Star.
London, England, 1816-02-29 00:00:00

PRICE S

'thee he to six millions by Loan, or by a Tax on
Property, the same result would be produced as to
money, but not the same effect on individirals.—
A loan would only draw off the surethis of the opu.
lent, whilst the tax would fall upon the digressed,
who must, perhaps, be compelled to borrow the sirens
necessary for its payment. He did not conceive that
the Country Banks were, at this moment, either in.
disposed or unable to render assistance. What pre.
vented them from doing it was, that they could only
lend on what they considered good security, and as
the price of wheat had fallen lower than it ever was,
such security could no longer be given, and there:ore
the, circulation of paper money was reduced. After
so long it war, and so glorious a termination to it,
there was another strong motive, a moral principle
of gratitude, which ought to operate in favour of the
people. They had Name the expenses of that war to
their utmost strength, and even beyond it, because
they exp cted the fulfilment of the promises made to
them, and which had encouraged them to bear the
heavy privations and burthens with which they were
incumbeted. What must be their feelings when they
should find, that, in defiance of every promise and
every pledge, thtProperty Tax was to be continued t
The burthen, it would be said, was reduced onehalf,
but that was a small relief. It was not with regard to
money alone that the tax was obnoxious, but to the
manner in which it was levied. it did away the trial
by Jury, ever since. the inetitutioe of which the coun-
try had grown op in prosperity and happiness. Even
were it only one, instead of ten per cent, though it
would be less onerous with respect to money, it would
be more onerous than the country should bear, by the
innovation that it would introduce into the Constitu.
lion—(!sear, hear, front the Oplutrition.)—When our
neighbour's house was on fire, we had a right to pull
,it down, in order to save our own ; but when the fire
was over the right also ceased. It was the same with
the Property Tax, borne through eecessity during the
war, but which could not be justly revived when the
contest was closed—(hear, hear.) He hoped the Right
Hon. Gentleman would feel the voice of the House,
and of the count' y, and withdraw a measure, which,
if pressed and carried, would prove one of the most
detrimental to which the nation bad been subjected..
(Hear, hear !)
Mr. BARCLAY expatiated on the distresses of
the country, and the evil consequences of tile t'ro.
petty Tax. What be knew of farmers now, WAS, ib+.
instead of taking pride, as in former times, of payt
ing their rents yearly, they delayed their payments,
even when they, had. the means, as long- as possible,
lest they should be considered richer than their neigh.
bouts, and liable to increased Property Tax charges.
He thought that the measure mentioned by the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer, instead of yielding relief,
wools! produce a contrary effect. If the Property
Tax were passed, Ministers should be bound to keep
down every item of expeaditure. public buti
should rise in this city, no ,additional grants sliculd
be made to the Royal Family, but economy must
pervade every rank. He deprecated the idea, that
whoever supported the Army Estita.ates should be
bound to support the Property Tax.. He thought it
his duty to vote for the Army Estimates, because he
r did not conceive our security complete. But he should
not vote for them as a permanent Peace Establish-
ment, but as an Army of Observation. After all the
vicissitudes of fortune which we had lately witnessed.
who could trust to the security of the present peace t
Mr. BROUGHAM called upon Gentlemen, who
might differ in some particulars, but who all agreed.
in opposing the Property Tax, not to suffer them.
selves to be led away from the object, by allowing
the Chancellor of the Exchequer to bring in his Bill;
with the intention of reserving their objections to its
various parts, when it should be brought in. It was
natural that persons should object more particularly
to Schedule A or Schedule D, confining themselves
in their petitions, chiefly to the parts that pressed
hardest upon them ; but if Honourable Members
followed that example—if they divided their forces,
and allowed the Tax to go on at all, the Chancellor
of the Exchequer would take them in detail, and
carry through his edition of the Tax—(Hear, hear,
from the Opposition.) Let not the Hon. Gentleman
who had spoken against that impost from the oppo.
site side, think that it would be possible to improve
the Bill, it he allowed it to go into a Cummittee,
because he would then find the Honourable Gentle-
man under the gallery (Mr. Butterworth) and others
who mete divided in their opposition to various
points, whilst the Chancellor of the Exchequer being
, for it on all grounds, and being undivided and un-
split, would carry his own measure as he pleased.
(Hear, hear.) Although he felt convinced that .hat
Right Honourable Gentleman would be ultimately
compelled to abandon that odious Tax, yet he called
upon the House and the country not to relax their
exertions. Amongst various means used to defeat
the opposition to this impost, were insinuations, and
I even assurances, that it would be abandoned, end
that it was thertfore unnecessary to petition against
it. But if the country suffered itself to be deceived,
and be trusted it would not, if it did not raise its
voice and send-forth its petitions, the Tax would not
be abandoned—(Hear, hear, hear.) It was remark-
able to see Gentlemen rise incessantly and give their
opinions against that inquisition, whilst not one Was
found to get up and say that he approved of it ! not,
even the Honourable Baronet eho had presented to-
venal petitions from Devonshire, and, who was sus.
spected to think favourably of the Tax. He did not
give a single reasimor the shade of a reason, for ap.
proving of it. The only way the silence of the Ho.
namable Gentlemen on the opposite side of the
House could be accounted for was, that they should
not be well pleased that it should be known in the
House, and still more particularly out of it. that
they were in favour of such an oppressive inquisition.
He trusted that this night -would not pas. is iteGee
some of them giving his opiaion on the subject, that
the House should not be left is the extraordinary pro.
dicament of not hearing one voiee.raised (avow et