Star.
London, England, 1831-10-08 00:00:00

put into the other. A government cannot abso-,
Int* direct the disposition of funded property, any'
more than of any other kind ; but it can do much
to direct the stream. It is time to consider whether
something might not be effected in this way, by a
tax on Funded property in the shape of a moderate
per-centage on the excess above a certain sum, as
for instance above £3,000. Such an arrangement
would shoot over the heads of the small annuitants,
and act as a premium on dispersion ; and if the
others object to it, they should be bound to find a
plan which would produce an equivalent effect in
promoting subdivision. The question is a public
one; and not of the likings or dislikiogs of indi-
vidual stock-holders. A provident ministry would
further insist on the church's commuting its unpo-
pular and dangerous form of holding its posses-
sions. Two points are especially to be recollected
in such a change, as essential to making it in any
shape a peace-offering to a people whom it would
not be safe to attempt to deceive. One is, that
whatever the church may charge for, she has no
right to charge for the gains that would ensue, but
of which no part could come to her under the exist-
ing system. And the other is, that the commutation
must be final, and free from all reference to future
valuations ; the country being incomparably too
enlightened to be taken in by a commutation which
should preserve the old gratuitous check on the
improvement of the land. On these points it
•. ht be necessary to use a little gentle force.
The church is clinging distressfully, like a fat old
ady to a wreck; and must be carried shrieking
into the long-boat, by those who are better able to
discern the symptoms of the times. Without in the
slightest degree waving the principle, that what is
ailed the property of the church is as simply the
creature of the legislature for the time being as
the property of a colonel in his regiment, subject
only, like that, to a decent regard for existing
*nterests,—an agreement on this point between
he government and the great mass of the re-
formers would be a source of confidence and
trength to both.

If any of these statements displease the timid
'and the feeble, they must be told that the English
people cannot afford to throw themselves away like
the French and Belgians, in the hope that some-
thing will hinder them from being attacked. The
enemy's plan is out ; and if by this last imprudence
the Tories have thrown away their chance, let
GOD be thanked and nobody but themselves be
blamed. It is the English crisis ; and Europe
waits to see whether the people of Great Britain
will make the lame and impotent conclusion which
has befallen in the otker cases. If they do, let
them recollect, when the hoof is in their bowels,
that they were warned of the danger, and exhorted
to prepare.

THE ROYAL REVENUE IN FRANCE.

In a manner to make it pass unperceived, the
French ministry has presented the project of law of
the Civil List, mixed up in the ;discussion of the
'eerage. It is the same project as that of last
year, upon which the ministry has reflected during
six months ; reproducing it, such as it was, save a
touching and very ingenious delicacy, of which we
are not aware of a precedent. The ministry has
occupied itself with simply specifying the domains
which will continue to form the property ap-
pertaining to the crown. These domains, are the
Royal Chateaus of the empire and of the restora-
tion ; the royal citizen cannot exist with less ; he
cannot exist decently without the pomps of Napo-
leon and Charles X ! Who does not remember
those first days of intoxication and folly, when it
was agreed that the new royalty would 'content it-
self with two chateaus? The rest were to be sold ;
't was so much money which was to be paid into
the treasury, and the land was to be given up to
cultivation. Three months had not rolled on,
when those economical projects went to defray the
expense of the programme of the Hotel-de-Ville.
The royal citizen will preserve then all these
chateaus, of which the revenue amounts to
3,500,000 franca. That sum is insufficient to

support them as may be easily conceived : for'
there are some of these chateaus which contain
1,500 bedchambers; but bow be contented with

less ? There are also attached to these chateaus
vast private parks, where the public, who pay for
keeping up the 1,500 bedchambers, and all the

rest, are not admitted, which is very just; for it
was thus formerly, and the revolution of July was
not made to alter that which formerly existed. In
fact, there is found in the chateaus in question
the Majesty of Souvenirs, for which we cannot pay
too dear ; for it is evident by respect, that the
people of July drove away the elder branch of the
Bourbons to establish a new dynasty ; it will not
be then any way inconsistent to demand from the
people the fruit of its sweat, in the name of the
old monarchy, of which it had believed to have
swept away the dust!
To colour the new project, a very delicate ex-
pedient has been formed. In the month of Decem-
ber last, eighteen millions were demanded. This
time, nothing is demanded ; all is left to
the goodness and generosity of the Chamber; it
111 the chamber which will fix the amount : give
os the chateaus, the collections of jewels, &c. as
to the money, any bagatelle you please, and we
will be content ; only think of the honour of the

throne; the majesty of souvenirs ; the dignity of
Prance; and the splendour of commerce; for it is,
recognized in the new political economy, that it is
the money which is taken from the pocket of the
tax-payer which causes commerce. to flourish.
There is in this an admirable disinterestedness,
resolved by the nomination of a commission, which
the Ministry will contrive to obtain, in order that
it may propose the amount which the ministry will
no doubt give it beforehand. Then the Govern-
ment will demand nothing; it is the Chamber
which will have pronounced ; it is the nation
which would absolutely give its money. But pia
tided it grants the chateaus ; that it grants mil-1
lions enough,what enormous concessions the mink-
try make to the country ! With what harshness
it declares to royalty that the domain, of the
Crown pay the local taxes, that there will not be
established domains extraordinary, &c. ste. Hear
what the Ministry says applicable to thee. cosa-
tunnel impositions :
" As a good example, the King, like every
other citizen, gives proof of submission to the tax,
and he feels the weight of that charge. 7 Worthy
and lofty • language! The King paying taxes
With 'the taxes—giving the example of submission
to the taxes—how incumbent is it upon all shifts,
to lade* a Wit of honour to submit as
.he deist !
Thelisyntent oftitxti is the read essential—it is