The Sun.
London, England, 1833-10-08 00:00:00

against them has been, that they are taxes on
one particular species of property, and that they
are unequally levied. The We,tnzinster Review,
in its notice of " Wade's History of the Middle
and Working Classes," says incidentally upon
this subject :

"An ignorant selfishness still predominates to a la-
mentable extent; and the result of it is short-sighted
policy. Some remarkable proofs have been given of this
since the passing of the Reform Bill, among which it is
only necessary to mention the cry for the repeal of the
a.•sessed taxes. This measure, so loudly called for by the
shopkeeper class, and for which the working classes have
been prevailed upon to join in petitioning, has not even
the redeeming merit of affording permanent relief to the
parties who seek it. The relief would be of comparatively
short duration to them ; and other interests and persons
would ultimately reap the advantage. In those trades in
which situation was an object, the landlord would be the
ultimate gainer ; and in those in which situation was not
an object, as expenses would be reduced, prices would als'a
be reduced by competition."

_ .
No doubt, in many cases, the landlord would
be the immediate gainer by the repeal of the
house and window taxes, and, ultimately, per-
haps the only gainer. We verily believe with
the Westminster Reviewer, that it is in " igno-
rant selfishness" that many have petitioned for
their repeal. In ignorance, also, but not in selfish-
ness, for they can for the most part only reap
loss, is the present system of passive resistance
raised by the London tradespeople. We must
deny, however, the conclusion at which the
Reviewer would seem to arrive, that they are fit
►axes to be continued. As direct taxes they
are in principle good, but as partial taxes
they are bad. It is as partial, and, there-
fore, as unjust taxes, that we have con-
tended for their repeal. It is because they
are a part of the system on which the corn law is
established, that their repeal has been urged by
the friends of the people. That some may have
joined in the cry against them, thinking to pocket
the difference between their present household
outgoings, and what they would be minus the
King's taxes, is, we again admit, true ; but that
has nothing to do with the question of the justice
of placing all property on an equal footing.
By this justice Lord ALTHORP should feel
himself bound, no less than by his promise given
last Session. Upon the latter, we feel in-
clined to rely, and would advise the asso-
ciations to rely also. The course to be pursued
by the Government towards them is plain ; it is
one of coercion, for were their plans to succeed,
no taxes whatever could be raised. Our contem-
porary, the Spectator, gives the people the same
warning, with a conditional warning to the Go-
vernment. Last Sunday he says—

" Unquestionably, the proceedings we speak of miy
give the Government some trouble ; hut passive resistance,
in order to be effectual, must be very general ; and we
perceive no ground for believing that tax-payers generally
will unite in this virtual opposition to the law. But then,
the Government must take effectual means fur compelling
payment from the recusants, or the resistance will become
general. It would he quite as unjust in the Executive to
permit the Lambeth grocers to smuggle sugar with im-
punity, to the manifest detriment of their brethren in the
trade residing in other parts of the town, as it would be to
suffer the threatened resistance to the payment of the
Assessed Taxes to become effectual."

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.