The Sun.
London, England, 1833-04-25 00:00:00

LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, APRIL 2.5, 1833.

hustings, to propose the first resolution at a meeting
which, he must say, was most appropriately called ; for if
it had been called earlier, it would have been denominated
a mark of impatience on the part of the people, to ask for
a repeal of the obnoxious window tax —or any other tax—
before the Chancellor of the Exchequer had opened his
budget, and shown, at the head of a reformed Parliament,
the blessings he had in store for the people of England.__
(Loud shouts of laughter.) It was now, he said, for the
people of England to say aye or no—were they satisfied or
not with the Budget of the Crown?—(Loud cries of
" No, no.") The meeting was sufficiently conversant
with the affair, and might have reasonably expected a
greater relief, even if the Chancellor of the Exchequer had
had no other materials. On the Chancellor's account •
appeared a balance of a million and a half. Taking
the half million to meet contingencies, he had the
million to dispose of in relieving the hunery and the
distressed ; and how did he do it ? To the corn-
merci il part of the House be offered the boon of a
reduction of the duty on sea insurances; then, that he
might win praises from the house-tops—(Cheers, and
laughter)—he took off the duty on mud—the. duty on
tiles.—(Laughter.) And how did he meet the more
numerous portion of society—such men as were now
assembled there? Why, by permitting a shop window to
pass for 5 instead of 3, and giving up the duty on windows
that give light to show-rooms.—(Hear, hear.) This was
not the way even to apply the million—for it would have
been a definitive—a positive relief—if that million had
been applied to one, ur at most to two objects of reduc-
tion.—(Hear, hear.) Those who differed with Ministers
we-e now called spoliators, and asked if they wished to
avoid paying 20.. in the pound ? They answered no ; if
the assets of the country would enable them to pay more
than even nineteen shillings and eleven pence in the pound.
He would now look at the 17 or 18 millions which consti-
tuted the annual expenditure of the country, and he
would ask whether it was possible with the most tenacious
anxiety, to maintain the strength and character of the
nation, for the people to have such a burden on them-
selves, for the purpose of allowing such an immense ex-
penditure. But then, they were told they must make the
best of a bad constitution. That was not his opinion—
it was not the opinion of the meeting--(" No, no ")—it
was not the opinion of any min who had given
his attention to the subject. Between six and seven
millions were voted to the navy, and nearly two
millions to the army—and were all these establishments to
be kept up in peace? And then again be believed there
was about two millions, but that was termed " miscel-
laneous items."—(A laugh.) If they were that rebellious
community as only to be kept in order by the control
of 100,000 men, what were they different from their
forefathers? Why, in the year 1792, or 1793, the
Ministers of that time (llr. Pitt being at the head of
them) were content with an army, and with a navy, and
with an ordn ince, the total expense of which did not
amount to what was now applicable to one division of
the systern.—(Cheers.) But it was not sufficient that
they should merely th sire the extinction of such a force
—they must insist on it. Let them have a nation of
armed citizens. Let every man's cottage be his castle,
and every peasant in it a defile ; and where then would
be the power of confederated tyrants that could shake
England's quietude. Of the navy he would not say so
much, because it was the bulwark and strength of her
position. Let her shores be guarded by those floating
re,timuniea of strength which had hitherto carried off
triumph on every shore and swept every sea. He would
not therefore enter into that question. Let them keep a
navy that would sustain the rights of the nation. He
would now come to the miscellaneous items, and, without
going into detail, for it would not only exhaust the little
strength he bad, but exhaust their patience, and prevent
their hearing the distinguished patriots who were then be-
hind him, state that last evening he gave a notice
of motion in the House of Commons, and emphatically
told the Members present that it was to come on
on the 22d of May, the object of which was to
call on every pensioner, man, woman, and child, whose
names appeared on the pension list of England, Scotland,
and Ireland, to make a return to the House of the consi-
deration given, or the services rendered.—(Loud cheers.)
He did not wish it for a moment to be supposed that he
thought that list of illustrious females, who figured away
and adorned those lists, could not give the most substantial
reason—(Loud laughter)—tor their being there. At
all events they would not be unprotected--
an army of gallant men would spring up and throw
around them the shield of their protection._
(Continued laughter.) Why did he allude to these per-
sons ? For the purpose of introducing this position, in
which he was sure they would all concur, that while, as
Englishmen, all were prepared to deal liberally
with every person that bad rendered, or was rem
dering services to the community, they were re-
solved as men living by their industry and labour
and some of them had little else to rely upon) they were
resolved not to contribute to the support of luxurious la-
ziness --(Loud cheers.) The whole of the expenditure
embraced in the two millions must undergo the severest
. .

scrutiny ; it was not only idle as to it. effect, but it was
insulting in its feeling.—(Cheers; during which Sir F.
Burdett entered the room, and proceeded towards the
hustings.) He was received with such a shout, com-
posed of hisses, groans, and cheers, together with a loud
flourish of trumpets, that defies all description. The
Hon. Baronet then took the chair, which Mr. Alderman
Wood vacated ; immediately after which the groans and
hisses were, it possible, louder, and various were the cries
of " Ah, Old Glory," " Turn him out of the chair,"
" Alderman Wood, chairman," &c., and much confusion.
At length silence was obtaii.ed, and Mr. Harvey pro-
ceeded. He said, that in the item of two millions for
miscellaneous expenses, there were naany items which
ought to be excluded, and others which should be greatly
reduced—(Cheers)—for there was something contemptible
in that miserable thing which had been boasted of in the
budget, relative to the inferior clerks; they boasted of
cutting off whole armies of that species of dependants,
and allowing all the sinecurists and pensioners to remain.
—(Cheers.) He would contend that the salary of every
officer of state, from the King on the throne, as stated by
Mr. Attwood the other day, to the door-keeper of the
House of Commons, must not only undergo revision
but a substantial and searching reduction.—(Loud cheers.)
The people of England demanded it—it was the public
will, and that being the voice of the nation, it must pre-
vail.—(Loud cheers.) If that was not done, whatever
might be the consequences, he would not contribute one
farthing to the support of the state.—(Loud cheers ) He
would now read the resolution, the tendency and framing

of which he was ignorant of until be entered the room,
but these were not the times to be fastidious, and to cavil
about words.—(Cheers.) When men felt strongly, they
spoke strongly, and it was for those who preferred to be
ct itics rather than reformers, to pursue a different course.
—(Applause.) The lion. Member then read the follow-
ing resolution :
" 1. That it is with feelings of the utmost disappoint-
ment and regret, this meeting has heard that it is not the
intention of the Chancellor of the Exchequer to propose
the repeal of those oppressive, obnoxious, and unfairly
levied burdens, the Taxes on Houses and Windows ; but
that his Lordship has merely proposed a remission, so par-
tial and so limited in its nature, that in the opinion of this
meeting will afford no relief, but will tend to perpetuate a
tyrannical and undefined system of annual valuation, which
may lead to the afflicting circumstance of resistince to the
assessors and collectors for the Crown, altog ther repug-
. naut to the natural disposition and feelings of the English
people."
He would feel a waste of time to enter into details to
show the urn ival application of ihese taxes, fit a public
meeting was not a place far figures. They all knew of
what they complained, and they were determined to make
that complaint. They would, no doubt, be met by the
Chancellor of the Exchequer, saying, " We have only a
million and a half to deal with, and you prep se a reduc-
tion of two millions and a half, which %Tonid make the
Government a defaulter of a million." His answer would
be, " You always go without remorse to the pi ople's pock-
ets; you are full of contrivances, and if you don't know
how to make up the defiMency, it is your concern, and
not ours."—(Laughter and cheers.) It may again be said,
"If you wisn to reduce two anti a half millions, these
ire not the proper items ;" but he would reply, " We
want but a beeinning, and we think two and a halt millions
a very fair. b-ginning."—(Cheers.) He knew that, with-
out impairing the institutions or the public faith of this
country, the Chancellor of the Exchequer could reduce
the expenditure by five millions.—(lf Mr. Pitt, when
Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1793, could manage the
affairs of this country in all its details with less than six
millions, it was not too much to suppose that the present
Government, with but a little stretch of economy, could