The Sun.
London, England, 1851-01-29 00:00:00

LONDON, WEDNESDAY

rantee that he will put forward no propositions which
may not readily be brought into operation. Ho pos-
sesses too, a happy facility for presenting his views,
in a singularly' clear, and lucid form, so that any
person of ordinary capacity may follow and
clearly understand his meaning, and compare
the existing financial system with that which
he brings forward as its substitution ; or, in
other words " taxation as it i.," with " taxation as it
ought to be." He unravels the various complicated
details with a master-hand, and arranges all in
smooth and perfect order, so that " he who runs may
read."

Mr. MACGREGOR, too, possesses no ordinary
claims on the public attention. He has afforded the
most unequivocal and unanswerable evidence of the
purity and disinterestedness of his motives. He com-
menced his Parliamentary career where that of others
usually terminated. In order to serve his country he
relinguished a distinguished and lucrative situation—
the Secretaryship of the Board of Trade, which would
have satisfied the ambition of moat men and been
considered an ample equivalent for long-continued and
valuable services in the Legislature. But Mr. MAC-
GREGOR unhesitatingly sacrificed place and emolu-
ment when he felt that he could better promote the
national interests in another sphere of action. He
abandoned the Board of Trade that he might become
the member for the city of Glasgow—the commercial
metropolis of his native land; that he might deliver
freely in his place in Parliament, and to the commu-
nity in general, the free and unfettered opinions,
the genuine sentiments of an unplaced and
unpensioned patriot. Such a man is, indeed, worthy
of honour, and he is honoured by all whose respect
and approbation are worth having.
The powerful and convincing document, which
will be found in extenso in another part of this day's
impression, affords the best and most satisfactory
evidence that the general expectation will not be
disappointed this year. The taxation and expendi-
ture of the country are the points to which, as usual,
he chiefly directs his energies. He does not
underrate the importance of the other questions
that must inevitably arise during the forth-
coming session, but he justly considers that
fiscal and financial reforms have paramount claims
upon the attention of those whose exertions are
paralyzed under the extraordinary burdens to which
they are subjected, and he is well aware of the golden
opportunity afforded by the termination of the law
under which the income and property-tax is levied
to let slip the fortunate moment for a general revision
and amelioration of the existing system, by a large
luction in the amount of taxation, and a large
and comprehensive alteration in the mode of col-
lection of the national revenue. Happy, in-
deed, would it be for the nation if Mr.
MACGREGOR'S views should receive an official
imprimatur, and still more fortunate if he himself,
whom we believe to be, longo intervallo, the first living
financier in the United Kingdom, if not in Europe,
should be enabled to deliver these statements as the
annual budget of the Financial Minister of this
mighty empire. Then, indeed, the people would
have real cause for rejoicing—then, indeed, we should
have reason to hope that the taxes which unduly
press on industry would be forthwith repealed,
and that without any considerable addition
to the charges on the fortunate few—the
fruges consumere nati, whose best interests
would be promoted by the change. Every man
would then contribute to the support of the national
establishments and the liquidation of the national lia
bilities, secundem statem et facultates, according to his
means and the position which he occupied in the
social scale.

The
.instructive history of the national debt—the
mode in which it was contracted, and from time to
time increased—is eminently suggestive, and serves as
an excellent preface to his direct propositions. It
shows the imperative necessity of a complete
measure of Parliamentary reform ; for if we
owe the public debt of 800,000,000/. sterling,
requiring the annual payment of 25,000,000/.
sterling for interest, to " a House of Commons not
representing the people, a House corrupted by the
Crown and the Ministers of the day," it is manifest
that, until that house be thoroughly reformed, until
it reflects the popular feelings and popular wishes, we
can scarcely anticipate the removal of all the griev-
ances, the abatement of all the nuisances which
naturally spring from its defective and corrupt or-
ganization. We shall,, however, for the present, fol-
low the example of Mr. MACGREGOR, and not further
allude to this all-important topic, which in due time
will force itself on the consideration of the House and
country.

The economy and retrenchment practicable without
violation of the public faith, or injury to the public
credit, and without the efficiency of the national esta-
blishments being in any degree impaired or deterio-
rated, is first appropriately noticed. The Hon. Gen-
tleman does not name a round sum, taken at hap-
hazard, within which the expenditure must be re-
stricted ; and which, although it may form an excel-
lent mode of embarrassing an opponent, could never
be acted on if the party by whom it was suggested
were required by his SOVEREIGN, with the consent and
approbation of the community, to carry his own designs
into execution. He is, however, well aware that with-
out " a thorough reform of our expenditure" and its re-
duction within the narrowest limits consistent with
honour and safety, it is absurd to call for the abolition
of the taxes which are so loudly and so greatly com-
plained of by the country. There will be a surplus
of from 2,000,0001. to perhaps 2,500,000/., the greater
portion of which will be absorbed by the removal of the
infamous tax on light and air, and the balance may afford
some little relief by being spread over other obnoxious
imposts, such as the charges on knowledge and clean-
liness, kc. ; but to render the aid absolutely required
by the people, the pruning knife must be freely and
unsparingly applied to all useless and unne-
cessary outlay. To use Mr. MAcaaßGoa's
own words, he has " too holy a reverence
for our national credit, and the maintenance of tran-
quillity and order in our houses, streets, highways,
and fields, and peace with all the world," to risk
these inestimable blessings by the abolition of any
tax whatsoever, at the expense of that honour, secu-
rity, and peace. On close examination, however, he
finds that the expenditure which, for the year ending
the sth of January, 1850, reached the enormous sum
of 55,481,658/., may be safely diminished to
49,180,000/., being a saving of 6,301,6581., and he
states the various heads under which these reduc •
tions can be effected, all of which he empha-
tically declares himself able to prove to be
" practicable and equitable." We must, however,
refer our readers to the document itself on these
points. The sale or demising of the Woods and Forests,
the reduction of the army expenditure, and the im-
mediate breaking up of the establishments at Dept-
ford, Chatham, and Pembroke, are particularly worthy
of notice.

With respect to the fiscal changes that would then
be practicable, Mr. MACIREGOR would send all the
assessed taxes (except the unredeemed land-tax) to
the limio to which the window duties are already
consigned. He would also abolish the hop duty, the
paper duty, the railway passengers' tax, the soap duty,
reduce the malt-tax 25 per cent., and modify the
duties on licences, so as to render them more equitable
and less onerous to the payers. The stamp duties he
would also re-arrange, excluding the duties on marine
and fire assurances, and advertisements and news-
papers ; and retaining the'property-tax, he would levy
it according to a graduated scale which would easily
be satisfied, five •and-a- half per cent. being the highest
which he would place on any income.
This admirable project is now fairly before the
people, let it be examined closely in all its details, and
when it is fully understood let the people speak out
boldly and manfully, and demand that attention from
the Legislature to which they are justly entitled, and
which they have the power of enforcing.

MANSLAUGHTER BY A GAMBLER.—The adjourned
inquest on
from John C, w,
LNsVethvi
loirriaedsignesat,ianateteddsaitnotuoliaubrrrgildas t, was killed
eg. It was
appeared
iobnaytkah'erbildeovawyidence that Leveridge, who went by the nickname
of " Lasher," had been considerably irritated against the
deceased, who, he had been told by two lads, had got a
shilling in his pocket, and would not pay. Clark protested
that he had not, and submitted to be searched. Nothing
was found upoa him ; but the lads still persisting that he had
some money, and that they had seen it, Leveridge, in a
great passion, struck Clark as above stated. Both the de-
ceased and "Lasher" were somewhat intoxicated, but knew
what they were doing. Mr. Thomas • Bancks, surgeon,
stated that the blow on the neck had produced congestion of
the brain, and consequent death. Under these circumstances
the jury returned a verdict of manslaughter against Llisha
Leveridge.—Worcester Chronicle.