The Sun.
London, England, 1857-02-11 00:00:00

THE INCOME TAX BATTLE OF 1816.

89
89A
391
36

" At length came the 17th of March, the day
appointed for the division, but it was soon fou.nd
that this had been, with the debate, wholly antici-
pated. The usual niunbor of petitions, and even
more, were poured thickly in during some hours ;
little or no debating took place upon them : nu-
! tutual anxiety for the result of such long continued
lahour, and such lengthened excitement, kept all
'silent and in suspense, when about 11 o'clock Sir
William Curtiq, representing the City of London,
proceeded up tie House, bearing in his arms the
peti,ion, which he presented without any rein irk,
of the great meeting of the binkers and merchants
lialen in the Egyptian-ball, and siglepl aboye
atfwteler a,
indeed thpusind persons. The division took
debate that did not last half an hour ; no onecould
indeed be heard in an assembly so impatient for the
division ; and by a majority of 37 voices the tax
was defeated for ever, and the wholesome princi le
clown,
as Mr. Wilberforce well observed, was laid P
that war and income tax are Wedded t9gether.'' I

THE CIVIL LIST.—In the year e 31st Dec.
last the chFuges on the consolidated fund for the. civil
list E was3iA N
c4iopoA,
T9,307N o
1.
10Fe*THE DUTCH SLAVES —lt is said
(states a letter from the Hague that when the Second
Chamber resumes its labours, the Government will pre-
sent to it a bill for granting
the necessary funds for the
eventual emancipation of the slaves in the West Indies.
AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY FOR AUSTRALIA.
Messrs. R?chmond and Chandler, of Sal'ord, are now
manufacturing a number of implements for the Austra-
ran colonies, amongst which
there are several useful
and novel inventions, calculated to prove exceedingly
useful in countries
where labour is ,carte and dear.—
Manchester Guardian.
Mr. Turquand has been appointed official manager of
the Saxon L!fe Assurance Society, now winding up.
Creditors are required to prove their claims before Vice-
Chancellor Wood, who has Exsd the 20th inst. for con-
sidering them.
THE STEAMER RAVENSBoURNE.—It is FtAted that tLe
amount of silver on board the steamer Ravensbourne,
the loss of which was reported yesterday, was about six
or seven thousand pounds. This, together with a portion
of the cargo, is understood to have been saved ; but it
is feared that the vessel will be a total loss.
PASSING TOLLS BILL.---This bill was issued yesterday.
It provides that debts on passing tolls be laid out of
moneys to be provided by Parliament ; transfer of Dover
Harbour to the Admiralty ; transfer of powers of f
War.
den and assistants to Admiralty ; transfer of Ramsgate
Harbour to the Crown ; Ramsgate Harbour to be under
the management of the Board of Trade, &c.

The following account of the remarkable income-
tax struggle in 1816 is extracted from the introduc-
tion to " Lord Brougham's speeches in the House
of Commons," and will be read with interest at the
present time :
" On the termination of the war the Government
were determined, instead of repealing the whole in-
come tax, which the act enforcing it declared to be
for and during the continuance of the war and no
longer,' to retain one-half of it, that is, to reduce
it from ten to five per cent., and thus keep a re-
venue raised from this source of between seven and
eight millions, instead of fifteen. As soon as this
intention was announced several meetings were
held, and two or three petitions were presented.
The Ministers perceived the risk they ran, if the
policy should be pursued, of continued discussion
for a length of time, and they saw the vast impor-
tance of despatch. Accordingly, the Chancellor of
the Exchequer gAre notice on the Tuesday for his
motion on the Thursday immediately following.
The Opposition took the alarm, and Mr. Brougham
declared, on presenting a petition, unanimously
signed, from one of the London parishes, that if the
hurry now indicated should be persevered in, he
should avail himself of all the means of delay
afforded by the forms of the house. Lord Folke-
stone, one of the most strenuous, and, in those days,
one of the most active and powerful, supporters of
the popular cause, vigorously seconded this menace,
in which he entirely joined. On the next day more
petitions were flung in, more discussions took place,
and the Government postponed for a week the in-
troduction of the bill. That week proved quite de-
cisive, for so many meetings were held, and so many
petitions sent up, that the bill was put off from
time to time,
17th
did not finally make its appear-
ance till the of March. Above six weeks were
almost entirely spent by the House of Commons
in receiving the numberless peti ions poured in
from all quarters again-t the tax. For it was
speedily seen that the campaign of 18121 was re-
newed, and that the same IPaders, Messrs.
Brougham and Baring, had the management of the
operations.
"At first the min;sters pursued the course of
obstinate silence. The Opposition debated each
petition in vain ; every Minister and ministerial
member held his peace. No argument, no facts,
no sarcasms, no taunts, could rouse them ; no ex-
pressions of the country, no reference to the anxiety
of particular constituencie, could draw a word
from the Ministers and their supporters. At length
it was perceived that antagonists did not the less
debate, and that consequently the scheme had in
its purpose stifling discus,ion. The only effect
of it then was, that all the debating was on one
side, and this both became hurtful to the Govern-
ment in the house, and more hurtful still in the
country. They were forced into discussion, there-
fore ; and then began a scene of unexampled inte-
rest, which lasted until the second reading of the
bill. Each night, at a little after four, commenced
the series of debates, which lasted until past mid-
night. These were of infinite variety. Arguments
urged by different speakers ; instances of oppres-
sion and hardship recounted ; anecdotes of local
suffering and personal inconvenience ; accoun's of
the remarkable passages at different meetings ;
personal altercations interspersed with more gene-
ral matter—all filled up the measure of the night's
bill of fare ; and all were so blended and so varie-
gated, that no one ever perceived any hour thus
spent to pass tediously away. Those not immedi-
ately concerned, peers, or persons belonging to
neither house, flocked to the spectacle which each
day presented. The interest out of doors kept pace
with that of the spectators ; and those who carried
on these active operations showed a vigour and con-
stancy of purpose, an unwearied readiness for the
combat, which astonished while it animated all be-
holders. It is recounted of this remarkable strug-
gle tint one night towards the latter end of the
period in question, when at a late hour, the House
having been in debate from four o'clock, one speaker
had resumed his seat, the whole members sitting
upon one entire bench rose at once and addressed
the chair—a t stimony of unabated spirit and un-
quenchable animation, which drew forth the Jou& st
cheers from all sides of the House.