The Sun.
London, England, 1820-07-26 00:00:00

FOR THE SUN.

FINANCIAL RETHENeFIVENT.
-Ma. ErnT aft—Taxa-tier/2 and ',Wren-chi:lea are
two -WI .2otija- -ding cabalistic -Words which every
one ~Okikikl he undrrstancw; . and to talk' on
w;hiChi ids him at once- aTolitieian, a Financier,
and a Patriot.- But the misfortune is, that those
'who talk lomiest and longest on those subject.s,
are gener'o.llY the very people who know least
;.lbont Acta:. Any child can tell, that if a man
lives .within-his income he cannot get readily into'
debt ; and that when a man is in debt, his
wisest and .sorest. method of extrication is to
reduce: his .e7ipenditure within his income. But,
Sir, the case which applies specifically to an
isolated individnal, does not apply to a nation
is Vaiiably and specifically.
:rbe.gpeat Mistake in political reasoning is,
that',liale.principleS are assumed and applied td
brco..dpolitic;o ramifications of the various inte-
rPFo cf. a. Conunercial State ; when the fact is,
that what *would be a paradox and error in. private
life, Itecornes in general practice a grand-political
truism. Buts the little views of popular 'clamour
catch light minds, .4:hilst others • scarcely dare
to
_think on • opposition—or, if they think, dare
not ..F.pc.P.k put, lest they should be scouted as
ina.da-411 !
1 hav6. been 'led to this train of thortghtby the
fdt Cof the.eArnparative deficiency, or_ decrease,. in
lasr•lT_Caes Revenue, to the amount of
180,Q001.,_ .notwithstanding the additional taxes.
This:! know will set all the small Politicians to
work about reduction .of Taxation'and .retrenCh-
montOf Expenditure.: but, Sir, however para-
doxical it may appear, I will contend that any
farthc:r. rethtetion or retrenchment, at the present
moment,, would only. aggravate. our financial- &Ili-
eulties, and increase the sum total of general di.,y-
tress.!

I argue flat upon extremes, and therefore I
protest, -in. litmus, against extreme objections.
Let
_my 'reasoning be considered with regard to
existing facts, .and, let us leave :.:DVAI SvslTlx en-
tirely out of the question; for he knew nothing
of a nation in the state in- which Britain is at this
mDmerst, ner would he
.have believed it possible
fur -her to. exist under her, present circumstances.
work, valuable and energetic, and. rational
as-it is; does not•eontain a case in point.
771±alion may seem an hardship to an indivi-
dbl.. Most men grumble when the Tax-gatherer
calls ; but manyialso -grumble whilst paying their
butcher's bill. Grumbling, therefore, is no
absolute . proof of oppression. But, Sir, I de-
line Tatation to.be that which takes the
,super-
frOm the pockets of the Rich to give ern-
ployMent:to the*Poor, instead of leaving them to
-be-supported by parish rates, over which Taxa-
tion has this peculiaradvantage,-that its expendi-
ture brir4,S profit even to the pockets from whence
it is taken. Public Expenditure I also define to
be' the source of general employment, and to be
thP support of-Taxation. To prove that I am cor-
'rect, let any man lay aside. his•party feelings for
VeiifltiteS, and reflect upon the progress of Bri-
tain diiring the-past twenty-five years, and upon
%het state at the .present day. I doubt not of his.
Verdict - -
Let us for a moment suppose that Government,
is the Peace, had only ceased to
employ one individual, who in consequence
.should: have- been left without- means of. support
or.:employment, instead of receiving 1004 per
annum-of public money, for labour-of any kind,
mental.or bodily., or both combined.. 'Tis true
that 1001.. per annum would thus appear to have
-been:saved, and that reduction of Taxes to that
'amount, supposing- income and expenditure. so
-nicely balanced, might thence. ensue. • But that
,would be fallacious ; for this individual must be
-supported by poor's rates, .at an expence of 304
per annum, leaving the apparent saying only 701.
- But- then we must consider that this SOL becomes
a local and partial tat, whilst the 1004 was gene-
: ral. We must consider, too,. that-the individual,
. whilst receiving 1001. per. annum,: expended that
sum in house-rent, butcher's andotailor's bills,
.soap, ..candles, porter, &c. (we Must make a
•cliandhg's.-shop account of it), on himself and
family,;-from which the Public and the Nation
„isol: a profit and a partial . repayment in taxes ;
whilst, -in his. state of pauperism., the sum and
mode of expenditure-afford scarcely any profit at
all, and- his, family may also be added, to the
local burthen, instead of being. supported, as it
vntre,,by the Nation at large, and repaying that
support by expenditure.
• Now, Sfr; take this single case- Lmultiply it I
by the sum-of national retrenchment since•lBls.
Lo-)k at our sea-ports and dock-yards, and the
immense tracts of country around them, supported -
by their fdrrner expenditure. Look at country
towns, Where Whole regiments were quartered—
look- at the iron-mines, once employed •-by- Go-
vernment Contracts—look at- th-e merchants'
do'±s, now filled with ships once in- the.transport
service—look at the ,coarse. clothing-alistrict3,
Once employed in, contracts forAtue -anti _xed
'cloths—look, in short, around, and-ask. half the
-Nation: calmly` to trace Ofkk, for the - origin of
their present distress, and it Vej4l be found ."to
• spring from, and be c§eoMtiary with tie era of
public retrenchment .c4hqu-ent-upon tAxp Peace
'Must we then still,rt.rench?• No,- Sir, if ex-
penditnre-has its.l uin s, beyondAvbich it cannot
-go 'without National 13ankruptcy4.so retrench-
tnent.has a Eliza 1h..-Nond .National Dis=
, .
tres?: . • •
tr. .
It is easy tg.cry out "..FActPomy,"-hut saving is
lute alWays ali:-44r,jonontizatt ilrecess-; and my aim
isthat wahavOlread.y carried Retrench-
ment beyond its jncliclott*iimit, filling the--coun-
' try 'with "pa. 46 risin . instead .of active -industry.
Of-this, I' contend, the very decrease in receipt
of Taxes- isran indubitable proof. To borrow,a
simile from the medicine chest, we have cupped

and bled the Nation too much, and must now apply
stimulants.

Ina word, TEN MILLIONS borrowed annually
for three-or foUr•-'3,ieurs-,- and expended in useful,
though not otherwise abiOlutely necessary works,
would do more for the public at large, and zcould
sooner give us- an efficient Sinking Fund, than
twke -all the- EConomy and Retrenchment that
all the Opposition ever have, or :can now point
out ! • Your's, •

HIGII TREASON.

IGNOTUS.

WILSON'S TRIAL..--(SECOND DAY.)

GLASGOW, JULY 22.—When the Court Met
yesterday. morning, at ten o'clock, Counsel for
the prisoner called witnesses to sheW that he had.
marched from Strathaven in consequence of corn-
pulsiOn, and against his- will.
A witness was adduced to prove some conver-
sation he had had with the prisoner, immediately
after the armed-body had WI Strathaven.
Mr. Serjeant HULLOCK objected to hear the
conversation ; but the Court overruled the ob-
jection, as the, conversation had taken. place at
the commencement ,or the march, and might be
considered ac part of the res gesta. Mr. Serjeant
Hullock displayed great skill in the cross-exami-
nation.

Mr. Mf_tultA-y then addressed the Jury in a
very impressive and independent speech, coM-
meriting at- great length, and with much ability,
both on the law and the evidence of the case.—
.
The peroration was one of the finest bursts of
impassioned eloquence ever heard at the Scottish
Bar.

Mr. Serjeant ,litiu.bcx addressed the lury iii
anrargumentative speech, in which he made an
elaborate recapitulation of the evidence, and
pointed out the connexion between the law and
the facts proved. • '
The LORI)-PRESIDENT charged the Jury.
The Jury retired, and were enclosed for above
two hours. On their return into Court, Mr.
Ewing, the 'foreman, delivered the verdict, find-
Mg: the prisoner not guilty on the first three
counts of the indictment-, but guilty on the 4th,
viz. compassing to levy war against the King, in
order to compel him to change his measures.
The Jury recommended him to the clemency of
the Crown.
The Court declined to receive The recommen-
dation. as" part of the verdict; but, stated, that
the Judges, in reporting to the Crown, would
take proper notice of it. .
The prisoner heard the verdict with the utmost
composure. Throughout the whole trial
,he ap-
peared equally indifferent. lie slept durin?-part
of the proceedings. lie ate heartily of cold beef.
lie is a middle-sized man,. decent in his dress as
a workman, and apparently about sixty years old.
The Court. adjourned till Monday, as the
Court proceed,s to Paisley to-day, to arraign some
prisoners there.