The Sun.
London, England, 1842-04-01 00:00:00

For upwards of three years the manufacturing cora-
-1 ;amity have pointed out the remedy tbr their ad-
lifted distresses. They prayed the house of Commons
a 1839 to hear their case at its bar, where they were
,repai.ed to demonstrate that the continuance of the
_ORN-LAW was incompatible with their prosperity.
Vof only was their prayer rejected, but their al-
eged distresses were denied. • In 1840 their peti-
dons to Parliament were renewed in double numbers,
old with increased earnestness, but with no better
'lmes. Again, last year, the Legislature was be-
4eged by a yet greater number of petitioners, and
with the same fruitless result. At last the distress is
acknowledged by all parties, and the decline of the
revenue is traced by the Prime Minister himself to
1838—the year in Web the Anti-Corn-law agitation
commenced. He admits that the public income
can be restored only by the revival of our manufac-
turing prosperity. lie acknowledges that this must
be effected by the removal of restrictions and prohibi-
tions. He takes the Report on Import Duties as the
basis of his proposed commercial reforms. lie carries
into effect the recommendations of that Committee in
several hundreds of insignificant articles ; and yet,
after thus sanctioning the principle for which the
nanufacturing community contended, he sets at
:fought the prayers of five millions of petitioners, and
,tille-.'nutitherless meetings, conferences, and deputa-
ier**4ll4lo.**44tvoiretf.trAtde in corn, by re-euaeting
the 'Sliding. sage, and thus closing the door against
.2onnuerce in that Miele, which, beyond all others, is
necessary for the prosperity of our trade, and the
,!onifort and contentment of the industrious class.

The Parliamentary Report on Import Duties, upon
which the Government has founded its proposed inea-
sures of Tariff-reform, is a complete and official con •
demnation of the Corn-law, as at once the cause of
our commercial embarrassments and of our financial
difficulties. Mr. Deacon Hume, thelate Secretary of
the Board of Trade, who for nearly fifty years had
filled official situations, and his suecessor, Mr.
Nl‘Gregor, both put on record their opinions that the
landowners, by their monopoly of food, imposed a
burden upon the people of this country exceeding the
whole of the State taxation, and that the public re-
venue was injured in proportion to the taxes this
wrung from the consumer for the benefit of a privi-
leged class.
You are told that the income tax is to be levied for.
three years only, because in that time Sir Robert
Peel calculates upon a revival of commercial prospe-
rity. Upon what does he found this prediction If
it be upon his reform of the tariff, we warn you
against so delusive a prophecy, and that in all proba-
bility his income tax will not only be a perpetual, but
an increasing burden. To promote the prosperity of
our manufactures, freedom of trade in corn is indis-
pensable • and no . other alteration of our tariff can
secure th, commerce of our country from impend-
ing ruin.

-Are you, the electoral body of the empire, pre-
pared to support the enormous expenditure of the
State, without the aid of the,manufacturing commu-
nity Are you prepared to banish the productive in-
dustry of which Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham,
and Glasgow are the centres, and to crush the ener-
gies which give motion to our engines, looms, and
spindles ? If so, it is not 7d. in the pound upon
your incomes, or even 10s. in the pound, that will meet
the demands of the tax-gatherer. The question
really at issue is, whether you will permit the pros-
perity of the t:ade and manufactures of the country,
or, by being parties to their destruction, entail upon
yourselves, by an income tax, the large and increas-
ing deficiencies in the revenue.
So long as a' Government can raise an adequate
revenue, it will be indifferent as to the sources
whence that revenue may be derived. And when,
owing to the baneful operation of monopolies,
fostered by anti-commercial legislation, the ex-
isting sources of national income
have been
rendered unproductive, it only remains for the
people to resist, through their representatives, every
attempted imposition of new taxes.. If you would
abolish the corn monopoly, you must defeat the pro-
posal to cover the existing deficiency in the revenue
~• 'neome tax.,- Xquarepresentatives iii Parlia-
s 357,411
- eartie:st,
in the lloust,,O o --Jal prevent the
im-
position of new taxes;" poiverless they may
be, in the thee_ of a•• wiopolist; majority, to remove
existing abuses. Call' upon your representatives to
discharge their patriotic duty, and assurethem of your
support whilst, in the spirit of the ancient Constitution,
they withhold all supplies until the people's griev-
ances shall have been redressed.

The machinery of an income tax once fairly in the
hands of any Government, and who can tbresee the
extent of its operations ? The danger is imminent,
and the time pressing. Let every constituency meet
without a moment's delay ; and, as petitions cannot
be received, requisitions should be immediately for-
warded to your representatives, calling upon them to
exhaust every constitutional means which the forms of
the House place within their power, to defeat a mea-
sure which would make you the taxed accomplices
in the perpetuation of the odious and destructive mo-
nopoly„ of.bread--a monopoly which denies the
bountie's of Providence to an industrious but suffering
people. On behalf of the Council,

GEORGE WILSON, Chairman.

THE INCOME TAX.

MEETING IN LIVERPOOL.
(rzox OUR OWN REPORTER.)
LIVERPOOL, MARCH 30—Half-past Eleven, P.M.
An extremely large meeting of the members
of the various Building Societies in Liverpool,
was held last night in the Clarendon-rooms,
Lord-street, to take into consideration the pro-
posed income tax.
JAMES WALTHEN, Esq., took the Chair, and in
doing so, he saidllis object of the meeting was a
very important one, viz., to take into considera-
tion how far the proposed income tax would affect
Building Societies.—(hear, hear.) As to the
extent to which they would be affected there ap-
peared to be a difference of opinion. Some
supposed that not only the property but all
profits would be liable to the proposed tax.
It was impossible for him, or any other indivi-
dual but Sir Robert Peel himself, to be quali-
fied at present to give an answer on the subject.
Re (the Chairman), with Mr. Hindle and Mr.
Bennett, had had an interview with Thomai
Thornley, Esq., M.P. for 'Wolverhampton, on
this subject, and the result of that meeting was,
that he promised to give all the assistance in his
power, in furtherance of their views—to obtain
an exemption from the proposed property tax ;
and lie promised to send them a copy of Sir Ro-
bert Pael's Bill as, soon as it was printed. On
Friday last he (the Chairman) addressed a letter
to Mr. Wainwright, the Secretary to Lord San-
don, on the subject ; and, with the permission of
the meeting, he would read a copy of his letter,
and also Mr. Wainwright's reply.
The letter and answer were then read, the re-
sult of which was, that Lord Sandon could not
give any information on the subject, but pro-
mised to lay before Sir It. Peel any communica-
tion the builders might just propose.
Mr. SHORTHOUSE moved the following resolu-
tion—" That in the opinion of this meeting the
property and income tax may in all probability
affect to a partial extent the interest of Building
Societies." After commenting at some length on
the tariff, which, as regards the interests of the
builders, he did not profess to understand, he
said there would be another resolution proposed,
from which it would be seen that this was but
an initiatory meeting. It was with no intention
of alarming the public mind—they did not op-
pose the plan with any political views,---they
wanted to keep themselves ready, and try to do
the best they could for themselves.—(Hear.)
Mr. TURNER said he thought Sir H. Peel knew
the character and circumstances of Building
Societies as well as they did themselves.—(Bear.)
He (Mr. Turner) thought it would be unjust to
the public to expect Building Societies to be ex-
empted. Not the slightest doubt but Building
Societies would be subjected to the tax. The only
thing they had to consider would be, how that tax
was to be paid amongst themselves?
Mr. RUSIIBY proposed the next resolution—
" That a Committee be formed, consisting of at
least two members from each Building Society in
Liverpool, to watch the progress of the Income
Tax Bill through Parliament, to ascertain how far
the impost may affect the members of Building
Societies, likewise to use every prudent eftbrt to
obtain a mitigation of this tax, or a complete ex-
emption from a portion of it, as may appear bur-
densome and injurious to Building Societies."
The resolution basilic, been seconded, was put
and carried unanimously.
A Committee was then, formed of two mem-
bers from each Building Society in Liverpool.
A vote of thanks to the Chairman was then
carried unanimously, who briefly returned thanks
and the meeting separated,