The Sun.
London, England, 1857-01-24 00:00:00

ROY'S WIFE OF ALDIFALLOCI.

THE COLONIAL PRODUCE MARKET.

In the colonial produce-markets during the week there
has been in some cases an improved demand at advanced
quotations. The public sales of sugar have been upon a
rather diminished scale, and, as the trade evinced a more
general inclination to increase their stocks, the auctions on
Tuesday went off at an advance of 6d per cwt, while to-day
rather higher rates were again established. The decline of
last week is therefore fully recovered, the quotations for
most descriptions being now as high as at the commence-
ment of the year. Floating cargoes of foreign have realised
extreme prices, the sales being chiefly confined to Haven-
nab. Coffee continues firm, and with small supplies ; plan-
tation sorts of Ceylon are is per cwt higher, while full rates
have also been paid for native growth. For the sales to be
held in March next the Dutch Trading Company have ad-
vertised 443,000 bags, against 393,000 bags at the corres-
ponding period of 1856. The quarterly sales of cinnamon
declared for Monday next consist of 3,250 bales Ceylon,
against 1,720 bales in the October series. The large quan-
tities of rice brought to public sale rather tended to cause
depression, but the principal portion found buyers at only
a slight reduction from former terms. Saltpetre has again
been quiet, and quotations may still be considered nominal,
the middling qualities offering at much lower rates without
finding buyers. Business to some extent has been done for
arrival at 38s. A large quantity of nitrate of soda has been
disposed of at 18s to 18s 6d, and two cargoes at 18s to
18s 3d. The tea-market has been much influenced by the
telegraphic message to-day. Several thousand chests of
common congou changed hands at from is ld to is ld per
lb, closing sellers at is ld for a small quantity. Moning
and Kaisou teas were much inquired for during the week,
but holders decline selling unless at extreme rates. Scented
teas have been taken freely at a considerable advance.

A public meeting was held here on Thursday night
"for the purpose of considering the propriety of petition.
ing Parliament for the repeal of the income tax." It
was stated in Ihe Sun a few weeks ago that a pledge
sad been agreed to by 500 of the electors of the borough
not to vote for any candidate for its representation in
Parliament who would not support a total and imme•
bate repeal of the income tar. Sine, that period a'tgreat
deal of excitement has been kept up in the borough by
the agitation of the question, and the borough has been
plentifully placarded. At length it was determined to
hold the present meeting, and long before the hour ap-
pointed the large room in which it was held, and welsich
is capable of holding 1,500 persons, was crowded to, the
doors. Mr. Horsman, M.P., and Mr. Scrope, were on
the platform.
The following resolution was agreed to :-
1 " That the present form of income tax on trades and
professions is inquisitorial and despotic, demoralising and.
degrading, presses with unequal severity on industry, and
is totally unfit for a free country ; and that the meeting
strongly urges the Government to make provision for its
immediate amendment, and for its total repeal in 18t34."
After the resolution had been carried, the two mem-
bers for the borough addressed the meeting.
Mr. &ROPE said he had always advocated the income
tax, and had supported its increase during the war, but
new that peace was restored the question assumed a
different aspect, and he did not wonder at the impatience
which had been manifested throughout the country at
the prospect of the continuance of the war tax under
these altered circumstances. He had, however, no
reason to believe that it would be continued to that ex-
tent, and was not aware that the Government had com-
mitted themselves to a continuance of the war. portion
of the tax after the sth of April next. He hoped it
would not, and he was of opiaion that it ought not, to
be continued. But when they talked about a total abo-
lition of the income tax he could only say that was one
of the pleasing delusions which some people would in-
dulge in, but which he could not make up his mind to
be possible.
Mr. Ilostsmasr said he assented to the general senti-
ments expressed in the resolutions which had been
passed, but in passing these resolutions they must re-
member that if they repealed the tax they must find a
substitute. He felt it his duty, therefore, to tell them
what were his opinions on financial legislation. It was
all very well to say that the income tax was an abomi-
nable tax and one that must be got rid of, but before
they got rid of it let them look back to its history.
They might have a large number of members so pledged
to a total and immediate abolition, and one of the rem-
nant of the Protectionist party taking advantage of it
might rise and propose the repeal of the tax as founded
upon a false principle of direct taxation. The result
might be that the Protectionist members of the House
of Commons, voting for the repeal of the tax in cm-
fortuity with their principles, and the pledged members
voting also for it in conformity with their pledges, the
tax would be abolished ; and, following up the principle,
a tax upon the importation of corn would be re-imposed,
and all the advantages which we have gained from free
trade would be lost. (Cries of " No, no !" and a voice
"No danger !") If they followed out this principle
there might be danger in other cases if net in this.
tie maintained also that pledging their representatives to
a repeal of the income tax pledged them also to a repeal
of toe property tax. Parliament was pltilged to con-
tinue the tax until 1860, and our financial arrangements
had all been based upon that assumption ; it would be
the greatest breach of Parliamentary faith it that pledge
were to be broken. He had no dJubt that constitu-
encies might get men who would pledge themselves.
They might get plenty of what he had heard called the
Redpaths" and "Agars" pledged to do their work in
Parliament ; but no men going to the House of Com-
mons, losing their own self-respect, would respect the
interest or sustain the character of their constituents.
(Cheers.) He objected to constituencies pledging them-
selves as much as he objected to representatives pledging
themselves. No one could tell what would be the state
of their financial information in 1360. He only learnt
the resolution of the electors of Stroud through the
medium of an Irish paper, where he read the de-
claration under a title in large characters of
" Notice to quit." He found on reading it that
it was a N utice to quit " from the electors of
Stroud ; this was the first intimation he had had
of their intentions. Now, they might depend on it that
in political matters public meetings and open discus-
sions were the great safeguards to truth, and that con-
cealment and mystery were the parents of injustice,
anything like secrecy tending to lead to mistakes. Wl,ll
regard to the continuance of the war 9d. he was no more
in the secret than his colleague Mr. Scrope, but he would
say that the character of the Chancellor of the lillx-
enequer for high honour was such thathe did not believe
he would take advantage of such a pettifogging device
as was imagined by some people to prolong the iinpoei-
tion fur another year. He had no hesitation in stating
his conviction that the spirit of the ast of Parliament
would be adhered to, and that the war tax would expire
a year after the war was ended.