Star.
London, England, 1805-02-20 00:00:00

SALT TAX.

Mr. CALCRAFT objeded to this Ta:, as bearing
particularly hard upon the lower allies of the people.
It was of all taxes he leak produdive, and the one
which brought the 'calk money into the Exchequer.
It was extremely impolitic to fubjea an article of ge-
neral ufe to fo enormous an impofition as fifty per
cent. The Tax upon Horfes employed in hufbandry
he alto confidered as extremely objedionable, inaf-
moch as it went to tax what might be denominated
the inftruments ufed in raifing articles of the firft
neceffity.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
begged leave to exprefs his total diffent from all the
grounds of objeaion advanced by the Hon. Gentle
man who (poke laft. He had not propofed the tax
upon Salt without due confideration, as it was a tax
in his opinion the leak burthenfome, and the molt
produftive, at the leak expence, which could be de-
viled, and nothing thould induce him not to perfe-
vere in it.

Mr. SHERIDAN was afloni(hed at the pmemp-
tory declaration which the Right Hon. Gentleman
had made, of perfevering in the tax, than which none
could be more grievous, more opprelfive, or more
grinding upon the lower orders ; for as to thofe of a
ifuperior condition in life, it affeded them not at all.
—For the poorer claire: of fociety it was that article
which they could lets afford to have taxed of all others,
as it was a principal ingredient in their food of every
kind. There were Tome articles of their confump-
tion, fuch as potatoes, which were abfolutely un-
wholefome without it. He referred to a Right Hon.
Friend of his (Mr. Rote) ; he begged pardon, he be-
lieved he ihould fay the Right Hon. Gentleman,
though he had no objedion to confider him as his
Right Hon. Friea4 whether in his county (Hamp•
(hire) a confiderable property had not been embarked,
in the manufalure of falt, and large works ereded,
under the expelation, that in confequence of the
report of a Committee, the duty upon that article
would be taken off entirely ? He could confider that
report, if this tax should be eflablilhed, as nothing
elfe than a ilratagem to trepan penple. The former
Chancellor of the Exchequer admitted the propriety
of that report, and the recommendation contained
in it, and he did not fuppofe that he was difpofed to
run down his authority now, whatever he might have
done then.

' The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
was is much inclined to thew every refpe& to the
character of that Right Honourable Gentleman, as
he (Mr. Sheridar) c mid pollibly be. The report to
which he had alluded, had lain upon the table for
four years, and that. Gentleman in the Houle, and
yet had never been aCted upon. ConGdering how
the tax was paid, the gradual confumption of the
article, and the fmall expence in the collation of the
daty on it, he thought it one of the molt proper
which he could fubmit to Parliament.

Mr. EGERTON, as Reprefentati;e for a county
(Chefter) in which very conliderable Salt Works
were eftablifhed, offered Tome objations to the tax,
and referved to hill:dell* the right of giving it further
oppofitinn in a future Rage of the Bill.
Mr. KINNAIRD expreffed his difapprobation of
it, and was of opinion it would confiderably add to
the riling difgult of the people at the means which
were refOrted to for carrying on the war.
Mr. ROSE deaied that any property, at leaft any
confiderable property, had been embarked in the
manufature of felt in the county in which he re.
filled. He could not admit that the collation of the
new duty would be attended with the expences Rated
by tome Hon. Gentlemen. So far from it, all the
charges would fall upon the old duty, and every
fhilling of the new tax w, old be paid net into the
Exchequer. That collation only Rood at prefent at
two per cent.
Mr. CALCRA.FP differed from the Right Hon.
Gentleman ; and maintained, that upon an average
calculation of three years, the charges of collating
the duties upon felt amounted to full ten per cent.

HUSBANDRY HORS'S.
Sir ROBERT BUXTON oppofed the Tax on
Horfes employed in Hufbandry ; he thought it found-
ed on impolicy and injunice. On impolichlecaufe it
would operate to the grcat detriment of a branch of
our national indußry, of all others the mod effential
to our wellbeing as a Sate ; on injuftice, beskaufe it
would bear unequally on the fubjeft, nay, that it

wont operate on only one elaA of people, the far-
men of the kingdom. Inaead of laying an additional
tax of this fort, wh-- did not Gentlemen give up their
privilege of franking, which would thew the people
that the Members of thy Honk of Commons were
ready to make facrifices in their turn. The Honour
able Baronet ,deprecated the idea of She war having
excited difguit among the public. He believed there
never was a war, the neceffity and juaice of which
were more univerfally felt and acknowledged.
M.. WINDVAM could not help totally difagree-
ing wigs the Hen. Member as to the privilege of
franking. This privilege was chiefly valuable as a
feather in t/ie cap of the Members of that Houle, as
a Parliamentary diftinaion ; but it was likewife of
ufe in other views. The Members had frequent oc-
cation to write to their Conftituents, and their Con-
ftituents to them, which this privilege enabled thetas
to do without inconvenience. Betide,, it conferred
a power of gratifying innocent, and even laudable
wiffies of accommodation, both on the part of the
conftituents and individual friends of the Members &
one gratification which was enjoyed, iodependebtly
of a Minifter. It was alfo a privilege from which
literature derived no trivial benefit, fince it enabled
thofe to correfpond who would otherwife never cor-
refpond at all. Official people, who could frank for
greater weights than individual Members, woad, he
muff think, be ready to acknowledge, that fervices
were rendered to literature by that privilege; at leaft
be knew, that when he was in office, there were ori-
ginated and carried on, correfpoedencies betweey li-
terary men, winch never would have taken place bat
for the facility which the privilege of franking af-
forded.

---the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER fup.
ported the expediency of the privilege, but not alto-
gether for the reafoas given by the Hon.i Gentleman
who (poke let. The privilege was one that afforded
a very great accommodation to the pnlAie. Tt en-
abled the Members to carry on the very important
bufiners of their conftituents, and frequently they
mutt have various and exterifive tranfadions to dif-
eufs. Hence the privilege was niit only a diftinaion,
but a molt ufeful, if not indifpenfable appendage to
the function r)f a Legiflator. As to the faving that.
could accrue from the abrogation of Ole privilege,
that again was, in the view of the ftibjed of revenue.
the lealt confiderable in the world ; for it would not
amount to more than 40,0001. a year. He ci;cl not,
however, by any means with to tax agriculture hea-
vily; and the tax under confideration had no ftich
tendency. No man would think that arable farms
would, by this increafe of feven fhillings and fispence
on the Taz on Horfes ufed in hufbandry, be taxed fo
as to injure agriculture..or induce the farmer or land-
owner to ditiontinue employing all the capital he
now employs in arable farms. With refpeCt to the
infinuation that we tax others and not ourfelves, the
hillory of Parliament, and of the whole fyllem of
taxation, proves the great difinterefiednefs of the
Houfe ; and fo far from the rich not being taxed, they
ore taxed out of all proportion much more than the
Poorer 'orders.
Sir ROBERT BUXTON difclaimed every idea
of invidious comparifons.
Mr. LASCELLS wined that the Right 11011.
Qentleman would take further time to confider of
the tax. It (truck his mind, that it would operate
as a foit of bounty on grazing farms. It would be 4
check on agriculture. To confider the interelt of
the farmer, would be the belt mode of confidering the
interelt of the country. The farmers already ren-
der Cervices to the country by voluntary fervice to-
wards the public defence, which added to the burdens
of the land. The Refolution was agreed to.

TAX ON 'PLOPEILTY:

Mr. FULLER, in reference to the Tax on Proper-
ty. mentioned the cafe of one who fhould have much.
underwood, but which would not be in a yielding
Rate for fourteen years to come ; now the prefent tat
would attach on that kind of property, he apprehend-
ed, as much as if it was at this moment vendible, or
as if it yielded a profit.
The CHANCEL LO R of the EXCHEQUER ob-
(erred, that the tax would only attach on property
now convertible to its ufcs : fo that the underwood
which would not be at to cut thefe 14 years, would
for that period not be I;Able to the tax. The other
Refolutions were now pti:, agreed. to, and Bills or-
dem!.

- -
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
led the attention of the Houfe to a clerical error in
the Refolution impang a TAI on Hodes ufed in huf.
bandry. In the Refolution whicb had jolt been puffed.
the additional tax is 75. intlead of 75. 61 This did
not at all affect the objed of the Refolution ; but its
order to remedy the overfight, he fliould bring in a
fupplementary claufe, when the Bill (hould be before
the Houfe.

I L. 4 VE TRADE.

Mr. WILBERFOIiCE brought in his Bill for the
Abolition of the Slave Trade, which was read a fire
time, and ordered to be read a fe►coad time on Friday
fe'nnight.

814 HOME POPHAM.

Mr. KINNAIRD moved, purfuant to the fuggef.
tion of that Officer, that the order for printing fun.
dry Papers which Sir Home Popham had moved for,
should be difcharged, as it would take up more timc
than be had apprehended when he moved for them.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
thought whatever might be the with of that (Meer
to have a fpeedy inquiry, the Houfe could not form
a proper judgment till it was in potrtffion of the do-
cuments.—This bufinefs was therefore deferred lc:
the prefent.

MIDDLESIX ELECTION.

On the motion of Lord MARSHAM (the Chair •
man), the Committee for trying the merits of the fall
Elation for Middlefex, adjourned to Thurfday near.
Mr. SHERIDAN Paid, that its it was then rather
late, as the parties themfelves wifhed for further ac-
commodation of time, as the debate expo. ted on
Thurlday, and the bufinefs for Friday, would tale
up the whole of the prefent week, and as he did not
with to deprive any of thefe diflinguithed Members of
the }knife of the. pleafure of joining in the Royal fel-
tivities (the Windfor pall) of Monday next, or (fill
lets to diminifh the fplendour of that day, by caubg
thofe individuals (the Minifters) to
fent themfelves from the fcene of its grandeur, he role
to move, ,g That the adjourned debate on the Report
of the Middlefex Committee, for 1802, be furth;
poftponed to Tuefday next." The debate waj pO.•
pond accurdiegly.—Adjourned,
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