Star.
London, England, 1830-12-09 00:00:00

TAX ON WIT/STATEII6

Mr. STRUTT presented a petition against the tax on newspapers,
which was a tax on knowledge. It encouraged ignorance, and when
offences were committed resulting from ignorance, the parties were pu-
nished, and they considered unjustly, because they were debarred the
means of obtaining knowledge. He trusted that the member
for Dover, (Mr. P. Thompson) would persevere in the motion
of which be had heretofore given notice. The petition was from the
operatives of Derby. The petitioners Isaid, give them knowledge, and
they would answer for the peace of the country.
Mr. J. WOOD said, he had a similar petition from the workmen of
Wakefield, who bad commenced a weekly literary publication, which
was suppressed by the Commissioners of Stamps. He hoped the pre.
sent Ministers would act more liberally. They bad the King and the
people with them, and there was none against them but the borough-
mongers ; and those the people would enable than to overcome. (Hear,
hear.)
Mr. WARBURTON supported the petition.
fir. J. KNOX presented a petition from Cambridge, for the abolition
of slavery.
Lord G. SOBIERSET presented five similar petitions for places in
31onmouthsbire.
Mr. WILES presented a petition from Boston, Lincolnshire, for the
repeal of the duty on sea-home cads. He asked whether the honoura-
ble gentleman opposite (Mr. & Rice), who had given notice of a mo-
tion on the subject, would state whether it was still his intention to bring
it forward.
hit. S. RICE said it would be improper for him to answer that
question at present, as it would be considered an Indication of the
intention of Government, which it would be improper to disclose at
present.
Mr. Ormsby Gore, Mr. Warburtat, Gm. Gascoyne, and Sir Robert
Bateson, supported the prayer of the petition.
Sir T. ACKLAND hoped his hon. friend would not abandon the
notice he had given; he hoped his hon. friend would receive the sup.
port of government on the question.
Mr. O'CONNELL said, the tax was most partial and unjust, and
he was convinced the member for Limerick would carry with him the
same conviction to the other side of the house that he felt at this. He
also hoped the duty on window glass would be taken of, as the want of
air and light was a great cause of the typhus fever that now raged in
Limerick, where the price of a pane of glass was 6s.
Mr. BROWNLOW supported the petition. There was a manufac-
turer in Dublin, who employed 600 or 600 workmen, who would em.
ploy double the number if the duty on coal was repealed.
Sir M. W. RIDLEY said he should use his utmost endeavours to ob-
tain the repeal of the duty. He had a petition to present against the duty
from Newcastle.
Mr. CALCRAFT said the repeal of this tax was desirable, but till
the monopoly of the coal owners was abolished he believed the public
would not be much benefited by the repeal of the tax.
Mr. TENNANTsaid the duty was most partial and unjust.
Lord G. SOMERSET thought the repeal of the duty would be a
great public benefit.:
Sir M. W. RIDLEY said the competition amongst the coal owners
was too great to admit of any monopoly. If the duty was taken off the
public would have the full benefit.
Mr. WILES said if the whole duty could not be taken off, a duty of
a shilling a chaldron at the pit's mouth would be impartial and a great
relief.
The Colonial Acts validity bill was committed ; report on Friday.
IIIr.WILKS presented six petitionsifrom congregations of Dissenters
for the abolition of slavery.
Mr. EGERTON presented four similar petitions from congregations
in Cheshire.
Lord ASHLEY presented a similar petition from Dorchester.
Sir W. RAE brought in a bill to amend the law of heritable property
in Scotland.--Read a first time, and ordered to be read a second time on
the 16th of February.
Mr. W. JOHNSTON presented a petition from the trades of Stir-
ling for Parliamentaty Reform.
Mr. BYNG presented petitions from Tottenham and Islington for
the abolition of slavery, and a petition from Wapping for an amend-
trent of the New Police Act. _ .

Mr. LEIGH KECK presented petitions from Hincliley for the
repeal of the house and window tax, and for the abolition of slavery.
Mr. KENNEDY brought in three Bills for the regulation of future
entails in Scotland.—Read a first time, andordered to be read a second
time on the 10th of February, and to be printed.
The House Adjourned.
meimmemmemSo
LORD WINCHILSEA'S BILL.

The bill just introduced into the House of Lords by the Earl of
Winchilsea, is entitled, " An act to provide fur the better employment
of labourers in husbandry, by enabling his Majesty's Justices of the
Peace to order a distinct rate to be made on their behalf (to be called
the Labour Rate), with allowances to such occupiers of land as shall
find them employment."
The preamble sets forth, that " whereas, to the great injury of a
parish, whilst many occupiers of land may be found who are employing
their Rill proportion of labourers belonging to the parish in which their
lewd is situated, whereby such labourers have avoided becoming chargeable
to the said parish, other occupiers of land and tenements, with equal
ability, have refused to do so ; and whereas it is expedient that encou-
ragement should be given to such landholders as are willing to employ
their full proportion of labourers, to the end that such persons may not
be subjected to the additional burden of contributing to the maintenance
of those labourers whom other landholders in the parish ought to em.
ploy; be it enacted," &c.
are then clauses providing that parish officers deliver an.
mildly to the justices acting for the division lists of labourers in
husbandry dependent on the employment given by the landholders, and
justices to order assessments to be. made for the maintenance of those
unemployed.
That the justices, after inspection of these returns, shall have power
to allow weekly assessments to the amount specified in the last clause,
(the same to be applied to the support of those men, being labourers in
husbandry, belonging to the parish, whose need of relief shall arise
solely from the landholders In the parish refusing them cmployment,)
in such proportion as they, the justices, shall direct, and not to any
other purpose whatever.
That the parish officers shall dedust from the amount which each
person shall be charged with in any labour-rate made by virtue of
this act, for every labourer in husbandry (being a parishioner) em.
ployed by him, that sum which such a dourer, according to his
class, is entitled to.
That no payment to any individual labourer out of any rates granted
by virtue of this act, shall exceed the wages to which he is entitled, ac-
cording to the class to which he belongs; which rate of wages shall be
fixed and determined at a meeting of the justices held at their petty gei-
shas in each month, for the moods ensuing ' • but In all cases where, on
account of bodily infirmity, the earnings of the labourer are not suffi-
cient for the maintenance of his family, and an additional allowance
shall be thought requisite by the justices, such allowance shall be made
out of the general assessments for the relief of the poor.
No deduction to be made for less than a week.
Proportion of assessment may be collected.
Ammuat of deductions claimed to be given in.
Acetate to be produced to a vestry, and verified before the justices.
That no rate shall be collected by virtue of this act, unless demand
for labour shall be made by those belonging to the parish.
Osumi enactments to continue, nukes contradicted hereby.
That this oat shall be in force in such please only where a
of
at least three-fourths of the whole number of families =V::
thereto shall be principally employed.
That the rates to be rmver4 seder this act shall be levied In the
same mama as the rates levied under the general summands for the
relief of the peer.
Tbat this ast shell cautious sod be in fame fiw sod during the pe-
eled of two yews from sad after the pmift thereof and hem theme'
to Ohs old of the tied ooze musks of imeot (mhos moue No.
. paled}
Peseided always, sod be it farther enacted, that waddog to this
est Ilestalasil dell be desomd oe sonstmoll to emend to Sestina' al
fedood. 1

STATE OF THE COUNTRY.
NOTTINGHAM.
I hand you an extract from a letter received this morning from Not.
tingham, written by a gentleman of the first respectability.
" NOTTINGHAM. MC. I.—l 10111111011101. in informing you that
the incendiary spirit his at length reached the centre of the midland
counties. On Saturday night, or early on Sunday morning, a large
wheat stack belonging to a Mr. Chamberlain, of Lay' Eaten, about
seven miles from this place, was discovered to be on fire; by prompt
exertions, however, a portion of it was saved; nevertheless the loss is
considerable. There is a report of another fire but I cannot learn
any particulars. A great number of threatening letters, many of them
lof fearful import, has been received by numerous individuals ; some of
them of the highest respectability, during the last few days. The
author of the incendiary attempt on the Derby Posuollce (it is confi-
dently stated this morning) is discovered in the paean of a young
man, of immense property and the first respectability in the neigh.
bourizood."