The Sun.
London, England, 1842-03-22 00:00:00

ke BUDGET, No. Vt.

THE WEATHER.—Noon, MARCH 22.
ROYAL GALLERY OF SCIENCE, ADELAIDE-STREET.
Thermometer... 41 1 Highest...... 46 I Lowest 33
:Barometer 30.08.—Wind N.—Freezing Point Deg.

HIGH W ATEII AT LONDON BRIDGE THIS DAY.
Morning 4S minutes after 9. I Evening ..... .24iminutes after 10.

'-‘*;° • : • • •-t
• ,
Og, 3.4,

zrAPtilaZzl:brition

SUN OFFICE, Three o'Clock.

A Bill has just been brought into Parliament for the
transfer of licenses and regulation of public-houses,
which contains some useful clauses, but is still extremely
defective as a measure including so many interests.
It has been prepared by Captain Bons, with the assist-
ance of Mr. GREENE, the Chairman of Committees ; and
though the Gallant Officer is in gratitude bound to give
something in return for the services of the publicans at
the last election, he ought not to have forgotten his
other constituents and the public at large. The
Bill enacts that public-houses shall be closed on
Saturday night at twelve o'clock, and on the night
preceding Good Friday and Christmas-day, and that
they shall remain shut up till one o'clock in the after-
noon of the foll Owing. day, after which publicans shall
be at liberty to keep them open as they may judge fit.
Now, why not give a little extension to this plan ? Our
lawgivers admit, that opening a house for refreshment is
no desecration of the Sabbath, we can, therefore, see no.
reason whatever for closing them on 'Saturday night at
twelve, the very -hour when refreshments• are more
wanted than in any of the t venty-four. Thousands
leave the theatres but a few -minutes before twelve, and
though many of them have no means of obtaining re-
freshment at home, the doors of all public-houses are
closed against them, as if they were about to commit
some enormous crime. The higher classes, who legis-
late for all the rest, in this instance, as in
most others, forget the public when their own
interests are not concerned. They remain at the Opera
witnessing profane dancing till one o'clock on Sunday
morning, and while thus desecrating the Sabbath them-
selves, under the pretence of religion they sanction a
practice which, without one useful result, causes great
injustice and hardship to the lower classes. If there
were not such places as well-stored cellars and
larders; a clause like this would be thrown out by
general acclaination. We trust, therefore, Captain
R0#1.3 will perform his duty impartially, and
mete out the same law to the poor as to the
rick: But the Bill is only one of those patchworks
which are a disgrace to the Legislature. The whole
system of licensing and regulating houses is radically
bad. A publican has no security whatever for his pro-
perty, and is entirely at the mercy of a few justices, who
seem to delight only in inflicting fines, or withdrawing
the license—the only means which the unfortunate
victim has of gaining his bread.

The declaration of Lord JonsT RUSSELL in the House
of Commons last night, that he will oppose the income
tax at every stage, is hailed this morning with delight
by the commercial and professional classes in every part
of the metropolis. From every district in London letters
are already pouring in upon us, expressive of the general
joy which so straight-forward and patriotic a course on
the part of the Noble Lord, has diffused. This
delight will not long be confined to London.
The country will participate in it. The people'
tongue-tied by . surprise at the boldness of
Sir ROBERT PEEL'S schemes of taxation, are only be-
ginning to recover themselves so far as to perceive that
the income tax is meant rather as an act of Tory ven-
geance than of State necessity. All that is wanted from
their friends in the House of Commons is a little time
to allow them to speak out before the passing of this
most inquisitorial and oppressive impost.
We. have now arrived at a time when we can
test the patriotism of the Liberal party in Parliament.
If that party perform its duty to the public, no ma:ori-
:ties on the part of Sir ROBERT PEEL, without suspending
the forms of •the House; can carry the income tax for
this season at least. We know the Tories will raise a
great outcry about a factious opposition, a resistance to
the clearly expressed will of the majority in Parlia-
ment ; but there are occasions when no opp(.4-
sition can be factious, and the present is one of
them. Resistance to wrong can never be factious, be-
cause it is the duty of every man collectively and indi-
, vidually. HAMPDEN and PYM were not factious when
they resisted ship-money, although the tools of the
Court stigmatised their conduct by that epithet.
Looking at the question in a party light, it offers
facilities for recovering the confidence of the country of
which the Whigs could not have dreamt at the com-
mencement of the Session. Had Sir ROBERT PEEL
proposed, instead of an income tax, a property tax
barely sufficient to make up the deficit in the Budget,
and pruned the tariff with a bolder application of the
knife, his tenure of office was at once secure. But to
spite the mercantile and trading classes, who
carried the Reform Bill, and who, during the
last eleven years, kept him out of office, he
has had recourse to the . odious, inquisitorial,
and vexatious scheme of an income tax, while his pro-
posed new tariff is meant more to humbug or insult than
to benefit them. These are fatal errors, as most errors
are which spring from the gratification of vindictive
feelings. No blindness is so absolute as that of passion.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL appears to have had the quickness
to perceive them at the right moment.
But what are our great provincial towns about ? Are
the merchants and tradesmen there prepared to disclose
their most private affairs to the tax-gatherer—to make
their rivals in business acquainted with the real state of
their circumstances ? And if they are not, why do they
not now rise as one man to resist this most un-English
espionage tax ? Silently to petition is not enough.
They must address themselves in decided language to
their representatives. Let them look to the divisions,
and set about the rejection of every Member who votes
for this Tory spy tax.

We repeat, the country will now have an opportunity
I of testing the metal of which the Liberal party in Par-
liament is composed. The battle to be fought is one of the
most important which has been fought in England since
the passing of the Reform Bill. The tax cannot be im-
posed before Easter, and before the holydays are over
there will be time for the country to .gird on her armour,
and advance to the assistance of the RUSSELL
band in Parliament. Sir ROBERT PEEL threatens resig-
nation if defeated upon his pet nostrum of an income
tax. Let the Right Honourable Baronet retire by all
means. England will contrive to live without his
State-physicianship. In fact, were he to retire now
the Liberals would raise a monument to him in
Palace-yard, for during his short administra-
tion he has done more to expose the utter
fallacy 'of Tory principles than did JEREMY Be'-

TUAM in all the long years spent by him i

free constitutions for all the nations

... rorming

. the earth. Lt
nis ,great 444.i8eik3i1 as

him retire by all means, now the
a Minister is accomplished

-14.3..
There is
no politikai topic of any account in the
Frene}:. Jon.r.sts. Rumours are afloat that a modifica-
tiCm u'ii take place in the Cabinet previous to the new
elections. If this be so, one of the retiring Ministers
will unquestionably be M. GUIZOT, whose popularity at
present is at the lowest ebb. As Minister of the In-
terior, it is his duty to manage the elections, and
the Court has already decided that his' uni-
versal unpopularity disqualifies him for such a
task. We wish that we could add that his
moral integrity rendered him incapable of ade-
quately conducting a series of disgraceful jobs ; but M.
GUIZOT has permitted the KING to drag him through so
much mire already, that we can hardly acquit him of a
willingness to retain office during the bribing manage-
ment elan election. But out he will go if a change in
any branch of the Cabinet takes place. A private letter
assures us that M. TRIERS and Count MOLE have
arranged their differences sufficiently to be able once
more to take their seats at the same Council board.
As Minister of the Interior M. TRIERS would manage
an election famously. Troubled with no qualms
of conscience upon the subject, he would scatter bribes,
appointments, and promises, with the easy beneficence of
the deity of corruption.

The Sentinelle des Pyrenees rays—" On Monday last a most
pressing order arrived from the Government, enjoining the
authorities to send forth% ith into the interior of France 37
Spaniards who had taken refuge in cur town, in consequence
of the events of October. We are assured that the Sub. I re-
feet has already notified to Count de Mouterron, and to Senors
Pedro Egaga and Ribed, that they are to repair to Pau to re-
ceive further instructions from the Prefecture of the Depart-
ment."

-----
INQUEST ON THE EARL OF MUNSTER.--WC sent a
gentleman on our establishment yesterday to attend
the inquest, in order to furnish our readers with a cor-
rect account of a deplorable event which comes home to

This day is published, price 3d.,
THE BUD GE T, No. 6.
Containing a
LETTER to SIR ROBERT PEEL,
. _

On the Distinctive Effects of Taxes upon REALISED PRO-
PERTY, and of Taxes upon INDUSTRY. By A MEM-
BER of the POLITICAL ECONOMY CLUB.
Published by Smith, Elder, and Co., Cornhill ; and to be
had of all Booksellers and Newsvenders.