The Sun.
London, England, 1845-03-19 00:00:00

rom,••••••••••10.1...... , . /Pam ....- . 0 to„
single line in the report that had been alluded to tbthatill•
out such a supposition. hut it wa, to be inferred from i,t the ili
health was aurible able to the state of the seoers, a"" the te
in which houses were built. He admitted, that if by told
moval of the tax, health could be secured, I:mastics
be desirable that there should be some et 06
in it. He trusted that the House would saal ef
upon itself that which vas the duty of the Executive, _O4 of
into a Committee for the purpose of discussing there
a tax which they could not effect. To repeal thew !"d be ids'
under the present circumstances of the country .05
possible; and although, therefore, he admitted that It_ ewti,
duty of Government to take the subject into their es,,piti
deration, he must resist the motion for a Committee to lea
into the subject. —( Hear.)
Captain ROUS explained. „etch twill
Captain PECHELL said a more convincing st be
that of the Noble Lord who introduced this motion r lad
never heard, and the Chancellor of the Exchetingeoteellts
wholly abstained from grappling with the -eht,,el
which that speech contained.—(Cries of " Hear'of steed
He would just show the House the number of cases
additiotot
against the window duty since the imposition of themes raj
ten per cent. in 1839—0 r rather, the number of .`; to s!"1
had been decided by the judges, for it was inapo,ol"l,o4 Sr,
certain the number of oases of appeal. In •c'..„4,,,doitt
Wales, the number of cases with respect to the ••':,beta'"
decided by the judges was 506. In Scotland the nuwdeeisire
231, making together, 738. In one case in Wales, the., 0111
was made to apply to forty-seven others, so that it..wThe die
impossible to know even the number of cams dectsleyt,o'i
judges. He thought this was sufficient gro Ind litesses°
mittee of inquiry. From 1831 to 1844, out of 1,1
..,,,olissi
appeals from the decisions of the Commissioners ii:at
of
assessed taxes, 412 related to window-chs'y. le ober
Bristol there was a considerable falling off in the &oger
e
windows, which must either result from cheating the.t;an d ,61,
of the Exchequer, or from a decline in the conch 'aid of 1
inhabitants. And the very same thing might be 1 ,000
condition of most of the principal towns In_fatbeel
—Liverpool, Leeds, and Hull among the 11" or
(Hear, hear.) In Scotland, lodging-houses Were_A 10134
with window duty, and the landlord was °bileOlt'
it, as in the case of Mr. Dunlop, of Ayr, quoted il,l,
..'...444,1,7e
book, who was brought under the 48th of eorge lII' and IP
elt
persons were assessed with window duty in 184304,'
rng l
increased charges of this description over the Prekce deli;
was 7,087. Several appeals had been made fromte ei, eaji
of the Commissioners, but, in most cases, these aPlons hr,
wholly unsuccessful. Two hundred and sixteen Pe bete s''
been imprisoned last year for assessed taxes, sonte.eosef t set*'"
an amount of tax not exceeding 4s. 4d. Many of tu ofebeo
were imprisoned fifteen months for this small aunt,
__,,fit co°..
still worse than the game-laws ; while the iroprisonst`eder the
not exceed three months, unless he was punished "oleo;
Stamp Act. In nine cases out of ten he thought h 1; bards
11 the
not fairly assessed. He called upon the " fanne,..ed for 0
to support the motion. In one case a farmer washer cloth
window of an out-house, because his wife washed h!r ebi,dll4l.
it. In 1844 a farmer was charged for a windovr Ihner isr?,7,
because he now and then used it as a larder. Anetuely g.lv-of
whose rent and tithe and land-tax amounted to b
...o.oesd
was taxed under this Act ; and there was a further,ubd 11_7;
a farmer being charged for a servant because Itilf 005 s
found cleaning his master's boots. This tax eOO dit loess
be continued—the writing was upon the wall, and
share the fate of ,those odious burdens which were ,'"
..ft
verge of abolition. take 01 :„ter
Sir CHARLES NAPIER would not oestitoebid
in the debate, but that he represented a large c Lord to
who felt strongly on the subject. The Nobl,elleeeed....o
made out a strong case, and one which e...,,e aere.Tree
fullest consideration, and he showed that the cc-oats° tali
were oppressed by it. He had got a few figures
read tette,
which might he relied on, and which he withwoula 6 tat
House. In Budd-street, Marylebone, a house
t.OOO
windows paid 4s. Bd. a window, being ten per eee a oin the
rental. In Henrietta-street, a house with eighteet alter
paid ss. 3d. a window, being ten and a half per ee" • d Tole
rental. In 13u1strode-mews a house Paid ten sionn 101 l
eighths per cent. upon the rental, whilst the In° psid tof
Duke of Newcastle, which had sixty-two windevcsand thsend
two and seven-eighths per cent, upon the rental,
ply 0104
Hertford House, rented at 2,0001. a year, paid„°,,b wergelgat
a half per cent. on the rental. The buildings wie.'"be thee„ald
affected by this tax were precisely those sallie.': lie 1"0011
ought to be most especially exempted from 11." ed to seir
take the case of the window-tax as aPP2 a eightAnek
dwellings, and he found that houses with less test,. win"
dow3 were free from this tax, but if they had ft -nooderead
if the occupiers were desirous of increasing tu'ead tilt this
their habitations by the admission of more light not or" pt.
were to add another window to their houses, theYiniooslieell
at an expense of 16s. 6d. per annum. The OPlo,tefr .to
. At nett, Dr. Guy, and Mr. Dolby, had all been rrifeelthiee't of
given in favour of some measure by which the The tfssioa
the habitations of the poor might be increased.
eated antot
those necessaries of life, as he might call them, crig thinks nos
mense mass of disease and suffering, and he sin'etbsf ti!eleala
the Chancellor of the Exchequer would conceive biesel- we's
a point far above any fiscal considerations. Thoshes poor ed.
men had stated that the habitations of t Which note
particularly unhealthy from the crevieesi.bese to be
mitted both the cold and rain. 'ose to
bat if
inconveniences which care might remedy, but ~., for goof'
done in the time of summer, when the neeee"'icbeese „oor,
light was largely increased, and still more, when fe, tee roll
took them, when that worst of all calamities 'Tolling. free
broken health, rendered their close and confined ~, thet..„ the
more insalubrious, when it was absolutely necessayt did 'did
air should pass as freely through their dwellings 55 and ILI
open air. He was anxious to provide for futurity,_r boos.-
not understand how the subject could be lightly w ,te
left. reef
s°
E. ELLICE said that he felt the serious gorist:bleb_ obi:
which the poor were exposed, but one of the le liontst of
particularly wished to bring under the notice of t d. 1110,
that of the hand-loom linen-weavers of Scetianiabt Wilstls
these individuals occupied houses which had e'a thel,o
groot
if not less. At the end of their dwelling.houeesoreP"
room or shop, which, like their dwelling-hoset tag
_, 11,1
from duty. These shops were almost always 13" .eoew-istiw
floor, and had a communication with their dwelling nooll3t die
order to render these shops or warehouses meretion 1‘1_:,,o0
they had generally made in them a communic!' aootea'-oore
highway : but the dust from the road and other in their bee
of a similar kind almost obliged them to destrosliterati!A
munication with the dwelling, houses ; but this I_, or e,:,0
the effect of bringing them under the tax. It wr,ere se,"oo
for this business, which required much light, thset.;., the'sod
be a window for every loom ; and he trusted therLii ealtibood
Chancellor of the Exchequer would consider l'elo Wept**
grant a remission of this tax to men whose 0" IRO objec
depended on the light of their dwelling-houses; _t the 5 ore
tured to say these few words, because he felt 0;0 talie
was one of importance, and that it affected ac eadoe
little able to help themselves.—( Hear, hear-) the isle° se"
Mr. HUME said that he was sorry to see f..., jot ole
with which the House treated this question. Tu °roof fe
most important, and he fit that a debt of gr.atitto_oll.
_for
the Hon. Gentleman for bringing this subject.S7o,o4o9lo
him, it appeared, it had been brought forward 5,S fittitkoir
tune period. The time, indeed, was parts
__ot e onte
Right Hon. Baronet at the head of the G"velle 09 •41e
troducing a change in the system of taxation.,..faeor; ra,l7-pk
as are that there must be a certain amount of r-rog, 01,i' or
and the Right Hon. Baronet appeared to be deb (bee ;esr.
ling those great sources of national wealth, wh'b he 31001
turers of the country provided. Yet, thonl
-"t the tePosid ,
that this amount must be raised, yet he thou 4101,;„ I. rosi.k-
. the better. The question mooted by the the Inr Idiot-
elicited information which had shufc° ele detantoe •
and unequal nature of this tax. In the adttill•s"the s,greeii;
the Right Hon. Baronet had braught before ~09•110 g
relieving the trade cf the courecey from manYwhee,afjor;tl,stre:
lations, there was much for, which gratitude
hoped in those alterations that it would not lie
a 0 5..11,0 lid
it was in the purity of the air in his dvrelliceritiog ;
the consequent state of his health, that the wee& lore of u"eit
pended. He (Mr, Hume) had been instruMfethe pres, P 5,
one part of the tax, and he should be glad 1,
_,,r actedal set
cuesion led to any arrangement whereby the PThe 00
means were saved from still further reductiotlsone pePsboispoe
Right Hon. Baronet the Secretary for the 140 hebioll,‘lto
would take this matter into account w“te ~ live lo
forward his measure for the health a t0_0,3,„,„i0. th 0,,,,,
founded upon the report of the gentleme, 't inqtlirle.:d.
make that inquiry. It appeared from ,that ,01,
vgros-„.
many eases, according to the evidence of ofte`loo tit s;i•
many families lived together in one apartlwel'ontaeled,%
floor. The consequence was that, in the
__. ot to
yip ,
which they were obliged to inhale after they wer, Incieatiele
rose in the mornine weaker rather than strengefor ree,,e 0,0
aspects of ghosts. 'There was no opportunt% thereleu'to 11;01
no chance of an alleviation of toil, and he w content I'lo
nished at the quietude and patience and ttherl:di sec' to
which these evils were borne. He thought thatte Peri itiegei,
had introduced this question at a most opPortuwla he lerl_led
trusted that her Majesty's Government we,. was e„0117.4.
grant the inquiry which he requested. I here „toy cforr,„
dente of the necessity for the inquiry. They II; give le:of Pr
large information, and there were others ready eidee. it 141,
tion if the House required it. They had tne,.. On pilhei
Arnott, Dr. Guy, and Mr. Dolby, Odd ''''seerealoneholi
peered that the artizans of 11141 an of the. ,ifroee
feeble and emaciated beings, hardly worthy,. ogle:et:loft
Englishmen. He, therefore, thought that it'aspeci.. ' 4,
largely affected all the inhabitants of towns, but
it eissZrae.te
termed artizans, was of singular importanee•but also Idesetwif
for them not only for the sake of enjoyments . their eridok
that they should have as much light and air 1" but 040 ollibe
places as possible. Money would go a long watY.l'ienetiPel the
would not provide for the poor man those, bad, d
rf
its'
were absolutely necessary. He (Mr. 11,"feeinally teaite„ele
last ten or twelve years, endeavoured ale was gibe n'os
country of this unfair and iniquitous tax. .
_tea by 'id be
fled that in the alterations which were ant"' Ron 000_.., t 5,
Hon. Baronet at the head of the Governroe.nr, 'et, fr.;, ee.i,
a wise portion of his plan to remove
athae
tlol9l:!.):oohdiveiatits;;
articles which were of the least value, n
pie with food and clothing. He was willilt:il' pa ritiood
of the unequal nature of thou tax. In t five iente:ll;dr
lebone, there was one e with 'thiriny:ow,tse
..a.iscni
Poland-street, on the rent of which thew . ",t, Sege at., ~e
to 161 per cent. There was another boos 1
lirreed tbe
r°
on which the window-tax amounted only t° _be ale boasetb,
on the Reform and Carlton Club-houses.
e. was le. 04,d
tentage was much lower than this. T 5,57. e.yesiter, coop
Cross-street, the rental of which was :. 94,--11 60,1 the
window-tax upon it amounted to 101. u7was l 0 of eor•
which was so glaringly unjust, that it alone, ou oof di
deuce of the oppressive and tinen?a_'_d of tbo.f joiLi
tax. The Right Hon. Baronet at the nee.
Heretics/100 !ib°
ment had a complete apparatus for the a_...uaity , 0040
taxation, and he thought that a pod oPP°,I! nuarreN, er,o
for the remission of this tax. He had head ea
late Chancellor of the Exchequer, and hr, goo.
!the ° el?'
for the removal of this tax; but that Rig tided all §lOl ti"
had had no money to spare. He had exl,..in onieareee per
cash in Syria—he had thrown it away 10 _kr his° ;0 P:rei
shells, so that perhaps there was good reason for fess overfed
the removal of the window-tax. BY e iS 00111 Se
mare-, ,0 10 4
No. 102, dated the 7th of -,_.,.b the • scot'', die'
that the whole amount of rental on wni.
oft to
elbieetpre;
amounted in England to 35,500,0001'' 1, ; "flafaed,lc
3,000,000!., making a total of 38,500,'''': lie belt Ore,fol
was raised a duty of 1,950,0001. Last '
estimated'eete;oolllritati
duced 1,600,000/., and this year it was ntleman 031°I pod
And he thought that if the Right Hon. Gce, the s°°t., i t 'l2l
this duty, and impose a tax on property 1 4 per eceref"jejee'
in the pound, which was equal to above.
_.t 00 Pi_ tote trod
not only enable him to remit this duty, D!": 0 0311CP cOO jel'
deficiency in the surplus in which he seenroe.R.L.odo oielekibtf',
By this tax a premium was offered t. , fl_euith as ri'.eia
..,,,,,01
houses with as little means of comfort and I:re _d of ft he nee
munity from taxation was to be the re
mind,
. sot
ligas,ble
Now the whole of that evidence went to On', tOtthe blirod
the Right Hon. Gentleman to bear it in fulWupon.. jiveoil
air produced the most beneficial efferthe °vs' fhefof tij
classes, and it was, there:ore, a matter o
~
,stw,
,t,;00
sags
that both should be liberally supplied n toittin:aiter ;ew; 'id,
now living in a time of change, a d L,,,nerteltb aftsiil,
window-tax would be a change of the rne",bo bel r< is t 9
It would produce a most salutary effect 001;101 tbeor to, fief
lions—an effect which he (Mr. Hume) he,inuallee tnentio(
of no other tax would bestow. The eon' Goeerl.l..ael„borl)
was opposed to all the pledges of the late late Card Pie
(Mr. Hume) remembered, and the 18' 1,000,0
00 tie
the Exchequer might also remeruheirs'as 11"1 it 'l/ 011'
stating in that House that he was as sensih
ed tbst.t, °Ow
unequal pressure of this tax, and he conceiva_end i_ veto.
intention of Government to considtrab:Y 'moo lot r
not blame the Right Hon. Gentleman "PP. hit
these pledges, but ho did certa `ill hlalll`