The Sun.
London, England, 1859-07-20 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Siit,—l have read with much satisfaction your
article on the Chancellor of the Exchequer's finan-
cial statement, and very much regret to find that
the iniquitous tax on precarious incomes is not only
to be perpetuated but increased. I belong to that
unfortunate class of individuals with incomes of
less than £l5O per annum, and upon which I have
to pay the tax. I don't so much complain of a tax
if the requirements of the country compel it, but
what I do complain of is, the very unfair way the
thing is carried out. Take my own case. I am
obliged to make a decent appearance and rent a
house : my lodger, a skilled mechanic, who earns
on an average £3 a week, laughs at the idea of
paying income-tax, because, forsooth; he knows the
collector will not take the trouble to ask him to make
a return, and even if he did, being a weekly tenant,
he could move off to another place where, perhaps,
the collector wouldn't be quite so pressing.
If working men are to be taxed why couldn't
it be done on this principle—that all employers of
labour should be compelled to take a stamped re-
ceipt for every £1 paid to their workmen ; it would
not then fall so heavily upon persons like myself,
who, by their peculiar positions, are obliged to
make a true and correct return of every penny of

their incomes, and everybody would then contribute
according to their means. My income tax would
be 12s. 6d., and my lodger would, in spite of him
self be obliged to be honest, to the great relief o
persons in the position of
Your obedient servant,

T. R.

His Royal Highness the Hereditary Grand Duke
of Mecklenburg- Strelitz alai the Prince Adolphus of Meck-
lenburg-Strelitz have arrived in this country on a visit t
her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge, with whom
the Hereditary Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz has
been staying for some weeks past.
The Prince and Princess de Ligne have left the
St. George's Hotel.
The Marquis and Marchioness of Abercorn have
left the Oatlands Hotel on a visit to the Countess-Dowager
of Ellesmere at Cobham, in Surrey. _ .

CRYSTAL PALACE.—MdIIes. Titiens and Piccolo-
mini, and Signor Giuglini, with other artistes of Mr.
Lumley' s troupe, will sing at the concert on Saturday next.
HAYMARKET TIIEATRE.—MiSS Reynolds, well
known as the accomplished actress of high comedy at this
house, will take her benefit to-night (Wednesday) when
Mr. Tom Taylor's successful comedy, the. " Contested
Election," will be followed by Murphy's " Know your own
Mind," which has not been performed for several years.
All the necessary measures have already been
taken for sending back to their country the Austrian pri •
soners at present in France.

TIIE HOMEWARD AUSTRALIAN MAlL.—Letters
from Malta of the 14th inst., announce the arrival there
that morning of the Nepaul, and on the preceding evening
of the Colombo, Peninsular and Oriental Co.'s steamer,
from Alexandria, bringing no Australian mail, nor any
tidings of its having reached Suez up to the 10th inst.
DEATH OF HENRY GRATTAN, ESQ.—We deeply
regret to learn that Henry Grattan, Esq., only surviving
son of the immortal Grattan of 'B2, died on Saturday, at his
residence, Clara, county Wicklow. Mr. Grattan was in
Dublin a few days since, in excellent health and spirits, and
seemingly bid fair for along amd vigorous life. His death
will be a severe loss to the Liberal party in this country.
In early lift) Mr. Grattan represented the ctty of Dublin ;
he afterwards represented the county of Meath for a con-
, siderbl',) period ; but since 1852 he has been comparatively
in treivate life. Mr. Grattan was in his 72d year. Disease of
the heart is said to be the cause of death.—Freeman's
Journal.
The Netherlands Land Enclosure Company have
received intelligence that the Second Chamber has refused
to sanction the bill introduced by the Dutch Government to
confirm the agreement entered into with the company, and
that consequently fresh negotiations are necessary, and will
be immediately entered upon.

LOUIS KOSSUTII.—The Birmingham Journal has
learnt from private information that M. Kossuth's family
were preparing to proceed to Italy, and were to have de.
parted on Saturday, but the news of the peace arrested their
preparations. On, Thursday evening they received a tele-
gram from M. Kossuth, announcing his safe arrival in
Switzerland. He thus seems to have lost no time in leaving
Italy immediately on the news of the treaty, and so escaped
a conference with the Emperor.
'TIE AFRICAN SLAVE.—Yesterday morning Mr.
Wakley held an inquest at the House of Detention, Clerk-
enwell, upon John Barde, otherwise Ajee Ojam, the poor
liberated slave, who committed suicide in that gaol on the
night of Friday last. Evidence of the facts, already known,
having been given, the jury returned a verdict that the de-
ceased was found dead in his cell.
THE ATTEMPTED MURDER AND SUICIDE AT
LEEDS.—Mrs. Watts, the old woman whose throat was cut
by a man named Abraham Fawcett, in Leeds, last Thurs-
day, is progressing favourably. Fawcett is also improving,
and hopes are entertained that both will eventually recover
from their wounds.

THE ARMY.—The following is a return of the
total strength of the army in 1858—viz., cavalry, 17,819
(including 7,972 in India) ; infantry, 150,569 (including
74,731 in India and 32,833 in the colonies) ; the horse ar-
tillery, 2,578; the foot artillery, 20,598 (4,848 in India) ;
the enginneers, 4,176 ; the enrolled pensioners, 15,415; the
embodied militia, 21,773 ; and volunteers, 15,122. The total
amount voted for the army, ordnance, and commissariat
servcies in 1858 was £11,577,755 against £12,493,235 in
1857.

SINGULAR STIOT.—A few day ago Mr. Sowerby,
agent for H. E. Strickland, Esq., at. Apperly Court, was
out, when he perceived several 'objects which, at a consi-
derable distance he thought were partridges. As they
came nearer he saw they had white breasts and were not
birds at all. Happening to have his gun with him he fired,
and, on going up to his game, he found that he had killed
not less than six weasels at a shot. The animals, which
were all running in a row, had doubtless got upon the track
of a hare or rabbit, and were hunting it down.—Gloucester
Journal.
VESUVIUS UNEASY.—At three a.m. on the morn-
ing of the 3d inst., says a correspondent writing from Vesu-
vius, the crater, in the direction of Pompeii, formed a fosse,
so that it is impossible to ascertain its actual depth. Flames
of various colours proceed from it ; the whole crater
trembles, and the fissures which were made in it a few
days since are now a bed of fire. Towards the Hermitage
another opening has been made, with two separate
" chimneys," one of which throws out fire-stones and
the other pumice and ashes. The mouth from which the
circular flames issued is now much enlarged. At the
foot of the mountain, in the direction of Resina, a small
crater has been formed, from which are ejected red-hot
stones, weighing a pound each. About 200 feet below it a
crater has been formed in a fosse, whence issued red-hot
lava, which runs forward so violently that, if it took a
straightforward direction, it must arrive soon in Resina or
Portici. It branches off:however in three different direc-
tions.

COMMERCIAL BANK OF LONDON.—The
Com-
mercial Bank of London held its 21st half-yearly meeting
yesterday—Mr. Mark Hunter presiding—when a report
was read, which stated that the six months' accounts to the
30th June last showed that the net profit (including £1,401
2s. brought forward from last account) amounted to £14,575
19s. 10d., after payment of all expenses of management,
and making provision for bad and doubtful debts. The
directors had determined to declare a dividend for the half-

year at the rate of seven per cent.. per annum. The divi-
dend would absorb £10,500, and after deducting £3,061 9s.
for rebate on current bills, a balance of £1,014 10s. 10d.
would remain to be ;tarried over to next account. The
chairman having 'apologised for the absence of Mr. Cutbill,
the manago':, in consequence of jll health, stated he hoped
the repor',. would prove as satisfactory to the shareholders
as to himself, as they were now enabled to increase the di-
vldend to a small extent—an increase which he had every
reason to believe would be maintained. They had had
great difficulties to contend with in consequence of in-
jurious reports circulated at the close of 1857 • but he be-
lieved that they had now overcome them, and that confi-
dence was returning ; indeed, only last month three accounts
which they lost during the panic, came back to them in one
week. The late war had caused them some anxiety, owing
to their connections with Sardinia, which had been
formed through their transactions with the Sardinian rail-
ways constructed by their friends, Mr. Brassy, Mr. Jack-
son, and others—gentlemen who had brought them a large
amount of business without ever requiring one penny ac-
commodation ; indeed, they always kept large balances at
the bank. Though some of their connections in Italy and
Germany had suffered during late events, he was happy to
say they had not entailed the loss of one shilling on the
part of the bank. A variety of questions were put to the
chairman, with the view, as it appeared, of trying to ar
rive at a reason for the company's shares standing at some-
thing like 17 to 18 in the market for £2O paid, whilst the
accounts showed that were the company to wind up to-
morrow the assets would realise about £23 per share. Of
course no satisfactory reason could be given for the ano-
maly, but the chairman stated that everything was in the
soundest possible position ; and though under a former
manager losses had been incurred in the Henrietta street
branch, under the energetic management of Mr. Chancey
the mischief was being speedily repaired, and that branch
was in a good and sound position. The report was adopted,
and the retiring directors re-elected—a notice for placing
the company under the provisions of the Limited Liability,
Act being withdrawn with a view to its being brought for-
ward at a sikx,icd meeting, it being understood that the
majority of the directors are opposed to such a step fsr the
present.