The Sun.
London, England, 1860-05-25 00:00:00

TILE PAPER DUTIES.

Before the discussion of the Paper Duty dies
away, we are most anxious to impress our readers
with a due sense of the bearings of this question
on the general interest, as setting forth in dis-
agreeable relief the selfish impatience of taxation
by which a Small, active, and clamorous political
sect tend the whole energies to shift the load
of taxation from a legitimate subject to one which
is not legitimate, but which, from the want of as-
sociation amongst its sufferers, has for twenty
years been almost unresistingly imposed—we al-
lude of course to the Income-tax. If our readers
will follow us patiently for a brief space, we shall
be able to show them that the clamour for the re-
peal of the paper duty is one which ought to be
condemned, not merely on the grounds on which
Lord Derby has successfully opposed it, but on
the score of its intense selfishness. And first,
let us recall the sentiment which almost uni-
versally possessed the country when the Treaty of
Commerce with France was first mentioned. Was
it a sentiment of confidence and gratulation ? It
was nothing of the kind. The first attitude of public
opinion was to look with suspicion on a proffer of
friendliness coming to us from a quarter which had
hitherto been noted for the studied contempt with
which upon every occasion it had used the English
alliance for its own selfish ends, and in such a
manner as invariably to lessen us in the eyes of
Europe. But in this country, unless when moved
by a sentiment strong enough to stir the national
instinct to iti lowest depths, people think by their
representatives in the public press. The newspaper
is the wire along which the electric current passes
which reduces all to one mind—as nearly at least
as such a result is possible; It was therefore a
master stroke of policy on the part of Mr. Glad-
stone to get possession of this wire, and he did it
by making the repeal of the paper duty part of his
Budget. From that moment the Budget was safe;
the Treaty was the first instalment of a new and
glorious era ; in a word, whatever belonged to the
financial scheme was right, and was the very best
thing that the wit of man could have devised.
Most of the journals who gave it their adherence
had, in times past, fought against the income tax ;
yet, with the repeal of the paper duty dangled
invitingly before their eyes, they consented that
the income tax should be renewed at tenpence
in the pound in the very year in which it
vas to have disappeared altogether—the same
Chancellor of the Exchequer who had doomed it
to extinction bringing it to life again. None of
the journals saw any harm in this. Like hireling
shepherds they left the flock to the wolf for a little
paltry advantage to themselves ; and if Mr. Glad-
stone had asked for a shilling in the pound by way
of income tax, they would have patted him on the
back and applauded his demand. And what they
did in their leading columns Mr. Bright did in
the House of Commons. He consented to the
income tax for one year more—only for one. One
year would suffice to get rid of the paper duty—
at least so it seemed some weeks ago ; and the
paper duty abolished, the sufferers from the in-
coma tax might fight their own battle next year
with such wordy and windy support as the
we all admit; but it was
honourable member might lend them. The paper
than any other tax is, and
the income tax it shrank into
nidnou t
cymo
mowi
p.
ea
as
rai a s
ognr grievance,wevitahnce
the pettiest dimensions. But the Knowledge Tax
Association gave no heed to these obvious argu-
ments. They had an end to gain, and they would
gain it at all hazards and at any sacrifice. Let the
people pay tenpence in the pound for income tax,
it would be only for one year ; and if it was even
raised to a shilling. next year, why th© heavier it
became the sooner it would be thrown off. At all
events, though the rest of the country might lose,
the Knowledge Tax Association would gain. And
so down with the paper duty, and add a penny or
twopence to the income tax, or whatever you like.
Thus the middle classes were thrown overboard.
But, what was worse, even the working classes
were to be mulcted also. The war duty on their
tea and sugar was to be continued. Mr. Bright
voted for that as well as for the tenpenny income
tax; the Knowledge Tax Association saw no harm
in it : the newspapers which sympathised with the
association thought it was all right. Why ? The
reason is not far to seek. The tax on tea and sugar,
like the tax on income, was to provide Government
with the means of releasing the association and
the struggling newspapers from the paper tax, and
working man if he had a spark of
in his heart could do without his cup of
sptueaart,erloyortidstrinhienk it without sugar, for a year, or two,
or three, in order to subsidise the pining associa-
tion. Was it unreasonable to expect him to do
this ? Was it unpatriotic or inhuman ? Very far
from it. If he suffered a little in his corporal
comforts, what would he not gain in mental delec-
tation ? What a happiness to him when he came
home fagged and weary, after a day's toil, to sit
down toa cup of tea without sugar, and peruse