The Sun.
London, England, 1857-02-21 00:00:00

LONDON, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 18t7

establishing sounder fiscal principles', but have
materially stimulated successive Ministries in the
path of progress, convent to such a result ? We
believe not. We cannot suppose that any really
Literal member, any consistent financial re-
former, can reconcile it to his conscience to sup-

port Sir G. C. LEWIS in his plan for the mainten-
ance of the war duties on tea, coffee, sugar, and
spirits, with almost a certainty of further vexatious

charges on a number of small articles, according to

the doctrine of the illustrious ARTIUR YOUNG, of

whom he professes himself to be the disciple.
As Mr. GLADSTONE pointed out, the Chancellor of

the Exchequer is the first person who, for the last
fifteen years, has ventured to argue in that strain.

" The idea of remission of indirect taxation, o

lutely nothing, in its profound signifiepee to the

mere hums and hahs indulged in at these times

by the members of the Government. The stereo-
typed phrase is something to this effect---" Sir,

I can only repeaf., in reply to the in-

quiry of the Hon. Gentleman, that her
MAJESTY'S Government have no information
upon the subject, beyond that which has been
received from the statements in the public news-
papers." This is the sort of thing which is con-
sidered to be clever fencing on the part of an Ad-
ministrator. It is precisely the kind of official
babble, or Ministerial small•talk, heard night after
night in the House of Commons : heard so per-
petually ; reported so pertinaciously—that we
have at last got t 3 be quite sick of it. A
flavour of this insipid kind was imparted,
as usual, last evening, to what may be termed
the customary catechetical chit-chat preceding
the more formal, lengthy, and deliberate discus-
sions. Mr. LAYARD—ever watchful as to the
evil-doings of Russia in the East—wished to
know what amount of truth there might be in the
rumour prevalent just now to the effect that
there has been recently negotiated a secret treaty
between the SHAH and the CZAR, by which treaty
Persia cedes to Russia a rather considerable and
very important section of her territories. A
portion of those territories no less consider-
able than the track of country lying imme-
diately between the Muscovite and Osmanli
dominions. An acquisition no less important to
the Government of St. Petersburg than one open-
ing up to that Government the very military
path into Turkey which Czar after Czar has noto-
riously covetted. Well, the question thus sub-
mitted to the House, and through the House to
the Government, was plain enough in all con-
science. As plain as the answer vouch-
safed to it by Lord PALMERSTON was evasive and
illusory. According to the Premier, Ministers know
nothing at all about the existence of any such
treaty. They had no information of any such
Russian acquisition of Persian territory. They
had no more story to tell Mr. LAYARD—" bless
you"—than the Needy Kuifegrinder had for the
Friend of Humanity in the Anti-Jacobin. Minis-
ters referred the Hon. Gentleman, referred the
House, referred the Country to the " public jour-
nals" for all the Administration had really yet
learnt upon the matter. That was literally the
gist of Lord PALMERSTON'S reply last evening to
the very earnest inquiry put to him upon that
moat remarkable subject by the Honourable
Member for Aylesbury. And so the matter
dropped. And so all these matters do invariably
drop—leaving the nation as wise about them as
ever, until too late, until the evil complained of
has been entirely consummated. When we are
coolly recommended to—make the best of it !
Russia all the while advancing with grand strides
upon her malign and ominous destiny—making
nominally pacific treaties with England and
France, while she is all the time secretly robbing
from Persia, and encroaching upon the confines of
Turkey I True to her infamous system of hypo-
crisy throughout.

the simplification of our commercial laws, of giv
ing to trade all the freedom compatible with
the effective maintenance of the revenue, has no
place in his mind. In hismiud there is only room for
disparaging estimates of what yet remains to be
accomplished in order to perfect the work destined
to fill a bright page in the history that shall
record the doings of our times." He, in fact,
travelled out of his way to advocate the duties
on paper and wine, and the stamps on fire insur-
ances, or, as it has been denominated, the " tax
on prudence." The heavy burden on literature,
the intolerable vexation to the manufactures,
not only of the article itself, but of all who are
obliged to find means of packing their productions,
a restraint upon labour was not, according to his
views, by any means a bad tax. Indeed the fact
that it was a heavy drawback and great discourage-
ment to journalists generally would more than
compensate for its other admitted evils. The wine
duties, by means whereof and with mutual conces-
sions our trade with France might he greatly ex-
tended, was slurred over as a matter of trivial conse-
quence, tobe discussed another time, while the tax on
prudence, the blot on the national statute book,
was one of the last burdens to be remitted. This
was the ARTHUR YOUNG philosophy which the
Right Hon. Gentleman promulgated with the
indiscreet zeal of a recent convert. These views
sufficiently indicate what the natio❑ has to anti-
cipate from his continuance at the head of the
Financial Department. But because he, "more
Tory than the Tories themselves," chooses to de-
nominate himself a Whig because he made an
exceedingly inefficient Edinburgh Reviewer, the
chosen representatives of the people are to en-
dorse his views, and repudiate all their own
pledges, rather than walk into the same lobby
with Mr. DISRAELI. This calculation, we hope
and believe, will be defeated, and, chiefly for
their own sakes, we desire it to be so. They will
cut a very strange figure on the hustings at the
next general election should the glaring discre-
pancy between their " sayings and doings " be
brought under the consideration of the electors.
Mr. DISRAELI and Mr. GLADSTONE both proved
beyond the possibility of doubt, that even with
the Income Tax there must be a very consider-
able deficit in 1858-9 and 1859-60. It must not
be forgotten that during the present year Sir G.
C. LEWIS will have at least half a year of the
War Income Tax, and as he proposes to give up,
as he facetiously terms it, more than 9,000,0001.,
while he is really adding 2,000,0001. to the
tax, There will be a clean loss in each suc-
cessive year of at least 4,500,0001. under
that head—there will also be a loss on
tea and sugar, even if his own plan be adopted,
—and that the House sanctions all that he de-
mands—of more than 900,0001. next year, and
of nearly double that amount in 1859-60, as
compared with the ensuing year. There is also
an addition to the Sinking Fund of 1,250,0001.
in each successive year, so that the deficiency of
revenue and increase of expenditure in 1858-9
will amount to at least 6,750,000/., and
nearly 7,700,0001. in 1859-60. It is under
such circumstances that he has the audacity to
deceive the tax-paying community by holding out
a hope of the total abolition of the Income Tax
in 1860. Surely he must be himself aware of
the actual impossibility of fulfilling that expecta-
tion, and, to paraphrase his own argument, we
can only " exonerate his capacity at the expense
of his integrity !"
The Chancellor of the Exchequer attempted to
follow Mr. DISRAELI, but "what a falling off was
there 1"

" Infeli.e pacer atque impar congressus
He made, indeed, a deplorable exhibition, after
the brilliant performance of his antagonists.
Nor was the matter by any means improved when
Mr. GLADSTONE followed his new partner's lead,
and completed the demolition of the unhappy
financier. Never was art unfortunate victim
pliced between two such fires. Indeed, his con-
fusion was pitiable—even his own colleagues
could scarcely refrain from smiling at his ludi-
crous dismay. Mr. JAMES WILSON endeavoured
to bolster up his Budget, but it was by no means
a labour of love. The Honourable Gentleman
could not forget that he himself, as well
as the remaining members of the Government, had
advocated a very different policy in 1853 and
1854, while the Right Hon. Gentleman was
exercising his skill as a reviewer, and looking
rather to the events of bygone days than those
of the work-a-day world in the latter half of the
19th century. The Member for Westbury was
clearly ashamed of himself, and disgusted with
the task he had undertaken. Mr. LAIN( coin-
pleted the discomfiture, although it was merely
" kicking a fallen man."
The debate has been adjourned until Monday,
when we hope it will be brought to a conclusion.
It is clear that Sir G. C. Lxwis, if he hopes to re•
tain office, must bring in greatly reduced esti-
mates, and make considerable progress in the way
of economy and retrenchment. He must also
unequivocally repudiate his defunct friend,
" ARTHUR You/go," and show the fiscal and
financial rofcrnaera that ho is prepared to go
along with them in the gradual reduction of
indirect imposts ; and this he can only do by the
immediate revision and extensive modification of
the Income Tox, rendering its apportionment
more equitable and less oppressive than it is at
present. If he abides by his previous Budget he
must fall. One, and one only, mode of
escape
still remains. But the " light cloud is rapidly
passing from the face of the moon," and after
Monday it will be too late. Lord PALMERSTON
may still come to the rescue of his dis-
comfited subordinate. But he can only do so
effectually by announcing a complete and
immediate alteration in the system on which the
Income Tax is levied, and by giving a bind+ng
undettaking that the diStinction between perma-
nent and precarious incomes shall be fully recog-
nised, and fairly acted on. By this means i.e
may save his Government, otherwise the PALMER•
STON Administration will ere another week be
numbered with the past.

Never was a financial scheme so mauled and
;orried • as was the "Precious Budget" of
857 last night in the House of C)mmons. Mr.
ISRAELI opened the ball, and although lie did
)t attempt to perform the duty of the Chancellor
f the Exchequer by substituting a different plan,
) made it perfectly clear to the most superficial
server that the mass of absurdities put forward
r Sir G. C. LEWIS could not receive the confidence
' support of the House or of the country. He
31111 y showed that there was, according to the
:inisterial scheme, no possible hope of the aboli-
in of the unfair and oppressive Income Tax in
360, which the Financial Minister rather ob-
arely hinted at, then ventured to promise
rectly. The 'views we have put forward
ice 1853 on this important point
3.LIV facts a
,)rived thend figures strongest
g ucorroboration from
re
addressed by Messrs.
(sitzt.ELl and GLADSTONR,
which were in-
ed perfectly unanswerable.
Thelt
requires
stinono
Art the premises is very simple.
aborate calculations—no far-fetched arguments
show that there is but one alternative
her the Income Tax must be rendered a per-
inent impost in some form, or an adequate
.bstitute must be provided. This sub-
Unto must be in the way of a di-
It property tax, or a series of indi-
't duties, which will, on the high authority
Mr. YOTJNG, which Sir G. C. LEWIS
IS disinterred from the obscurity in which it
d so long mouldered, supersede the system that
s been so long established dttring the last 15
.ars with the cordial concurrence of the Parlia-
ent and the people of the 'Oohed Kingdom.
i)l the retrograde policy be sanctioned in any
tikrtex
Will independent members, whose pride
?
boast it has been not only to have assisted in

Whenever an inconvenient question is put to
the Government, IViinisters—as a matter of course
—know nothing at all about it. Absolutely no
information can be got out of them at these mo-
ments beyond what the more wily may conjecture
from a lifting up of the official eyebrows, or a
shrug
of
the administrative shoulders. Lord
BUBLEIGII!s immemorial nod was nothing, abso-

Mel in ore, verba lactis,
Pel in corde, fraus in factis.
For the connivance with all which, a craven
Ministry must—before GOD and Man—be held
responsible.

FRE SUN,' !LON-o*-PN, SATURDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY '2l

LATEST NE WS.

FRANCE.

PARIS, FIUDAY.
BOURSE, Feb. 20.—The following were the last
quotations :

En'l of Month.
—fr. —a.
70

Cash. fr. 0
4i per Cents
3 per Cents 69 80
New Loan —
Bank Shares 4,290 Roman
Credit Mobilior 1,370 Austrian
Belgian Fives — Spanish Threes
Pied mon tese (5) ..... : 91 Home Debt
RAILWAYS—FOR CASH.
fr. c.

IT c
Orleans 1,405 Western
Northern MO Strasburg .. 825
Lyons 1,425 New Ditto
Mediterranean ......1,800 Grand Central -
Lyons Geneva -
Cette 7BO Austrian Corn.