The Sun.
London, England, 1861-04-22 00:00:00

PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEES.

INCOME AND PROPERTY TAX.
At the sitting of this committee on Friday, Mr.
Hubbard in the chair,

Mr. Newmarsh, secretary to the Globe Insurance
Company, was examined, and stated that he was
entirely of opinion that it was unjust to tax per-
manent and temporary incomes, or 'what might be
called incomes arising from industrial pursuits, in
the Bathe ratio. He was also opposed to any form of
graduation. The present act, in his judgment, erred
against both these rules. He had looked over some
discussions on this subject in the House of Com-
mons during the last 19 years, and also in the
House of Lords. In the latter assembly he found
Lord Brougham moving, on March 14, 1842, a re-
solution to the effect " that it was expedient to
make a distinction liptwoon iu. uu,es arising from
capital and incomes arising from labour," Sir F.
Baring said in the House of Commons that
" the tax was not a just or equal tax. Was it fair
to demand the same amount of tax from permanent
annual incomes and incomes derived from industry ?
No tax could act more unequally, unjustly, or op-
pressively." Similar sentiments were expressed by
Lord Lansdowne and Mr. Milner Gibson ' • and Mr.
Gladstone, in his celebrated speech on April 15,
1853, said that in his opinion, " it was perfectly
plain that the income tax was not adapted. for a
Der VITI ant a.vai system unless they could remove
its inequalities ;" and on May 1, 1854, Earl Gran-
ville said " he was convinced that if there was any
, from
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tax, or modify its operations." Witness would
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one thing more strongly proved than another at
that
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the difficulties attendant on collecting the income
tax
abolish
the
witness read a paper from Dr. Jarvis, of Boston,
U.S., president of the American Statistical Society,
to show that property in the States was taxed with-
out any exemptions, referring especially to the
State of Massachusetts, of which Dr. Jarvis is a
native. There it was the duty of the assessors to
ascertain the amount of property which each per-
son possessed, either in land, houses, ships, rail-
ways, money in hand, and property of every
description. This tax might essentially be calla
an income tax, because it was arrived at by capi-
talising all the property of the State.
mitte adjourned.
After hearing some further evidence the cora-

BOARD OF ADMIRALTY.
The select committee appointed to inquire into
the constitution of the Board of Admiralty met
again on Friday—Mr. Henley, M.P., in the chair.
Among the members of the committee present were
Sir J. Pakington, Sir James Graham, Sir F. Baring,
Sir H. Willoughby, Lord C. Paget, Mr. Deedes, Sir
J. Elphiustone, Captain Duncombe, Mr. Stansfeld,
Mr. Whitbread, Mr. Phillips, Mr. Clay, Mr. Corry,
&c.

The Duke of Somerset again attended the com-
mittee, and was examined by Sir F. Baring with
respect to the accounts, the manner in which they
were kept, and the various checks which had been
introduced to secure accuracy. His Grace was
under examination when the committee adjourned.

POOR RELIEF IN THE METROPOLIS.
The committee met again on Friday ; Mr. Vil-
liers in the chair. A considerable number of the
other members were present.
Mr. W. Gilbert, secretary to the Metropolitan
Society for the Relief of Distress, was called and
questioned by the chairman as to his authority for
stating in a letter which he had written that the