Star.
London, England, 1830-12-24 00:00:00

L 4,,,

MECHANICS' INSTITUTION.

A numerous and highly respectable assembly was attracted to this
establishment on Wednesday evening. for the purpose of beating a lecture
from Mr. Wilmot Horton, on the theory of taxation. sevtral noble-
, men were present on the occasion, es also were Dr. Birkbak,
Owen, and several other gentlemen of scientific celebrity.
The right hon. gentleman then stated, that he should deter the stt!s.
jut proposed for that lecture to another opportunity, intending to consi-
der the effects of the remission of taxes on the operatives and labouring
classes, instead of entering info the more abstract question of which he
had given notice. The subsequent lecture, however, was of rather a
more miscellaneous nature than we should have expee ed from the an-
nouncement, as it embraced a variety of topics which were equally
prominent with the ostensible subject manna dissertation. With re-
spect to the remission of taxation generally, he had asserted already,
and would repeat now, that let it be carried to the utmost conceivaid:
extent which a reformed Parliament might authorise, it must neverthe-
less be an insufficient remedy for the evils incidental to the exiatiog
state of the country. (Applause.) In discussing the difference be-
tween the cages of skilled and unskilled labour, as affected by taxation,
he quoted the opinion of Mr. Fox in unison with his own. to the (freer
that it was a fallacy to suppose, that in proportion as the rich were taxed
so would the poor be relieved, for no tax could operate on either class
of society without eventually trenching on the interests of the other.—
The science of political economy, he was aware had been vehemently
assailed by various influential public writers of ;he day ; but all their
arguments nevertheless did not prevent him from thinking that a minis-
ter, to be fit for his office, must possess to a certain degree a knowledge
of what was popularly known by that appellation. Give us practi-
cal men," said such reasoner. Would you send a First Lord of the
Admiralty to learn ship-building, like Peter the Great ? No, assur.
edly ; but it did not follow that he would be any the worse for the infor-
mation. A professor of mathematics wag not, as such, entitled to the
command of an army ; yet no one, he presumed, would assert that
Napleoniwas the less an adept in strategic for being an accomplished
cna&m.at ciao. He would impart a knowledge of correct abstract
principles to labourenand operatives, for the special purpose of pre-
venting them from becoming the victims of those pernicious fallacies
which now assailed them on all sides. They are told that because tio y
paid so much in taxes, nothing but a remission of taxation would re.
lever them,--that, as machinery did more work than they, it must ne-
cessarily follow that artificial aid to labour had impoverished them.
Such were the false but sufficiently plausible arguments that had
created those outrages in the southern counties which they all so
unfeignedly deplored; and it was by a similar system of reasoning
that Galilee was discovered to be a madman because he asserted that
the sun was stationary in the firmament while the earth performed
her revolutions round him ; and therefore was the philosopher incar-
cerated till he nominally recanted his assertion. (Great ap-
plause.) It was with a view to fortify the minds of his bumbler fellow.
countrymen, when hereafter attacked by this insidious sophistry, that lie
became connected with the institution in which he now stood ; and
long as he conceived he could be of service, he would persevere in tie
course which he had adopted. The right hon. gent afterwards digressed
to the question of emigration, and read a letter from Cobbeti, which had
been addressed to him in reference to his motion in the House of Com-
mons on the Bth of March. As the graceful style and characteristic po-
liteness of this well known pamphleteer were eminently conspicimus
in the document alluded to, its perusal occasioned considerable
merriment, the right honourable gentleman being complimented rusher
emphatically with the epithets of " brazen list ! and an audacious
fool I" The gist of the Register quoted appeared to consist of
the argument, that Nova Scotia and Canada were a wilderness
of rock and swamp, where settlers must either perish or be supported liy
the mother country.--(Laughter.) He really did not know whether this
had actually influence with the lower classes in England ' • but if
person had
then the greater his crime in thus egregiously misleading the ni
by falsehoods which it was not possible the writer himself could believe.
Such men ought, in his opinion, to be summoned to the bar of the House
of Commons and challenged to prove the truth of their monstrous as.
unions, as the result would greatly benefit the country by disabusing the
minds of their deluded followers.—(Applause.) Unless society joined
in a common cry of reprobation with so flagrant a nuisance daily under
their eyes, there was certainly little encouragement for those who were
endeavouring to render the public a service, actuated by very different
considerations. The right hon. gentleman, in conclusion, stated that
his lectures would be published for the benefit of the institution, anti
challenged the fullest controversy with those who might dissent front his
opinions. —(Applause.)

CITY BLECTIONS.

LAST DAY.

.• are new Candidates.

rat Eight Returned.
,Jr. Richardson „. .. 18
Than's* Hale .. 17
Woodward :... .. 17
•Hatrison ... ... 11

yesterday morning.
I—Fint Twelve Returned.
lilr.•Burra
°Kipling be
:Davison ...
De Grave ... ..
Hooper ••
Holit.es
•Shoobridge .. lb

',D—First Right Returned.
•111 r. W. T. Heath ••• 91
°Hall .. ... $1
•Culverwell .. ... 99
°Williams ... • • 67

:D—.First Ten Returned.
Merchant ... ..• 135
Unwin .. ... 131
•111orriaon ..
... au
'Stewart ..
... $6
°Hißick .. ••• 76
•Hunt ..
... 17

—First Four Returned.
Mr. Bevis .. ..
*Richards ...

'int Fifteen Returned.
Mr. Green ... ••• 75
Jarman ... •• • 76
Albert
Sharp ... • • 71
..
'Gates ... 6l
°Hill • • ... 47
Voss
• • ... 40
*Hamm ... .. 2t

1

... lid
... 150
... 20

-. 1441
... 180
... 120
- 40