The Sun.
London, England, 1842-03-22 00:00:00

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LONDON
TUESDAY MORNING, MARCH 22, 1842.

Sir ROBERT PEEL has had no hope from the first of
carrying his income tax, but by a coup-de-main. His
plan was to take the country by surprise, and, before it
bad recovered, to fasten his fetters securely around it. For
hint, therefore, delay is tantamount to defeat, and we
are happy to inform our readers that he was last
night delayed: The House, at an early hour, went
into a Committee of Ways and Means. The resolution to
imposo en 'income tax was brought forward and de-
bated till half-past 11 o'clock. Mr. BLEWITT then
moved that the Chairman report progress, but as
thai hour was considered to early to interrupt the
pte!?.eedings of the House, Mr. BLEwxrr's motion
was lost by a large majority. Another division
Was soon af,isrwards taken on a similar motion,
and again the Tories could boast of an immense
majority, the Whigs haring stood neuter, or
siVO. with the Tories. Still the Liberals were firm, and
having agAin proposed to stop the proceedings,
Sir ROBERT rm. gave way, and, though his
followers grumbled, cemented to report progress,
with the intention of resuming the discussion on Wed-
swsday, to be again, we earnestly hope, delayed and ob-
structed in his nefarious and insolent design of inflict-
ing an income tax on the middle classes, in order that he
may maintain the corn-bread tax.
The Right Hon. Baronet at the close of the proceed-
ings, with a subtle, serpent-like softness, gliding, as it
were, into the hearts of men, professing the greatest de-
sire to serve the people, and the greatest confidence in the
wisdom and virtue of his taxing schemes, beseeched the
House to assent to his resolution, that he might make
known to the public the beneficial—the amiable ma-
chinery he has devised to make the extracting their
money by an income tax the most delightful of operations.
Like a tooth-drawer, he declared that he would inflict
no pain, only let him bring his newly-invented machinery
into play ; but like that renowned artist, whose promises
have passed into a proverb, he would be sure to deceive
us. So the Opposition concluded, having signified their
determination not to allow him to proceed. In his
blandes.4 manner he threw on them the blame of not
allowing him to make known to the public the
new nostrum he has invented for levying an income
tax, so that it shall not be felt. Just as he did on the
discussion of the Corn-laws, be reproached the Oppo-
sition with a design to prevent the people from re-
ceiving the great
.benefits he had designed for them.

At the same time, we must observe that the incon-
sistent man has explained to the country that his machi-
nery is to be that of the law of 1806 ; he admitted too,
after a little taunt, that he has no other revelations to make
but some details, and yet that very honest man—
that very religious man, Sir THOMAS ACLAND, when
Mr. Fox MAULS had honestly admitted that he wished
for delay, the honest and religious Sir THoltAs ACLAND
following Sir R. PEEL'S tortuous lead, reproached the
Opposition with a determination to decide concerning the
measure before they knew anything about it. They
wanted, he said, to keep a knowledge of the measure from
the public. Sir ROBERT PEEL and Sir THOMAS ACLAND
will find that the country is not to be deceived by either
bland speeches or blustering professions. Such trash
may go down in the House of Commons, but the public
are not to be captivated by a gracious manner which
they do not see, or by a silvery tone which they
do not hear. Both these gentlemen pretended to
believe that the country was in love with an in-
come tax, but they will be readily undeceived by every
day that the hated measure is delayed. Sir ROBERT
PEEL commands the House of Commons, and he assumes
the House of Commons to be the country ; but he will
soon find that the yells of his backers, the commenda-
tions of the sprightly SIBTHORP, and the loud approba-
tion of the saintly ACLAND, are not the voice of the
nation.

Now that Sir ROBERT PEEL'S tariff is becoming
known, it excites great discontent. The coffee mer-
chants complain that he gives an undue advantage to
the holders of one particular species of coffee. The
coal-owners, the leather-sellers, the cork-cutters, the
graziers, have remonstrated, or are about to remon-
strate, against it. All the Cornwall miners, too, are
making a great outcry against the reduction of the du-
ties on foreign ores. Not one class or description of
persons, does the self-will of Sir ROBERT PEEL, which
he is pleased to denominate justice, satisfy. He inter-
feres with them all, and pleases none. He has taken
on himself a task far surpassing the abilities of any
mortal man. He maintains the principle of protection,
and he has undertaken to apply it equally to all the in-
terests of the State. To the corn-grower he gives so
much, to the miner so much, to the coffee merchant so
much, to the Colonies so much,_ and not one of his pro-
tegees is contented. He could not abstain from
interfering with all ; we know not that ho designed
by interference to promote free trade ; but we
are well assured that the impossibility he and every other
statesman will experience to satisfy the rival claims of
different classes of producers will compel him and compel
every statesman to give up the task in despair, and com-
pel them to give up the Very principle of protection, be-