The Sun.
London, England, 1857-01-02 00:00:00

1848, during the twenty years preceding the
war, Lord PANMITRE seems to proclaim that the
Ministry mean to have a real, though efficient,
peace establishment.
Let not the good people of England, however,

be lulled to slumber by the language of War Sec-
retaries and Lords of the Admiralty. We are
at war with official love of ease. And as

I it was justly insisted on in the spring that to
relax our preparations for the possible campaign
of 1856 would mar the terms of peace (in what
respect it is now difficult to conceive), so we may
be sure that to relax the agitation on the Income
Tax would embolden the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer to enforce far worse fiscal terms on the
House of Commons. It were perfect folly, as we
conceive, to give up one meeting, or to withhold
one resolution or petition, for anything less than

a declaration from head-quarters that the war
is not to survive the war by more than one honest
year. We agreed to pay that ; and if we are
assured, on reliable authority, that we are to pay
no more, we will be quiet on that point—not,
however, forgetting that we have a far more im-
portant one to settle with both Sir G. C. LEWIS
and his subtle predecessor.
February is at hand, and what we see before
us for the moment in clairvoyance is this :
Aar I. Scene ; the House of Lords—Her MAJESTY
reading her most gracious Speech, in which " she
assures her faithful Commons that she has directed
the estimates to be prepared with due considera-
tion for the efficiency of the public service, and es-
pecially for that of our gallant army and navy,
and also with due regard to the necessity
of discharging the bills for the late war—including
the huge item of buying things at 50 per cent.
above market price, and selling them at 80 per
cent. under it."

ACT. 11. Scene : the House of Commons.—Mr.
WILLIAMS rises to inquire " whether the reduc-
tions of naval and military expenditure promised
by Lord PANMURE at Arbroath ; and the con-
temptuous rejection of pettifogging quibbles on
the part of Lord PALMERSTON by Admiral BERKE-
LEY at Gloucester, are acknowledged by the Go-
vernment as pledges that the War Income Tax will
not be longer continued." (Loud cheers.) Admi-
ral BERKELEY rises to'explain—" He had earefully
abstained, being but a subordinate member of the
Government, and not in the secrets of the Cabi-
net, from committing the Government in any
way whatever. He had assured his constituents,
and he stood by his assertions, that Lord PAL-
MERSTON was incapable of prolonging the tax
merely by a paltry quibble or evasion"—(cries of
" Lord PALMERSTON"). The Premier rises—.
" He could assure the House that the gallant Ad-
miral had only done him bare justice, and he
might say as much ou behalf of his honourable
friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whose
unavoidable absence at this moment he regretted ;
he did not believe that a single member of the
House, not even on the benches opposite, could
number evasion and pettifogging amongst his
failings." (Cheers from the Treasury Benches.)
Mr. WILLIAMS "must apologise for rising again,
but he ventured to affirm that no one would say
his Lordship had given any pledge as to the con-
tinuance or cessation of the War Income Tax."
(Hear, hear.) Lord PALMERSON--." This is not
the occasion Lr discussing the budget—if the
b
Honourable Member will be in his place at the
right time my noble colleague will give him the
satisfaction of —..-- a ---- Chancellor of the
Exchequer." (Laughter, and cries of "Oh ! oh !")
Act lll.—Scene : ct crowded House of commons.
Time—Night of the Budget. A few preliminary
matters having been disposed of, amidst profound
silence, the Chancellor of the Exchequer raises
himself from his seat. A heavy exordium and
minor announcements having been listened to a
long time with exemplary patience, the Honour-
able Gentleman proceeds to observe—that " to
meet this deficiency, it was obvious he should
need some sixteen millions more. (Sensation.)
How would they have him get it ? Was be to lay
afresh on the springs of industry the load which
had been removed from them by the wis-
dom of Parliament ? Was he to put a
spoke in the wheels of Manehester,
or to put her spinning jennies on short time ?
Was he to take the wind out of the sails of com-
merce—or, should he rather say, shut the steam
off its paddles and screws ? What remained, then,
for him to do but to ask them to bear with in-
telligent, with enlightened patience, the taxation of
their incomes for another year at the rate of six,-
tempenoe in the pound ? (Cries of BERKELEY and
to ; but had
PALMERSTON.) He knew what those cries re-
ferredhe taken advantage of a
pettifogging quibble, and would his noble friend
the Premier support him if he had done so ?
Had he said one word about the differ-
ence between signing
the Treaty and exchanging
the ratifications of peace ? Had he not shown

;hem their financial position, and called upon

them on that ground,
quibbles, to not on the ground of verbal
renew the Property Tax at its present
amount for another year ? (Cries of " Not the
Property Tax," and
"Go to Cocker.") At length

the Member for Salford rose, and, it being past 12
o'clock, moved that
" the debate be adjourned ;"
Mr. Wrudams adding, "for one fortnight at
least, to give time to the constituencies to express
their opinion a second time." (Hear, hear.)
The only magic which can reduce this our
vision to a mere vision, is that of universal public
meetings and petitions. Let Sir G. C. LEWIS
and his Premier but see what cloth we intend
to allow them, and they will not forget the
wine old proverb. We have borne the screw
pretty severely during the war; it is for us to put
the screw on our Government during peace. We
have entire confidence in their capacity to do
what they know they must do ; and equal confi-
dence in their determination to tax us as much as
we will let them, and spend all the proceeds when
they get them. To find the ways and means
without such inquisitorial,
extortionate, and 'unequal
taxes as the present Income Tax, is entirely within
their power; but they shrink from the trouble and
the loss of electioneering patronage. They will
do it if necessary to retention of office, or obtain-
ing a re-election at the impending dissolution of
Parliament. We repeat, therefore, the old advice
.—AGITATE, AGITATE, AGITATE.