Star.
London, England, 1805-03-08 00:00:00

PROPARTY TAX.

Mr. ALEXANDER brought up the gcport of the
Property Tax Bill.
Upon the motion that it &mild be read a third
time to-morrow,

Mr. CALCRAFT wifhed that the third reading
Sonia be fixed for Monday, as he conceived that it
had been the general undet (landing of the Houfe that
this fbauld be done. An Honourable Friend of bis
(Mr. Fox) wifhed to deliver his fentiments upon it.
Mr. KINNAIP did not approve of Monday, be-
caufe the Salt Duty Bill, he underliood, was to be
fixed for that day.
Mr. CALCRAFT Paid belad, no objeetion to let it
Rand for to morrow, provided that it mould be put
off, in cafelany controverfy fhould arife upon it.
The SECRETARY at WAR did not fee any ne-
ceffity for putting it off from to-morrow, merely be-
caufe his Hon. Friend witted to make a fpeech on it,
for these would be no controverfy unlefs ari anfwcr
fisould be found necelfary.
Mr. CALCRAFT obit rued, that few of the fpeeches
of his Hon. Friend paffed without anfwers, though
certainly the anfwers veve often fufficiently feeble.
• Mr. STURGES BOURNE agreed that in cafe of
-any controverfy, a further poilponement would be
allowed.

Mr. CALCRAFT declared his approbation of the
Hon. Gentleman.. What he laid only related to the
gooknatered obfervation of a Right Hon. Gentleman
near him.—The Bill was then ordered to be read a
third time to-morrow.

SALT TAX.

Mr. ALEXANDER appeared at the Bar, with
the Report of the Bill for impofing an additional
duty on Salt.

On the quellion being put from the Chair, " That
this Report be now brought up?"
Mr. JOHNSTONE obferved, that notwithflanding
the policy or impolicy of laying on this additional
taz,-was a fubjed which might be faid to be nearly
ezbaulted from the many obfervations that have been
I made on it by Gentlemen of ability, few not lupe-
, nor to himfelf, yet he mould not think that he faith-
fully difcharged his duty to his country if he did not
enter his proreß againft the adoption of fuch a mea-
fore. The Honourable Member took a vcry general
view of the fuhjea, and retied his principal argu-
ments again() the Bill upon the 'Report of the Com-
mittee in 18ot, adding that it was evident that a
pretrure was then complained of, and that the Com-
mittee at leaft gave them form diftant hope that the
inconvenience fhould be lamed at a future period ;
and yet now it was faid that circeimltances were al-
tered, and that therefore the Alt, inked of being
repealed as they expetted, mutt be made to lay on
a 'double duty. • If this were applied to common
life, what would the Houti fay to the cafe of an in-
ferior perfon having applitd to a fuperior to relieve
him from Come peculiar hardthip under which he la-
boured, and the fuperior gave' him •reafon so hope
that the feverity of the circumnances of hislituation
fhould he mitigated, yet, in fome time after this, the
fuperior tells him that now indeed times are altered,
and not that he cannot give him that redrefs which
he eviler:led, but that he mutt lay on him a double
burthen t• This Purely was not a fort of language
which that Houfe would with to hold out to the peo-
ple of England, and all this ,perhaps for the purpofe
of fubfidizing foreign Powers. In Scotland, he con-
tended for it, the hardfbip was mach greater ; it
would be alma impollible to coital the duty pro-
poled : and be therefore concluded that either Gen-
tlemen would be induced to make tome alteration in
•the provifions of the Bill, or that they would be un-
der the neceffity of arreiting its progrefs after it had
been enaded.

Mt. ROSE read fume Extraas from the Repeat
the Committee of 1801, in which leveret bounties
and dreotbacks on other articles were enumerated,
and infened from thence that the Corrunittee did not
confine their views to fait alone, as they (poke of
commuting one tax fur another. propofed leve-
ret other regulations. As to the subject of the appli•
cation of the money, that was not now before the
Houfe ; when it was, of courfe it was competent to
the Honourable Gentleman to make any obferva-
tions, or fubmit any propofition on that head to the
Houfe which he might then think fit. At prefent
the Houfe had to confider the propriety of laying or.
the propofed tax, and he cird not know of one that
could be more equally or mote generally laid on the
people. It was laid, that the tax would be preach cla
or would be unprodoalve in Scotland; but there
was not any reariaion or regulation with regard :c
Scotland which would not apply equally to Englatat
He therefore thought the otter vations of the Hon
Gentleman were unfounded, and voted for the
ing up the Report.
gr. KINNAIRD laid, that the Report of the
Committee had been ordered to he reprinted, and la.
did not think that the prefent hill would have been
hurried through the Houle, until Gentlemen had an
opportunity of confidering the Report minutely.—
The Honourable Member then gave a historical ac-
count of the progrefs of the Salt Duty from its com-
mencement, and Ward what were its ect.as at dif-
ferent periods. from which he concluded that the
propofed additional duty o-. 14 both impolitic and un-
jult—impolitic, becaufe it would tend to difcourage
the Northern Fifluties, which was a well known nur-
(cry for feamen, and had hitherto been thought wor.
thy of encouragement—and unjull, bccaufe it would
profs unequally on a elak of people (the poor of
Scotland) whole circumitarces were Already too
much ftraitened, and who were unable to pay the
tax. He all pointed out the chemical difference be-
tween manufacturing fiom the Rick Salt of Liver-
' pool, and producing falt from water impregnated
with feline matter, as producing two (uch different
forts of fah that it was not fair to tax them equally.
Mr. HUSKISSON obferved, that the difference
to which the Honourable Member had alluded had
been formerly confidered by Parliament, but that was
done for the relief of the manufacturer, and not foe
the benefit of the contort:en As to the confideration
of the Norther:, Fifheries, Parliament would doubt.
lets continue the Irene bounties to them as had been
granted for a century raft. The allufion which ano-
ther Honourable Memher had made to a fouation
common life, was not exactly analogous; in his opi.
nion the companion would be more correctly made
with the fituation of a tailor who complained to hi
Captain of the hardfhips which he (offered while at
lea in tempettuous weather ; and the Captain gave
him hopes that be fhould have better, weather, and
Paid that he then would have lefs labour. However,
contrary to the expeaation of the Captain,. the gale
role with codiderably increafed fury, when he had
thought that it had nearly fubfided, and the vettel
fprung a leak. The Captain then Pays, now you mutt
do double work, for, if you don't work away at the
pumps, the Chip will inevitably. fink—there. is ny
other means of facing her. Now, if any other mese.
lure of equal benefit to the State could be propofed.
he would belyery glad to hear it.
Mr. HURBT reminded the Houle, that it had
ever been the Contlitutional praeice of this country,
to avoid impofing a 'fax which would fall directly on
confumption., And it was the duty of his Majetty'S
Miniftere when a.Tax was fairly objected to, to et:7
deay.our to find out tome, other fund to defray the
expences of the State:
Mr. CALCRAFT'took a comprehenfive view of
the fubje6t, and obferved; among other things, that
though this might not be a fit time for taking -off the
Tax altogether, yet he could not think the prefent was
the &telt moment to lele& for adding aco,oool. to
the 800,bool. which is already railed from an arti-
cle of general contumption, as the lower order mull
feel peculiarly the incona;nlence of a time of war,
from the advance which rakes place las the price of
provifions in confequence of the inereafe of taxes,
which is unavoidably occafioned by the war. When
fuels a fubjea, however, was to be difeuffed in Par-
liament, he thought it would have been more relpea-
ful to the Haute for the Minifter to have- attended in
his. place. He had not heard that he was ill, or that
any, unpleafant confequences had followed from ds:
fatigue of WI night's debate—he might.liave been a
little 4alled no doubt, but that was no reafon why
he, did not attend in his place to night, on the difeuf-
fion of a fubjea of fuch general importance. Intlead
of adopting loch a meafure as the prefent, he would
advife the Colleagues of that Right Hon. Gentleman
to take the liberty of recommending him in private
to look at economy in the public expenditure—it was
(aid that a much More confiderablc (um might be
fated by a reform in 'the Navy.
Mr, W. SMITH oppofet the meetre at confider-
able length, obferving, shit. from 16 to 18 years of
his own experience, and from what he could collect,
from others, the laying of fuch 'a heavy additional
tax on fah, would be extremely prejudicial to the
Northern Filheries. It would alto materially affect
the Soap Trade, as many of the Manufacturers were
already very feverely prefled on, and he was cre-
dibly informed, that tome of them were apprehen-
five of beingruined in bufinefs, if this AR took place.
Mr. S. BOURNE adverted to an obfervation which
had been made by an Hon. Gentleman oppolite hint,
that he did not think that the prefent meafure would
have been hurried until the Report of the formerConi-
mittee was reprinted. Genii rnen, he hoped, would
confider the (late in which the Trade of Printing is
at prefent, from the almolt gei.eral Ilagnation of that
bufinefs, in confequence of difputes between the
journeymen printers and their employers, it is un-
certain when that paper to which the Honout-
able Member refers, can he printed. Indeed there
are other documents on other fubje9s which have
been laid before the Houle, and which would have
been printed but for the circumstance which he now
Mentioned. As to the Fiiheriec, they were permitted
to make ufe of (alt free of all duty. If it lhould
appear hereafter that the Soap Trade was likely to
be affeaed by this Tax, it might be made the fubjea
of a future propofition.
Mr. FOX Paid, that the Salt in Scotland was in-
ferior to that which was made in England; and
therefore it was likely that a greater quantity thould
i be ufed in proportion to the population of the two
L.countties. Btu, Gentlemen on the other fide laid, that

a ler, proportion of the Tax was raifed in that country.
If that was true, it was evident that either the pay-
ment of the Tax mull be eluded by the people of that
Country, and that Minillers ought to adopt tome
regulation for the better colleaion of the tax ; or,
what was more likely of the two, it mnfi be, that
poor people in Scotland eat lets falt meat (pork, for
infiance) than the poor of England; and as there is
faid to be no duty paid on the Salt ufed for curing
CI, he had a right to complain that the Tax would
prefs hard upon the lower order of people in England.
The queftion was then put, and the Report brought
up. The Bill was ordered to be read a third time
on Monday.
Mr. KINNAIRD give notice, that on Monday
next he would bring forward a motion relative to the
Drawbacks on the Northern Fitheries.—Adjontned.

LIST OF THE. MINORITY,

"110 VO7 LI) ON MR MIMI IDA le. MO nom ►OA A IlltPtAL O► Ml.

PITT •• ADDITIONAL /Ole& RILL.
A. 1.0, R. Fakes. Sir M. North, Dud/ey
A ~O.over, Vifeount fralkeftnne. VIM. Northey, Wm.
r..,.1.-vm, Miles P. Paw. Hon. C. J. Newport Str John
A nf, n, 'Mts. Frantic P. Ord, William
A Bin. Slr J. Geary, Sir Villbm Offaton, Lord
Babington. T. Giks, D. Palk, Sir Lawrence
Bage.nei. Walter Grenfell, Pekoe Pahner, John
Baker. W. Grenville, R. Hon. T. Nish, H.
Bamfylde. Sir C. Ore!. Hon. Charles Mina, Hoe. CA.
Earelay, George Hand/ton. Lord A. Petty. Lewd Henry
Barlow, P. W. Hestbeote, Sir G. /Ismer. William
Douverle, Hon. E. Hippelley. Sir J. C. Pcnfonby, light Hon.
Broaden.). Holland, Henry. Jon. W. D:Brooke, C. Huabor. Wm. Levis Perms, Wgnaim S.
Danbury, Mr T. C. Hullos. James Proby, Vifeount
*Ude Gene Hurd. R. Palteney, Sir W.
Caletaft. J. Hatebinfun,H.C. H. Pkebes, Jean
Calvert. J. iamb. T. Kane, Jonathan
Cavendidt, Lord G. oballone. George Retell, Lord Ws.
Caulfield, Hon. H. • er, R Gervas St. Jobs, Hon. St. A.
Chapman. Charles ILimudrd. Hon. C. Scott, Jefeph
Coke, Dan. P. Knight, R. Payne Scodarnore, I.
Combe. H. C. Ladbrooke, Robert Muller, H. J.
Cooke. Dryan Lanham, James Shelley, T.
OsorteesT,ltAm Langton, W. G. Shedd*, ,R. D.
Creevey, Ilsosms Latoueht. J. Jon. Smith, Win.
Daley. D. Doses Latotsehe.R. Sommerville, Sir M.
DANN Mr W. Lpwrenee. French Spe: eer, Lord R.
Mts.. Marquis Lawky, Sir R. Stanley, Lord
C. Lemon. J. Tarleton, B.
Diners, Hon. C. L. Lemon. Sir W. Temple. Earl
Devalas,Hoa. O.H. Lloyd. /. M. Ti .RI. Ham G.
Desist, Has L. Me Maws. j. Tiord. Lord I.
Mee. Wag. Madiseks. W. A. Tyraditt. Thos.
tae.
Mariam, J. Vasitisn. Gone
. Lord Mario, R. (Galway) Walpsie, Hoe. G.
lam Jobs Mlelleton, W. %Irk. Haw. H.
Maim R. Wilbooke. Sir R. Ward, Has. J. W.
Plespraid, in=let Meer. Sir W. M. Welters. C.
Hew j. Moore, G. P. Whitbread. S-
Vbspetrielt, West Moore. P. Williams. Owen
How. R. Morpeth. Whom Windham, Rt_ H. W.
Poky, Homli. Morris, Pdtnrd Wynn, CW W.
inky. T. Mostly*, Sir T. Young, Sir W.