The Sun.
London, England, 1857-01-07 00:00:00

THE SUAis LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, JANUARY 7, 1857.

le3tion of 1856. And this while the list of
those same Criminals comprises the names
of PArzor., and Dove, and SADLEIR, and
BOUSFIELD. The vulgar, gambling surgeon,
who drugged to death his wife, his brother, and
his boon companions. The brutalised and supersti-
tious sensualist who destroyed his wife also by the
same deadly potion, adidasistered to his victims
by the Rugeley Poisoner. The gentlemanly (I)
swindler, forger, and embezzler, who escaped the
penalty of his gigantic frauds by a cowardly self-
murder upon the midnight heath. And lastly, the
wretched wild beast staggering home to butcher a
whole family, after taking part, as a supernume-
rary in the grotesque fooleries of a pantomime !
VERGES has secured to himself an eternal infamy
with these and such as these, by that unexampled
and sacrilegious murder with which his insensate
hand has but just now horrified the whole of
Christendom.

Already in other respects, and in these also, de-
plorably, 1857 is assuming to itself a character. A
miserable death like that of HUGH MILLER, the
gifted geologist—though counterpoised in some
degree by the tranquil demise, in his ripe and
honoured old age, of a man like JOHN BRITTON, the
late distinguished archasologist—illustrates rather
painfully, at the " turn of the year" 1856-1857,
the evil flowing from what we regard as the
Disease of the Age, and from the morbid leniency
evidenced in the treatment of our criminals, origi-
nating in the disastrous phantasies of a spurious
philanthropy- It was a premature and agonising
death, resulting from an unnatural over-straining
of the intellectual powers, superinducing or-
ganic disease of the brain, and preparing
the way for a fantastic dread, almost amount-
ing to a pitch of delirium—the dread of burglary
and garotting, those two chief pastimes of the
felons let loose upon society with a certificate of
vice, and a licence to commit fresh crime, in the
shape of the detestable Ticket-of Leave !

If the new-born year developes at an equal pace
in horror and criminality, we shall have but
small cause indeed to congratulate ourselves upon
being well rid of its predecessor. HEATEN forbid,
however, that the fruits of this first week of
1857 should prove to have been but an average
exemplar of what is in store for the world at large
in the year which has but just now commenced.

We recently contrasted the circumstances of a
man earning 3001. per annum by unceasing in-
dustry and of one who receives the dividends on
10,0001. 3 per Cent. Consols,lwho are each called
on to contribute the same amount (201.) to the
Revenue. Their positions, indeed, are so strik-
ingly different that it is impossible practically to
compare their actual means. The man who has
merely a precarious income, of which he may be
deprived the following year or month, even before
the visit of the tax-collector, cannot safely calcu-
late on anything beyond the amount of cash in
Band, and property that could be immediately dis-
posed of at an auction mart. But he does not,
therefore, escape from contributing his just quota
to the National Exchequer. He must submit to
the local burdens of the locality in which he re-
sides, and must also consume articles on which
duties are levied—which duties, under the most
favourable circumstances, amount to more than
his fair proportion of the public charges. It is,
therefore, perfectly clear that no change in the
tax can render it perfectly fair, except that of
lompletely exonerating industry, and making it
vhat it ought to be, a pure tax on property,
justly assessed, and without exemption of any
kind.

It may be said that this might press heavily on
persons of very limited incomes. But every such
person has the means of exercising his industry,
ind is far more favourably circumstanced than
penniless competitor. If seeking a situation
a: a clerk the possession of property will enable
',:m to dispense with, or easily provide the secu-
ity generally required, er to get into business on
lie •wn account. In fact, in any and every
position in which he is placed he will find
its advantages, and we are not bound to search
too nicely for extreme instances to extend the
immunity from taxation for those who have so
!ong practically enjoyed it, or to legislate solely
for the benefit of the drones to the exclusion "of
the working bees of the social hive." The latter are
entitled to some portion at least of the sympathies
of the Legislature, which they would undoubt-
dly receive to a far greater extent than at pre-
sent but for the simple fact that every member
nust be enrolled amongst the propertied class by
reason of the qualification, which (with some few
exceptions) must be specified before taking his
seat ; and as he is disposed "to stand by his
order," we can readily conceive the influences in
operation, and the grounds on which the taxes on
profits, or rather gross receipts, were justi-
fied. Quod volumes, facile credimus," is
a time-honoured apophthegm, dnd the owners
of property greedily listened to the *special
pleading of Mr. GLADSTONE, although "the
still small ♦oice" must have occasionally
listurbed their repose by stating that they were
leaning on broken reeds," and that they were
the parties who should send large amounts of
conscience money to the Chancellor of the Exche-
quer.

But even amongst the propertied classes there
are very wide distinctions which should be re-
oognised. The spirit of COCKER has clearly
exposed the absurdity of charging at the same
rate a terminable and a perpetual annuity--like,
for instance, the Lang Annuities, which expire in
1860, and Consols which last until redeemed for
an ample equivalent by Parliament. 1501. a
year in the on• is worth 4161., in the
other 3,750/. The former pays 21. Bs., the latter
ss. 4d. per cent. on the capitalised value : that
is to say, exactly nine times the rate. The annu-
itant is really taxed on his capital. Of the 4501.
which he will receive within three years, 341. is
for interest, and 4161. for capital, while the fund-
holder enjoys the whole 4501. as interest,—the
lifference in this point of view being as 1 to 13.22,
or little more than the 2.27ths of the amount.
It is also notorious that house property is far
less valuable than lauds or dividends. Seven,
eight, or nine per cent. can readily be ob.
mined for investments in the former, while
less than half the amount can be realised in
the latter, and yet there are special charges on
houses, from which other property is exempted.
We need not refer to the House Duty of 9d. in
the pound, the unfair substitute for the unwise
and it Window Tax, and the innumerable
charges that altogether in some localities amount
to 30 per cent. on the rental. It would be far
better for the houseowner to pay on the capital-
ised value, as we have suggested, than under the

present system.
We might multiply instances of oppression and
injustice. Sufficient has, however, been said to
show the imperative necessity of a speedy revi
sion of the entire system, so as to render it truly
a charge on Property, and not a cruel and op-
pressive impost on fluctuating or precarious
profits.

The Master of the Rolls proposes to proceed on the
15th inst. to settle the list of contributories of the
Electric Telegraph Company of Ireland.