation of the country must be,
wherever practical, under the control of the Com-
mons House of Parliament, and not subjected
to the revision of the other branches of the
Legislature, as it will be, if all the sources of re-
venue are made permanent, and that every tax may
be levied until annulled by a new statute. We have

an annual Mutiny Act, annual Stock-in-Trade Ex-
emption Acts, and other subjects on which Ministers
must appeal, in each and every year, to the repre-
sentatives of the people. Why not also have an an-
nual re-imposition of the property-tax (we trust
such a thing as an income-tax will soon be unki.own) ?
It would be by far the most valuable and important
topic to be submitted to periodical revision.

It is our melancholy duty to record another fatal
colliery accident, which occurred at Bedminster on
Saturday morning, by which five persons have lost
their lives directly, and one indirectly, the last being
a poor old man named THOMAS PARSONS, whose son
was in the coal-pit, and who died of fright when he
heard of the accident. It appears that shortly after
three o'clock on the morning of Saturday last five
men entered the bucket at the Malago-vein pit, Bed-
minster, for the purpose of descending to the lower
vein, which lies at a depth of 240 fathoms from the
surface. They were lowered by the engine until
they get near the vein, when suddenly the rope broke
at the top, and the five unfortunate men were precipi-
tated to the bottom of the mine. Intelligence of the
catastrophe quickly got abroad, and apprehensions
were entertained for the safety of the other persons
in the pit, who might be in danger from the water,
and the engine was at once set working, and prepa-
rations made for descending into the bottom of the pit.
" This," says the published account of the accident,
" owing to the great depth of the shaft, was a work
of difficulty and time. A flat rope of 150 fathoms
was borrowed from the north side pit, but this was
not long enough, and the length had to be made out
by splicing to it a hundred-fathom rope of the ordi-
nary round twist—a work to effect which, and adjust
it to the drum, occupied till ten minutes to eight
o'clock. At this time, in order to test the working
of the machinery, a bucket with lights, but no one in
it, ayas let down nearly to the bottom and drawn up
again. Great care was used to work well, and at
half-past eight o'clock two men, named JoHN REY-
NOLDS and HENRY LovELL, entered the cart and de-
scended. All was now breathless attention, while
the anxiety
,was greatly increased from the fact of
their being three or four stoppages in the descent,
which seemed to indicate that something was amiss.