The Sun.
London, England, 1851-01-31 00:00:00

REPEAL OF THE WINDOW-TAX.
DECLARATION OF VISCOUNT DUNCAN.
An aggregate meeting of representatives of the
several parishes comprised in the City and Liberty of
Westminster took place last evening'at the Vestry-
room of St. James's, Piccadilly, for the purpose of
adopting measures for procuring " the total and im-
mediate repeal of the window duties, without the
substitution of any other tax." The attendance was
numerous, comprising churchwardens, overseers, ves-
trymen, and others, from the following parishes :
St. James's, St. Paul's, Covent-garden, St. Anne's,
Soho, and St. Mary-le-Strand.
Mr. WM. GEESIN, senior churchwarden of St.
James's, presided, and urged on the assembled repre-
sentatives the importance of putting their shoulders
to the wheel. There were several claimants for the
Chancellor of the Exchequer's surplus, but, none had
a stronger claim than the opponents of the window-
tax—a war tax, and one which ought to have been
repealed long ago. This most unjust and unsanitary
tax had been the means of taking sixty-
three millions from the pockets of those who
paid it.—(Cries of " Hear, hear.") Its repeal way
most important as a stimulus to various kinds of la-
bour—carpenters, glaziers, painters, sash-frame-
makers, and others. In reference to this tax Minis•
ters had not kept faith with the people ; and they
should beware, lest their bad example was followed
by the people in reference to the national debt—the
legacy of the " Heaven-born Minister"—who had
proved one of the greatest curses this country eve
suffered.—(Elear, hear.) With a due pressure on.the
Chancellor.of the Exchequer, he must give way on
this tax. Let its repeal be obtained, and he woula
then go for the repeal of the paper duties, soap duties,
and other imposts. Still, the great evil was the state
of the representation in the House of Commons,
where there sat 86 Members representing an aggre-
gate number smaller by 247, 'filar; the constituency of
the Tower. Hamlets.—(Hear, bear.). •This should be
reformed altogether, and then many minor evils would
be got rid of.

Mr.
W. J. NEWTON, of Brewer-street, the hono-
rary secretary, read letters which he had received
from the representatives of various parishes, amongst
others from Mr. Freeth, of Marylebone, who stated
that the petition of that parish had received 20,000
signatures.—{Hear, War.)
• Mr. WILKINSON, churchwarden of St. Paul's, stated
that a memorial addressed to Francis Smedley, Esq.,
the high-bailiff of Westminster, requesting him to
call a public meeting on the subject, had been nume-
rously signed in his parish.
The CHAIRMAN stated that similar requisitions had
been signed in the other parishes, and would be pre-
sented without delay.
Mr. MILE; of St. James's, suggested that an in-
quiry should be undertaken by goieg through all the
small houses in the parish, to show the injurious effect
of the tax in a sanitary point of view.
A conversation ensued as to the steps to be taken
preliminary to a public meeting.
The CHAIRMAN suggested that it would be desir-
able to obtain a large number of petitions, with few
signatures, rather than one large petition, even if it
had 50,000 signatures. This plan had been acted on
in Islington, where Mr. Harris, the secretary of tht
Reform Association, was getting up about 3,000 peti-
tions, each signed by one individual. This would
have a far greater effect on the House, as the Hon.
Member who presented those petitions would be abh
to occupy an hour or two.—(Hear, hear, and laughter.)
He thought it would be a good plan, on the day of
the meeting of Parliament, to have a number of men
stationed in Palace-yard, bearing large placards, in-
scribed " No Window-tax—No House-tax."—(Hear,
hear.) This would at once show Hon. Member:
what was wanted, and convince them of the strength
of the agitation. He would have a small army of
these men, so as to impede the way to the House :
and then there could be no mistake as to what the
people wanted.—(Hear, hear, and laughter.)
It was resolved that a deputation should be ep
pointed to wait on the churchwardens of the parishes
not represented at the meeting.
Lord DUNCAN, who entered the meeting at this
stage of the proceedings, was loudly cheered. He
said-1 have no hesitation in answering at once the
question which has been put to me by my friend Mr.
Gte:in. I think it is now some eight or ten years
:since he and I first undertook this questioa.—(Hear,
hear.) We had then great difficulties to contend with.
Fortunately, we have proceeded so far pretty well ;
noel the difficulties we had to contend with have been
annually diminishing.— (Hear, hear.) It is quite
unnecessary for toe to trouble you with any are men s
for the rep( al of this tax. In the days of Sir John
Hobauuse and others it had been denounced, both in
S.. James's and in other of the metropolitan perishes.
The course I intend to pursue on this question is open
and straightforward; I shall certainly renew my
motion for the repeal of the window-tax at as early a
day as I can.—(Cheers.) It is my intention to bring
forward a motion for the total, immediate, and com-
plete repeal of this obnoxious tax.—(Hear, hear.)
And when I regard the state of the national finances,
lam happy to say that I perceive they are now in
such a state that I can no longer be met with the only
objection that was ever brought forward—the impus.
sibility of repealing it under the peculiar circum-
stances of the revenue; for as we have so large s
surplus, I do not think there is anything to which that
surplus could be applied with more satisfaction to the
public than to the repeal of the window-tax.—(Hear,
hear.) I must be permitted to take this opportunity
of making a few observations with respect to certain
words which have fallen from other Hon. Mem-
bers of the House of Commons. Very lately, at
a meeting at Bradford, my friend Mr. Cobden
stated that in his opinion the window-tax
was not the first tax on the list that ought,3
to be repealed, and be expressed his belief that if
ll
only and exclusively upon the higher anod
ddle
classes of the community. I think those
rw.
have fallen from my Hon. Friend rathena"'Y
(Hear, bear.) If he will take the opportunity,of in-
vestigating the subject he will be
fallil nea to agree
only upon the
with me that the tax does not
higher and middling, but also presses most unequally
upon all classes of the community, and that all would
ffear, hear.) This very
trouble day I took the
be benefited by its repeal.—(Rear, c
to walk as far as the Crystal
Palace now building isthis metropolis. Now the
first question I should like to ask in my place in Par-
liament is whether that Crystal Palace is to be sub-
jected to the window-tax.—(Hear, hear.) if it is, I
really should like to know how much they will have
to
pay for it.--(Applause.) If it is not, I should then
like this question answered—whether other persons
may not be permitted to build crystal palaces as well
a, the Royal Commissioners.—(Cheers.) I am
well aware that in the manutacturing districits
a great number of persons are exempted from
this tax. Now, I never could understand why,
if it is to be imposed at all, the manufacturers
should not pay equally with other persons ; nor why,
if it is to be maintained, it should not be placed on
he shoulders of every man in the community.—
( Ilear ) It is the numerous exemptions which have
been matte from time to time in favour of large in-
`cres's that have caused the tax to press so unequally
on different classes.—(Cheers.) I have repeatedly
brought forward this subject in the House of Com-
mons, and have never received any answer at all se-