The Sun.
London, England, 1832-11-01 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

The Reformers of Lincolnshire seem to be going
on admirably, in spi'e of Lord Brownlow. At a
Reform Festival, at Market Rasen, on Thorschy
last, at which Mr. Heneage, Member for Lincoln,
was in the chair, supported by the Right Hon. C.
Tennyson, M.P., Sir W. Ingilby, M.P., and a
number of other influential gentlemen of the neigh-
bourhood, it was stated by Mr. Heneage that " the
prospects were every day breaking on them that the
reign of Toryism was at an end ; already one of its
strongest holds, the South of Lincolnshire, studded
with the seats of Tory Aristocrats, had struck its
Conservative colours, and the Reformers were every
day gaining victories." Sir William Ingilby, whose
speeches all through have been of that hearty
character which cannot fail to go at once to the
hearts of the yeomanry, after exposing some misap-
plications of public money to Noble paupers, ob-
served :
" Gentlemen, the abuses of the state are dreadful ; the
taxes are enormous ; in the comparatively short period of 100
years your national debt has increased from 16,000,0001. to
811,000,0001.—(Loud cries of " Hear, hear.") And it will so go
on increasing, if you have not an actual instead of what is
falsely termed a virtual representation.—(Cheers.) But,
Gentlemen, how can we get an actual representation ? I will
tell you, by the Ballot—(Loud cheers)—and by the Ballot
alone. At present the system is imperfect, and I believe the
Noble Earl, yclept the Lord Lieutenant of this county, has
done more for that than I could do if I were to speak for seven
years.—(Hear, hear.) But who is Lord Brownlow that he is
to say to his tenants, I will not allow you to have any will of
your own ? you shall not vote for Conjuror Ingilby— (Laughter)
—and his curmudgeon crew—(Shouts of laughter)—as a Tory
London Paper styles us : no, you shall not, and depend upon
it that Sir Robert Sheffield and his party will cultivate your
good will. Will they 2—not a bit of it.—(Hear, hear.)"
That Sir William Ingilby, speaking, as he does,
in this hearty manner, should be obnoxious to Con-
servatives, is natural enough. But there are men
who do not like the reputation of Conservatives,
and yet do all they can ►.o forward the views of the
Conservatives. Any man who fights the Conser-
vatives in good earnest, that man they select for the
object of their attack. Mr. Hume has been more
instrumental than any one man in the House of
Commons, ten times over, in producing in the public
mind, by his continued exposure of the corrupt ma•
chinery of the Government, the conviction that
without Reform good government was impossible;
and the conviction, once produced, Reform became
inevitable. Mr. Hume is therefore more obnoxious
than any living man to the Conservatives. A task
more grateful to the Conservatives cannot therefore
be undertaken than to attack Mr. Hume. This
Lord Henley knows; and, under the mask of Re-
former, attempts that which a Conservative durst
not, without danger of being deemed insane, attempt
for a moment. This mean attempt to please the
Conservatives, by striking at the men who are most
obnoxious to them, while a regard is all the while
affected for the cause of Reform, has also been prac-
tise lin Lincolnshire. The following letter was at
the meeting received from Ayscoughe Boucherctt,

" Sir,—l had last night the honour of receiving a notice
loom the friends of Reform who propose dining at Market
Rasen, on Thursday next, inviting me to join their party,
signed by yourself as Secretary. I beg you will express my
best thanks for the kind invitation, which, however, I feel my-
self compelled to decline on the ground that I intend to avoid
doing any thing which may be construed into a desire to pro-
mote the recent opinions and political aspirations of Sir Wm.
Ingilby, M.P., and the Right Hon. Charles Tennyson, M.P.,
whose names I see at the head of the list of gentlemen invited.
At the same time I beg that you will let it be understood that
I will yield to neither of those gentlemen in a sincere desire to
see every abuse which may exist in Church and State speedily
and efficiently redressed, and I have the honour to be, &c.

" AYSCOUGHE BOUCHERETT."

We have but one word for all such Reformtis. He
who wishes the end must wish the means. When
a man, calling himself a Reformer, avails himself of
Reform to do more harm to its advocates than if be
were an Anti-Reformer, he should be deemed by
all true Reformers, ten times worse than an Anti.
Refcrmer. He is an enemy fighting under false
colours, to produce confusion in' the ranks of those
whose colours he espouses. Mr. Boncherett singles
out Sir Wm. Ingilbf,:because the, ainhitkon of the
Tories is confined M one Member, 'and they hate
Sir Wm. Ingilby most. . . .

_ _ ^
" I know not (said Mr. Tennyson, with much truth) why
Mr. Boucherett should takz Mr. Pelham so cordially under his
protection, while Sir WWl4th Ingilby.is so violently repudiated.
Mr. Pelham would administrera-thorough reform of the Church
—he would abolish Slavery, and reduce those taxes which
press upon the comforts and industry of the people. I know
not what his opinions may be as to repealing all taxes affecting
the diffusion of knowledge—as to a scot and lot suffrage—or
triennial Parliaments. The ballot is the only point of any
importance on which Mr. Pelham has stated his difference
from Sir William Itlgilby ; and it is, I apprehend, on account
of our decision in favour of the ballot, that we are now de-
nounced by Mr. Boucherett as two political heretics--
(Laughter)—but, instead of excommunicating us as heretics
ought to be, with the genuine spirit of a martyr, he applies
that punishment to himself, and deprives himself of a gOod
dinner and the gratification of meeting this agreeable company.
—(Laughter and cheers.)" . .

311. Boucherett knows that, without the ballet,
there cannot be an independent franchise ; and being
an anti-Reformer in his heart, he hates, naturally
enough, those who want what is necessary to carry
Reform into effect.—Morning Chronicle.
A deputation of the parishioners of St. Paul's,
Covent-garden, had, yesterday afternoon, an inter-
view with Lord Althorp, by appointment, at the
Treasury, where also attended the two Members for
Wesrminster, and Mr. Milford, the Chairman of
the Board of Taxes. The memorial of the inha-
bitants was read to Lord Althorp. It stated, that
in consequence of the great depreciation of property
in the parish, the local assessors, consisting of a
Committee appointed by the parish, had lowered
the rates very considerably, and had made their re-
turns of the new adjustment to the King's surveyor,
who, however, had thought fit to disapprove of it,
and had made a surcharge, which brought the taxes
back to the old amount. A fact strongly illustrative
of the depreciation was mentioned by one of the gen-
tlemen of the deputation, namely that the Duke of
Bedford, who was proprietor of the greater part of
the parish, had lowered his rents 30 per cent. Lord
Althorp at once admitted the great inequality in the
assessments throughout the country, but feared the
Government could grant no relief; and Mr. 31itford,
the Chairman of the Board of Taxes, stated, that
as the law at present stood, no relief could be af-
forded. Lord Althorp, however, observed, that the
inequality which prevailed was objectionable, and
that the system ought to be placed upon a much
broader scale. The parishioners might rely OH the
subject being very seriously considered by his Ma-
jesty's Government. A gentleman of the deputa-
tion then communicated the determination of the
parishioners not to pay the house-tax until a deci-
sive answer was given to their memorial. There is,
it would appear, from what fell from Mr. Yockney,
a difficulty in the way of relief, as the law stands.
The assessment is determined by the rent in the
lease, and as most of the leases were taken at a time
when trade was more prosperous, and rents higher,a
remedy cannot be expected by law till the expira-
tion of the leases. But this shows the necessity of
altering the law to place it in accordance with equity.
It the assessed taxes must be maintained, the prin-
ciple of the assessment should be fair, and that prit,-
ciple should he fairly acted on. Now, as was well
observed by one of the parishioners, what fairness is
there in assessing gentlemen's mansions worth three,
four, and 500/. a-year, at 40/., while the average of the
houses in Covent-garden parish was 751.? Here, if the
Government must have a particular sum, is an avail-
able fund whence compensation may be obtained,
The poor tradesman is entitled to relief from the
rich Noble. Public opinion must be brought to
bear on the subject. It is clear that the Nobility
and Gentry are in a conspiracy with surveyors and
assessors throughout the country, to throw this op-
pressive tax altogether on the middle and lower
classes. Let Local Committees be extensively
formed—let the inequalities of the assessments be
pointed. out— and the names of the partial surveyors
and assessors given. Hitherto, in this country, the
great dread of men, in the condition of surveyors
and assessors, has been the becoming obnoxious to
the great. Let them now see that there is also danger
in committing injustice with regard to the middle
climes. This is the sky to bring about a remedy.

We will answer for it the moment the great find the
burden presses on their own shoulders, they will begin
to feel that the assessed taxes are exceedingly op-
pressive.—Morning Chronicle.
The Middlesex Grand Jury, at the late Session,
are entitled to the highest praise for the manner in
which they have taken up and spoken out upon a
subject of such vast importance as the state of crime
in the metropolis; and especially the increase of
petty thefts committed by juvenile depredators.
The Grand Jury propose that this description of
offenders shall be dealt with in a different manner
from others—that is, shall be tried and punished
more summaiily. We are glad to find that the
Grand Jury, though they propose to do away with
their own functions in cases of minor theft, do not
fall into the too common error of recommending an
enlargement of the discretionary power of Magistrates
—a power, we conceive, much too large already ; and,
when lodged even in the very best hands, capable
of great abuse, and, at all events, inconsistent with
that birthright of Englishmen, he they young or old,
a trial by their Peers. But while we rejoice to see
this important subject taken in hand, and that so
ably, by a body so well calculated to appreciate the
evil and to suggest the remedy, we regret that the
most important feature in the matter—that of pre-
vention—forms no part of the Grand Jury's state-
ments. They have lauded the New Police—very de-
servi dly, perhaps—as far as their improved mode of
giving evidence extends; but we wish that the Grand
Jury had also borne in mind that, though the merit of
apprehending offenders is no doubt very considerable,
a system which shall nip crime in the bud, and
render its open commission almost impossible, would
be far preferable; and that such a system we have
not got, ani indeed never can have, while our police
have an evident interest in the number of cases
which they bring to trial—none in lessening their
number. But as far as juvenile offenders are con-
cerned, not only might much more be attempted,
and, we have no doubt, accomplished, in the way of
prevention than has ever yet been done ; but the
State itself, we conceive, is highly criminal in
neglecting its duty in this respect. And here the
folly is equal to the wickedness ; for, taking the
matter up as " a nation of shopkeepers," and dealing
with it merely as one of pounds, shillings, arid
pence, there is not a shadow of doubt but that the
whole tribe of juvenile delinquents might be made
useful members of society, at fur less actual cost to
the public than that which is expended in detecting,
punishing, and, in the end, consign'ng them to
ruin. Nor is the public at large less to blame than
the Government; for though the latter have not
taken up the subject, a few spirited individuals have,
showing unanswerably and practically, upon a small
scale, %% hat might be done upon a more extended
one. Yet those efforts (we mean those of the So-
ciety of which Gptain Brenton is at the head) are
paralysed for want of funds, though it is clear that,
for an annual subscription of 55., incalculable good
might be done. Would persons only look upon
such a contribution in the shape of a premium on in-
surance, surely common sense would tell them, that
if they can escape depredation at so small a rate—to
say nothing of the higher motive—it is surely worth
their while to aid the laudable efforts of those who
would thus, at so small a charge, at once afford them
comparative protection, and rescue from a career of
vice those whose original error has not been their
o w n.—Morning Herald.