The Sun.
London, England, 1850-09-24 00:00:00

£ E. d.
A duke or archbishop .. G 13 4
A justiez of either bench, or the Chief

Baron .
A bishop, earl, earl's widow, or the Mayor

5 0 0

of London ..... .
A baron, banneret, knight, equal in estate
to a banneret, their widows, aldermen of
London, mayors of great towns, and
sergeants-at-law ...
A knight, esquire, or great merchant .. 1 0 0

4 0 0

. .vA
sufficient merchant ••
An esquire or attorney-at-law
Others of less estate ..
A married labourer . 0 0 4
A single man or woman ..
Clergymen paid, according to their benefices, from
40s. to 23. Monks and nuns paid according to the
value of the houses to which they belonged, 401,
203., 121., or 4d.

The unpopularity of this poll-tax, and the insur-
rection which followed, have been often quoted as
arguments against direct taxation, and as evidence in
favour of indirect taxes, which peop!ki submit to
pay because they do not know how heavy or how
disproportionate their share of such taxes is. But it
is a mistake to attribute the insurrection of 1381 to
that poll-tax, or the insurrection in C'/ion in 1848 to
Lord Torrington's poll-tax, as diroa taxes. L ird
Torrington's tax was as., or one week's labour, value
35., from every man, rich or poor. One week's in-
come from himself would have been 1921. 6s. 21. ;
the week's income from all other highly paid men
would have been in proportion, instead of three shil-
lings. This was much worse, than the poll-tax of
`Vat Tyler's time ; but it had another element of re-
volt in it—the Cingalese priesthood were held liable
to psy ik in money, or perform the week's labour—
by their religion they must neither touch work nor
possess property. It was to them perdition to submit
to that tax. Lord Torrington had one of them, as a
warning to the rest, executed in sacerdotal vestments.
Other enormities followed, which a Committee of
Parliament has been inquiring into for two years.
Extraordinary disclosures are said to have resulted ;
but, whatever they may be, the association take this
opportunity of protesting against the allegation that
it was an attempt to.enforce direct taxation in Ceylon
in 1848, which led to the rebellion there.

Nor is it true that it was direct taxation, as has
been alleged, that led to \Vat Tyler's insurrection in
England in 1281. Indecent violence was offered to
Walter's daughter, the tax-gatherer alleging she was
over 14, and liable to the tax. The tyler (he was
" Walter the Tyler) took his hammer and
struck the tax-gatherer dead. The crowd justified
him. A multitude gathered into the town of Dept-
ford, where he resided, and all their grievances be •
came the subject of discussion. By far the worst of
these were the taxes payable to the lords of the
manors, who prohibited the carriage of goods or pas-
sage of travellers across the manors except under
heavy tolls. The multitude, said to have been
gathered in Kent and Essex, but chiefly in Kent, was
inspired it by one John Ball, an enthusiast preacher, and
by " Jack Straw," a more sensible person than some
historians admit. Their leading cry was, " When
Adam delved and Eve span, who was then the gen-
tleman ?" They committed many outrages i❑ and
about London, killed the nobles, •and burned their
palaces, but were at last subdued. They began in
May ; on the 2d of July, 1,500 of them were hanged,
among whom were Jack Straw and Ball'the preacher.
The tyler was killed by Walworth, mayor of London,
in Smithfield. Some days before, the King had ap-
pointed that place for an interview with the rebels.
Walter spoke as became a man (so sa7 some) ; Wal-
worth called him " insolent," and stabbed him with
a dagger. The tyler died, the mob were dispersed,
Walworth was knighted, and the dagger and bloody
hand were added as emblems of honour to the escut-
cheon of the city of London, where they still remain.

Ma. LAYARD'S LATEST DISCOYERIES. -- A few
weeks ago we announced (says the Literary Gazete) Mr.
Layard's return front his expedition into the desert, and the
rescue of some of his larger ausiquities from the mud of Cie
raver, and their embarkation for England. We have since,
however, received further particulars of his most recent dis-
coveries at Koyunjitr, which are extremely interesting. He
found, as has been stated, a chamber which is completely
tilled with terracotta tablets, the inscriptions on which, we
now learn, are stamped in, so that though Major Rawlinson
thinks it very probable these tablets may be records of the
empire, ' it is still not unlikely that many of them may, in
fact, be duplicates of, or a collection of, manifestos for issuing
to the people or their immediate niters—in short, a sort of
Assyrian official printing-office. We believe that no fewer
than 25 cases are on their way to England. In the pyramid
at Nimroud, also, a unique statue has been discovered. It is
from four to five feet in height, in gypsum, elaborately carved
and very perfect. There is also a high relief of the King,
very beautifully executed, standing in an arch eight feet
high, and covered with minute inscriptions. Mr. Lavard's
last communication is dated Akre, Jalv 17, where, we are
sorry to say, he had been confined by a severe attack of
fever. The inefficient assistance 'he has received has caused
him to over exert himself; and thus he has been stopped for
awhile on his way to Van to secure inscriptiens. He hopes
to pass great part of the winter in Babylonia, and to return
home in the spring. The very important discoveries he is
new making render it imperatively necessary that his exer-
tions should not be stayed for want of funds.
HIGHWAY RATES.—According to an Act of Par-
liament passed last month, an Act authorising thheapplica-
tion of highway-rates towards turnpike-roads, sh would
have ended at the end of the presen!, month, is now con-
tinued for another year.
_ _

ANOTHER FIRE AT THE " MARK-LAPIN EXPIRNSS"
On/ex.—Last night, about twenty minutes to nine o'clock,
a second•fire broke out at the " Mark-lane Express"-office, in
Norfolk-street, Strand. Since the occurrence of the fire that
took place lately in the same office a strict survey of the
premises has taken place. Previous to closing last night, cn
proceeding to examine a back room on the second floor used
as a waste-paper depot, a cupboard was discovered to be in
flames. An immediate alarm was given, and the palish
engine being almost immediately in attendance, the fire was
confined to the place in which it broke out, a large amount
of paper being consumed. The room in which the fire oc •
curred is immediately over the spot in which the former out-
break Wok place.
THE FIRM IN MARK-LANE.—Even as late as ten
o'clock last night an immense body • of fire remained in the
ruins of the premises destroyed on Thursday morning last,
in Hark lane. The surveyors to the several fire offices are
still actively enggged in endeavouring to find out the
amounts for which the dinrent insurance companies are
liable, but owing to the multiplicity of floating policies held
by the different merchants, nothing approximating to the
precise sums can yet be gleaned.

The cattle dealers and farmers of Glasgow are de-
vising measures to establish a new cattle market beyond the
bounds of the municipality.

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, INAVAL INTELLIGEN k
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-.--.- ,
PLYMOUTH, SATURDAY.—The steam-ves i, - , ::_.
fiance and Avon, with Mr. Mills, Assistant a
Attendant, some seamen riggers and storesigniNdvim
to-day for Pembroke, to navigate the Martin brig to' ii •sw
this port.
Tte St. George, 120, has been remGved from the
jetty to the Endymion bulk, to complete her armament
and stores.
The Virago steamer went round the Eddystone on
iVednc-sday to try her engines.
On the_ arrival of the Bellerophon, 78, Captain
Baynes, from the Mediterranean, she will be paid off
in Barn Pool, and be placed in charge of officers
and hands from the Impregnable until recommis-
sioned.

/.'~~;

Lord John Hay, Commodore-Superintendent of
the Dockyard, went on leave of absence on Wednes-
day ; and Lieutenant Warren, Flag-Lieutenant, on
Thursday. The government of the yard devolves ad
interim, on Mr. Henderson, Master-Attendant.
Miss Dolling, daughter of the late Captain W. B.
Dolling, R.N.' and sister of Lieutenant Dolling, her
majesty's brig Nautilus, wasPfound drowned at Bo-
visand-bay on Friday. The unfortunate lady is
supposed to have lost her life in an effort to save that
of a favourite dog.
Mr. Manning (boatswain) and Mr. James Watson
(carpenter), of the Agincourt, have been superan-
nuated—the former on 851., and the latter on 751. per
annum.

Mr. Keene, passenger by the John Calvin, which
left this port for California on the 23d January last,
writes as follows, under date 21st of April, from
Stanley Town, Falkland Islands :—" A schooner has
just entered this harbour laden with Government
stores for the use of the colony, and has let us know
she will take letters. My last to you was by the On-
tario, and we have only spoken one ship since, which
proved an American, hailed her and asked where she
was bound. The skipper answered ' California,
last from Boston, carrying only freight, no
passengers ; name, Lowell.' We kept company
exactly one week ; we spoke her on the Sunday,
and left her on the Sunday following, steer-
ing our course for New-bay, on the coast of Patago-
nia, where the captain intended to water; but in the
sequel his attempt proved a total failure, and had nigh
cost us dear. We reached New-bay on the 7th of
April ; the captain knew nothing of this bay, except
what be read in his guide-book, which stated it to be
a fine place for watering, &c. The person who
wrote the directions never saw the place, or know-
ingly penned a wicked deception. After a minute
search no water could be found. As we were obliged
to stop until next day before vae could weigh anchor,
a dozen of us, by the captain's permission, rowed to
the land of the giants. I never saw a country so bar-
ren : nothing but sand; not a tree nor a drop of
water. I enclose a seed-pod and leaf which I picked
from a shrub, as a remembrance of Patagonia. After
leaving New-bay we steered for the Falkland Islands,
which we made on the 13th inst. (April). It was
touch and go' with us after making the land,
for we had not been able to take any ob-
servation for three days, on account of foggy
weather, and there remained only a chance of
two courses—to get into a port or be wrecked, for we
were off a lee shore, the wind a gale, and night com-
ing on. The captain managed his ship beautifully;
took her through a narrow strait, not more than a
third of a mile wide, and anchored safely in Stanley
harbour, with Stanley Town on our larboard side.
This town consists of a few wooden and mud houses,
with 200 inhabitants, who do nothing but smoke and
drink, and are as independent as men of high fortune
in our old civilization. The land is exceedingly
boggy: springs are found at every step; and it is
really a fine place for ships to water at ; but as for
culture of any kind, it is impossible. As soon as the seed
is up, it is, they say, cut down by the southerly winds
which are always blowing hard; they cannot even
grow a cabbage, and all their vegetable food is im-
ported from England or America. The inhabitants
are mostly pensioners, supported by Government ; it
is, in short, a wretched place, and though we have
been nearly three months at sea, I shall he glad to be
off again, for the weather is cold, bleak, and damp on
shore. IVe expect to leave the day after to-morrow,
and then, ho ! for California."