The Sun.
London, England, 1845-02-17 00:00:00

MEETING OF METROPOLITAN
DELEGATES AND MEMBERS OF PARLIA-
MENT.

On Saturday a meeting of delegates from the vestries of
St. Marylebone, St. Pancras, St. James's, Westminster, St.
Ann's, Soho, St. Paul's, Covent-garden, and other metropo-
litan parishes, took place at the Court-house, Marylebone,
for the purpose of considering the financial statement of Sir
Robert Peel, and taking steps to secure a total and imme-
diate repeal of the window duties.
Sir B. Hall was absent on account of the death of his son.

Mr. George Daniell, of Marylebone, baying been called to

the chair,
Lord DUNCAN, M.P., said he felt highly honoured at the
invitation he had received to meet so respectable a body of
delegates, representing as they did so many thousand rate-
payers of the metropolis. In consequence of the recent
meeting held at Bath, upon the subject of the window
duties, and which was one of the largest ever remembered to
have been held there, he had moved for returns which had

thrown a singular light on the matter. It had been proved
that Bath, which was only a second or third-rate town in
size, contributed, next to London and Liverpool, the largest
amount to the window-tax. This showed there must be

I some gross inequality in the way in which that tax was
levied. Since he had received tliat return the Right Hon.
Baronet at the head of her Majesty's Government,
had laid his financial scheme before Parliament. Now,
although he differed in politics with that Right Hon. Baronet,
still he had always felt happy to vote with him whenever his
measures had a tendency towards advancing the great prin-
ciples of free trade. Notwithstanding the financial scheme
of Sir Robert Peel, which, upon the whole, entitled him to
much credit, he begged to state that that scheme had not, in
the slightest degree, altered his views with respect to a
repeal of the winnow duties. He was told that it was a tax
which only affected the rich ; not the poor. This he denied. He
paid his taxes by a schedule, which he filled up himself, and
time Government took his word for his honesty. But why
did they not put the window-tax into that schedule ? The
answer was a simple one. The window-tax pressed upon the
poor, and the Government did not place it in the schedule,
because they assumed they could not take the word of the
poor man. The Budget of last night, he must confess, not
only somewhat pleased, but surprised him, and he should as
soon have expected the enlarged free-trade doctrines enun-
ciated in the financial statement from Sir Robert Peel, as
from the Hebdomadal Board at Oxford. It appeared that the
duty was to be taken off glass and sugar. With regard to
the latter, however, the modification was still with a view to
protection, as it was called, to the West India planters.
Now, the very persons who were called on to pay for
that protection were those who paid the window duties.
He was camparatively unknown in Parliament, and knew
that, in demanding a repeal of this tax, he would have
an up-hill game to fight, but he had still a little of the
English spirit of his ancestors left in him, and, although
he might be defeated once, twice, or thrice, still he would

not cease until he had repealed this odious tax. The wool
duty, the cotton duty, and even the great question of negro
emancipation, had to contend with defeats before they were
carried. He could not see the justice of inflicting a window-
tax and a property- tax upon England and Scotland, while
Ireland was allowed to go tree. Ireland was, no doubt, ex-
empted because the Premier knew that the Irish people had
long tongues, and if the people of England were afraid to
open their mouths, they deserved all the unjust taxation that
Government chose to inflict on them. He was an advocate
for justice being equally administered to all, and it was that
which induced him to join the Gallant Commodore on his
right, in a demand for a full and immediate repeal of the
corn-laws. The Noble Lord proceeded to cite the opinions
of Mr. Bradshaw Ward and Mr. Corbett, the Surveyor, of
Manchester, showing the bad operation of the window duties
in a sanitary point of view, and declared that its effect was
rather to convert houses into dens than places fit for
human habitation. His motion was fixed for the 20th, but
although he might not bring it on that night, he was not
going to give it up. He hoped he should not only be sup-
ported by the metropolis, but that a cry would be raised
throughout the land, and petitions pour in for a repeal of this
disgraceful tax. He had begun, and he would go on to the
end of the chapter. lie had taken up this subject, and,
please God, he would stick to it.—(Loud cheers.)
Mr. Jonx WILLIAMS, of Oxford-street, congratulated the
metropolitan delegates in having such an advocate, and the
constituency of Bath in having such a spirited Member as
the Noble Lord.

Sir C. NAPIER agreed with the Noble Lord that there
were some good points about the financial scheme of the
_ .

Premier, altirougli he did not think that it went far enough.
Although he feared that scheme would prevent the abolition
of the window-tax, still they must have a beginning. Sir
Robert Peel was as obstinate as a mule, and would sooner
resign his post than give up any preconceived opinions.
Much credit was due to the Right Hon. Baronet for his
financial scheme, for he had proposed to take the duty off
four hundred and thirty articles, which produced to the
revenue, individually, almost nothing. The taking off the
duty on glass might in some degree be beneficial to the
pocket, but the repeal of the window duties was not
only so, but of great importance in a sanitary point of
view. He considered the window duties a most unholy
tax altogether, and he thought it could only have been
the production of Mr. Malthus, as it was calculated to
send people out of the world as fast as possible. An
instance he had before him—the case of a poor fellow
whose cellar was infested with mice, and because he
opened a hole to let the cat in to catch the mice, the assessor
made it a window, and surcharged him for it.—(llear, hear.)
As a proof of the necessity of air to life, a canary-bird placed
alive at night in a cage over the heads of two persons sleep-
ing together in one room, would be found dead in the morn-
ing. lie was not aware what Lord John Russell intended
to do respecting the new financial scheme; but he considered
the Noble Lord committed to the support of the repeal of
this tax, as it was the Noble Lord's colleague, Lord Althorp,
who promised that it should be. He much feared, however,
that the whole arguments of that Noble Lord would be con-
fined to the sugar duties, because the plan of Sir Robert Peel
differed from his. Now he looked upon the proposed modifi-
cation of the sugar duties as a great benefit; three-halfpence
per pound being taken off sugar would be a great benefit to
the poorer classes. With respect to the income-tax, he called
upon his constituents to take that quietly, for he believed
they would never get rid of it. lle thought if it was modified
—a property-tax of 5 per cent. and income-tax of 3 per cent.
would be more equitable. With regard to his opinions on the
corn-laws the Noble Lord was in error. He had never
pledged himself to vote for a total abolition of the corn-laws.
A Voice—Then I hope you will.
Sir C. NArrEn had always voted for the total repeal
against the present sliding-scale, but if Lord John Russell
were to propose a low fixed duty he would vote for that in
preference. It was that circumstance which had induced
him to pledge himself to join the League. Lord John Russell
had said that protection was the bane of agriculture, and
having made such a declaration he was bound to let them
know what he meant doing. lie was opposed to violent and
sudden changes of every description, because he thought they
would tend to the derangement of all things at once. With
regard to the repeal of the window-tax, he would give the
Noble Lord all the support in his power.—(Cheers.)
Mr. Jackson, of St. James's, Mr. Crouch, of St. Pancras,
Messrs. Geesin, George Tyrrell, Dr. Hulm, Salomons, li. C.
Wilson, and several other delegates having spoken, resolu-
tions were proposed and adopted.

BRIGHTON RAILWAY.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SIRS I am one of your old readers, but I have not
observed in your paper, under railway matters, the
great change that has taken place in the Brighton
Railway management. Mr. Peter Clark (our best
friend) has left the Midland Company, after having
raised our shares from 601. to 1301., and undertook
the superintendence of the Brighton Line, where no
doubt he will effect a very happy change in the ex-
penses of that Company, by his very able and judi-
cious management. In future the dividends will be
very satisfactory to the Proprietors of the Brighton
line. Yours, respectfully,
A MIDLAND HOLDER.
Leeds, Feb. 14.