The Sun.
London, England, 1850-02-07 00:00:00

EQUALIZATION OF THE LAND TAX.

Yesterday, at one o'clock, a deptation of gentlemen,
comprising delegates from several mtteopolitan parishes,
nominated Lir the purpose of obtaining an equalization
of the land-tax, waited upon the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer, by appointment, at his official reaidenno in
Downing-street, with the view of urging upon the con-
sideration of the Government-' a more equable arrange-
ment of the above impost.
The deputation, which was accompanied by ,General
De Lacy Evans and Mr. Char/ea Lnshington, the Mem-
bers for Westminster, was composed of delegates from
the following districts:—The Liberty of the Rolls, St,
Paul's, Covent-garden; St. Andrew's, Holborn; St. Ce-
ment Dano3; St, Mary•le-Strand; St, Anne's, Soho;
St. James's' Clerkenwell; Christchurch, Newgate.
street; St. Saviour's, Southwark; and St. Stephen's
Walbrook.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer was accompanied by
Mr. John Wood, the Chairman of the Board of Inland
Revenue.

Mr. MILLER, of the Chancery Bar, acted as the spoke:-
man of the deputation, and showed the excessive ine-
quality of the present tax, and urged that if no
,general
measure could be brought forward, the Government
ought at leabt to remsly the present defective state of
the law with regard to the mode of assessing the tax.
The CHANCELLOR I f the EXCHEQUER in reply said, that
as to the general equalization of the land tax, that was
too large a question for him to express an opinion upon,
particularly after the manner in I. hich the tax had been
dealt with at the time the Redemption Acts were passed,
Mr. Pitt having treated the quotas then fixed as
perpetual, k ()cause the Government wanted money
fur war purposes. With regard to the partial
relief sought, it did not appear to him that the party
who appeared in the Holborn division had executed all
the remedies given to him by the Act, and he con-
sidered there was no valid reason fur coming to Parlia-
ment for fresh powers until that had been done. In
Lord Ayleef)rd's case, referred to in Mr. Wood's evi-
dence before the Agricultural Committee in 1830, it
was laid down that it the Commissioners did not meet
together and make an equal rate, a power was given to
apply to the Court of Exchequer in order to compel
them to do so.

Mr. MILLER said that with regard to the remedy sug-
gested by the Chancellor against the Commissioners,
the point had been considered by the most eminent coun-
sel, all of whom had advised that the decision of the
Commissioners was fit.al, and that the parties appealing
were without remedy.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer made no further
obte .vation on the subject ; and the deputation, aft.er a
few moments' hesitation, retitel from the Minister's
presence.

INDIAN RIVER STEAM NAVIGATION.---A party of
gentlemen were assembled yesten'ay evening to dinner
at the London Coffee-hou,e, Ludtte-bill, whose in-
terests are enlisted in carrying out a project for the es-
tablishment of steam navigation upon tt e rivers of India.
The author of the project is Mr. Bourne, a civil engi-
neer, who has male the accomplishrrelt of the proposed
end the subject of especial and carpful study. Owing to
t to peculiar character of the Indian rivers, which in the
dry sf a:on become ext-emely shallow, and full of shoals
sod satalbAnks, insurmountable difficulties are opposed
to the introduction of steam navigation by ordinary
methods. Mr. B )urne has, howev, r, devised a system
by which these obstacles can be surnaounkd, and the
rivers rendered navigable at any season of the par..
fie proposes to use a train cf flat-bottomed barge, arti-
culated to etch other by circular joints, and drawn
through the wat-r by a rte amen, by which means a
considerable cargo can Le conveyed at a good speed,
and with a draught of water so small as to meet all
the exigencies of the minimum depth obtained during
the dry se tson The chair was occupied by
Mr. J. M'Gregor, M.P. After the usual loyal and pa-
triotic toasts, the important *object of the evening was
introduced, and the advantages of the intended pr(ject
were IN armly and ele quell:ly, supported by Mr. Byrne,
late Deputy-Governor of Bengal, Mr. Duncan, M.P.,
Sir John Campbell, and Mr. J. 0. Walker. The entire
absence of any constant and efficient means of commu-
nication was held cut at the great evil under which
India suffered, and by which its almost unlimited re-
sources were crippled in their development; and it was
urged that, should the present scheme come into opera-
tion, the exchange of our manufactured goods against
the cotton and other products of the interior of India
would speedily receive a rapid impetus. Towards the
close of tke proceedings Mr. Bourne, upon his health
being proposed, entered into a detailed statement c f the
various features of his proposed system cf navigation,
which was listened to with marked interest and spprobs-
tiff. The meeting altogether was a most satifilsctory
one, and the strong argument; elicited in ftvour of the
proposed scheme were such as to give every hope that
it would ero lung receive a fair trial.

RAILWAY BILLS ON STANDING Oepens.--Yester-
day, tLe inquiry into the case of the North Kew, Conti-
nuation Company was concluded, and the Bill on the
several points of non-2empliaoce rererred to Vie Select
Committee on Standing Orders. Since the comm.-I/ce-
ment of the inquiry the promoters have intinisv.d th. it
intention to abandon that portion tf the proposed rail-
way diverging at Rochester, and terminating if, junction
with the South•Esstern Railway at Maidstone. The
standing orders were declared to be complied with in
the following cases:—Lancashire and Yorkshire Rai'-
way, who propose to alter their tollF, and to receive 61.
for express and first-class passengers, 4d. for second-
class, and 23. for third-class; the south Yorkshire, for
abandonment of part f railway; the Shropshire Union
Railway for 'abandonment of Newton to Crewe and
Chester, and Wolverhampton lines; reduction Lf capital
and power to lease to London and North-Western; the
Bill Lf the Caledonian and Dumbartonshire Railway for
relinquishment of tart of works, restriction of capital,
with power to the Edinburgh and Glasgow to hAd
shares, was withdrawn. Consequent, on the result of
the Caledonian Railway remt:ng, reported in our co-
lumns yesterday, the Bill of the Scottish Central Rail-
way, to lease their undertaking ti the Caledonian and
London and North-Western Railways, was adjourned.
About 130 out of the total number of 137 Bills on stand-
in.;, orders are now disposed of. - _

Ss h a nblece
rit D:reatN,
at Bed
a emanxcitenmmdeent
Edmund Francis Hunt, who destroyed his own life and
that of his child, a little girl two years and a half old.
TLe utfortunete man was a plasterer, about thirty-seven
years of age, living in Cornwall-terrace, \Valcot street,
and his house abuts upon the river Avon. He was a
steady, italustricus man, and bad been in the service of
his master upwards of twenty years. His wifa, how-
ever, has several times been convicted of shoplifting, and
the poor fellow in consequence has undergone much
mental suffering. Upon the last occasion of his wite's
delinquency becoming known, three or fair months ago,
he declared that it ever she so disgraced him again he
inwgas home,sgttin haeppt was
e
should be induced to destroy himself. On Saturday
wash
irse twu
irfn
hended for shoplifting.
icfohr tin e d last,
b yas
at hn ee deceased
ighbou
He hastened home, took his
rthat
favourite child out of bed, and was seen no more alive.
On the Sunday morning the river was dragged, and the
body of the ill:fortunate man wag pulled up about fif y
yards below his own house. His arms were f ,lded over
se,hitlhdembuosdtyhabeveinbironn
his chest as if embracing something. The eater was
swilled
eflush
out at( f thheer time,httbatned, tatrl
Monday discovered in the river eighteen miles below the
spot where the sad catastrophe happened.
returned a verdict, " That the deceased
„, under t t,orary
has been committed on the charge of
as
hanoedivntri:f.d7.l.
on
e:Td.
hh ee himselfjwu irfy e
whilst labouring
LOCK HOSPITAL, ASYLUM, AND CHAPEL.—The
anniversary dinner of this charity was held jest rday
evening at the Landon Tavern, 'his RO3O Highness the
Duke of Cauubridee in the chair. After the usual foists
had been duly honoured, the Rev. A. Garnier read the
report, from which it appeared that the number of pa 7
tients who during the year had received care at the hos-
pital amounted to 741 (414 of these being in-patients),
making an aegregate, from the first opening of the insti-
tution in 1747, of 58,420 patients who h•tve been cured,
The financial prospects tf the charity have at last as.
aumed a somewhat more hopeful aspect. Tte receipts
of the 3 ear have fallen short o' the t xpenditure by nearly
900/.; c`, inasmuch as this debt is the acenuauletien of
former year', and has been reduced upon that which
stood aAttinst the hospital a year ago, by about 4tlo/,:the
time is net, it is hoptd, far..distant when the'ekar ty4ift
enjoy all its former prosperity. The report having been
read, the healths of the various officials were drunk; aed
at about ten his Royal Highness left the chair. 13vtweea
700/. and 8091. was collected at tho dinner,