The Sun.
London, England, 1842-03-16 00:00:00

ti tg n.

LONDON :
WEDNESDAY MORNING, MARCH 16, 1842.

Lord BROUGHAM announced in the House of Lords
last night, that at the request of several Peers he had
consented to postpone his resolutions upon the Tory
scheme of an income tax till Thursday. We regret
this delay exceedingly. Upon no occasion was it of
more importance-that the country should have the bene-
fit of that Noble and Learned Lord's stirring eloquence,
profound sagacity, extensive acquaintance with the great
principles of political science, and varied knowledge of
our entire social system, than during the discussions
upon the question of an income tax in time of peace
Not that we by any means adopt the whole of Lord
BROUGHAM'S views as embodied in his resolutions.
From some of them, and they, too, of the most important
character, we entirely dissent. Nevertheless, we are
extremely anxious to see him take up the
question,
certain as we are that he will deal
with it in a spirit of ertfarkoti statesmanship,
of which few members of the British fegislattlte
are at all capable. But merely to dissent in opinion
from any of Lord BROUGHAM'S resolutions, is very pro-
perly not allowed by the public to the press contro-
verters of the opinions of men so deservedly eminent,
and so generally worthy of national confidence. We feel,
therefore, that we are called upon to examine these reso-
lutions in detail, in order that we may have an opportunity
of fairly placing before our readers what Lord BROUGHAM
proposes to do, and upon what grounds we occasioniify
differ with an authority, for which we have its general so
profound a respect. The first resolution is as follows:-
1. That a direct tax upon income ought never to be resorted
to, unless in some great emergency of public affairs, when an
extraordinary expenditure may become unavoidable for a time,
or in some pressure upon the finances of The country, which
can be sustained by no other means.
This resolution has our entire concurrence. In a com-
mercial country, where the basis of wealth is credit, it can
never be resorted to, be the emergency what it may,
without entailing ruin upon thousands, sapping the
foundation of public morality, and rendering the Govern-
ment having recourse to it odious to the whole commu-
nity. The second resolution says:-
2. That such a tax ought on no account to form part of the
ardinary revenue of the State, but to cease with the necessity
which alone could justify its impositlon—inasmuch as, besides
all the other objectionsto which it is liable, its inquisitorial ope-
ration being equally vexatious, whatever sums are levied, the
facility of increasing its amount according to the real or sup-
posed exigencies of the public service offers a constant tempta-
tion to extravagance on the part of the Government, removing
the most effectual check upon improvident expenditure, and
disi easing with the necessity of seeking a revenue in re-
trenchment.

With the whole of this resolution we agree as heartily
as with the first. Its object is to pledge Parliament that
as soon as the income tax has supplied the deficiency in
the revenue, which has forced the Government to call it
into existence, it shall cease and tltermine. The Noble
and Learned Lord has a proper dread, which the coun-
try shares with him, that when the Tories once get hold
of the income tax they will keep it. Rather than part
with it they will involve us in disputes and wars with
our neighbours ; in schemes of foreign conquest to en-
rich themselves, and their partisan ; and in all sorts of
expensive jobs devised only to swallow up the income
of the country. Now is the time to take mea-
sures for preventing this system of public plunder, and
Lord BROUGHAM'S second resolution is the first note of
warning. The third resolution declares :-
3. That although the actual deficiency in the revenue to
meet the expenditure, amounting to above 7,000,000/. in fire
years. and the estimated deficiency for next year, amounting
to above 2,500,000/., besides probable demands arising from
the state of affairs in the East, may render the temporary re-
course to an income tax necessary, after an attempt to in-
crease by 1-20th the duties of Excise and Customs has ended
in obtairung a 200th only, thereby proving the impassibility of
drawing any further revenue from increased taxes on consump-
tion, while the relief which may justly be expected both to
commerce and to finance, from lowering- those taxes, cannot.
be made immediately available, yet it behoves the Parliament,
as faithful guardians of the people's rights and interests, to take
care that during the temporary existence of this tax its pres-
sure shall be distributed in such a manner as shall make it most
easily and most patiently be borne.

The necessity of a temporary income tax is here ad-