The Sun.
London, England, 1816-03-07 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

The Shoft-lifting Bill went through a Conirnittoe, after
nettle obserVations between Sir S. RotuillY nod Mr, LucLhart.
Report to-morrow.
'l'llet.ltevtniite on the Cenvention with America was post-
roue(' to•tltis nay se'orright.
Mr..101-INSON presented the Financial Accounts of Ire-
iand.—Orderid to lie un the table.
Mr. Iledgion, from the Customs and Excise presented an
Account of the number of Quarter. of Barley made into llalt
during the bat yenr.—Ordered to lie on the table.
Sir W. STEWART presented a Petition frost Wigton, pony-
ing for Itelief from the Distre‘nes tinder which Agriculture ht
bowed, particularly front the heavy 'rases whicloffect&rl the
Varmere. such as the Malt Duty, am.—ltead, and ordered to
lir on tie table.
PETITIONS AGAINSI"rHE PROPERTY TAX.

• Mr. HARVEY presented a Petition from the Ale.
Itonse-keepers and PublicanS of Norwich, pray.
ing
,relief from the Excise Act
rot' last Session ;
but.they did not wish such Act to be continued
and the Property' Tax abandoned, because the.
bitter was on those who were better able, to pay,
and beeaminthe licence duties were severe. .As
to the Property Tax, the Hon. Member said, be
might approve of the measure if it Wrre made a
Real 'Property, not on Income Tax ; but as to
'the pledge of Patliament, the whole nation did
soppOse, tliot the Tax waft to he abandoned at. the
coochtsion of the war. If such opinion. were er.
roncons, it was an error that pervaded the whOle
cation ; and under suet> circumstances, as wai
the general observation, lie thought-the feeling
,-;iff the country ought to be attended to.—lle
isloodd not give any pledge to vote against the
Property Tax—he Should wait to hear the modi.
fieot ions of the Chancellor of the Exchequer—bot
NV iihout it Was made a Property Tax only, with
favourable trroditicationct-, he should not support
the Bill.r-,Ttead, and ordered to lie on the table;
Mr. MaTnUEN presented a Petition from, the
Farmers of btycock, Wilbhire, against the Pro.

•
Merry Tax in particular, the prtitimaeis thinking
in common will) the rust of hi 4 Majesiy's aitb.
jectq, that Pailiantent plvi!..getl 141 abandon the
Tax at the end of the mar.—Read, and ordered 10
.lie on the takile. •

Sir W. GSA/4Y presented a Petition. from Chat.
bam, cou6lied in similar language. The 110 n.
Baronet took the occasion to obserYe .that lie

could no longer support 3 Melt*Ure Wilk/111M ne•
ceikities of the war alone authorised. When he
supported it there was'a heavy.war, and it ,would
hAve,been impossible to raise the amount by loan,
except tinder the gzeatest disadvantage; but as
theAteressities of that crisis, nolonger csiited, he
phoold do all in his power to resiht the cow itio:t-
tioti of the Property Tax. Read, and ordered to he
on the table.

Sir C.
,PDOLIC. presantea q retition from .Ply.
tiintith, also against the Property Tax. !Wad,
anti orclerei4 to lie on the talkie.

Mr. SUGLIVAN presented Petition from Marl-
borough ,agajust the Property Tun; the peti.
(loners viewing it as a war measure only. Read,
orileietl to lie on the

Sir G. CLARKE presented a Petition 4041 Mitt-
IDthian against the Property ,Tax.
Mr. ilortxua bore testimony to the respect-
rbility the petitioners, and was assured that
they really laboured under' great distress.
Sir G. (:11AllKg admitted the CarreCtileSS Of this
represgutation, hut deemed it right tomb!, that
rrom the best consideration whicli he had been
enabled to give to the subject, he was of opinion
pat the :Is:( ought to be continued ; that it was
the best resource which could be resorted to un-
iler the existtru necei,sities of the country. #ead,
Awl or(lcrad to lie on the table.

--,
Mr. voiTotst presented a Petition, from Dar-
,
Pam, lie stated that the Petition wasfrota those
called climorous by the Noble Lord (Cas►lereagh),
And being in a most economical mood, and critic.
ing on ignorant impatience of the burdens of taxa-
tion, they humbly prayed a discontinuance of the
Property 'fax. Read, and ordered to lie on the
table.

Lord W. RUSSELL presenterl a r etition frp-ru
litAllorcl, against the renewal of the'Property Tit)f
tulai,o.y form. Read, and ordered to Lie on tae
General V?tuatrsorr preseuted a Petition from
Ile town of Uysart against the Property Tax, ;14
once impolitic and oppressive. item!, awl or,
ilerefl to lie On the table.

Mr. W. 111.1,toTT presented a Petititm from P.:.
ferboroligh against the Property Tar. Read, Awl
ordered to lie on the table.
Mr, CALenoT presented a Petition from Wart.
lino, with a similar prayer. Read, and ordered
to lie on the table.

liord NUGIVNT presented a Petition from Ayles-
bury against the Property Tax,, ante setting forth
other grievances. His Lordship stated, that he
entirely:agreed in the principle of his constituents'
petition, as well as its prayer; with them, he
kid that .it was most sminst, unconstitutional,
sad _inquisitorial; and that, from the large mili.
eery estshlishments now proposed to be retained,
there would be no occasion for the Income and
Property Tax. Read, and ordered to lie on the
table.

Lord NWGelils presented another Petition from
the same part of the country, namely, the parish
91 Aston-Abbots, against the Property' and In-
come Tax, and the Peace Bstablisliment. Read,
end ordered to lie on the table._

~..Sig' G. Hnkrucore presented a Petition from
the Esrruers, Uraziers, StOn the County of Lint!

land,.compiaining'generally of agricultural dio.
tress, and praying relief from heavy taxatian..-•
lie attrilmted the late high prices of corn-to the
great issues of money—issues which had now ne-
cess rily-heen con-tailed, thereby occasioning much
of the distress experienced by fariners..These
tlis-
tresses would he aggravated by continued heavy
taxation ;
_taxation only requited to keep up large
military establishments, which, however improper
uot....e.Jacith the
.retition
ers, proceeded from alleliberate-design to over-
throw the Constitution. Heitkewise condenined
the language of a Noble Lord (Castlereagh) on a
former evening, it tending not only to Chortle-
Cerise the> e W.h6 presented Petitions as fact `oils
and seditious., but to destroy petitioning Ethnic-
titer,

Mr. SWAN said this, Petition resulted front a
few:landholders,. not from a comity' meet ing, and
that signatures were obtained by mt belief that it
Was to obtain relief front all taxation.
Mr. yrNL,,yobi&ved, that he could not con-
ceive why the Government should desire to keep
up the funds; which was the assigned reason for
not resorting to a lotti, when it was the interest
of Government that they should be low, that the
nathMal debt might be more easily pelt, off He
thought it wommld be more advisable to raise
6,000,0001. by loan, rather Oar, by a tax on pro-
perty. •
Sir C. Mostcx said, the Petition slid Not par
port to come from the county—it was shoed to
be the Petition only of the undersigned persons;
Sir G. Nom. thought it was the duty or the
tionce. to rutin thg.._PtAtticm, . although it m'ght
not come from the county. They had only to res
snit what was. very foolish or improperly °bumbl-
ed. The Petition did not particularly name the
Property Tax; but"he thought, at all'events, that
eonsitlerabie modification of the tax was absolutely
necessary.
Lord RANCLMPR (we believe) said there might.
bysiome very cogent reason for this Petition not
having resulted from a Comity Meeting, as in
many initauc.es time most abominable inflocitee had
been exerted to prevents meetings for the purpose
of voting Petitions. against the Property Tax
Such was the •fact in the case of the Mayor of
Leieester, he having reloSed to call a. Meeting
upon a Requisition, because it desired the Meet-
ing for the porpose of voting a Petition against
time Tax ; but the difficulties to the men which
induced this proceeding Might bc solved, tt hen, he
st.ited that such Mayor was the receiver for • time
County.
Mr. PtcxeNsotkr, to show the severity of the
existing inceleiif levyinc. the Tax, instanced the
Case of a Mr. Taylor, who 4tateil Iry setter to the
Ctidunissioners of Taxes, his inability to pay the
'Tax at the time desired, requesting suspension of
the flitch:ever process with which he was 'threat-.
By, time Crimmioioners lie was referred to
the Chancellor of Excimeqii,,:r, Who, After an-
swering one letter, referred Taylor back to
the CommissiOners, The Commissioners replied, 1
that they Ohl not feel authorised by tbe.Act of
Parliatnent to grant the relief prayed for. lie
then applied to the Chancellor of the Excheqoer,
who referred hint to the Commissioners at the
Taxes, lie wrote. a second time to the Right
lion. Gentleman from whom. no farther answer
bad:been received.
The'Cnaticsumx of the.ExCiisaoatt stated, in
justification of the Commissioners, who had al-
ways fulfilled their duty with impart hutity and jus-
tice, shut the circumstances described by the lion.
Person, respectiug the estate, did not come with-
in the-prOeisions of the Act. The lion. Gentle-
man bad then, a **and time, epplied to 143,
siring further information ; to this, be confessed
be had not thongh(bimself bound to answer, as
his first letter hats! appeared in a Morning Papte:
Ile sioitild now advert to what the Member for
Olasgow had stated respecting the Property Tax.
That ilomt. Gentleman.had taken rather a narrow
view of the Origin of that Tax. It was not in

ord e r• to raise Loins on betty rterms,
,that Mr, Pitt,
Loril Sidmontb, and Lord LIMIdOW.IIe .bad recant,'
4nended the adoption of that meaiure„bnt 'beelike
they thonght Oita the acenrimmlatiOn':of'debt
nu repeated lontii, woitid, at, lait,,Wear,out the
resourees of the country, and they wished to make:
the country pros*, yearly for itir'own 'eXpendk
nad:not that .111SaStire been carried into
execution, the,l7o: millions which it had produced
in the concse.of the tear, would be united to the
public debt, anti an additional Permanent Ttoia.'
Lion of eight or ten millions -would he impusid
the , Before the Sinking Fond and • the
krop, rty all
.the Taxes bad no
But hour did the country stand now, compared
with the mipdgthe tinnier peace? Levu at
thi Dit,incnt thp,(;9usolitlated Fund yielded a
larger surplus than It possessed u hen the COO
iniftee of 17p t: had made their report. We bad
then a Sin! ing Fund of one million Only. We
bed unw one:, of 2,600,060 A., anti nother ha.
proving Sinking Fond of I l ;000,0001. Yet the
001130 were told that the prolperity of the mein%
try %yea to decay the
that and of ftitariiy;
lie did not pretend to knowany:thing, but he was
Only certain that tip to the 2d of March; there
had been no diminution of .the public rarenue.--;,
Hu ~also of opfniOtt' that of all imposts, that
Which kid the least tendency to decrease the value
of thecircutating medium, was the Property Tax.
Mr. 11AlliNGT0N vindicated the Mayor of
rester from the charge brought against him. 1-Ic I
lied consulted witbhis brother Magistrates, hefOre
he had refused the first requisition presented to
ihn, anti the grOutitl. On which he had'refrised • it
was, that. it required a meeting to condemn, not
to iorestiFete the measure. He had replied, that
be.felt it 111COIiiStetit with his pOblic duty to call
a meeting, to: embody the feelings Of one class of
men only.. Another requisition, properlTworded,
had then heed sent to that very Mayor, who had
thencalled u wetting, and the
.subject had been
discussed. lie thought it -would be. better for
Oentitmen if they did giot canvass the conduct Of

persons in the country, wttkoat first inquiring
into tilt corrects-legs at reports, and the reality of
facts.

mr. BEAM tbod, notwithstanding the explana•
tion given by his Hon, Friend, thought that the
objection made by the Kayor to the firs: requiw
sition, was rather a sort of special pleading, to
delay if not to defeat. the abject. He should al-
lude to soother CitSC, nut uosjulilac. it Inett-takca

place in n city, which, though it contained up-
wards of 100,000 inhabitants, had no representa-
tivein that House. He meant the city of Man-
chester.. A requisition, signed by one hundred of
the most respeetable inhabitants of thatatface,blid
been presented to the -Borough-Reeves; who bad-
delayed their answer till a cOunter-requisitiOn was
set about. They they 'dated, that having received
two contradictory requisitions, although they did
not say.hy—wiimui tite_ltat was—siguesl, ..they_were
of opinion that it -teas not proper to call any
Meeting w loiterer. Thins was one of the most con-
siderable cities in the kiegdom prevented from ex-
..
pressing its opinion 'ngeitist the Property Tax.
Lard CASTE,KaKAOI-1 peoteSted eganeit the sys-
tem adopted by the Hon. Gentleman, to canvass
the conduct of persons in the country on slight
.grounds„ The character of a. worthy, individual
would have been most seriously it jered this even-
ing, bed trot an I lon.. MeMber beeo'fOrintiattly
possessed of such iiitormatic,n as proved the
tharges union,nded. It would be a caution to tbe
House not to give ear to the llon. Gentleman.—
(Hear, bear, from .the Opposition.) If the sys-
tem of running down individuals in this manner,
was adopted, it would intrethice art idea in the
minds of the people, that Parliament was not dis-
Posed to receive the petitions cif the subject with
the respect to which they were entitled. He
should now advert to what bed taken place at an
earlier stage of the debate. - His Right Hon.
Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer bad last
night stated., the principle of the modifications
which he tiliould propose in the Property Tax,
to relieve the pcopie—(llear, hear, and a laugh
on the Opposition really kneW of no-
thing so ill received on the °thee side of the House,
as the prolanal of any indulgence to the public—
(Hear, bear !),—They tee.eteed to vie* with regret
every thing tvhieh tended to lighten the Tax—
(Hear, hear!) —lle did trot consider it important
ferthe winding rip of the exnences 'of the war,
flier tie payments under the Propitly Tax shouhi
bk. made dorieg•the two years that the impost was
inlet retained. • Three, four,- or even five years
Might he allowed for that. parpose, withont any
imam vet-Oilier to the public service, as Eachetnier
Rills 'Might be. issued to, he met by the produce
I;ie TaN as it should. be collected. Much relief
would he extended to the subject in this manner,
cis tia If as by some regulation in the issue of Ex-
ehetpier Processes. He thought it' his duty to
fernase the Gentlemen opposite"of .any, important
•
hot on whidt he intended to argue when the dis-
cns4ion on the 'Property Tax 'sloitild commence;
that they Might look at it and prepare. any
lreninents their 'ingenuity might suggest to con.-
trovert it. The part of the question to which
this feet, would apply, was that which' lied been.
Ragtime(' with 33 much energy by it Right Pon.
Gen t lentaiconposite,:that to continue the Property
Tax in peace, would be to commit a breech -b1
public faith, even if it were to wind up theet-
penses of the war.. He would shew that in at,
tempting to clamotir down this Tax,- that Hon.
Gentleman had only deprecated the conduct,othis
own friends. He had thus volunteered against his
political friends, and given him
.(Lorct C ) ad-
vantage .which he did not seek, He shottid now
proceed to'eatablish the filet, that in. passing and
augmentieg the on Property as a War TeX,
the Gentlemen opposite had not conceived them-
selves precluded in good faith to centinne it in
time of peace. Iti the Table B, 2d ne. the Plan of
Finance, brought forward by the Chancellor of
the Exchequer auttler'llteAdministrafi4u of Lard
Grenville, , it would he seen that -Minister pro,
ceeded.on the supposition, that thewouotry might
be carried through the war at expenditure of
thirty-two millions, per annum. The calculation
was in itself so fee wrong, {bet since Ow period
the expenditueenfabeemintrylead not, been under
52 millions. The Tonne tvl4clii would be necessary
Were to be mortgaged on the War 'I axe, not bit
the Prnperty Tint aldee—(Hear, bear, 'front the
Opposition), but on the War Texes'genCeallyt,.
They were then eStiniateil et nearly 20 miilions;
their amount being 19,800;0001. SUpposing that
ein bad-been adapted; anti the, yeerly expefe:i.
titre tO have been 32 millions, the velitale of tile
War-Texts; including the Property-Tax, wotdd
have been 'exhitusttld 'and nuartgaged in thc yelir
1819 ; anthlts, the- expenditure lad been annually
52 instead of 34 millions, :the whole ,of tirnie
taxes-.would have been mortgaged in 1815. The
Chancellor. of the Exeltetiuer of the day had cer-
taiely said, that if the war lasted only seven .years
the Property Tex would not be mortgaged ; but
4hat was not saying ,it should tint in case the War
should lest, and in fact it liadlasted !anger, On
the contrary, it roust then have . been mortgaged
with, the rest, and by this very plate the Noble
Lord (the preseet Marquis trLansdtawne) TCCO,,;.
tilsed that although the Act Was to expire with the
war, yet if the war continued more than seven
yeara, if must ihstre'the rate 'of the other taxes.
This should he tlimenssed nn a future occasion
(Hear, liene hear I frmn the Opposition). He
wished the House. to go to the bottom of it,
(Hear,' hear.l)•,-.4lad -that Noble Lord's plan
been, adopted,- when An - 1819-all the War Taxes
and the Property Tax should have been absorbed
by mortgage, the country would have remained
without any resource hut thesuiplus of the Con-
:siolicleted Vaud, Now, it not only enjoyed the
'surplus of the Ftind in an ireprovedstate, but it
bad a revenue of six millions out of thoie very
WaeTaXes that would have beenabsorbeil by the
Measure. 'He-would argne'that never had te prin.
,ciple been more solemnly recognised-than that 'all
war taxes, including the Property -Tax, would be
mortgafed, and that there was no Parliamentary
incapacity to effect ,that object. ,
Mr. Beat/9141i, in explanution, Said, that the
apple of ditoord had been very ingeniously theaWn
out by the Noble ! !)
Mr. W;Witae Ng had dembtediiis own cars when
be beard'the Noble Lord Speak of art Intention to
Mortgage the Peoperty 'Pak ; Pertleularly as in
the cable entitled to by time -Noble Lord, it was
-expressly stated, -that no case could be'so bad as
not to admit of the Property Tax being done
iv/0y et the each of the war. In fact, that Ad-
ministratiop had always _intended that the Tax
should cease at- the end of the war. In order to
du away any idea of 'a mortgage, the War Taxes
nn the Customs and Excise had, in the table, been
changed into duties, in the conduct of that Ad-
opisttatinu treat
!lei:11)m no inconsistency. He

(NIrL W.) had, in time of war, voted for the sus•
pension of the Habeas Corpus Act. Could be be
accused of inconsistency, if he refused to give *
similar vote in time of peace He begged leave
to call upon the Chancellor of the Exchequer,
who had been connected with that Administram
tion, to explain their views upon the subject.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER rose, in
consequence of the appeal made to him. The
_question of continuing the Property Tax in time
of peace had been a question, -with the Noble
Lords at the .hcad of that Adtilinistration, of ills-
Cretilib 'and expediency, and not -of good 'faith'.
The ProPerty"Tax must necessarily do 'away wat
tasei, and if •it , were -applied to pay off•dihlol
sinking fund equal to the interest of that' (At
trust he established. The Right Hon. Gentlectltta
reitt severel extracts from Table A'. it) cOriiibe4
ration ot his views.
Mr. Poxsoser thought the Right lion' 66:*
detnan had been unhappy in his eiplanatien.
Matt not been the opinion of thc-Nohle LOH
"dt till
head of the Administration of 1806, that'any Pit
of the,Propeny Tax might he mortgaged in din*
of peace but the words of the table were,'that
if any part of the Property- Tax4houid be mot..
gaged, the whole might be redeemed, in one Fear,
of peace. The Right Hon. Gentleman then "":
verted to big having been said to
himself. from his friends, from not ItorittC"te(
with them fur the Property !nal never!
separated himself from his ft iends, and neverr°-
wben be incut.
so high in his own estimation; as
r he qnestio!
red the censure of the Noble Lord.
Was, as to the opinion of Parliament on this Ant,
ject, and as to the opinion of the.rountry rove a
The Noble Lord
big the confine of Parliament.
had spoken of a feature of clamour, expressicia
he had not the good fortune to comprehend. o.
Mr. DaaiNG thought the argument f
0_ the
hie Lord had been comPletely refuted, and e,e,i
Juiteweperateni
tt
if just, went to show that there had been a plan
of a war system for seven years, Without eneraatil
init.; on the Property Tax. The, plan itself slmv",
that fOr seven years, nottliog was to be plcilgo.o
and that the Property Tax' could not be tooebedi
might hare been continued. He
Had:the 'tax actually been mortgaged, Piet' la
have beard at It meeting where he bail been 11',,e
day, the manner in which the conduct
Chancellor of the Exchequer h. id been h0°(1.1% g
ns he respected the' private. character-of the it,kig
Boni. Gentl man.. • The attempt made byethe,f
ble Lord at racrimination, could he no Justi"e7,‘
tion of his own conduct, even-, bad it been
•I"*.',
cessful, much less when it had wholly failed•"":1
AdMitting 'that a case bad been made out, s"
the Noble -Laird noght too have bowed to the
nimous 'voice 'of the country. -
„ tt.4
Mr.lATTLlrrote was of 0 • that
potion
Wag sorry tt
tier of the Noble Lord of late had either been
respectful in the highest degree to the -House, or
he had shewn a sort of levity, which in a quesiiil:
of
.otrensive, and ought to be resisted by
such moment as the Property Tax, was
He conceived the commercial classes of the coo"
try to be sotfering.ahnost Ils. much as the agr,.`°,l:
turn! interest he had lately received a lefter
one of the e;tizens of Ate city of Worcester, statue
hilt that a requisition bad been sent to the 141Y:itr;
to eeilra meeting oft the
subject of the
Tux, which would be. held next k
wee k• Ott
co'tnt of the severe indisposition of ona ii"l-r
up, he
Reproetitatives, and the absence of _
bad been requested 'to state this to the House• IW
fell within his knOwledge 'that 'the City 'of "W"f:
rester Wes at present 'suffering as grievously a.
enteret,
any other pert kindom.-- He no‘i
protesthis against the House. passing defy
lotions respecting .the 'Property Tax for tj'ef
the country.
weeks. The reason why the.city and :county 0,
Worcester hathnot met sooner to 'petition,
that they never • conrci.eelf the Tax would hays
persisted, in after.such solempLprofessiSng
were contained in" the Speech from the Dirac:
but .fityliug.thernselves' it last delmfeci, they ,n;e.,ret
%Vitt) is little ttelay posiible.
now about to express an npittion on the kh!l
Lord-Ckitt.tar*Ou denied that he had
deeialned.the exertiOns of -the country; 'end,
he ever Shettrift leVity, wayonly in commentiog
freely upon the condoet.of,the tientlentenliPP°4
site,: this was the only Course. he could puteul
the.bes.t,mode otmeeting the reptoachei,l9 w_„"4
they were too much 41, the habit of ituluigtOt;',._ •
. Lord-MILTON replied to. the`ohservatious
everani.
of
goble:Lord (Ca,ilercagh)., trld defeatle'
ciple s acted on by the laie AdministratiOn..,
Thortgli the -CbrionistiOirerS under the Penttlir
Tex-were; as Was stated by the 'Right t.':Hun'
Heinen, volunteer-agents, yet, if the tag-svgsonli"
e
dotted, he would not loe.lik'ely to have.the .ttesis
arte.of persons of this description. jrler 1"1,:e:
thovity to say, .that. several.Gentlenren>
Commissioners under the presetit.Aei,: halt dee"J.,
ed their determination not
_to act, under the °" •
it it should be carried. ,„
• Mr. MAXIMA? declared his' fixed
_opinion
that. the Property Tax ought not, nutler the Pre,:
sent cjecumstances of the country,
.to be con.tn.ti
tined The .tax ought to be kept as a sort Of
public must know, that in any,
of .deMercation between war peace, as t
it. TM/it be revived. He mast-say, that Minister'!
were entitled to the gratieride of the country, or;
the way in which they bad brought the wAr I`,
such a-glorious conclusion, and `she trusfeti'fl
would listen to the voice of their- friendi-atut:6.
new alarm of W",
eason, and abandon the tax, which toulif antoll"
be most 9ppressively felt in, such a-time •of unc"
erupted distress.-
-:„,,,1 the
Mr. CARTWRIGHT hail always oonst,t,-.--
Income 'fax as a war tax; but he .thought. it 11" -
h
war"; and. from what he lied heard from the.: ~
Cessary now, for I.vindiag up the eXpen C
ces 'of
alnc
eellor of the' Exchequer of his intention of,fiTv!`'Se
relief to the agOcultitral, interests, be reasl'fi.;l;
nion it would be much mine' °
beneficial t
A.
• -1, We 1,
country titan raising the supplies by selostii
woold'atfect the puhliccredit„by
Mr. Thom ?sox. was of opiniOn,tl)4 -the
.e 4)
.t
nuance of the Tax would be a--great oriprooill.'
the country r while a Loan,of live 01'.113k.
tzt
intend of:depressing, wnald_ raise the fottli'," ss
support the • public. credit. The issue 'OfItA
qner Bills, on the contrary, would deprel3-
nt to,tv
funds. It was the duty of the Governing bug
ising the
Ina,
tare the country under its present distress t`
the conduct of Alinisters raised suspiciour

~.
.r..

spina that, ti tre,was more.4lllml the certain than
met the alit.' The Country' Bankers, .iron; their
'wish to relieve the people, hail brought themselves
into inextricable ditheulties. 'rhe 4ight Hon. Gent,
had said that this Tax would compel the miser to '
pay like a gentleman ; but he cotild tell' hint that
there were misers in his part of the• country who
Avoidd not pay like gentlemen, (Laughter.). Tito,
would pay no
.Property Tax;andwould only lend
their mimey at an enormous interest, which the
distressed borrower was obliged to. pay; He
would put it to, the Ministers, after all the. dis-
tresses the country had undergone. whether it was
not their duty to relieve that country front this op-
pressive impost ? They, never would be able to
persuade the people that it was lint obnoxious anti
ltillieCcMlEV. Ile hadiately interfered, to get e poor
woman and her ehildreo sent out toßotauty I)ity with
tic'r ho'shand; a convict, and a letter had been re..
velvet! filth': this fa Indy; expressing in glowing terms
the comforts they had eojoyed ;, they itad abtir-,
.dance ut it/tidily, ootk, and luxuries such, as they
caul(' never obtain here. In a short time it was
reported that he had orders to'send people to
twit I3ay, and he was Woolly applittfito by 11.1111411
100 wag latcly x Et.'spect,blC titri!tfil
to send him and his family. out, as he was ,now
obliged to go front ;house to house to beg for
bread, being unable to get work. He mentioned
this Anecdote, to; prove the general state of the
country,, the people of which were actually starv-
ing-, and to implore Ministers to take oU only
the Property Tax, hut every other tax that press.
td on, the agriculturist.
After a short conversation between Sir G.
ITRATOCOTP., Mr. SWAN, and Mr. Loct; LIART, the
Yetitioo was ordered* to lie on the. Table.
Mr. WEsTERN presented' a Petition from the
Nobility, Gentry, Clergy, and Freeholders of the
county of .Essevagainst the Propeity Tax, under
any motli'ficationhatsoerer,. and praying for the
most rigid economy In the public expenditure.
Mr. W. P. L 1VE41.251;EY, from rite Most
stature coosiderai i:al he could give this quiestion,
was convicted, that it w0,,h1 prove sitally
sous not :only to the agricultural but.commeteial
kterest of the country. He felt the moSt poign-
ant grief in .eateit,iining a different opirdoo from
te„ Right Hon.-Getitleinair to whom, by every tie
tnf nuture 411(1 iiift'ction, he was most warmly and
trotitufly attached but lie. was confident, that the
Right lion Gentleman would be sorry if he Aid
directvd. It was utterly
impossible, he thought, that this tax conk' be paid,,
anal fie flioe4lit the urging it vvould raise general
helibg'Of disco'nt'ent, and perhaps a disposition to
ilisturbanee in the country. ;He Was sorry .to tres-
pass on the pa/if:pee of the House, but he was com-
pelled by‘tios strongest sense of ditty to deliver his
xe.ntimentsem.The Petition was read and laid on
the table,,..
Lord MILTON pit:sewed a 'Petition from tie
Borough of, flighem Ferrers, which was received
and read, zfrer a.fea. observations from Mr. Cart-
Ordeied to lie on the table
It. MIMIC:MANI' presented one: front the town
gif Duardee, complaining of the odious andoppres-
*lire nattire of the Tax, and comletnning the arts
practised to render it palatable, by pretended mo-
difications. The Ps.' itioners implored fiarliament
not tOIK.ARke'll artifices. it also represent-0
rotablishinent, as well as the Tax,
is dangerous to the Coostitruion. The Hon.
dentleineui.uid he declined entering at any length
on the object, 'ill" 014 excellent speech of. his
hon. Friend, the Member for Worcester ; but be
conic! not refrain .friunSepreltenditig, at every Op-
portunity, the language held out by :Ministers,—
ye would not therefore advise the Noble Lord
and his Friends to think that they could biteceed
in duping the country by the fallacious gloss. of
the wards " and .no longer ;" and.. Whosoever
might attempt to insinuate party' motives to-those
%rho opposed the iiie4S4We, Wottltl7fisol, that their
efforts would iinly meet with the contempt they
so
richly deserved, instead of diprutit%rtheir Op-
.
prteins.
Mr. liotrimoN defended What he had, said on a
fOrttier ticeoitot respecting the modification of the
Tax: he hail now every :trope that he shoilltl see
tit properly.moditiett, so us, to meet the wi;lies; and
!Interests of all parties, in.whickca.se itishould
Pave hispclt cordial support.
A long explanatory cooversition ensued he.
twee') , Lord Castlereagh and Mr. Brotighatn, re-
tweeting tvoat the t'ornter lnid said in the early
part of Inc evening, as to the et/vinyl of the hie
MiniStry in respect to thiii Tax, wbo, by their
rrietches continuing it for four-
teen, years, "tad exonerated the present Govern
eutfruusa the charge of a broach of faith, in pro-
posing to continue it' for only two years after the,
War.
Mr. Hysittsor deprekstarthe loss of time
"which these incidental tacussions consumed. He
event at much length into a review of tite.conibict
at the .Opposition, while in power, and contended
that it was absurd to say Ministers were debarred
front continuing the Tax under any eircunistaOces,
trom the charge of 'violating their faith to the
country. Had site plan of the late Ministers been
iidopted, regarding this Tax, it wnnld haVi been
necessary to continue it for three or fOui years
tront this Little, instead of two.
Mr. TIERNEt' said, that hi had heretofore ab-
st anted from entering into any diseutsian of the
leerits of the, measure to which. the Petition ye-
-641 ed, and only interfered. on a former evening
to:. en the Noble LOlll Ml's so very lively, mid in-
delv,cd 'in a, degvee of passion alitlivarmth, which
lite could -,ttOt help thinking rather extravagant.
Bait if the Noble ,Loril did
.not mean to .wander
trorn the merits of the quit ion, onto bring any
' arainst Lord Grenville,and Lord Petty,
to %%1531 riirpos6 did he this night adduce his large
how:, with One of the most coinplicate4. plans Pf
littiltwe ever brought forward in this 'country,
winch, tie doubt, the Chancellor of the Exchequer
antill4' 11-01 E. Gentleman who spokolast ; had been
bertittoizing for singe slays. Upon the merits
this plan. which Was now eight years oldabc.real.
lyttleitiritielf Mt-able—at present to pronounce any
forlitgeuerally found better employrneht
bOtas that to read over a plan solong
stece libendoned. But this lie knew, that the poon—
try never considered. that this Tian involved .any
bri:tteh of fitith. These were no. petitions against
ltnt hose-ditferently was the proposition of
11c+44: Lord ,regarsled. Luld 11. Pvtly ilrrort!se,tl

cat ;LOA tOtintil, ttld Agree .to. his plan, it
shOnfd be realised, from any taxation for a certain
The-tonntry accepted the bergain, and -at
a time too when So far. troni. expecting that the
war would continue 9 years, there was.no reason
to suppose its existence would, exceed:9 months.
Rut if the war had' had the saute durai ion Under
the conduct of thavAdmiaiStration, there Was no
eeaeon,to calcelete„tbat the Sinking Fund woUld.
have been touched, The Chancellor of the Ex-
eirequeritneW the ground of his (Mr. T.'s) oljec-
tion-to,the war, which that Right Hon. Gentle--
man had made upon. that:l4ll'l(l.in 1813. But to
return to the plan of,l4ordAeory Petty, which he,
was sure, 'and he meant no offence, no three
Menibert .of 'that HOnse could understand, it was
ekjiltut Out .rouniry did not,view that plan
in the saute, light as the proposition .of the,
Noble. Lord wits re aided. Therefore the Noble
accusation againstotherS could have no
effect upon the public mind. linr.really, When
the , commander. of. lite Forces,. iosteed, of pawn-
folly contending against the enemy, resorted to
the expedient of • flinging east bottles and 'stink-.
pots, it proved ••that he was. on the point of capi-
tujatioo—(a laugh). Stieh expedietits bad iaa.
fact no connection whatever with the merits of
the qtieation'as it cooemWell the country. For
putting the Memberi on his side of the House eti-.
tirely out of view, and looking alone to.the lumi-
naries on the (it ber,side, he called upon the pnblie
to consider the expediency of submittlog to a Tax
which, it now imposed, was but too likely to- be
entailed 'upon them for ever.
M.r. llti:octssoN explained.
Mr. V. FITZOKRALO defended, the course taken
by his Noble Friend, who, he contended; had not
provoked the' discussion. On the previous night,
the Noble Lord was-censured for. not having of-
fered anyAleoce of die measure he inteoded to
propose ; • he was, therefore, perfectly jest ified in
stating,. from documents, such Nets es tended to
. support his case. . • . .
Mr, %'yNNa stated, that the,'iime when the
Property Tax was to be taken off' was expressly
fixed for the expiration of the present Act.
Mr..ll:iatlNG thought that the quest ion, whether.
• or not filithlied been broken to,%ards the people
. by env (Omer measure, was not now the eitestitirr
. before the , House. It was perfectly 'competent
for liarl,ament to pledge' the Property Tax ; in
fact, it had been pledged by Mr. Pitt. No man
doubted that.the might not be pledged ; but
all that lie now contended was, that it rwas hot
no v ,pledged. It, was. .not mortgaged was,
not pledged,. therefore there etas now no reason
for 'continuieg it. •ThiceVas the whole, extent of
the question. •
The Petition was. then brought up, reed, and
, • •
ordered to lieon the table.

.
Mr.ISAKINQ pOdtpolled till to-morrow week his
motion relit ive t 11410 I ransitetiattiviit Ce}tlati

Un
.the to.gioAt of sir. 11,tattio, the (ollowing
meta were ordered to be laid beim e the House
A Copy of pi inted 9ttestiunt put by the'Cnininis.-:
sinners for toe Inconie Tax in the City nf 'London,
and required by them to:he.answered by
diOditals as appeared against the rate at which
they were called upon to pay the 'lax ; also, Co-
pies of any Correspandence between the 'Hoard rif
Cummiuiuners fur. t';is :fax, and any mercantile
houses in the City, relative
,to consignments Tittle
to them of colonial produce.