The Sun.
London, England, 1816-03-06 00:00:00

• • •. •
sse.l4ca by. . tbia the' rt,---zat TV.pCI(.I 111 W sits:
.
"piOr, and o a liy the *rich; t t '
,•.
•giedt:,oilakoers Nvere -c,Oluriltil to p,ty oufAir
p.rcipOriilor ; and. that- One4ourtli ht. tbc r crsoni
cltarg.S'lttreFe ot a very low de3criptioik.'•To' re.;
moey,ttese erroneous notions; it only neces-
sary to refer to doctiments upon the tittle': 'by the.
-abstract o theliopulatioo returns, ii appeared
that 1,131,000 families' were employed. in trade
• ito.l in rhandteratt occupations. Of these only
'268,000 bad• made returns under the Property,
-Tatt:Act•;• andconsequently, three out. of fonr. of.
the families, sp,employed had not only never paid,
but had.aever been called upon -to pay.—(Hear i)
Of these 2(36,000, no less thau..lo9:ooo fa:nil:es.
were exoraptedihavitig.returned that their iueonies
were lesis Awn 501.. per ann. and the number which
really coin/Aimed to the tax was therefore redneed
•to 157,00 ;, or, for the sake of rutted naniberi,
to 1 aO,OOO. Of-these families, 121,000 had made
returns of incomes to a less amount than 1501. and
were consequently entitled to an abatement ; and
only .4.1,000 had paid 'for incomes "abtive 1501. ;
32,000:teturned'a -fen stun than 1,0001. per an-
num, and 3b!).2 above that alumna.: 'These facts,'
:derived from the • latest returns, proved, %elm:-
-ever inequality might exist as to ,the propor-
tions of individuals, that it was not trite that
pessons it) trade,
.had been too heavily charged;
but all these subjects could be more satisfactorily:
investigated on a future occasion ; and it any Plan
co &ticl be'suggested I.iy which the asses Anent could
he rendered less onerous or more eqval,' he (Nlr.
Vauslttart) would be ..inning the firSt to Lail with
joy such an amendment. AU tedesired was, that
all opportunity fur inquiry should be afforded, and
that the question shookd not be -p'rejudged.----•
(Hear, hear, hear !) It the iiieasure were nnally
rejected, be hoped it Would be after deliberation
utut argument by those Acquainted with the details
of the 11111 and the necessities of the country, and
not by those.who refused to examine the One, and
were igtorraertatbe 'oilier. The petitioners were .
entitled ttilfeiit consideration,. he was as' will;ng
as any-natal.° allow, and he had listened to' their
complaints 'with great attention, though for two
days he •had been absent ; one of those days ha
bad devoted to. necessary recreation, after the fa-
tigues of several long discussions, and on the
other he had comedown to postpone some public
business,' in consequence- ot the indisposition .of
his Noble Friend, and, after waiting half an hour,:
had-returned home to enjoy the repose of Iris fa.:
logy: trusted, therefore, that the House
'would, out think that tie haul been 'negligent in his
public duty •
Air. BAKING was glad to find, from the state-
ment oflhp.Noble Lord, who was of course the'
highest authority, that the-Tax 'was intended to
last for two years duly. The• Right flontsirrable•
Gentleman vet 0 11.1 d-hitherto withhohten that
ittr-
formation, lied also declared to-night that he
merely wished' to pledge that Tax for thereduc,
tion of 12-millions of debt. -Tilt theni. lie lord
that' the ctitriitry shad no right to ex-
pect- to be relieved, since lie had contrived to leave
out slily the words " no longer-.'' .1-le-Cl)usidcr-.11
the two.years.seleeted by that Bight Hon%
mall Wl' the 't;outiituittion of the Tex, with its"
ivsidiowinioditientious, as oreeiSely Omit: wheo
it would prove most in'eonvenieni and oppres-
sive.
lie Out:lore that eithei•the
Chancellor p'f'
tau Exebuquer. was not sincere
in what he, held disit, or if• he' were, that. his
pl most tiowie, from the-pifitiCidur period
ut eitdenthni: The Chancellor of the Exche-
quer had expressed his-intention to relieve persons
under Schedule B. Ile-understood the ineaulog
of this, but he hoped no Country .Gentleman un-
der (...;Itetlulti.Jl'.woillticonseot.:lo impOse such ao
oppressive;,-tax upon his fellow suljects. To
leave out particular' class, .when all were sht-
fering %vitt the roost dishonest transac-
tion ever propwed by a 111ioister liftbis country,
sitting in 'Oat Ilnusc, as'iliey did, to deal justice
and impartiality to all. He ,did not see that the
reduction ot 12 millions-Oul of a debt of 820 Mil- •
lions or more, could be considered an object`' of
sufficient importance to justify.the resiVatof -the
Property Tax..
111r,' Ruse vindicated his Right 110 n. Friend
from 1110 charge or havinit aeted frollyntwOnty
'motives', contending that the intalificatioYE,Wits
proposed to satfifY the desires of a clan of perions
'wheal all nienAidinitted td' be stycfely opptemd.
admirea„thecionlinir with -which the llon.
Member. had termedthis "acquiescence A dishoOest .
proceeding, and be hoped the good 'sense ot. the
:country. would fairly appreCiate the 'alleviation,.
•thita'atfordett-HeAti heat, hear !) He 'seas
',Willing to listeii•toaal: the suggestions, of persons
interested, and to frame the measure, as intiell
IniSObilt, to meet iheit• wishes ; but he thought •
that the elaiint -.of 'persons in trade to relief had
'been atuall lessened by -the facts detailed by hits
lion-.lriend. • , ' •
Poidi•contended that the urea- t
sure was justified on a war,principle, as. it:was
always the case that the coaiit ty,Wa's. in. a situation‘
of wiir diaing•the year *at:followed the:close -01
a coute,t. It was said that everrjf the-Tax were
necessary, this Was the-Very worst dine tot
ing it. That might -be, bat the arrangement pro-'
'poSed'hy his •itight :Hon: -Friend, to postp.o.net
paymenis, %viva& yield-- very considerable relic .
11)6, did. not intend to 'keep- the 'fax. beyond'
two years ; they only'pledged it for twelve
liens', 'and should not Press for payment.: He
was 4Stouished to hear.fit,traid it was dishoutst to
ii`ssiirttieragriCUlturatinterest, the pOrtitovot the
oft'imilerity who were 4tiffering most. Helliotight
percelvea considerable differefice:inTthe
tribe bethe Geutlemen They ottsvf
sitleiedAtis tax us very proper for war, though-it
• aught -not to he borne in time of peace. .Were
'those the Gentlemen who described•that Measore
• Si tinjtist in its prineiple (Ilear); Odious (ilear)„
-Oppretsive (Hear), lothroyal: (Hear),' what 11,9*
'fia CountrY ought. (attar, hear) ;; a
tat that charges the. one ;and: let:3 the other
escape ? hear.)----iflid war 5o filter the feel-
I
'inki of mew tio:i constittniownithings, us tti tuivii
•thafitrst 'Mid 'toper been unprincipled
and oppressive in timeolpetice ?' And who'were)
kilned so harshly of 'the measere
theedrir!inth Who [salt !wen: theanthurvof its nuot
obnoxious regulatiottS ! (Hear, from theAthiiste-
rial side.) He had-always heard, that the ingennitY
Of a I.tiet iloa. Ucatleatan opposite (Ms, Tia'