The Sun.
London, England, 1842-10-12 00:00:00

ILI bit -S Mt,

LONDON

WEDNESDAY MORNING. OCTOBER 12, 1842.

-~+-~

A more attentive consideration of the Revenue
tables than we could yesterday bestow on them,
has brought us to the conclusion that they in-
dicate a ttt- worse condition of the revenue and
the people, than we were at first inclined to be-
lieve. For three months all Sir ROBERT PEEL'S
measures for the relief of trade, with the excep-
tion of the alteration of the timber duties, have
been in full operation, the tariff having become
law somewhere about the commencement of the
quarter. His policy has been peculiarly favoured
by an early and a comparatively abundant har-
vest, which, defeating the aims of the speculators
in grain, compelled them to enter upwards of
two million quarters of corn at an Bs. duty, and
threw into the Exchequer an unexpected item of
nearly a million sterling. The whole amount of
duties on corn last year was 525,0001. The sea-
son, too, has been particularly favourable for the
importation of cattle, and more business has pro-
bably been done under the new tariff this
quarter, than will be done in either of the two
following quarters. New taxes have been in
full operation for half a year—except the In-
come-tax—and during the last three. months we
have had the full effect of the Tariff; the revenue
tells with what results.

Our readers cannot have forgotten that Sir
ROBERT PEEL carried into effect a great many
financial alterations, unsettling a number of
things, Promising some improvement to all
classes, and producing great confusion and per-
plexity. These changes included the reduction
and the augmentathin of several articles of taxa-
tion ; and to have a correct view of the present
condition of the revenue, we must remind the
reader of what those changes were.
Excluding the timber duties, which do not
affect this quarter, the chief reductions of taxa-
tion were, on various small articles of the tariff,
estimated by Sir R. PEEL at 270,000/, on the
whole year; on coffee, 170,000/.; on British
manutUctures exported, 100,0001.; the reduction
of the duties On stage coaches, 70,000/.—total,
610,0001.. The whole of these, except the last,
are Customs' duties, and, coining into operation
at the very beginning of this quarter, they should
have caniied a reduction in the Customs of
110,(Y)0/. But, owing to the million sterling levied
on ihu people's food, the Customs show an in-
crease oi. 171000/. on the year, and 206,0001. on
the quarter. It is plain, from the increase on
the quarter, in which reductions have been ist
far exceeding the increase for the year, tha
for the bread- tax the Customs' duties would
have exhibited a great deficiency.
The increase of taxation was in other articles.
The duties on spirits in Ireland was increased ls.
a gallon, which was estimated to yield 250,0001.
a year; the duties on stamps were equalised in
the two Countries, and from that Sir R. PEEL
expected to gain 160,000/. ; and the duties on the
eip-orts.e4his,- as sfinallytsettled at 2a. per ton,
lie calculated at 100,000/.—total, 510,0001. Ex-
cept the last, which is a Customs' duty, these be-
long to the Excise and Stamps. The increase in

the spirit duties, which came into immediate
operation, should have caused an augmentation
of the Excise duties in the year to the extent of
125,0001., and on the quarter of 62,5001.; whereas
the falling off is, on the year, 733,4481., and on
the quarter, 434,8311. The real falling off in
the Excise in the year, therefore, is equivalent
to 858,4481.; and in the quarter to 497,3311. In
like manner the revenue from stamps for the
year should have been increased by the sum of
80,000/., and for the quarter by the sum of
40,000/., whereas the deficiency for the year is
139,7121., and for the quarter 101,224/., indi-
cating a real falling off in the year of 219,712/.,
and in the quarter of 144,2441.
Rejecting the two items of stage co-aches and
of export duties on coals, as nearly balancing
each wile'', the comparison of the quarter ending.
October 10, 1842, with the quarter ending
October 10, 1841, is as follows :—Taking the
unexpected yield of the bread-tax at only
600,0001., the stated produce of the Income-tax
at 313,844/., the new duties on cattle, sheep, &c.,
at 10,000/., the estimated increase of the Excise
duties at 62,500/., and the increase of the Stamps
at 40,0001., there should have been an increase
of revenue in the present quarter of 1,026,344/.
From this we must deduct the reductions of
taxation, or the fourth part of Sir R. PEEL'S
estimate for the 3 ear, namely, small articles of
the tariff, 67,500/. ; coffee, 42,500/. ; British
manufactures exported, 25,000/.; total, 135,000/.,
leaving a sum of 891,344/., which the revenue in
the quarter just expired, had Sir ROBERT PEEL'S
financial schemes been successful, ought to have
been greater than the revenue for the correspond-
ing quarter of 1841. It was, however, 67,4731.
less, which added to 891,344/. gives 958,817/. as
the sum which the revenue on the quarter is
worse than Sir R. PEEL'S anticipations, and
worse than the revenue for the corresponding
quarter last year.

Some of our Contemporaries dwell on the
Turn-out as something for which Sir R. PEEL'S
policy is not responsible, and which may never
happen again. But public disappointment was
the consequence of his proceedings, and as long
as he persists in levying enormous taxation,
without liberating industry, he must expect that
the people will be plunged in distress, and will
endeavour to obtain relief by violence. Some-
thing similar has continually occurred, and
such scenes are the consequences of our
Corn-laws, and our system of primogeniture.
Now that the actual Turn-out is at an end,
the country is put to a great expense to
carry the law into execution, and to maintain a
preventive and protective police; we cannot anti-
cipate times, therefore. in which there shall be no
turn-outs, and, consequently, we dread that the
accounts for each succeeding quarter will bring us
similar or greater deficiencies, which, at the end
of the year, will be so great that the Income-tax
will dO little more than supply them. The majority
of public writers seem to have anticipated, like
ourselves, a considerable increase of revenue this
quarter, and that, instead of such increase, an
alarming deficiency is exhibited, is the most
severe blow which the long-cherished hopes of
the nation have yet received.
At the commencement of July, Sir ROBERT
PEEL referred to the good-working of his Corn_
law ; at the commencement of October, three
months after all his measures, which are especi-
ally intended to relieve the public distress, have
come into operation, we may refer to their ef-
fects. -

What are they ? Distress is increasing,
commerce is slowly stagnating, manufactures are
coming to a still stand, and the revenue is dwind-
ling away. Tariffs abroad and at home are
slowly but surely extinguishing the prosperity
of England. Hope, too, " the lingering charmer,"
is taking her flight; and, bad as is the present
state of Manchester, Paisley, Leeds, and Glas-
gow, the prospect there is lost in the deepest
gloom. Under the most favourable auspices of
a brilliant sky and a confiding people, our great
political experimentalist has tested his theories;
Sir ROBERT PEEL has had a fair trial ; he pro-
fessed to cure the public disorders—he has com-
pletely failed.

It is pleasant to find the two leading Tory
journals, though their motives be something like
spite against the master manufacturers, become
the zealous advocates of the industrious classes.
The Post has found out that our labourers,
without free trade with the Continent to reduce
them to the level of the continental labourers,
are naked like the Irish, and greatly in want of
food like the English. The Times, too, has dis-
covered that whatever change may be made in
our commercial relations, the labouring workmen
never participate in the gain, and that whatever
losses may be incurred, they chiefly have to pay
the piper. These are most important admissions,
considering that these journals are the zealous
advocates of Conservative policy, that the classes
whom they describe as being so destitute and so
unjustly treated, constitute by far the largest
part of society, and that the Government which
they defend is established and upheld for the
sole purpose of promoting the welfare of the
majority, or the greatest happiness of the greatest
number.
Both these journals adopt this line of argument
in order to throw a slur on the master manufac-
turers, who ougbt, they think, patriotically and
philanthropically to provide for all the labourers
they may have ever employed, whether they re-
quire their services or not. The master manu-
facturers, however, make no pretexts or profes-
sions of the kind. They avow that they study
their own welfare. They do not disguise their
selfishness. They do not set up for the defenders
of the poor. They ask no rewards, they receive
no homage for pretending to perform any such
services. The labour which they need they buy
in the market, as other men buy hats and shoes;
and as a man is acquitted of all obligation to his
hat-maker and his shoe-maker when he pays for
the articles, so a man who hires labour is ac-
quitted of all obligations to the labourers when
he honestly pays them the price he has con-
tracted to pay. At least, these are all the obli-
gations of justice; there are those of charity arid
kindly feeling which are common to all men,
and as much a duty of the labourer, within his
sphere, as of the employer.

The Government, with all its pomp and power,
all its taxes and penal laws, all its provision for a
great army and a great body of clergy, all its
establishments for education and protection, pre-
tends to provide for the welfare of society. It
sakes that important duty on itself. It will not
allow other persons, like the Chartists, to inter-
fere with it. The Government has no selfishness,

it receives homage, and exacts a rich reward for
defending the people against all kinds of evil. It
interferes with them, it controls them, it pre-
tends to regulate them, and it makes itself re-
sponsible for their happiness.
The complaints And descriptions of our Con-
temporaries, then, do not affect the master

nanufacturers, but they are a bitter satire on

the Government. When it allows the working
classes to bear exclusively all the evils of society,
and does not take care to give them their full
share of every improvement—when the multi-
tude want food and clothing, and it does not
provide both, the Government grossly neglects
its duty, and completely fails to accomplish the
purpose for whick it demands and receives the
obedience of the people. When one leading
Conservative journal shows that the labouring
workmen are always oppressed, and another
complains that they are half starved and in rags,
may we not anticipate the coming of a political
millennium, when the Conservative Peer shall
invite the workman to share his political power,
wing the bulk of the landowners shall forego all
rent, and the bulk of the clergy give up their
wealth to the poor, for whom it was originally
intended?

We rejoice to see amongst the agriculturists a
spirit of improvement which is taking the di-
rection of freedom from restraint. The farmers
begin to think, fortunately for them
and for us,
that they can manage their land as well by the
tight of .their own experience- as by-the direc-
tions of their landlords', and the dictates of gene-
rations which have long been mingled with kin-
dred dust. We have always felt and asserted

that what the farmers want is freedom and secu-
rity against the landlords; the latter is to be ob-
tained by leases, the former by those leases being
nearly unconditional, except the payment of a
rent. Precisely in accordance with these views
a Mr. SHAW stated at the Witham Agricultural
Meeting on Thursday—
There is an observation that I would make on an-
other subject, though I feel it is tender ground, and I
will say but a few words. You have been pleased to
observe that somewhat more of latitude should be
given to the tenants in respect to their leases. Now
I do say, independent of the main consideration of the
importance of leases to the tenant, that in the leases
generally granted, nothing on earth, looking to the
state of agriculture at the present time, can be more
injurious and absurd than the majority of leases now-
a-days.—(Cheers.) Those leases have been taken
from old documents, handed down from time to time,
and not adapted to the circumstances of the times ;
and I am glad to see, that a gentleman standing so
high as the Chairman does, has expressed sentiments
that lead you to hope, that if he grants leases to his
tenants he will see them modernised, so as to enable
the occupiers to manage their farms in accordance
with the advanced and improved system of the day.

Mr. BEADLE also said—
I am tied to no covenants except to pay a good rent
and grow as much as I can, and I mean to carry out
the everlasting shift—(Laughter)—for I tell my land-
lord if he finds three months fallow, he may consider
the lease forfeited, and take the farm at once.

In these two passages there is a thorough and
complete condemnation by practical farmers of
the system of letting land hitherto followed in
England, to which we know, by the example of
the Lothians, the prosperity of the country has
been sacrificed. Farmers in England are every-
where tied down in the cultivation of the land by
absurd covenants, or absurd customs, and Mr.
BEADLE shows, both by his words and his suc-
cess, that free trade in cultivating the soil is as
much for the benefit of individual farmers as for
the public good.

The Charge delivered by the Bishop of LONDON
to the clergy of his diocese, is of that hesitating,
undecided character, which might be expected
from a Prelate who, in the House of Lords, has
generally shown himself something of a tempo-
rizer—a sort of expediency-man, desirous to curry
favour with all parties, and commit himself to no
firm, decided course of policy. We have read his
Lordship's Charge with some attention, and
though, in almost every second paragraph,
we find him recurring to the one great
Church question of the day, Puseyism,
we protest we are wholly unable to discover
what are his real sentiments on the subject.
Judging from the tenor of one sentence, we
should say he was a Tractarian—judging from
the next, we should say he was a decided anti-
Tractarian. He seems to vibrate, like a pendulum,
between the two. Now he inclines to High
Church—now he gives a patronizing slap on
the back to Low Church. In one sentence
the Puseyites may fairly claim him as a
proselyte—in another, they must regard him
as an opponent. He tells us one moment that
he dislikes theirFortnalism,yet immediately after-
wards we find him giving it his august sanction.
I❑ fact, throughout his Charge, his Lordship ex-
hibits as many changes as a cameleon. " A man"
—as Mrs. QUICKLY said of FALSTAFF—" knows
not what to make of him !" He is the very Pao-
TEUS of Episcopacy.
It is but justice, however, to state, that on all
insignificant points, wholly unworthy of discus-
sion, his Lordship's opinions are plain and settled
enough. He is nobly tolerant on trifles—liberal
to excess on matters where liberality involves no
sacrifices. Thus he tells his clergy—" In regard
to worshipping towards the east, it was an ancient
practice, being alluded to by CLEMENT of Alex-
andria, TERTULLIAN, and others. He would
not have the clergyman, when reading, to
turn his back upon the people. He ap-
proved of the manner of constructing the
reading desk, which may be seen in some
of our churches, which enables the clergyman
to turn to the south while praying, and to the
east during the lessons. He did not object to
candles being placed on the altar during divine
service, if they were only allowed to burn when
the church or chapel was lighted up. It had
been recently debated whether a clergyman
should preach in his surplice, or in his academi-
cal gown. He thought that when there was only
one officiating clergyman, that it was much better
for him to ascend the pulpit immediately after
leaving the communion-table, and thus preach
in his surplice. The gown was probably first
worn by lecturers when there was no communion
service. On the whole, he thought it would be
wise if the clergy would preach in their surplices
in the morning, and in their gowns in the
afternoon."

It must be comforting to the clergy of his
Lordship's diocese to know that, though he has
no settled opinions • to enunciate respecting
Puseyism, yet that there can be no mistaking
his meaning on the momentous question of the
gown and the surplice ! He is most unequivocally
and unquestionably of opinion that the pastors of
his See should be surpliced in the morning
and gowned hi the evening; and that they
should turn to the south while praying,
and to the east while reading the lessons.
On another important matter his Lordship is not
less explicit and satisfactory. He has not the
slightest objection to candles being placed on the
altar during divine service, provided they be si-
necure candies—that is to say, candles not in-
tended to be lighted until a certain orthodox
hour. These concessions his Lordship, in his 'I
ex;:eeding magnanimity, is not unwilling to
make to Puseyism ; but alas ! in the very next
sentence he proceeds to neutralise their effect,
by stating that he hopes his " clergy will
bear in mind that religion does not consist
in externals and ceremonial observances." Thus,
it appears, he will concede to the Puseyites
all that is not worth withholding; and while
lie flutters them, by telling them, in his most
gracious and patronizing manner, that they
have done great good by setting the
fashion of a " stricter Church discipline,'
yet, he adds, that they have "gone beyond the
line in attaching importance to things in
themselves non-essentials." Is his Lordship a
Puseyite, or is he not? On the dignified and
eminently spiritual questions of the gown, the
surplice, and the candles, he is Puseyite beyond
all doubt ; but on other points it is equally be-
yond a doubt, that he is Anti-Puseyite. His
Charge is a curious puzzle, admirably calculated,
however, to answer its purpose—that of per-
plexing all honest, straight-forward people. The
best definition we can give of it is,
that it is
" neither. fish, flesh, nor good r h • "
e -ernng.

The secret proceedings of the Board of Cus-
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certain parties is rather to screen the delinquents
than do justice to the country. These Commis-
sioners have now been sitting for several weeks,
and all that has been allowed to transpire is
meagre and unsatisfactory; but this very circum-
stance only leads the public to believe that the
frauds are of a most serious character, and that
those who have neglected their duty by allowing
such shameful robberies, are afraid that the whole
transactions will not bear the light of day.
They naturally ask why should the inquiry
be carried on with closed doors, and by the very
officers too, who, for aught that is known, may
have an interest in suppressing evidence ? No
insinuation, of course, is made that the gentle-
men composing the Board were at all aware of
the system which has been carried on for the last
five years, and perhaps for twice that period,
but a strong impression exists that they have not
exercised proper diligence, and that the Board
of Customs, therefore, is the least likely of any
Court in the kingdom to sift the transactions to
the bottom. Besides, no one good cause can
be assigned for this mysterious concealment
of facts, but a great many exist for mak-
ing the examination public. It is the uni-
versal practice, not only in the Courts of Law,
but also at the Police Courts; and if there is an
occasional exception, it arises from the partiality
of some Magistrate,. -and .. only confirms the
general rule. The advantages of open inquiry
are manifest, and it may be taken for granted
when there is any departure from it,. that there

is something wrong—something that would im-
plicate men of wealth or rank, and that the
object of the Magistrate is one which he cannot
justify before the public. When we see, too
the gloomy picture exhibited by the revenue
tables, and know that this has been partly
caused by extensive robberies iu that depart-
ment, which produces more than any other, it
would be an act of madness in the Goverment to
stifle examination forany purpose whatever. They
may rest assured that the mode in which the
Exchequer affair was conducted has caused
general dissatisfaction, and that a repetition of
such secret and mysterious investigation would
excite general indignation.

Madrid papers of the 2d inst. have been re-
ceived, but they contain no news of importance.
According to advices from Valencia, the au-
thorities were again fearful of another nocturnal
attack being made on the salt pits of La Rosa,
and therefore the authorities had ordered a bat-
talion of the Bergara regiment, and a squadron
of cavalry, to protect that establishment.
The Political Chief of Cadiz has informed the
Government that the band of the notorious Ro-
MERITO, one of those which infested the Serrania
de Ronda, has been defeated and wholly dis-
persed. The troops made seven prisoners.

We have received all the Paris journals.
The Courrier Francais, in adverting to the
note addressed by Mr. WEBSTER to Lord Asa-
BURTON, respecting the impressment of seamen,
seems anxious to place England in an unfavour-
able light, and to draw consolation for France
from the present unsettled state of the question.
" The style of the note," it says, " is clear and
cutting, as much as Lord ASHBURTON'S reply is
humble, crafty, and elusive of the question. Mr.
WEBSThR takes advantage of the treaty just con-
cldued, and pushes on with audacity to gain
another point. Lord ASHBURTON, on the con-
trary, conscious of having yielded too much,
hastens his retreat and eludes discussion. The
conciliatory tone of the British Envoy more fully
demonstrates the profundity- of the difference.
Lord ASHBURTON seeks to explain the difference
by geographical position, and hints that were the
United States an island they would feel as Eng-
land does. This only proves that the difference,
being in the nature of things, is irremoveable, and
unsolvable but by war. If Great Britain can
keep her sailors by no other means than
hunting them beneath the decks of other
countries' vessels, and if America can • get
sailors only by taking English subjects,
to persist is necessary and vital to both.
The result is, that the British Government has
terminated, by dint of concessions, such of its
difficulties as pacific measures could resolve; but
that it has gained nought on all the questions on
which war was pending, and that, consequently,
it was forced to renounce settling such matters.
It therefore ensues that if England wishes to
remain in peace with the United States, she has
only to remain at peace with the world; for, on
the first maritime war, the question of the right
of search will arise, and that question must inevi-
tably embroil her with the United. States."

Referring to the arrival of the Egyptian
steamer Nile at Marseilles with presents for the
King of the FRENCH, Le National endeavours to
prove (as far as such ►natters are susceptible of
proof), that the mission of ARTYN BEY, in whose
charge they are, is not merely to present to his
MAJESTY those little testimonies of courtesy and
respect on the part of his master MEHEMET ALI,
but to conduct some political intrigue.

The Lyons papers complain much of the state
of trade, and ask, could not the starving silk
weavers be given cotton or linen to work on ?
Meantime the fortifications progress. As trade
decreases fortifications augment. These were
erected to awe the population, but the population
is likely to desert them altogether.
The Commerce announces that Queen CHRIS-
TINA would spend the winter in Nice. Accord-
ing to the same journal the King and Queen of
the BELGIANS were expected at St. Cloud on
Sunday evening, and the French Court would
remove for some days to the Chateau of Fontaine-
bleau on Monday.

The Tou/onnais of the 6th inst. brings news
from Algiers of the 30th ult. On the 29th, the
troops forming part of the expedition marched
out of Algiers, and at two o'clock General Bu-
GEAUD rode out with his staff to the Maison
Carree, where the whole of the force was to ren-
dezvous. The next morning the column was to
proceed in the direction of Cara Mustaplia, and
thence it was to traverse the eastern part of the
Regency,and to effect a junction at certain
points with bodies of troops detached from
Philippeville and Setif, so as to place the enemy
between two fires. The absence of the Duke
D'AUMALE, who was to accompany the expedi-
tion, was the occasion of much conjecturing, but
it appears that General BUOZAUD had repre-
sented to the KING that, after the loss of the
Duke of ORLEANS, it would be imprudent to risk
the life of another of his sons in so perilous an
enterprise.

The Sud (of Marseilles) of the 6th, has the follow-
ing article—" An unhappy disaster has just deprived
our Royal navy of one of its finest steamers.. The
Lavorisier, commanded by Captain Chicusse, coming
from Tunis, having touched on the Moines, near
Bonifaco, in Corsica, ran aground on the rocks, near
Ajaccio, where it foundered. The crew were saved.
The Tenase and Crocodile steamers were immediately
sent from Toulon to Ajaccio, in order to try to raise
the Lavorisier."

The splendid demesne of the Right Hon. the Earl
of Ducie, in Gloucestershire, the value of which, it is
said, exceeds three hundred thousand pounds, is an-
nounced for public competition, next May, by Mr.
George Robins, This is the largest estate that has
ever been sold, excepting always the late Earl of
Ormonde's, which Mr. Robins sold for 500,0001.