The Sun.
London, England, 1833-05-03 00:00:00

HOUSE AND WINDOW TAXES,

At seven o'clock last night, an extraordinary meeting of
the delegates appointed by the united parishes of Westmin-
ster, for the purpose of obtaining the immediate repeal of
the assessed taxes, took place at the British Hotel, Cocks
spur-street, to consider the course which, under the pecu-
liar circumstances in which their representatives had
placed them, they should adopt.
The attendance was very numerous ; of the 81 delegates
nearly three-fourths were present, and there were besides
about 100 strangers. The latter were not allowed to take
any part in the business of the evening.
The chair was taken by Mr. CORDER, who announced
that the first business for their consideration was the
conduct of a portion of the public meeting, held en
Thursday last, at the Crown and Anchor, Strand,
towards the Chairman, Sir Francis Burdett, and to express
their opinion thereon, pursuant to a requisition prepared
for that purpose.
Mr. J. GREEN, after commenting in terms of strong
indignation upon the treatment of the Hon. Baronet at
the meeting in question, moved the following resolution :
" That the members of this committee having witnessed with
regret the tumultuous proceedings of the public meeting as-
sembled at the Crown and Anchor Tavern, on Thursday, the
"sth of April, consider it due to their own character to mark
with disapprobation the insult, however it may have originated,
which was offered to the chairman, Sir Francis Burdett, on
that occasion."
Mr. Ilitowx seconded the motion.
Mr. Wyr,o moved the following amendment :--
" That while we entirely disavow any participation in the
spirit manifested by many on the occasion of the public meet.
ing, this committee cannot but at the same time express the
conviction that the unavoidable delay in taking the chair con-
tributed very much to promote the disaffection of the meeting."
Mr. DAVENPORT seconded the amendment.
Mr. GREEN said, the amendment so completely hit his
views that be would withdraw his motion in its favour.
The amendment was then put by the CHAIRMAN, and
agreed to unanimously.
The CHAIRMAN said, the next motion on the order list
was that to be proposed by Mr. Ch .rlwood, calling upon
Sir Francis Burdett to resign his seat, and before this was
submitted, he would throw out for their consideration how
far they, as a delegation appointed for a specific purpose,
had a right to entertain such a question.
Er. CHARLWOOD considered that be was perfectly in
order. Sir F. Burdett had not only shrunk from his duty,
but had participated in the shameless attack made on their
pockets. He should persist in his motion, which was,
" that Sir F. Burdett, by his vote in the House of Corn.-
mons, on Tuesday the 30th of April last, in opposition to
the expressed wishes of his constituents, and in violation

of his own promise to support the motion for the repeal of
the house and window taxes, has forfeited all claim to our
confi-fence, and that a requisition from this meeting be
addressed to him to resign his seat as representative for West-
minster, for such violation of his promise and his duty."
Mr. CORDELL did not consider the proposed resolution
within the province of the meeting. The proper course
would be to convene a general meeting of the electors of
Westminster for them to determine the question.
Mr. Parr concurred in this view of the matter, and
would move that the votes of the delegates be taken, as to
whether they had the power of entertaining the question.
Mr. WYLD seconded this motion.
After some further discussion the question was put,
when there appeared—
Against entertaining the question
For entertaining the question
Majority —2•2

The motion of Mr. CHARLWOOD was consequently lost,
but that gentleman announced his intention of re-submit-
ting it in another form as soon as the other fixed business
of the evening would permit.
Mr. MORTIMEa moved next the following resolution :
" That the inhabitants of the metropolitan districts of the
towns and cities throughout England and Wales have indulged
a hope, that a reformed Parliament and a reform Administra-
tion would relieve them from the odious, oppressive, and cruel
imposts, the house and window taxes ; but they now feel they
have been deceived and betrayed by many of those upon whom
they had relied, and that the expectations they have so fondly
formed are proved to be without foundation."
Mr. WYLD seconded the motion.

Mr. GREEN moved, as a❑ amendment, that the para-
graph containing the words " betrayed and deceived" be
omitted. The circumstances unr'er which the late vote
had been come to were very peculiar, and great allowances
ought to be made.—(Partial biasing from some of the
strangers present.)

Mr. PouNcEv perfectly agreed with the last speaker,
and could not but express his surprise at the unmannerly
way in which certain persons, who were present only by
courtesy, had conveyed their sentiments.

Mr. EWLEa thought they were only following the ad-
vice of Sir Joh❑ Cam Hold-louse i❑ using strong language,
fur he had told them when the Reform Bill was in ques-
tion, that if they did not agitate, as far as the law would
allow, it would never be carried.

Mr. GREEN had no objection to strong language if not
persona_ly offen.ive.

Mr. BitowN had no idea of fastidiousness in language
towards persons who had grossly in►ulted them. How-
ever high the station, and however valuable the former
services of the Hon. Baronet might be (for he did not
mean to disparage what he had done), yet what he had
lately done could not be excustd. He might perhaps ob-
ject to the word " betray," but the word " deceive " was
most fully justified.

Mr. CIiARLwOOD would persist in denouncing the
ilironet as a traitor to the cause, and would say so to his
face. It was not such a man, or one like his late col-
league, they ought to fear to offend.

Mr. CORDELL thought they had strong grounds for
complaining. One of their representatives had deserted
them at the critical moment, and the other had voted
against them. They ought not to place all the blame on
their present representative, for his late colleague, who
had put Westminster to the inconvenience of a new elec-
tion, ought to come in for his share.
Mr. Ancoci.: sew Sir John Cam Hobhouse as late as
half-past ten o'clock on Monday night, in the House of
Commons, on the subject of presenting two petitions that
right against the assessed taxes, and promised he would
stop till the house broke up rather than not present them.
A few minutes after he met Sir Francis Burdett in the
lobby, and he promised to stop and support the petitions.
Sir John kept his word, for he stopped in the House till
four o'clock in the morning, in order to have an oppor-
tunity for so doing ; but he did not find from the news-
papers that Sir Francis remained to support him. He
considered this a betrayal of the trust reposed.
Some other gentlemen spoke, after which the question
was put, when there appeared for omitting the words
" betrayed and deceived" nine, and for their retention
about forty ; but the precise number we cannot give, as
the chairman pronounced his decision before it was possible
to count it.

" Mr. ADDISON then moved, and Mr. HAyEs seconded,
the following resolution:—
" That whilst this meeting feels that no effort should be
left unmade to obtain the total repeal of both these taxes, yet,
under present circumstances, it is of opinion that it would be
advisable during the present session of Parliament to press the
house tax alone upon the consideration of the House of Com-
mons ; and it hereby recommends all parties upon whom that
unfairly levied tax so oppressively bears, to lose no time in
petitioning for its immediate repeal."

11Ir. CuAttr.wouu had only to say to the gentlemen
present, " Put your hands upon your pockets.'
Mr. ➢lounmEß wished to asked if a deputation of three
had not been appointed to wait on Sir John Key, and re-
quest he would make a motion for the repeal of the house
tax only ?

The CIIAIRUAN said it was perfectly true such was
the case : but since their appointment, after the loss of the
motion on Tuesday night, although they had called at the
worthy Bironet's residence several times, they had not
been able to meet with him.

Mr. MORTIMER-Then 1 am to understand that it is
Perfectly in the power of a Member to raise this as a dis-
tinct question ?

CHAIRMA N—Undoubtedly.
This, and several other resolutions referring to the same
subject, but of subordinate importance, having afterwards
b,:en disposed of,
Mr. CH am,woort rose, and renewed the question which
hid previously provoked so init;di discussion by making
the following motion :

“That it is the opinion of this meeting, that Sir F. Bur-
dett, in having voted against the motion of Sir John Key for
the repeal of the house and window taxes, expressly in viola-
tion of his promise to support that motion, and of the instruc-
tions of his constituents, has forfeited his claim to our confi-
dence as a representative of Westminster.”
Au amendment was moved by Mr. Bnows, that the
motion could not be entertained consistsnly with the rules
framed for regulating their proceedings, and much discus.
sion followed on the question.
Upon its being at last put to the vote, there appeared—
For the amendment
For the original motion l3
Majority
The result was hailed with considerable cheers from the
strangers present.

_ -
Some other topics of a lesser interest were afterwards
discussed, and the meeting did not separate till midnight.

COURT OF KING'S BENCH, MAr 2.

THE KING V. HARRIS.

This was a criminal information ....... Samuel Harris,
a Magistrate of the county of Pembroke, for having vexa-
tiously and on insufficient grounds committed David
Harris, on the charge of poaching, and for having, in de-
fault of bail, committed the said David Harris to the county
gaol at Haverfordwest, from which place he was subse-
quently released, there being no indictment preferred
against him. This conduct on the part of the defendant
was said to have arisen from his entertaining a resentment
against the prosecutor for having voted, at the previous
Pembroke election, against the candidate (Mr. Greville)
for whom the
.defendant was interested, he having sup-
ported Sir John Owen. The Jury had found him guilty,
but judgment had been deferred in consequence of his ill
health, and upon affidavit the Court consented to give
judgment in his absence.

Mr. Justice LITTLEDALE said, that in consequence of
the great age and many infirmities of the defendant, the
Court would not award the punishment of imprisonment,
but would fine him a higher sum. The judgment of the
Court was that the defendant should pay a fine of 5001.
to the King.