Star.
London, England, 1811-10-08 00:00:00

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our subsidy, the advantages derived froth stir mint
and fleet appointed to protect Sicily, go without any
equivalent, since we stipulated for none, When we en-
teted into the alliance by which we engaged to de-
fend the island. But let the Sicilian Governriient also_
fulfil its engagements. Let our goodshave the Amu
chance in the market as the goods of the enemies of
Sicily. Let us not thus lose all the advantages of.
oar machinery and superior skill, by so unjust,
unmerited, and so tattial a system of taxation. It
is not, however, by the glaring examples that may
be quoted front the Tarif, that the spirit hostile to the
British trade may be detected. On the 16 bof April,
1811, the American Consul in Palermo obtained
en enlargement of the facilitation of transhipment ;
'he same privilege was refused to the British, except
on conditions to which they could not, without a ha-
zard of private interest, agree to, and conditions also
which affected the honour of the British flag which is
ueifortnly maintained abroad by the merchants with
fully as much spirit as by our diplomatists ; and here
we cannot but mention a remarkable instance of the
Money sucking mode of dealing which is practised on
our merchants at well as oh our Government.
The Sicilian Government proposed to grant to the
British merchants the privilege of transhipping and
warehousing in the King's stores for transhipment,
any kind of goods on being paid a dirty of 1 per cent.
on the tarif rate. The same privilege was after-
wards granted to the Ainericans without duty.—
Our merchants accepted the proposal, for it was evi.
dently advantageous, and a large quantity of goods
were landed and lodged in consequence in the King's
warehouses. On or about the 18th of March, about
almond) before the privilege was granted free to the
Americans, and when the Merchants wished to avail
themselves of the right that the conceived they had
acquired, the Government refused to acknowledge it,
'and would not permit the goods to be removed bet
on -Conditions detrimental to the dealings of the mer-
chants, and which were neither mentioned in the first
irrdngeinent nor had relation to its Objects. The
whole was a Neapolitan trick to extort money.
N. Those who will consider the Neapolitan Cabi-
net as the lawful Government of Sicily, are bound
also to admit that we have no right to complain of
the levyir.g of the one per cent. on payments men-
tioned in a formr',:'.l.nuber. Eut let us look to the
operation of the t ax.
$y the practice of the port of Palermo, the mn.-
thants hare th,:ir sale stores within the buildings of
the Cus:nm.house, because it is not the practice to
pay the duties until the goods be sold. The crown
in this manner holds the goods as its security for the
duties-. The arrangement fequires only a lei, slight
Modifications to be excellent, and does honour to the
Ziberal spitllt whMt -anciently dictated the inithun'ties'
that induced foreigners to settle in Sicily.. lint what
does the usurpin7 art: lawless Neapolitan Cabinet do?
On the 26th of May, 1311; it Orders the merchants
to psty one per cent. on the tarif valuation of all
.the
goods in the r.)yal warehouses, and the goods to be
held in a state of sequestration 'lntl the money is
paid--not only on tl:c goods in the warchoirtes, but on
all that had been sold sine, the 23ciof fcbruary, 1811
eeethe day on Which it usurped the power of levying
taxes. It is necessary to notice the complex operation
of the tax. First, the importets, by the order of the
26th of Mat, 181.1, are obliged to 'pay one per cent.
They tell the goods on credit to other merchants; and
on the sales-they pay another one per cent. The pur-
chasers resell, and pay a third one per cent. ! At
often as th 6 goods ate sold the duty of one per cent.
is paid, so that by the time they reach the consumers,
what with the partiality of the tarif, and this tax,
the British articles, which by being imported in
large quantities, could be sold cheaper there than
the same kinds of articlei imported in smaller
quantities from other nhions, are thus rendered
Mott etpcnsive to the consumer, and the principle of
counteracting our trade is materially promoted.—ls
there nothing in this to complain of and if there be,
would not our complaint be immediately construed
into an indirect attempt to violate the independency
of the Government It is impossible to recognise, or
indeed to know, in what that indepcnclanee consists;
if we admit that it can levy taxes at pleasure on fo-
reign merchants contrary to most express treaties and
voluntary engagements on the part of the Sicilian Go-
vernment.
If-we admit the right of arbitrary taxation, we
must also admit the right of punishing for refusing
to pay, alth a.;11 that refUsal be grounded on the
terms of treaties, And consequently we must admit
treaties to be of no utility. We cannot claim the pri-
ilege of remonstrating against the duty of one per
cent. without grounding our claim on treaties. By the
treaty of defence we engaged not to interfere in the
domestic 'tumor/1y of the kingdom ; we cannot there-
fore, if we admit the self-assumed power of taxation,
remonstrate. Bat if we consider that power as an usur-
pation, we stand clear. and in compelling it to return
to the obligations of law and treaties, we remain con-
sistent with our own principles, and vindicate our ho-
eour, so grossly insulted. We have only to consider
the Neapolitan Cabinet as our enemy, both in spirit
and deed, and that it is so the tarif alone is sufficient
to prove. We have only to insist that noineasure shall
be attempted by the Government but what could-
have been lawfully executed at the time when we eon-
. eluded the treaty of defence, if we are resolved to
abide by that unnecessary arrangement.

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LONDON.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER S.
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