Star.
London, England, 1831-02-12 00:00:00

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£3O a-year, and on houses occupied as shops at less than
£loo.—We further would have levied a land and house tax,
at 4s. or 6s. in the pound, on all proprietors who do not re-
side six months in the year within ten miles'of the property.
We think—
lit. That CAPE WINES ought to be encouraged.
2d. That the duties on the surperfluous article of Tots AC co ,
ought not to have yielded to considerations about smuggling.
3d. That the Duties on all kinds of RAW COTTON, in-
cluding waste, will embarrass transactions in the great stsple
of our Manufacturing System, and fall on the already em-
beggared operatives.
4th. That the Tax on STEAM BOAT Passengers will be
vexatious, and obstruct a growing improvement ;
All which might have been avoided by a Property Tax
and Absentee Tax ; both of which would interfere with no
industry, and the latter of which would restore the drains of
Ireland and England, created by the preference given to the
luxuries of residence in London, and watering places, and in
foreign countries.
We must, however, give Government the credit of having
already reduced 63 useless offices, and of meditating the
reduction of others—in all, 210.

In regard to the remission on Newspaper Stamps, if it had
been a clear two-pence, instead of being two pence, less
Twenty per Cent. on four pence, that is not lid, it would
have enabled the proprietors to sell at sd. instead of 7d ;
but a reduction l-three-sixteenths, will justify proprietors in

reducing the price no more than from 7d. to 6d ; and there-
fore, not tend to increase the circulation in the degree an-
ticipated by the friends of knowledge.
The reduction of the duty on short advertisements from
3s. 6d. to Is. will be an immense advantage, not merely so-
cial but commercial. We foresee, however, many practical
difficulties in the sudden transition to 2s. 6d. when 10 lines
are exceeded and in this part of the plan there must be, we
presume, some modification.
A meeting of proprietors appears to us to be indispensable ;
and we repeat our offer to become useful in the promotion
of any measure which the Provincial Proprietors may con-
sider it necessary to adopt.
_ _

We cannot close our remarks on the reduction of the taxes
on newspapers, without taking the opportunity to declare,
once more, our unalterable opinion on this subject ; which
is, that all taxes on knowledge should be removed ; and we
feel the more anxious to make this declaration, because
the interests of newspaper proprietors, and ourselves
among the number, are materially involved in the preserva-
tion of the present system. The governing maxim, which
we are ambitious to observe, is, to speak the truth that is in
es; and we are convinced, if a happy pilgrimage be the
object of man, it can only be secured by allowing the
day light of Heaven, to beam upon his path.
In darkness he can only, by chance, walk secure from
evil. In artificial twilight he is more apt to walk wrong
than right ; but in broad day light, he is sure to reach
happily the end of his journey. So thinking, we re-
gret that our present government have not done more ;
but we think, at the same time, that it is a matter of con-
gratulation, that they have done so much. They have at
least commenced to do well.

Last night, about nine o'clock, a conference on the affairs
of Belgium, was held at the Foreign Office, and continued in
deliberation till two this morning. This afternoon the
Members met again, and a Cabinet Council assembled also
at the same time and place, and continued in deliberation
for a considerable period. Lord PA LMEASTON was so much
occupied with the conference, that it was late in the afternoon
before his Lordship attended the Council.

CITY, ONZ O'CLOCZ

Consols, which left off yesterday at 791 to 80 for the so-
count, opened at 790, went down to 791; at present they
are 791 to 80. In the Foreign Market nothing doing as '
Yet
We have no arrivals this morning of any consequence,
The citizens and speculators are chiefly occupied in expound-
ing and discussing the Minister's Budget ; and the monied
interest are entirely opposed to the tax of half per cent. on
transfers of stocks; they are in great hopes that it will not
be carried. There is likewise great opposition against the
taking off the duty on tobacco • instead of which the public
say one million should have been taken off the assessed
taxes, which would have greatly relieved the middling classes
of society ; but upon the whole it is evident that it is a
pacific Budget—no funding of exchequer bills, no hint for
a vote of credit.
CITY, TWO O'CLOCK.
The Budget, and nothing but the Budget, occupies the
attention of the public in the City ; and in general it is
much disliked. The Funds, however, have Unproved since
the early part of the morning,when they were done at 791,
and afterwards went up to 80* for the account ; at present
they are 801. The improvement is attributed to the Budget,
not being of a warlike description, or any hint in it of
. money.

We hear that the armaments in our ports are still going
on, to be prepared in case emergency should require our
taking an imposing attitude in the present state of Europe.
In the Foreign Market little or nothing doing at present.
A Lisbon Mail is off Falmouth ; letters and papers not
yet received.


"....

ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY.
Yesterday the anniversary meeting of this scientific body
took place in the Society's Rooms, Lincoln's Inn-fields.
Sir J. SOUTH, the President, in the Chair.
The gold medal was awarded to Professor Damoiseau, of
Paris, for a memoir on the Theory of the Moon (a subject
lately taken up by Dr. Lardner, of the London University)
and for his Lunar Tables. A second gold medal was
likewise awarded to Capt. H. Kater, for his Vertical Floating
Collimater. The collimator of a telescope, it may be proper
to mention, is the line that passes through the tube, and cuts
both the focus of the eye-piece and the centre of the object-
glass. Capt. Kateer's invention is esteemed a desideratum in
astronomical science. _

Theusaial address was delivered by the President on the
occasion ; it detailed the progress of the Society during the
put year, and dwelt with particular satisfaction on the ad-
vantages to be derived from the King's patronage, the nau-
tical and astronomical sciences being so closely allied. Sir
James South was re-elected President.

The Society has now obtained the Royal Charter, and
is made joint visitor with the Royal Society, Somerset-
house, of the Greenwich Observatory. The Meeting was
I very numerously attended.