The Sun.
London, England, 1857-01-26 00:00:00

L )ZIDON, MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 1867.

The Times is again striving to allay the popu-
lar excitement on the subject of the iniquitous
Income Tax, It is endeavouring to induce the
nation to submit patiently to the "pettifogging
quibble," and to permit the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer to retain the war charge, without modifica-
tion or reduction, until the sth of April, 1858.
It gravely declared on Friday that " the money is
wanting to discharge our existing obligations, and
to counteract an exhaustion in actual process. So
the Chancellor of the Exchequer first tells us that
be must have the money, and then suggests the
mode which he hopes will he the least distressing
to our feelings." And again, that "it is scarcely
worth while to talk very strongly about the
Income Tax, before we know the oxtent of the
necessary evils, and how much money is wanted.
All anticipations are useless when we must shortly
know the facts of the case, and it is equally use-
less at this moment to protest against any tax
that may happen to be galling to us !"
This is a very convenient doctrine for the
Financial Minister, and doubtless Sir G. C.
LEWIS will endeavour to avail himself of the aid
thus afforded. It is a stereotyped principle with
gentlemen in his position that the opposition is
always either too early or too late. If the nation
earnestly and emphatically protests against any
peculiarly galling impost the movement is " pre.
mature." The tax paying community must await
his will and pleasure until he declares the amount
of money required, and the mode in which ho
intends to obtain it ! If on the other hand, it
remains quiescent, "the time has gone by for relief,
his financial scheme has been duly developed, his
budget opened, and no alteration is then practic-
able. Besides, there could be no general feeling
against the charge, for where were the public
demonstrations against it ?"Public journalists
might
expose its gross injustice and manifest
imPclicY—independent members might protest in
the names of their suffering constituents ; but
and announce thee people speak for themselves,
their " did not th
burden ?" This woulddei
decided
naantipathytural
answer
if
Ithteissionnislyter,,
athdevip.ceresosfurtehefroTmiinv:i
thwouert,e, adopted.
adminis-
tered in due season, that can prove effectual.
The Minister is made of "squeezable materials,'
and when he sees that resistance is no longer
.
possible will yield with a good graceße will
only listen to reason when the -voice of
public opinion has penetrated into the very
inmost recesses of Downing-street. Had the
argument prevailed we should still have had the
bread tax in all its enormity. It was only because
the "League" was thoroughly in earnest—that it
was " instant, in season and out of season," never

for a moment relaxing its exertions, but repeating
the same wholesome truths day after day—and
that the people cordially responded to its call,
that the nation was freed from the monster mono-
poly, that the grim incubus was dislodged from its
shoulders.

But whence does this very convenient doctrine
emanate ? Is it from the honest convictions of
an independent journalist ? or is the in-
spiration derived from official quarters ? Has
the Chancellor of the Exchequer propi-
tiated the oracle of Printing-house-square by a
few significant hints as to his intentions, so that
it may earn a character for prescience at a cheap
rate ? There is, indeed, an extraordinary resem-
blance between the leading article that appeared
on Friday morning, and the official statement
delivered in the afternoon. Both dwelt at consi-
derable length on the "money being required to
discharge existing obligations ;" that it is "a
question not of taxation, but of expenditure."
The Times says, "The Chancellor of the Exche-
quer first tells us that he must have the money,
and then he suggests the mode." Sir G. C.
LEWIS follows suit. " The House of Commons,'
he observes—" first inquire what is the expendi
ture of the country, and then vote the ways and
means that will meet it !" Again, the Times speaks
of " the Abyssinian cattle' alluded to by BRUCE,
and the "skill and humanity" (!) of the drivers who
severed a steak from the still living animal, add-
ing " that is the skill and humanity of tie finan-
ciers, and the fact of our bellowing under his
knife and steel is not conclusive against his official
dexterity. It is only a choice of evils !" On the
other hand Sir G. C. LEWIS blandly remarks that as
large sums of money are to be collected from the
public in a limited time, we must expect that
some complaint will be made . . . The Go-
vernment have not any wish to maintain taxes
which are not absolutely necessary for the public
service 1"

The Time., also speaks of the Exchequer Bonds
in these terms, " It happens unfortunately, how-
ever, that this year the first flight of those Ex-
chequer Bonds which Mr. GLADSTONE let loose on
the world will be returning home, and will have
to be met. That can be done with other bonds,
or bills, but the whole charm, of the invention will
be lost (?) if they are not paid out of the revenue !"
while Sir G. C. LEwis announces " There will
be 2,000,0001. of Exchequer Muds which will
fall due in course of next year. Of course, they
will fall within this expenses of wait year." We
might multiply parallel passages. But there is
one other point so striking that it cannot be
overlooked. The Times referred to a sum of
8,000,0001. The Financial Minister to the very
same amount. The other points may be but re-
semblances ; doubtless very suspicious. The exact
figures, however, show that all the shafts are drawl
from the same quiver ; that the voice of the
journalist was but an echo to D)wming-street,
rather than an original oracle from Printing-House
Square.

The oracle has again spoken this day—os.nd,
that its connection with the Phcebus of Downing-
street, may be manifested to the most obtuse per-
ception, it re-echoes the ipsissirma verbu of the
financier. It certainly shows itself conscious of
the contemplated dodge. It confesses that " the
Chancellor of the Exchequer shows a certain in-
clination, not uniatuaral to his position, to keep
sight of this very letter of the law,"
" As a slight convenient intrenchment in the dis-
tance, not for the purpose of actually retiring be-
hind it, because that would be illiberal and
cowardly, but rather for the purpose of pointing
to, and producing the impression on the enemy
that you might take advantage of its protection
if you liked, and that, therefore he must not push
you toe far." Or, in other words, the letter
of the Act will not be resorted to, if
the House obey the will and pleasure
of the Minister. But should the independent
members prove unruly there is the "conmenient"l
entrenchment to which he can retreat whenever
he thinks proper so to do ; and, therefore, the
entiny must not push him too far. Sir G. C.
LEWIS deprecates " pettifogging and chicanery,"
and he will not avail himself thereof, unless ab-
solutely required ! This is the convenient
morality of the Financial Minister, and of his
bottle-holder of the fourth estate. The whole
burden of the song of the Times is that " it is
not worth while to fight against our destiny ;"
that we may as well patiently submit to w hat is
inevitable. To induce us to do so, it holds out
vague expectations of the entire abolition of the
charge in 1860 ; but, as we repeatedly proved,
that is a deside,rattem which cannot under circum-
stances be accomplished. What the nation wants
is an equitable apportionment, not the repeal of
the impost.

The nation will not, however, be discouraged,
notwithstanding the perverse obstinacy, and pom•
pous platitudes of the Chancellor of the Exchequer,
nor the scandalous tergiversation of the Leviathan.
They have unanimously resolved upon obtaining
justice, and that they must, and will have, no
mater who may gainsay the right. Tae Minister
deprecates the notion that the Government had
any disposition to deal with the question in " a
pettifogging way, or with anything like chica-
nery !" As, however, the renowned PIOKSNIPIP
was anxious to obtain "Mrs. TODGEit'S" notion of
a wooden leg, we should greatly like to have Sir
G. C. LEWIS'S opinion as to what he con-
siders " pettifogging " and " chicanery."
We might have placed some dependence
on the pledge but for the significant qualification
at the close of his address. He said there is no
doubt as to the construction of the Act. It is a
tax payable for another year, but there is no wish
to found any claim upon that "beyond what is
necessary for the service of the year r This in-
deed is a convenient loophole for evasion, a mode
by which he may wriggle out of his promise—
that is to say, if the people do not clearly show
the inevitable result of such conduct, that it will
be followed not only by the disgrace of the
Minister, but by his summary expulsion from an
office for which he is by no means qualified !
Once more, then, we say to the people--Agi-
tate, agitate, agitate, and complete success must
attend your efforts. The very article in the Times
shows the powerful effect already produced. A
little more and the great desideratum will be
achieved, and the tax-paying community will only
btieoncatloletdheeinr
atoctucontri
bute. to T
itlhe apt item
is aint hparonPdo—r-
safely anchored, and the abolition of the accursed
War Income Tax will be,
indeed, a "GREAT FACT !"

Nothing further—in regard to the forces des-
patched against Persia by the Bolan Pass, under
Colonel J7Acon, and by the Khyber Pass, under
Brigadier CIIAMBERLIYNE

But a great deal further—in reference to the
united military and maritime expedition, which
took its departure from Bombay for the Persian
Gulf on I,he 13th of last November ! It appears,
uovv, b•y telegraphic despatch received from
Trieste, that the Island of Karrak was occupied
On the 4th of December—that, on the Bth of
December, Fort Bushire was captured—and that,
on the Ott L of December, Bushire itself, after four