Star.
London, England, 1802-03-13 00:00:00

I NCOM k TAX.

Mr. Jowls raid, that on riling to bring forward
the motion of which he had given notice, upon
the fubjeft of the Income Tax, he was ready to
admit that the Right Hon. Gentleman who now
held the office of Chancellor of the Exchequer,
had not introduced that meafure ; he therefore
did not mean to implicate him in the mifchief it
had done. He fhould not go into the hiftory of
that tax on this day, and the more efpecially as
the late Chancellor of the Exchequer was not in
the Houfe. He had hoped that Honourable Gen-
tleman would have attended in his place, to have
heard the few obfervations he fhould make, for he
mull own it was ratherirkfome to call on the fuc-

not that he meant to do fo on this day, for he was
not now going to move the repeal of that grixsotts
tax, however -he might deem it his duty to fubmit
Inch a motion hereafter. He fhould remind the
Houfe, that the very tira moment the Tax %%:ts
introduced, he had Rated that he thought it, in
point of theory, one of the heft ever brought for-
ward, but that in point of pradice it would prove
one of the worfl. It was no uncommon thing for
that which was theoretically good to be prat!ii-
cally bad ; and he believed there never had been
any one Public Aft brought forward and pallid
into a law, which fo plainly and demonflrably
proved that theory and praftice might be at va-
riance with each other. He entertained come
doubts, whether this Tax, as it regarded a parti-
cular let of people, would not appear to have
been founded in error. He might be wrong, and
if he fhould prove fo, he hoped his Majelly's
Crown Lawyers would let him right—he lhould
not explain himfelf on this part of thefubjed at
prefent. He willed, if the Houfe would allow
him, that the Clerk might read the ot fec. of
the 8 and 9 Wm. 111. c. 24. which exempted the
Bank from the payment of Taxes. The claufe was
read, and was to this effea Be it further enac-
t.a, that the common capital and principal Rock,
and all arrears in the hands of the Governor and
Company of the faid Bank, or any profit made
thereby, (ball be exempted from the payment of
any taxes during the continuance of the raid Bank."
The Hon. Member continued—lie faid, he had
moved the reading of this claufe ix order to throw
out he hint; he thould not venture upon the fob-
jed now, but fhould call the attention of the
Houfe to it on a future day. He was fearful the
Right Hon. Gentleman oppofite would think he
aded unfairly in afking him whether lie meant to
repeal the Tax? he,thought it would have cealed
by this time, as a War Tax. He muft,own, that
either in War or Peace, it was a tax at which the
liberty of the Britith fubjea revolted—he hoped,
by perfeverance, to fee a total repeal of it before
that event took place, which might putit out of
his power to continue his exertions in garliament.
—He obferved, that Notices had been already
fent forth, with a view to obtAin the generel fenti.
ment of the people as to this tax—he was informed
by the worthy Alderman behind him, (Mr. Al-
derman Curtis) that the Livery of London had
given notice of their intention to meet in Coin-
mon Hall, in order to petition for a Repeal of
the Tax. He had no doubt but that great City
would give a tone and temper to the telt of the
kingdom. If it thould be the with of the people
of this country plainly expreffed, that this Tax
thould be repealed, he would then put himfelf for-
ward in a Rate of preparation to fecond their
willies. He really believed he comprehended the
.whole nature of the Tax, in Rating it not only as
oppreffive, but a Tax on common honefty ; it was
a tax that put the, morality and religion of the
country to the tell ; he was well informed that the
evafion of ie was beyond all calculation. He repeat.
ed that it was a tax which was odious, whether in
war or peace ; and he thould do every thing in his
power to relieve the Public from fuch a burthen.
He had not yet made up his mind what propolition
he fhould bring forward—if peradventure anything
lhould ftrike him, he would immediately fubmit it
to the Houfe—he was not aware it would be in his
power. At prefent he fhould only move for the
produaion of certain Papers; and as two accounts
upon the fubjea were already on the Table, he
hoped there would be no objeaion to his Motion.
He concluded by moving, " That there lhould be
laid on the Table an Account of the produce of
the Tax on Income, for the year ending the sth of
• April, tBO2, as far as the fame could be made up
and eflimated, diffinguilhing what had been re-
ceived by the Commercial Commiffioners."
Sir Rosser Burrow faid, he rote to objed to
the produdion of the Papers moved, becaule he
underflood his Right Hon. Friend, (the Chancellor
of the Exchequer), had exprefied a with, that the
fubjea thould not be agitated till the produaion of
the Tax had been afccrtained. If his Majefty's
Minifter ['mold feel the neceflity of relieving the
Public from the operation of the Tax, he ought to
have the merit of doing it. The meafure ought to
proceed from hirn alone. The Chancellor of the
Exchequer had not given his opinon, whether he
intended to repeal or modify the tax? If, after the
produce of the tax thould be afcertained, the Hon.
Gentleman thould think it necefrary to bring for-
ward his fads, there probably might be lel; objet.
tion to them than at the prefent moment.
The CHANCELLOR of the ExcetcLufa laid, he
fo far concurred with his Hon. Friend, that he
wifhed the Hon. Gentleman at leall to partite
his motion. It certainly was his intention to lay
before the Houfe leveret motions on the ilibjea of
the Income Tax. If the Hon. Gentleman thould
not be fatisfied with the nature and extent of them,
he would be at liberty to make any fupplemental
one he thould think proper. The Hon. Gentle-
man would not, he trulled, impute to hint any
defire of withholding from the Houfe any informa-
tion; but he thought it premature to move for
the amount of the tax to the sth of April next—.
it would be better to wait till that pet iod arrived.
It was his intention to bring forward the fubjea
in a few days, and to fubmit to the Houfe his idea
of the operation of the 'fax on the different clalies
of the community. In exprefling this intention,
he did with to have it underflood he had it in view
to repeal the Tax. He was anxious its operation
fhould be thoroughly underflood—the Reps here-
after to be taken would be the fubjeft of future
confederation. He hoped the Hon. Gentlemen
would content to withdraw his motion.

Mr. Jo:matt, in explanation, laid, that if tl-e
country was to wait until thole who propoled :t
tax Should .propofe to take it off, they might W 3 t
for ever. However, in confequence of the tint
ments of the Right Hon. Gentleman on tit,: other
fide, he had no objeEtion to withdraw his moti,»l.
Mr. BUXTON obferved, that the Hon. Gentle-
man Should not, continently with his own decla-
ration, have brought forward this motion at all;
for, on a former occafion, he had admitted tb.,t
it was proper to defer a motion of this nature until
the Ways and Means for the year Should be a
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