Star.
London, England, 1815-04-21 00:00:00

PROPERTY TAX.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
moved that the report of the resolution of the Corn..
mittee of Ways and Means should be read a first time.
General GASCOIGNE did not wish to oppr,. 3
the moti ,n, because, although he considerel the Pc.
titioners against the Property Tax to have objvcird to
it as a peace measure, the present critical situ ttiell of
. the country required, in his opinion, an extraordinn y
ef ort. He regretted, however, ttett the Right lii,r.
Gentleman had professed his intention of not se:,,
mitting any modifications, as he conceived there
ought to be a marked difference made between per-
manent property. and property in which there wis
only a life-interest. A similar distinction onir!,t to
be made with respect to income attended with a ii,;.
of capital—he meant with respect to property em.
ployed in commercial pursuits. If no alter itioo
should he introduced by the Right lion. fleiv.i• ruin,
he should himself submit some trio.lific Ilion of tl.e
measure to the House.
Sir JOHN NEWPORT objezteil o. .los tv1,,.1e
principle . I the measure, as inquisitorial, so: verst e of
the privileges of Enplislinten, indiscrimeate le 41
operation, and as arming Government ...itt: pr,w,,,.
which, in a free country, it ought not to he eltre.t.tei
with. In every stage of its progress he wa:. d,....tr-
mined to take the sense of the H' use, .is fie cot::d.
scarcely imagine any emergency that cot:;.lkistity
the renewal of birch :t tax. He was sorry tit.e ,ey.
lion. Members shot.ld delude thimselres by soppo.
sing that any modifications t!!ey nsig•tt propo.,e w.:Eid
prove successful, after the declorati::% oh d.c Iti.;lit
Hon. Gentleman that be sack. no reason for attempt.
i it any improvern.qa either in the erinciple, or in its
apidicat:ee.. Wilt respect to what had tallcn the
nii.ht before how an 1-I.l.tonr,thl • Gektit-trl2ll ( Mi.
ii.litke..) ot. the subject of extenditr4 :;.,s itn:.it.tac to
In I 'rid, lit' meat observe, that that If .n. Menr;ic:
knew but ntle of the country for which he proposed
t.c legislate, if he imagined that sucl: a tax c..uld be
imposed on Ireland without endangering tine cremec-
non between the two cou..ti ies. Even in th:., part of
the empire, whew public opinion, in some degree,
controlled the Officers of Government, the collection
of the tax was the source of endless vex aim) ; hut in

le actuAl state of IrelAnci, the assessor would be every

thing, and the assessed as nothing. In that country-,
too, the feelings which would be thus excited, already
embittered by religious differences and other c .uses,
might be productive of the most mischievous come.
qut nces to the general security of the empire. He
moved, as en amendntent, that the Resolution be
read this day fortnight.
A,ll. BANKES, in consequence of whit had filial
from the Right Hen. Baronet, wished to observe,
that what he had already stated, he had stated ad.
%est:4y, and it was his intention w act in cont,emity
to tne opinions he bad expressed. He should, there.
lore, take this opportueity of giving notice, that when
the Bill should be ietroduced, it •'• es his intention to
move the. the ?... and Ireland" be add ti,e
t..• oat He was satisfied, from all
die (equities he bad made, the. Oleic was no Tait,
when duly modified, so applicable to the condition
and revenue of fieland, either financially er poiiti.
cally considered, as the Tax in question. The poor
and labouring classes of the community, who lot rned
so large a 111.1j:tray the Irish poptiluion, wooli be
exempied, whilst several Taxes on articles :ma-
whith pressed heavily upon diem, mieht
then be removed. it: trusted that Pailiament w,
not suffer any iii livideals so far to legi late tor thtni.
selves as to say, because they disliked a tax, t!i;-; tax
is contrary to our genius and habits, and it w :id be
dangerous for you to impose it upon us.—(Hear.
hoar.)—The germ y of Ireland were not the la) Lease
of the community who took no delight in p‘iiig
Taxes.—(4l/ugh.)--Taxes, however, were
because sacrifices were necessary to all! WellATe and
security of the State ; and be could net bring himself
to believe that the Irish gentry would prove more
averse titan any other descriptien of his Majesty's
subjects to contribute to the exigencies of d,e :.weary.
Mr. GRATTAN said, the Hon. Gentienlati';
speech consisted of a string of assertiins, with tete
()ley of which he could concur, namely, that the
gentry of Ireland were as welling as aey uoly of inel
in the country to assist in promoting the wenare
glory of the country. That welfare and ge.ry le, y
were teady to defend at all times. boils with their leo.
pet ty and their blood ; but the Income T.ix was a
measure which, in the present situation of Ircland,
must prove most improvident and most injuirus.—
He thought the Honourable Gentlemeu had d•'Le
well to give notice of his intentions ; and wbcuL"t
he should bring forward his motion, he pledged Line
self to oppose it, and to debate the question fully anl
candidly. He should then endeavour to prove that
the tax was altogether foreign to the habits, contii•
tion, and finauci tl situation of that country, av!iich
would prefer more productive taxes to the particular
tax in question. At present he should say no
upon that subject, and merely add, that the measure
now before the House had his most cordial disa?
probation.
Mr. FITZGERALD said, he had no inteutiorr,
as theTkx was to be proposed only for one year, it
recommending the extension of it to Ireland at pre
sent. He did not think it necessary, iheieloie, to 0•
press any opinion on the question of how far, under
different circumstances, such an extension or the
measure might be just or expedient. It was to
lx
recollected, however, that a considerable time
elapsed before this great measure of finance alt
be practically aecommodated to this country. It a
had cost both time and labour to render its mechin°!
ilt for use. in this part of the empire, the sane t ,
would be probably attended with similar ortilculty,ie
Ireland. He considered it, however, iinti,ol:ll"4
that great exertions, when compared wit!, her 1:113::.
641 resources, had already been made ea- diet gee ceil
interests of the empire by that Loom, y.
After a ft.,* words iron., Mr. Ei.i.toir, the Lott'-;
divided on Sir dims Newt.•rte's immidoleat :
Mu% 99—Ayes su—Maj'nty 69.
On the Gall,r. using reopen d, Mr AldermA
ATKINS was speaking on tile subject oi. lacord
Tax, which he thought, by prover moditic etiD,Ln
might be rendered comfortable to the country 4:

,Arge. •
Mr. W. SMITH did not so much object to the tit,
as to tqa system by which it was enturc4.4. brouSli•

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