The Sun.
London, England, 1842-05-13 00:00:00

INCOME-TAX.

The following letter gives some important informa-
;lon on the probable working of the lneome-tax :
Bryanstone-square, May 7, 1842.
My Dear Sir,--11 the newspapers would report
she conversations that pass in the Committee on the
[ncome-tax Bill, you would have had explanations of
:he questions you put to me.
Ist—lf A. B has 501. of income from the rent of a

house (the tax being first paid and then deducted by
the tenant), and if he has 1001. of profit from trade,
he must return his aggregate income at 1501., and pay
the tax on 1001. himself. If he should he charged for
1501., he will set off the 501. paid by the tenant.
2d—Suppose the amount of 1501. arises thus :-
1. From the Three per Cents., £5O
2. From Bank shares 5O
£l5O
3. From land 2O
4. From interest of money 3O
The first tax will be deducted at the Bank of England,
the second by the Banking Company, the third by the
tenant, and the fourth by the person who has bor-
rowed the money; so that, in this case, the party will
not, in {het, pay any tax himself; it will, however, be
deducted from his income.

3d. All annuities of 101., or of any amount, will be
deducted by the officers paying: them ; and if the re-
cipient of the annuities has not in the aggregate, from
all sources, an income .of 1501., he will get a certifi-
cate, from the Commissioners, of the amount deducted

from his annuity, interest, stocks, and from every
other source, which will enable him to get back the
amount deducted. The inquisitorial powers, the trouble
and annoyance, are beyond conception, unless you
look at the Bill. I thought it bad, but the evils far
exceed my very worst anticipations of the matter.
The tax on annuities, on trading and professional in-
comes, &c., is so unequal and unjust, that I did not
think it possible a House of Commons, in this day,
could have been got to support it, especially for 3 per
cent.

As far as the tax_ is confined to lands and houses,

the valuation for poor's-rates, already existing, would
have been sufficient, without any new inquisition ; but,
for traders, merchants, and professional men, it is
very different; and it is so contrived that, in effect,
the capital, and not the interest of the capital, is to
be charged. This is a most serious grievance. Such
an unequal tax is unworthy even of the landed gen-
tlemen's Parliament.
You will see by last night's proceedine the result
of two divisions I took. One was to estunate the in-
come to be taxed according to that of last year, and
not according to the average of the three past years.
It was supported only by 27, and opposed by 76, thus
showing only 103 out of 658 Members to attend to
so important a Bill, and only 27 to support a propo-
sal so just and so reasonable. The profits of trade, in
every branch, have been gradually declining during
each of the three years. In this current year, there
will be many cases in which there will be no income,
and even a positive loss ; and yet the House of Corn-
mons affirms that the average of the three years' profit
is to be the rule.

In the same manner you will see that only 52
Members at a late House, supported my motion for
limiting the tax to one year, whilst 174 voted for the
three years ! Thus the affairs of the nation are left
to the few.

I have got a clause put into the Bill to protect all
charitable funds which were not properly protected,
especially in Scotland. You will see such a Bill—
with such extraordinary powers—as will surprise you.
But the people appear to be quite supine, and ready to
submit to anything that may be proposed.
After the exposures of bribery of last night in the
House, I see no hopes but in the complete Reform as
proposed in the plan I sent you.—Believe me, &c.,
JOSEPH HUME.
D. APLaxen, Esq., Edinburgh.

PUBLIC EXECUTION AT BRUGES, MAY 11.—This
day, at noon, there was a public execution, by the guillotine,
of a criminal who had murdered his wife after three' horrib'e
attempts which barl previously failed. In his confession, he
avowed having murdered also his first wife and another woman.
He is said to be deranged. As there had been no execution in
this town for 35 years, the spectacle created imuch interest and
a general disgust at the punishment of death. Masters of fa-
milks almost universally ordered all their servants to keep in
doors tia the bloody spectacle was over,