The Sun.
London, England, 1851-07-01 00:00:00

J ULY 15, 1851,

the opinion of maintaining the balance of public credit, and I George Coles, a fireman belonging to the Tooley-street
that this balance of public credit was not only the main station, said he saw two or three strangers on the top of the .::
1 s
pillar of our strength,. but the main source of our financial D warehouse before that building caught fire. 'While he was '
.„. .• :: r- „,
prosperity. He did not believe that the public credit . walking between the C and D warehouses, he saw amok* e - e
rested on such au unstable foundation as a vote of that came up from a trap-door hi the 1) warehouse. He Isneeled- 1t•"
House. And he was certain, notwithstanding the present down and looked in, and any a small portion of lire in this •
House bad come to a resolution to have the income-tax corner nearest to the window. To be positive, he went intee' , '. 'aa
for only one year, that next year the House would not shrink the top floor, and when he got within about six yards of it,‘r tea
from the duty of reconsidering their determination, and he found the heat too much for him to go nearer without s •-
..
of putting the financial credit of the country on a assistance. He ran back to the roof of C, and called the at-
q,4, i -;>,: .: m A *IF
sure and solid basis, whatever the steps they may be tention of the fireman now in the hospital to it, telling him
required to take for that purpose. The question was whether that the D warehouse was on fire. He went down with a
they would not disappoint the reasonable expectations of tile hose, but the fire became no great that his comp don was
country if they did not repeal the window-tax and take .eff severely burnt, and he was eempellett to quit the place with
the duty on timber and coffee? He thought the answer in. him, and take him to the hospital. The tire appearel to be
this respect so clear that he could not bring himself fb w asto in a corner in tin angle of the building on the floor, and was
the time of the House with arguments in support of the case. not near to the roof.
He would not follow the ingenious gentleman into the varied Mr. Braidwood, superintendent of the fire brigade, said he
disquisition with which he had favoured the House upon. the was called to.this tire at five o'clock, and from the descrip-
financial condition of the country. Taxation must be mende tion of goods the warehouse contained, he believed the fire
to adjust itself to the circumstances of the country; but the had been caused by spontaneous combustion. If there was
House must recollect this, that while taxation was pressing damp or oil amongst the rags, with the heat of the weather,
on the richer part of the commanity, the great mass of tax- they would be very likely to cause Spontaneous ignition.
ation-whether we wished it or not-did press with seve,rety Hops would burn furiously when there was sufficient heat,
on the industrious classes. So, therefore, it was that areen- but he did not know what heat would be required to set
meats which, taken by themselves, would tot be expedieent them on firer
and proper to urge in justification of particular taxes,. if The CORONER thought it was not well to close such an
coupled with other.. circumstances would justify ttoose inquiry hastily, for when persons read the account of the pro-
taxes. And it must also be recollected that the window- teax ceedings. fresh evidence was often elicited thereby. He
was not without exemptions; that tax was not very equal therefore thought the best course was to adjourn the inquiry
in operation, for windows in shops occupied for purposes, of for a certain period, and in the meantime that every effort
trade were exempted, just as land and other rated props lety should be used to clear up the mystery in which-the matter
had also its exemptions. The Hou. Gentleman had st ited was at present involved. With this view he advised that a
with a good deal of parade -ho hoped the Hon. Gentle nan reward should be offered to any one who had information in
would pardon him for having smiled at the time -what ehe their possession as to how the fire Originated ; half the
proposed as part of his plan, to proffer to the shipping ' in- amounteo be paid on, he commitment, and, hallon the con-
terest-namely, to give them the privilege of building el tips viction of the offender. This offer might bring forward some
in bond. He was sorry to see the lion. Gentlemen raver tto useful evidence, and if it did not they would only be in the
an exploded system, aid propose to multiply the manui ac- position they were at the present time.
tures in bond in this country. The suggestion was immediately acceded to by the jury,
Mr. HUME would sly a few words, as part of the state- and the inquiry was adjourned.
merit of the Right Hon. Gentleman 'rather iefiected in man Mr. Wigan, before the breaking up of the inquiry, ex-
him, as the origiaiildeof the debate.. He did not ages see pressed his intention of offering 2001. reward for the appre-
with what had fallen frbm any Hon. Members who had p re- hension of the offenders, who had set the premises on fire.
ceded him. It was necessary to carry out that plan b rid
thole views of taxation with which the present Governne ant
took office. He thought, howeVer, Government 'night ha ve
carried out those principles even further. The surplus
might have been devoted to more useful purposes tb, ett,
buying up a portion of the debt. He approved of the abe'ti -
tion of the window-tax. He approved of the house-tax,,
but .disapproved of the mode by which it was carried out.
The house tax was a property tax. and there ought to be no
exceptions. It was exceptions which generally created die,•
content towards a tax. Then with respect to the income- ,
tax, was it not denounced on all sides as unequal and unjust ?'
He bad endeavoured to get it moeified , on these grounds.
The Right Hon. Gentlemen did not wish the income-tax to•
be continued. He differed from that Hon. Gentleman. He
thought the income-tax•ought to be continued, and even
increased if necessary. Whilst he was willing to•
grant the supplies, he wished at the same time to-
relieve the industry of the country. Taxes had hitherto
been levied on the industry of the country, and the
rich had been comparatively exempted from taxation.
Oat of 52,000,0001. of taxes 84 per cent. was raised on the
industry of the people. Would the people allow this amount
of taxation to continue without acquiring property to bear
its proper share of the burden? He approved of the inquiry
now going on, and the result would be, he hoped, to place
the burdens of the country on the Interests beat able to bear
them. These were the principles he had always advocated,
and he was satisfied they were the principles which the
country would ultimately adopt. He was satisfied the in-
terests of the country would be best served by placing the
taxation on a sound and an equitable basis.
The House then divided, when there appeared-
For Mr. Disraeli's amendment ... ... .129
Against it ... ... ... ... ... 242
Majority against the amendment --113
The announcement of the numbers was received with con-
siderable cheering from the Ministerial side of the House.
The House then went into Committee on the Bill pro
forma, Mr. BERNAL in the chair; and the Chairman imme-
diately reported progress, and obtained leave to sit again.
Sir B. HALL gave notice that he would move the ex-
tension of the tax to Ireland.
GENERAL BOARD OF HEALTH BILL.
The order of the day for the third reading of this Bill
having been read,
Viscount EBRINGTON moved the omission from clause
1, line 11, of the following words:-" So far as the same
are authorised by the Public Health Act." He objected,
to those words, not only on principle, but also in conse-.
quence of the evils which the adoption of the provision. had
already produced in the towns in which it had been carried.
into effect.
Mr. FREWEN seconded the motion ; but ho doubted the-
prudence of dividing the House upon the subject.
Mr. MULLINGS said the object of these words was to-
make the Bill consistent with the measure of last session.
Lord SEYMOUR said that those words had been intro-
duced into the Bill of last year, in conformity with the best-
legal advice, and he had thought it advisable to re-insert;
them in the present measure.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL ;said that without those
words the Act might be completely overturned.
The amendment was then negatived without a division.
Mr. FULLER moved that Hastings be inserted in the,
schedule.
Sir W. VERNER seconded the motion.
Lord SEYMOUR opposed the proposition. He was quite,
ready to admit that Hastings was one of the dirtiest towns in;
E ngland-(Laughter) - but the point was, that St. L'20...
nard's, being a clean town, could not be justly laden with:
the expense of cleansing Hastings.
Mr. HOLLAND supported the motion.
Lord EBRINGTON reminded the House that under the.
Health of Towns Act there was ample power to rate parti-
cular districts according to their especial wants without bur-
dening contiguous localities.
The House divided. The numbers were -
For the motion ... ... ... ... 95
Against it
Majority ... ... ... -18
The borough of Hastings was accordingly inserted in the
schedule.
The Loan Societies Bill; the Highway Rates Bill; the
Merchant Seamen's Fund Bill; and the Burgesses and
Freemen's Parliamentary Franchise Bill were read a second
time.
The County Courts Further Extension (Compensations)
Bill, and the Advances for Pablic Works, &c., Bill went
trough Coinmittee.
Mr. LABOUCHERE obtained leave to bring in a Bill to
amend the Mercantile Marine Act; and, the other business
upon the paper having been disposed of, the House adjourned
at a Quarter to One o'clock. •

•Y

F~=,

COURT CiRCULAR.

OSBORNE, MONDAY.

The Queen and the. Prince, aocompaniea by his Ma-
jesty the Sing of the Belgians, walked early this morn-
ing in the park and grounds of Osborne.
His Serene Highness thin Prince Augustus of Coburg
arrived at Osborne yesterday.siternoon, on' a visit to her
Illhjes,ty and Prieco'Albort. His Serene Highness left
0814, ine, fo, el'2.retl'ont-, early this Morning." •
heir , Rt,..01
) Ilikline64es tile' Prince of Wales, the
Princess itlyal, and younger branches of the Ro)al
Family, and. the Pi-it:cuss Charlotte of Belgium, walked
and retie as usual.
_

-71114-140-31 d iiighnessea • (be Due de Brabant and
Comte dePatAree, -"attended by Colonel de Moeikerke
and S , crossed to Portsmouth in the
Fairy i o
afternoon,
for the purroae of see-
ing l'orttmouth

Their Royal Highnesses Prince Arthur and the
Princesses Selena and Louisa, left Buckingham P-Aac©
yesterday morning in en open carriage and tour, fur a

drive. ir
ner Royal Highness the Duchess of Kant took a ear-
riage airier yesterday.
The Finance Committee of the Royal Commission for
the Exhibition of the the Works of industry of all Na-
tions, had a meeting yesterday afternotp, at the Exhibi-
tion. There were present Earl Granville (chairman),
Lord ov-el-stone, Sir Al--,:ander Spearman, Mr. Cubitt,
W. T. Field Gibson, Lieutenant-Colonel held, and Mr.
Edgar Bowling (secretary). The meeting broke up at
five o'clock.
The Earl of Duodenalel had an interview with Earl
Grey, 3 esterday. at the Colonial-office.
Sir Robert Ferguson transteted business yesterday
with the Commissioners of Railways, at the Board of
Trade. Mr. Baxter also transacted business with the
Commissioners. _ _ _ _ _

Mr. John Wood, Chairman of the Board of Inland
Revenue, had an interview with the Chancellor of the
Exchequer, yesterday, at his official residence Dawning-
street.