The Sun.
London, England, 1851-03-03 00:00:00

Lord STANLEY also distinctly and positively
declared that he did not participate in the opinion
of the agriculturists, who so loudly clamoured
for an appeal to the country as the mode
whereby the reins of government might be trans-
ferred from the hands of the late Ministers to their
own party. On the contrary, he announced that
" from the state of public business it was not possible,
nor would he venture to advise her MAJESTY, to
have recourse to a dissolutio❑ of Parliament."
Even that desperate expedient would, if resorted to,
have proved a total failure. We are too well ac-
quainted with the state of public opinion to suppose
for a moment that the community in ge-
neral, or even the present limited con-
stituencies, would assent to the re-imposition
of a bread tax when the elections of their represents,-
tives were placed on such an issue. The exposition
of the Noble Lord's views and opinions on the fiscal,
agricultural, and Papal aggression questions were
hardly required, although we are happy to receive
such authentic evidence to show how completely the
" bucolics" reckoned without their host in what they
require. The nation does not desire the abolition
of the property-tax. On the contrary, it is by
far the fairest and most judicious mode of
collecting the national revenues, provided it be asses-
sed on fair and equitable principles. It is the mon-
strous injustice perpetrated under its provisions—the
absurdity of charging equally all species of incomes,
no matter from what sources they may be derived,
whether from the precarious earnings of mental or
bodily labour, or dividends from the Three per Cents.,
or well secured ground rents, that is the grievance
that is so deeply felt, and so loudly complained of ;
and no man, or body of men, will merit the public
confidence, or receive the public support, who will
not be prepared to legislate on this important subject
in an enlightened and comprehensive spirit. Any-
thing in the shape of a bread tax will at all times
be resisted to the utmost extremity, although
brought forward under the specious pretext
of being imposed solely fur purposes of re-
venue. The people are not to be quite
so easily taken in ; they are but too well aware
that under such a system ten pounds would be ex-
tracted from their pockets for every one that was
returned to the Exchequer, the other nine being a
tribute paid to the territorial aristocracy fur their ex-
clurive use and benefit. The five-shilling fixed duty
will not, therefore, hook the Free-traders, although
baited with the total abolition of the property and in-
come-tax, a matter which, as we have already
said, is neither required or desired by the great body
of the people.
As the Ecclesiastical Titles Bill is the sole
question of difference between the Peelites and the
Whigs, and as that will, we trust, speedily be set at
rest, there will be nothing then to prevent the
formation of a really efficient and powerful Govern-
ment. The important financial questions cannot,
however, be dealt with properly by a Ministry of
transition. It would be far better that matters
should remain in statu quo, than that " any portion
of the precious Budget" should be carried ; better the
window-tax, with all its enormities, for another year,

- ,
and then its total abolition, than the absurd compro-
mise offered by Sir CHARLES WOOD, which would

perpetuate the evil. The entire fiscal, financial, and
monetary systems of the country require revision ;
the subjects are closely connected, and might be in-
quired into simultaneously, viz., the amount ne-
cessary to be raised for the liquidation
of the national liabilities, and the maintenance of the
national establishments—the sources from which
these funds are to be obtained, and the medium

in
Let full
which they are to be paid. Of these
necessary investigationyw far
the last point is b
inquiry then take place, and pending that
the most important.
be only charged
income.tax for a
single P e are willing to renew the
A moietyyear, provided Schedules D
and E
like during
the with one-half the amount now
levied.
oftlitehe
incomeytear
window duties might also
siTd remitted
ue, of transition, the re-
for twelve months. ax, being only granted
If the people had well-
grounded expectations of ' relief at the end of
that period we believe that they would
be contented, with that moderate relief during the
interval. We throw out this suggestion as a mode
by which Lord Joins Ilusszra. may overcome the
difficulties in which he has been •
involved by the
" financial crotchets" of his colleague; and as he
has failed in obtaining the co-operation of the
Peelites, why may he not look in the other direction,
and seek aid from the Liberal ranks ? If he look for

properly in that quarter, he may obtain valuable

and their appearance would seem to indicate that the
vstlit
political atinospher w- ally
All that is k present is 111941.L0rd JOHN
is actively engaged in reconstructing his Go-
vernment. Among the quidnuncs there are
various surmises as to how it will be com-
posed, and as to the manner in which his
Lordship will so arrange, or modify his policy, as to
secure a decent working majority, that will enable
him to hold office during the remainder of the session.

Nothing definite is yet known with respect to the
Ministerial arrangements. The Duke of WELLINGTON,
who arrived from Strathfieldsaye on Saturday, was
immediately admitted to a prolonged audience of her
MAJESTY. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE was then
sent for, and remained more than au hour in atten-
dance on his SOVEREIGN, and at a late hour in the
evening had a long consultation with Lord JOHN
RUSSELL. On the following (yesterday) morning
the Noble Marquis again visited Buckingham Palace,
then waited on the ex-Premier at his private resi-
dence, who at a later period of the day had an inter.
view with the QUEEN, having in the interval commu-
nicated with two of his late colleagues, Sir CHARLES
WOOD and Sir GEORGE GREY. It is, then, more than
probable that, as we have already stated, a
Ministry of transition may be patched up under the
presidency of the ex-First Lord of the Treasury
comprising a great number of the quondam Ministry.
Some alterations there must be, for the country will
never again tolerate Sir CHARLis WOOD as its
Minister of Finance. The " BEICIE•DIMIT BUDGET"
of 1850 and the "PRECIOUS BUDGET" of 1851 re-
main too glaring monuments of his presumption and
incapacity to render it possible that the overburdened
taxpayers should consent to be again made the victims
of ignorance and imbecility in that most important
branch of the public service, on the proper regulation
of which the welfare and prosperity of the nation
mainly depend. There must, then, be a new Chan.
cellor of the Exchequer, and if that should render ne-
cessary a new Secretary for the Colonies, we must
submit to the loss with patient resignation.
We have, however, learnt some satisfactory truths
during the recent revelations. We now know that
there is no possibility of a Protectionist Government.
The recognized leader of the party has given a me-
lancholy account of his followers. According to his
statement, there were among the party with whom
he was immediately and politically connected "few,
f any, men possessed of sufficient experience, or habits
of public business," and even these few were not
willing to take upon themselves the cares of office,
" The pressure of domestic concerns," or undue dif-
fidence, induced three or four leading individuals who
were applied to, to express " an unwillingness to join
in an Administration." The indignant chief then
relinquished the task in disgust, convinced that,
even if he had the rank and file, he
could not properly officer his troops. He
could scarcely hope to carry on a Govern-
ment, even if his most sanguine hopes were
realized, and that a fair working majority of Protec-
tionists were returned to the popular branch of the
Legislature. How utterly impracticable, then, would
be the attempt in the face of a hostile majority of at
least forty or fifty !—for be it remembered that such
a Government introducing even more stringent
measures against the Papal aggression than that
which provoked the animosity of the Irish Roman
Catholic Members could no longer rely on the pre-
carious support that would be obtained from the,dis.
contented gentlemen who went into the same lobby
with Mr. DISRAELI, not for the purpose of ignoring
the doctines of free trade, but of damaging tho
Ministry. They were, in fact, to use the Noble
Lord's own words, "ready to combine (i. e., with
the Protectionists) for the purposes of opposition,
though unable to act with them for the purposes of
Government."