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

INCOME TAX.-MEETING AT
LEEDS.

Mr. Alderman TorriE, at the Leeds meeting of
which we gave a summary notice on Saturday, gave the
(Mowing account of the operation of the former income
ax :—lt happened that in the year 1815, and also in
1816, he took a very prominent part in this town in en-
leavcuring to obtain a repeal of what was then called a
?rlperty tax, but which, in reality, was an income tax,
tnd along with others of his fellow townsmen, they aided
n accomplishing that object. On that occasion he had
.n his possession some minutes which he would refer to
now, for the fact was that sentiment 3 he entertained then
he entertained still.—(Hear, hear.) The officers by
vhom the old law was enforced were, first, the Local
commissioners. They were very important personages,
ind their powers might be exercised either partially or
flapartially, and he must say to the memory of all those
who did exercise them at the period to which he referred
that, so far as his knowledge extended, they were exer-
cised in a very just manner.—(Hear). He never heard the
sliOitast imputation against them, but to the contrary.
Their duty was to make the most of the tax, and per-
haps they were not always very scrupulous as to the
liming by which they brought individuals before the
commissioner,,.—(Hear, hear.) Besides these, there
were assistant collectors to the commissioners, referees
to settle the contributions, and third referees
to superintend what the others had done, and lastly,
.there were commissioners for general purposes.—(Hear.
-hear, and-laughter.) There were separate oaths in the
Act of Parliament for every one of them, and he believed
the present machinery was intended to be the same.—
(Hear, hear.) He had it in his power to detail to them
specimens of the kind of inquisition to which the people
would be subjected by an income tax, for he was some-
what suprised to find in his possession a-minute of some
of the questions which the commissioners he had named
had proposed to some of the inhabitants of this town.—
(Hear, hear.) He held in his hand a copy of two pre-
cepts issued by them, and he would take the liberty of
reading the whole of it, lest he should be charged II th
having garbled it.

COPY.
PRECEPT OF THE COAIMISSISSIONERS REQUIRING
SCHEDULES.

To - of the Borough of Leeds.
We, John Brooke, Charles Brown, and Thomas Ikin,
being three of the Commissioners appointed to carry into
execution the general purposes of Acts passed in the
43d, 45th, 46th, and 48th years of the reign of his pre-
sent Majesty, for granting to his Majesty a contribution
on the profits arising from property, professions, trades,
and offices, and for amending the said Acts, and reg,.-
lating the assessment and collection of the duties of tke
Hundred or Division of the said borough of Leeds, do
hereby require you to return, or cause to be returned at
our office, situate in Call-lane, in Leeds aforesaid, within
the space of ten days after the date of this precept, a
schedule, containing particulars as hereunder required.
What sum or sums of money have you employed in
your trade of , or in any other trade carried on
by you during the three last years ending the sth April
last; distinguishing the amount employed in each year?
Whether such sum or sums so employed is belonging
to each of you in equal proportions; or whether any
part thereof is advanced by either of yon, or by any
other person, at interest, into your sr'd trade, with the
amount thereof, if any ?
The amount of the balance of your profits and gains
during such three years, distinvishing the amount in
each year, and the respective times when such balances
were taken ?

The amount of any and what losses during such year,
distinguishing the nature and particulars thereof in each

'ear

The particulars of the deductions made by you during
such three years from such profits or gains, distinguish-
ing the nature and amount of such deductions in each
year ?
Thereof fail not.
Given under our hands, this 16th day of Nov., 1811.
JOHN BROOKE,
CHAS. BROWN, Con'missioners.
THOS. IKIN,
Now, if this was not satisfactory to the meeting, there
was another specimen which would follow after it:—
Precept of JOHN BROOKE, JOHN `WILSON,
THOS. IKIN, CHAS. BRowN.
_ _

How did the increase arise in the sums of money em-
ployed by you in your trade in the year ending sth of
April, 1810; and whence d;d the decrease at Ise there;n
for the year ending sth Apr'', 1811?
What was the amount of your stock in hand, includ-
ing book debts and all your partnership effects, in the
several years 1808, 1809, 1810, and ending sth Apr'',
1811, distinguishing the amount, therefore, in each year?
What was the amount of excise duties paid by you in
your trade in each of the above-mentioned years, distin-
guishing the amount paid each year?
How much money did each of you draw from the
stock-in the several years 1808, 1809, and 1810, etuung
sth April, 1811 ?
Have you in your estimates of profits included any,
and what sums, expended by you or either of you, .n
ipport of your respective families ?
What is the average of the prices at which you have
ought and sold the different articles you have dealt ;n,
in the several years 1808, 1809, and 1810, ending each
year on the sth Apr:l in the succeeding year, and the
amount bought and sold in each year at that average ?
Have you in your statement made any, and what de-
ductions on account of losses sustained by you :1 any
matter not connected :th your trade, or not aris;ng out
of it, wlth tin particulars of any such deductions ?
Or on account of any improvements of your premises,
or for repairs, or supply of your utensils ?
Or on account or pretence of the interest of the capital
employed by you, and which, or any part of it, might
have been made thereon, if laid out at interest ?

If you make no deduction in the settlement of your
profit or loss, how or in what manner do you make the
balance of your profits or loss appear "n each year ?
Thereof fail not.

Given under our hands 20th May, 1812.
JOIIN BROOKE,
•TYOT. IKIN,
Commissioners.
JNO. WILSON,
CHAS. BROWN.
(Abridged from the Manchester Guardian.)
MEETING AT MANCHESTER.—On Friday a public
meeting of the electors, convened by placard, was held
in the Tow.t Hall, " for the purpose of considering
the proposition of Sir Robert Peel, now before Par-
liament, with respect to the income tax." S".' Thomas
Potter, Holland Hoole, Esq., Boroughreeve of Salford,
Mr. William Rawson, Mr. Alderman Brooks, Mr. Alder-
man Burd, Dr. Eager, Rev. William Shuttleworth, Mr.
William Evans, Mr. James Hampson, Mr. Robe'. t Chad-
wick, Mr. George Wilson, Mr. P. H. Holland, Mr. Henry
Rawson, Mr. Archibald Prentice, Mr. Dal Holt, and
other gentlemen were present. The body of the room
was completely filled.
Resolutions to the following effect were agreed to :
" That. in the opinion of this meeting of the electors of
Manchester, the proposed tax upon the profits of trade
is calculated to aggravate the difficulties under which
the cotton manufacturer is labouring, and to increase
the sufferings of the working classes, by diminishing the
fund for their employment, and lowering the wages of
labour. That the deficiency of the revenue has been
caused by the operation of baneful monopolies, especially
the Corn-law, which are underrnir'ng the trade of this
district and that, to attempt to maintain the national
income by taxes upon the profits of capital, and to leave
virtually untouched the chief source of the present com-
mercial distress, must speedily destroy the fund from
which the revenue of the State, the employment of the
people, and the incomes of all classes, are mainly drawn."
" That this meeting of electors hereby calls on the mem-
bers for this borough, to oppose the imposition of any
new taxes, until all the monopties on food are abolished,
and that, in accordance with the above resolution, a re-
quisition to the members be prepared for the signature
of the ' electors."—A considerable deal of confusion
took place at one time in the meeting, in consequenca of
a person who was not an elector, proposing an amend-
ment favourable to an income tax, which one of the elec-
tors afterwards moved, but which was lost when put to
the vote, by a considerable majority. The working
classes generally seem disposed to favour Si" Robert
Peel's plan, and we congratulate him on having for an
avowed ally Mr. Fergus O'Connor and most of his
int-
mediate friends. S" Robert Peel famed the flames of
bigotry against the Catholics to suit his purpose, then
betrayed her dupes, and was opposed and hated by them.
More recently—so recently that we might suppose he
must still be smarting from the lesson—he has stepped
into power by flattei,ng the prejudices of the farmers,
who are now stigmatizing him throughout the land as
an imposter and a cheat ; and now he is endeavouring to
keep power by gul"ng the lower classes, and separating
them from the middle classes. In what mode they may
tal.:e vengeance, when they too find themselves deluded
and betrayed, we do not venture to say, but they will
scarcely be satisfied by merely withdrawing a confidence
which the Right Hon. Baronet will not value, whenever
it does not serve the purpose of giving or securing him
political power.

ST. GEORGE'S, BLOOMSBURY.
(FROM A CORRESPONDENT.)
It IS in contemplation to place in the tine campanile
of this church a most beautiful peal of eight bells, the
tenor, to weigh about eighteen or twenty hundred
weight. The whole of the expense will be defrayed by
a voluntary subscription amongst this wealthiest inhabi-
tants. His Grace the Duke of Bedford, in considera-
of his great property in this parish, heads the list of
subscribers with a mnnificent donation. The cost wi"
be about 750/. or 800/. This celebrated steeple was
built by Ilawksmoor, the pupil of Sir Christopher Wren,
and has been the subject of much severe and unjust
criticism, by those who never had the talent or ability
to erect its equal. A finer hell tower is not to be found
in London, or a better situation for a peal of bells.

ARMY.—It is said that General Sir W. H. Clinton is
to succeed Lord Hill at the Horse Guards, and we be-
lieve it to be the fact.