The Sun.
London, England, 1842-12-30 00:00:00

THE INCOME-TAX.

A numerous and highly respectable meeting of
the inhabitants of Gravesend was held on Wednesday
.evening last, at the Puncheon Tavern, in order to re-
ceive the Report or'sc- eommittee appointed to draw
up a petition against the Income-tax. The chair was
taken by Mr. H. Eversfield, and the meeting was ad-
Idressed by several gentlemen, all of whom, though in
many instances differing in general politics, concurred
in denouncing the impost as the most hateful and op-
pressive of modern days.
The following petition was then read, and unani-
mously agreed to :
" To the Honourable the Commons of Great Britain
and Ireland in Parliament assembled, the humble
petition of the undersigned inhabitants of, and
owners of property in, the borough of Gravesend,
" Showeth—That your petitioners, callins to mind
that the grounds ou which the First Lord of her Ma-
jesty's Treasury proposed a duty on property and in-
come were, the necessity of meeting the expenses of
the wars with China and Affghanistan, are of opinion
that such wars being terminated successfully, the ne •
cessity for the tax has terminated also, and more par-
ticularly as the amount to be received from China
will no doubt meet the expenses already incurred for
such wars.

" That the above tax is inquisitorial, oppressive,
unequal, and therefore unjust.

" That it is provided by the said Act, that the sur-
veyor of any district shall be remunerated for his in-
dustry in assessing her Majesty's subjects to the
highest amount, which renders the above tax in its ope-
ration, as well as in its principle, highly objectionable.
" Thdt the regulations and ceremonies to be ob-
served in appealing, and in cases of persons of small
incomes in obtaining re-payment of their duties, arc
so numerous and unintelligible that large sums are by
these means alone extracted from the pockets of her
Majesty's subjects, contrary, as your petitioners be-
lieve, to the intention of the Legislature.

" Your petitioners, therefore,—carnestly pray that
the Act of the sth and 6th Victoria be fortlmith

pealed. " And your petitioners," &c.
It was then resolved that the petition should be en-
trusted for presentation to Lord John Russell instead
of to the county Members. Thanks having been
voted to the Chairman, the meeting separated—the
members of the Association present having pledged
themselves to move a similar petition in the Town
Council.

s
THE WIND-UP SA.LE OF WIGNEY'S PROPER TY.
The property being fully mortgaged, realised but
little beyond the sums lent upon it, although the
amount came up to the most sanguine expectations of
the assignees. The competition was spirited. We
subjoin the particulars :—For Lot 1, the banking-
house and residence adjoining, purchased by Mr.
Isaac Bass, there were twenty biddings, the last being
4,6701. The residence of Mr. Fitzroy, 15, Oriental-
place, fetched 1,250/., and there were seventeen bid-
dings. The house at the corner of Qld Steine and
Castle-square realised 5251., the last bidder being the
fifteenth. For the contingent and. reversionary in-
terest of Mr. I. N. Wigney, in 63, Regency-square,
their were twenty competitors, and the selling price
was 2001. One-fifth of a fee-farm rent of 101. per
annum, giving a vote for West Sussex, fetched 46/. ;
and there were eight competitors. Seven persons
competed for the " twenty- 201. Brighton and Hove
Gas Shares," which were bought for 1351. A 1001.
share in the Hurstperpoint and Cuckfield Turnpike
Road produced 441., after eight biddings. The next
lot, " fifty shares in the Palladium Life Office," pro-
duced 72/., the last of nineteen biddings. A Policy
for 5001. in the London Assurance Office, on the life

of Richard Inman, realised 1301. after seven biddings.
There were some other lots, among which was one of
" Four certificates of Shares in• the Missouri and Ar-
kansas Clamorgan Land Association, United States,
for 3601. each ;" for this lot there were six competitors,
and the selling price was 6/.—Brihtoit Gazette.
• EXTRAORDINARY SUICIDE.—I esterday evening,
Mr. Higgs held an inquest at the Star and Falcon,
Down-street, Piccadilly, on the body of Emily
Frances Chardonnell, aged 43. Mr. Henry Fuller,
of No. 112, Piccadilly, stated, that he was called in to
attend deceased, in Down-street, Piccadilly, on Mon-
day evening last. Witness found deceased lying in
bed, quite dead. She had evidently 4i,zen so about six
hours. Witness found a bottle of laudanum concealed
between the bed and the mattress. Upon a post niartem
examination of the corpse, witness found a quantity of
laudanum. The bottle that witness had previously
found between the bed and mattress was partly empty,
there being about 480 drops deficient, iVhich quantity
was quite sufficient to cause death. From the internal
appearance of the body, witness believed that de-
ceased's death was caused by taking laudanum. Ellen
M‘Mation servant to Madame Comte, of Down-street,

Piccadilly, stated that deceased was a lodger in the
house. She was a governess. On Monday evening last,
between eight and nine o'clock, witness happened to
go into deceased's bed-roan, ald found her dead
in bed. Witness never remarked that she was suffer-
ing from depression
,of spirits. A number of letters
and parcels were found in deceased's room, sealed
with black, and addressed, in deceased's han d- writiug,
to various friends. Madame Comte stated that de-
ceased had lodged with her about a fortnight. She
sometimes spoke of having suffered a great deal of
trouble. In addition to the parcels and letters above-
mentioned found in deceased's room, there was a let-
ter addressed to witness, which, on opening, witness
found to contain instructions as lo the delivery of the
other letters and parcels. One of the parcels was for
witness, and on being opened was found to contain V.,
balance due to witness for rent. In a letter that con-
tained the money deceased stated she was very un-
happy in her mind, and had disposed of all her pro-
perty, according to the directions on the parcels. De-
ceased also added that, on her body being found, she
wished witness to call in a surgeon, to prevent the
possibility of her being buried alive. Verdict—" Died
from taking laudanum while in a state of mental ex-
citement."

The annual bounty of the Hon. R. H. Clive, M.P.,
of four oxen, with bread, &c., was distributed to the
poor of Stewell Redditch and Bentley Pauncefort, on
Wednesday.
E. T. Foley, Esq., and Lady Emily, of Stoke Edith,
have distributed, in their usual bounty to the poor of
Stoke Edith, upwards of 1,2001b5. of beef, and nearly
40 bushels of wheat; and in the parishes of 'Weston,
Yorkhill, &c., 401. in money.
We learn from Vienna, Dec. 19, that Prince Met-
ternich has so fully recovered from his late indisposi-
tion as to be able to resume his evening parties. - His
first grande soiree of the season was on the 18th.
Amongst the guests was Prince Milosch of Servia.
The Rev. Lord Berwick gave two fat beeves, which
were distributed to his neighbouring cottatgers, in
the parishes of Herrington and Ateham for their
Christmas.

MR, 'O. H. Toutmix.—This gentleman's 13th an-
nual concert drew a numerous and highly respectable
audience to the Horns, Kennington, on Wednesday
night, though not quite sufficient to fill the large
assembly-room. All the musical members of the fa-
mily appeared on the occasion ; Mr. E. Toulmin, the
pianist, who officiated as conductor ; Mr. A. Toulmin,
who displayed his powers of execution in a fantasia on
the harp; Mrs. A. Toulmin, well known as a very
pleasing singer; and Mr. 0. 11. Toulmin, the giver of
the concert, who was the leader. Besides Mr. 'IL
Phillips, Mr. J. Parry, Miss Birch, and Miss Dolby,
the services of Mrs. Alfred Shaw were secured, and
that delightful vocalist sang, among other things,
" Giorno d'orrore" with Miss Birch, the duet in whiCh
she made such a sensation in Semiramide. Calcott's
song of the " Soul's errand," the words of which are
by Sir Walter Raleigh, is well suited to Mr. 11. Phil-
lips, who makes of it a good specimen of musical de-
clamation. " Estelle," by Mr. Henry Smart, is a
very. superior composition, with a . meaning and a
mournful sentiment about it which, reminds us of the
songs of Schubert. It was delightfully sung by Miss
Dolby. Mr. J. Parry has introduced an additional
song into his comical collection. His " Anticipations
of Switzerland" is not only humorously sung, but it
is striking from the skill and taste with which the va-
rious Swiss airs are introduced. At all concerts Mr.
J. Parry is a. prime favourite, and, of course, his song
was encored on this occasion, and, of course, he re-
sponded to the encore by singing another. Altogether
we have never seen a more highly satisfied audience.
THE MAILS TO EGYPT AND INDlA.—Notice has
been issued by the Post-office authorities that the
next mails to 'Gibraltar, Malta, the lonian Islands,
Egypt, and India, via Falmouth, will be made up at
the General Post-office, St. Martin's-le-Grand, to-
morrow evening, the 31st instant, and be forwarded
by the Oriental steamer ; and that the next overland
mail to India, via Marseilles, will be made up on
IVednesday next, the 4th of January, 1843 ; West
Indies, Mexico &c., on Monday next, the 2d of
Jdnuary, by the Trdent steamer - Madeira, Brazils,
and Buenos Ayres, on Tuesday, the 3d, by her Ma-
jesty's brig Penguin and North America, the
United States, &c., on the 3d by the Caledonia steamer,
via Liverpool.
Lord and Lady Dungannon have relieved the dis-
tresses of theoor families in the parishes surrounding
_p
Brynknault House Denbighshire.
VERY COOL.—The inhabitants of Barcelona, dur-
ing the bombardment, were determined to take mat-
ters very coolly. The Impartial and Constitutional
journals of that town apologise to their _readers for
appearing only in half sheets, "as the bombardment
had prevented the compositors from lifting up the type."
In the former paper, however, the theatrical bill ap-
pieces were " Angela, the
pieiyarrasn
tasof usual.pdn Theaand
without a Mistress!" the ballet of "The Lover

There are some young Chinese at Rome, who are
educating as missionaries.
One nobleman is said to
have lost 120,0001. by the
New Zealand Company.
A Parisian physician announces a pound of vinegar
in the morning, another at noon, and a third at sun-
set, to be a perfect cure for hydrophobia.