The Sun.
London, England, 1842-07-26 00:00:00

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WORKING OF THE INCOME-TAX.
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Recent inquiries and infonnatioka,*hich has • •
reached us, has convinced us that the Moine-tax will
create indirectly as great a loss to the rei`enut as the
which it .directly brings into the Xichtiquer..
There is, in fact, so strong a disposition to save the
tax by giving up other taxed articles, that
scarcely an individual in the community will wholly
neglect so obvious an expedient of lawful evasion. We
will describe one case—that of a professional friend re-
siding.in a large manufacturing town in this county.
Last year he kept a four-wheeledchaise, one horse, but
compounded for one or moreherses, aman-servant, and
a couple of dogs. All these he put down previous to
the month of April, with the express design of saving
as much of the Income-tax, out of other contributions
to the State, as he possibly could. By this means his
saving will be 121. What his income is we are not
aware, but assuming it to be 5001. a year, the Income-
tax will be 141. lls. Bd., so that his contribution to
the revenue, instead of being an addition of the latter
amount over and above his former contribution, will
only be an addition of 21. 1 ls. Bd., or less than one-
fifth of what Sir Robert Peel calculated upon. This
amount is so small, that were our friend and others who
adopt a similar expedient, disposed, he might easily
save it in other ways, by reducing his consumption of
excisable articles, for instance, or by blocking up au
unimportant window in his house. This last expedient
we know has been resorted to by many, and a tax-
gatherer in the same town to which we have above
alluded, reports, that there is scarcely a single inha-
bitant from whom he has been in the habit of collect-
ing taxes, who has not adopted, or who is not preparing
to adopt, some mode of saving the Income-tax, or a
portion of the Income-tax, out of the other taxes.
If this practice be generally resorted to, the Income-
tax will not be nearly so productive as Sir Robert
Peel anticipates. Taxation has now gone as far as it
can (To. The squeezing process has been carried to
an extreme; and the time has at length arrived, as
with a mulch cow, when, milk as they will, the Go-
vernmentcannot draw another drop.—Leeds Times.

"ANTI-CORN LAW CONFERENCE.
The Deputies met yesterday at the King's Arms HOLt 1,
Palace-yard, at a few minutes to twelve o'clock. P. A.
Taylor, Esq. in the chair.
The following communications were read by the
Chairman:—

" Caulden-place, Staffordshire Potteries, July 23.
Dear Sir,—You and friends will be anxious to learn
the state of this district. Those of you who recollect
some passages of my address to Sir Robert Peel will not
be surprised at their being so soon and so fully realised.
The progressive declension of the staple trade, besides
crippling the manufacturers, embarrassing the jshop-
keepers, and impoverishing the workmen (the latter being
nine-tenths of our population), has most seriously de-
prer;sed the mining interest, in the master colliers bow-
ing to the lessened demand for coals, and through them
the working colliers.
" Besides the collieries employed in supplying the ma-
nufactories, we have others carried on by the iron
masters, devoted principally to the supply of their furnaces.
" Through the unexampled low price of pig-iron,
these masters have found it necessary to reduce their
wages 6d., and, in some cases, 9d. per day. In one in-
stance this was done without the notice usual in the
trade. The men resisted it. This led to proceedings
before the Magistrates. The men carried their point and
received damages ; but the affair did not end here.
Sympathy was awakened ; public attention aroused ;
meetings called, resolutions passed, a spirit of inquiry
and resistance excited ; other wrongs made known, and
abuses denounced, until the more suffering part of the
colliers left their work, and, very culpably, as I think,
turned out those who were wishful to work, because they
had no reason to be dissatisfied.

" This work of turning out has been universal, both
in this district and around it, so that, at this time, there is
not a colliery at work in a circle of ten miles or more across.
Considering the violent character of these proceedings,
as little mischief, indeed less, has been done to property
than could have been expected ; happily no lives have
been lost, and but trifling personal injury done to any
one. Still things were assuming a serious appearance,
and it was not until the military were called for, that the
inhabitants felt their fears dispelled, and their persons
and property secure.
" The colliers are, generally speaking, a body of simple,
straightforward men, easily prompted, and as easily mis-
led. It is said they have been prompted by political
agitators, who are to be found in every neighbourhood,
and especially at times like these. Be this as it may,
they have put forth very large deinands ; their em-
ployers and them are at issue, I fear, without any pros- •
pect of agreement, or a return to their employment.
" The colliers, and men employed in the iron mines in
this district, cannot:bc less than 4,000, all out of work.
The potters, who will have to cease theirs, will amount
to 20,000 and upwards ; of these one4ourth have discon-
tinued their work, and the remainder will have to XS-
continue ~next week, unlesS the colliers resume tbiir
Labour.
"The Appearance things can only be exceeded by,
the reality. Already our houses are beset with appli-
cants for relief ; the workhouse is full to overflowing ;
the regulations respecting out door relief are abandoned;
the appliCants are increasing at a- frightful ratio, and
our great anxiety is how to raise the funds, and
to supply them. Depend upon it we will do our best ;
but the heart sickens at the thoughts of such accumu-
lating distress ;.and the worst feature of the whole is, we
know nut when or where it will end !

‘• In the mean time our trade grows worse and worse ;
the suspension which has taken place is rather a relief
than a loss to the manufacturers ; the colliers, on their
part, say they are losing by their trade ; and as to the
iron masters, one is blowing out his furnaces, and the
rest say, rather than advance prices, they will
blow out theirs, to avoid a greater loss. We
could export our wares to the United States, were we
permitted to take their corn ; but this is not allowed us,
and we are compelled to keep our goods because they
cannot pay us in money. Wiih other countries we are
similarly situated ; but the loss of our American markets
affects us more than all.
"And here we are, the rigour and sinews of the na-
tion, languishing, impoverished and perishing ; doomed
to support an unjust and artificial system, which threatens
us, and then its authors and abettors.
" And what will be our situation when the pressure of
the Income-tax adds to our afflictions ?
" Dear Sir —I thank most heartily the Executive
Committee and all friends for their noble and persevering
exertions. .1 wish I could be amongst you, but duty
now compels me to be here, that I may conciliate irri-
tated feelings, lessen distress, and promote a restoration
to peace.

"We are doing the work which the Government
ought to do ; or, rather, we are preventing the bad con-
sequences of their bad measures, so far as we have the
power. _

"Adieu, dear Sir. Believe me, dear Sir, to remain
truly your's, "JOHN RIDGWAY."
" Montrose, July 16th, 1842.
" To P. A. Taylor, Esq., Chairman of the Convention of
• " Anti-Corn-law Delegates, London,
" Dear Sir,—l have much pleasure in communicating
to you a resolution unanimously passed at a general
meeting of the Anti-Corn-law Association of this place,
held here last night, and which you will be pleased to
lay before the Convention.
" Resolved unanimously—That this Association highly
approve of the proceedings hitherto of the Anti-Corn-law
Conference of Delegates, now sitting in London, and of
their resolution to continue sitting, and empower their
Committee to raise funds for the continued support of
their present Deputy, now representing them in the
Conference. "I remain, yours, &c.
" A. WATSON, Secretary."
" Maesteg, near 13ridgend, Glamorganshire,
July 23, 1842.,
" Sir, —All the iron works in this neighbourhood are
in a very bad condition, owing to the wretched low price
which is given for iron ; indeed all our works are carried
on at a positive loss ; but, of course, they cannot remain
long in this state, for the strongest capital must give way,
and with it the total stoppage of all the workmen—work-
,men who.are now in a most deplerable condition, for
their wages are continually curtailed, and the price of
provisions it as high as ever—indeed, Sir, it is heart-
breal4g.in the extreme to see pale-faced, bone-showing
hunger staring you in all directions. I can confidently
state that the cry of 'Bread; bread,' is the public and
private prayer of hundreds of our working-classes. We
have had a few out-breaks ; and one poor man, who
went to work under the price demanded, had all his win-
dows, and all his house contained, smashed to. atoms :
other workmen were obliged to have the police to protect
them whilst cutting coal under the earth. Instead of one
policeman we have had seven here ; but now, I
am happy to say, things are more quiet ; -
and as for the shopkeepers, why they do nothing—it is
trade, and after all no trade, the little that is done is
confined entirely to the truck shops ; for instance, my
takings a few years ago were about 70/. or 80/. a week,
nuw not as many shillings ! Why even the farmcrs
complain as bitterly of the times as any, andam sure
that they will listen no longer to landlord dictation.
Now, Sir, in regard to ourLegislators,there is here but one
feeling of disgust at their unfeeling conduct
; all our
hopes are centered in you : may the Father of ,in
the plenitude of his power
but
td
loilfiilhainstmbreorpeiyu, helpy-
ou
forward in your arduous
efforts—
efforts which a starving nation and an admiring world
will ever feel grateful for. Surely Milton anticipated
our present condition when he said—
Awake, arise, or be for ever fallen.
" I remain, Sir, yours very truly,
NO BREAD TAX.
" To P. A. Taylor, Esq., Chairman of the
Anti-Corn-law, Conference, London,"
"Bury St. Edmunds.
leetvieipareetrntiotmhtaeot,nihyoateedtnaelmflor the Liberal candidates,
" The opinions of a Conservative landowner and large
occupier, who at the last election closed his account with
iePserstoontsheo
tCbehleeelrirelelylo-v I ling 7
at large, farmer,
tboutthtoe
He began thus : I have read
every work published on the Corn-laws, and they have
induced me to make various calculations, from which I
have come to the following conclusions : Wheat is the
worst paying crop that a farmer grows. Suppose
me to occupy
a farm of 200 acres, only about 50
acres of this will grow wheat. Well, then, suppose it 20s.
an acre round. Surely the 50 acres equal to .wheat
growing will be worth 30s per acre, and indeed is. Well;
then,
we grow wheats in about equal quantities after, - •
layer, clover-seeds eaten off with sheep,' and summer
fallows.;
so that you have two:years' rent upon half your •
wheat lands, taking the layer and fallow to be equal.
Well, then, your fellows require two or three plough-
ings to get them clean ; then you must dung higher fur
wheat than any other crop ; then your seed costs more ;
I your crop requires more weeding ; and if after layer it