The Sun.
London, England, 1860-03-01 00:00:00

MR. GLADSTONE AND THE CLERGY.

(From the Guardian of yesterday.)
We have been favoured with.a copy of the fol-
lowing letter, addressed by the Chancellor of the-
Exchequer to a clergyman in Wales, on the ques-
tion of the Budget

"Downing-street,
-" Rev. Sir;—•l isthtre;otu' Feb.tha 29, 1860.
suffer hardship in regard to rating for the poor.
But I must remind you that a bill was introduced
into Pa'rliament in 1855 or 1856, by Mr. R. Philli-
more, which would have given them considerable
relief; and that the reason of its not proceeding
was that the clergy themselves differed with regard
to the expediency of accepting it.
"With respect to the income, I understand you
to ask that the clergy paying poor rate may be
exempted. Such a proposal would simply produce
a hundred other claims of a similar ,nature, and,
besides being in itself unjust, would break down
the tax, and require the adoption of other and more
costly means of raising a revenue.
"I must remind you that the cause of the in•
come tax is not to be found in the will of a Ministry,
but in the will of the nation, which, a feiv years
ago, was content with an expenditure on supply
services of twenty-one millions, but which now
thinks fit to spend on the same services thirty-six
minions
"There are—two sources to which we may look
for the reduction of the income tax. One of them
is reduction in our expenditure; the other is the
increased productiveness of the indirect taxes. But
in order that this latter source may be fully opened,
it is necessary to repeat from time to time the pro-
cess by which our indirect taxes have been raised
to their present efficacy—I mean the process of
liberating trade and augmenting wages and profits
through judicious diminutions and abolition of
duties on commodities.

"In 1853, when the income tax was renewed for
seven years, Parliament adopted such provisions as
it was thought could be enacted in relief of the
clergy. _

"-That they feel the pressure of the tax I can
well believe; but it is desirable that they should
understand its cause, and I cannot say that I have
observed on their part a general desire to check
expenditure, though undoubtedly no class feel more
severely the pressure of the taxation which it
causes.

" I am sorry it is your opinion that by giving
wine licenses under strict rule and control to eat-
ing-houses and pastrycooks we shall increase' the
temptations to get drunk.' It is, on the contrary,
our firm belief that, if the House of Commons adopt
our proposal, it will be found eminently favourable
to sobriety.—l have the honour to be, &c.,

" W. E. GLADSTONE."

THE D.EFENOELESS STATE OF THE

TILAM_ES.

On Tuesday afternoon a public meeting, con-
vened by advertisement, was held at the London
Tavern, to take into consideration the defenceless
state of the River Thames, and to pass resolutions
thereon. The object of the meeting was to ON hibit
and explain a model of a wrought-iron fortress,
which should he bomb proof, and capable of destroy-
ing a whole fleet if it attempted to pass with hos-
tile intentiolis.

Mr. W. WILLIAMS, M.P. for Lambeth, occupied
the chair, and said they had been called there to
witness a very ingenious invention by Mr. Hall.
They were aware that there had been many millions
of money spent by the Government in improving
the defences of the coast, and as that was the case
he thought no part of the coast required it so much
as that leading to the River Thames. At present
our arsenals, our dockyards, and this vast metro-
lis, whose wealth was incalculable, were entirely at
the mercy of any enemy that choose to come up
the river. If one of these fortresses were placed on
the sands in the river no fleet would be able to pass
;t

Mr. S. GREGSON, M.P., moved :—" That it is the
opinion of this meeting that the approach tso the
Thanterterng in a defenceless condition against
surprise by the naval force of an enemy, and im-
mense material property of the metropolis is there-
fore insecure, that a committee be formed for
the adoption of such measures as may be consi-
dered desirable for the prompt and permanent pro-
tection of the Thames and the port of London."
Mr. HALL, as a merchant of London for the last
forty-five years, said he had always been most
k eenly alive to the necessity for fortifying the mouth
of the Thames, and having given thirty years' con-
sideration to the subject, he had invented the for-
tress, the model of which was before them. The
outer shell was made of wrought iron blocks of two
feet in thickness, which would be placed together
and joined by running hot metal into interstices
made for the purpose, thus forming a compact and
solid mass of iron. They could be built for about
£300,000 each, and had accommodation in thexl
for men and stores to an immense extent. Wht n
the Minister clearly told them that there was dan-
ger to the royal dockyards and arsenal, and that it
was possible for an enemy to come up the river, it
was time that their docks and other property should
be protected. They had a right to call on the Govern-
ment to protect them from the danger, and if it did
not, it ought to give them the power to do it, and to
levy a rate or tolls for the purpose of defraying the
expenses: It had been stated that it was possible
for a single ship to run up the Thames and bombard
London, and that ought not to be allowed. One of
these fortresses placed on the sands at the Nore
would protect the Medway and the Thames, but he
should like to see one also on the Maplin, and
another on the Goodwin Sands.

Mr. BUSH, an engineer, then explained the nature
of the model and plans laid before the meeting, and
from his description the following account may
convey an idea of the proposed fortress :—lt is a
conical shaped building, and is intended to be sunk
any depth that may be necessary to obtain a solid
foundation. The walls consist of solid blocks of
wrought iron, two feet thick, placed one up on
another, with grooves running round them, into
which molten iron is poured to fasten them together.
It is proposed that it shall rise about 120 feet out
of the water, and shall have a light-house and
observatory on the top. It is to consist of eight
floors above high-water mark, and three below.
The powder magazine, which is below low-water
mark, is the lowest chamber, the next contains shot
and shell, and the next stores. The first gun floor,
which is to be 14 feet above the water, is to con-
tain 13 guns ; the second 7 guns, and an engine-
room ; and all the rest 12 guns each. From the
bottom of the fortress to the top would run a shaft
20 feet in diameter, communieating with every
floor, which would answer for ventilation and other
purposes. The two top floors would serve for mess
rooms and other conveniences for the men. Running
up the shaft are hot-water pipes, for the purpose
of heating the fortress in cold weather ; but they
are also fitted with an apparatus that, in case an
enemy attempted to get in at the port-holes, they
could turn a stream of hot water upon them, and
effectually repel the intruders.
The resolution was then put and carried, with
one dissentient.

The CHAIRMAN and Mr. HALL requested the
gentleman to state his reasons for disagreeing to
the resolution.

Mr. A. M`NAGHTEN DICKEY said when he en-
tered the room it was not his intention to speak,
but as he had been pressed for his reasons he would
give them. These fortresses would be something,
like the fortifications of Paris, made at a vast ex-
pense, not to protect it against an enemy, but
against the people themselves. He objected to the
proposal, because he feared it would be turned against
the people of London, as it would enable the holders
of the fortresses to cut off the supply of provisions
whenever they thought proper, and thus starve the
people of this city. He considered the proposal
utterly vain and uncalled for, and in that opinion
he was strengthened by seeing so small a meeting,
and none of the leading men of the City there to
support it. If London was surrounded by an army,
as it could easily be, these fortresses could stop sup-
plies coming from that quarter, and the result would
be that in a fortnight they would starve three
millions of people.
The CHAIRMAN said there was no fear of London
being surrounded by soldiers so long as the people
had their representatives in Parliament.
Mr. FENNINGS then moved—" That the repre-
sentatives in Parliament for the metropolitan
counties and boroughs, with gentlemen deputed by
the banking, dock, insurance, shipping, corporate,
mercantile, and trading interests, be invited to co-
operate in the deliberations and proceedings of the
committee, and that a subscription be opened for
defraying the inevitable expenses incident to so
important a national undertaking."
Mr. Webber seconded the motion • which was
supported by Mr. Topham and several other gen-
tletnen and carried.

A vote of thanks to the chairman terminated the
proceedingF,