Star.
London, England, 1816-03-06 00:00:00

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 1816.

•
try ; and if that would not satisfy them, let them
walk through the streets of the metropolis, had see
' how houses were empty for wain of tenants to oc-
cupy them. The state of the country might be com-
pared to that of a vessel at sea. in which the Minis-
ters might he considered as the State carpenters, and
thepeoale as the crew; the vessel was so leaky that
the crew were kept continually working at the pumps
—the carpenters, however, would not exert them-
selves to stop the holes of the ship, bur kept the crew
still labouring at the pumps; and su.h was now the
case with the people of England. It had been said
that the Bank would by this time be able to resume
its payments in cash ; and one inaividual had stated,
on aparticular occasion, 'hat the Bank was fully able
to pay all its notes in bullion but before that could
be done, it would be necessary for them ta purchase
bullion; and how was that t be done? Why, by a
fresh issue of bank-notes. l'he Bank had afforded
Government a loan of six millions ; but how was
that loan to be advanced, except by wiresh issue
notes to that amount ? Thera fore, ti one considered
the quantity of Exchequer Bills lie by the Belk,
and the number of new notes ab.ut to be issued, the
whole of this would exceed one half of the money
now in citeulation. He did not wish t tire their pa-
tience by dwelling long on Utis subject ; but it was
most evident, that unless Government immediately
entered on the work of retreiichnteut— usi_l ess they
paid the Bank the slims due to it, the Bank
would never be able to pay its notes in specie. It
might be said, in favour of the alleged prosperity
of the country, that provisions of all kin& were'
'covered in pi ice. That, indeed, would be a cir-
cumstance highly satisfactory, were it not well
known that these low pi ices arose out of causes which
were a sure symptom of approaching ; it arose
from the circumstance of farmers betog so distressed
as to be obliged to sell their produce tt any price,
and being on the point cut ruin. It was a well-
known fact, that the fields were stripped of the
cattle, and that the little granaries of cultivators
were empty.— ( Here there were many expressions
of disaporooation.) Mr. Bentleys •1, h.: must per-
sist in what Ise asserted, the present cheapness was
fallacious; the consequence in another year might
be a dreadful scarcity; and it Ministers did not par.
sue a different course, ruin would be the consequence.
It was mot his with to appeal to the passions of the
company, but to flieir reason; he should therefore
read the Resolutions he had to propose.—[Here Mr.
B. read several Retolutions which were drawn up in
conturniity with has statement.] —He said hr had a
remark to make on the subject of the great Standing
Army that was intended to be maintamed. Before
the late war was entered into with France, the whole
expenses of the country amounted to tittle more than
five-millions sterling. Now the country was to be
saddled with a standing army of 149,000 men, of
which nocrilar twenty-five reginients were to rernaiss4
in England. which would make a regrinent fur every
county. He wialiesd to know for what was a regi-
meat wanted in every county in time of peace ?
Surely it could not be to dragoon the enemy ; no,
but to dragoon the people, and once them to put
their hands into their packets.-(Lcud alsidatats.)-6
According to the Constitution at this country, no sal
deer could be paid except by an annual provision
made by Parliament; and that provision generally
cattle oat of the Land and Malt Tax ; bat now the
people were called upon to pay an Income Tax for
the unconstitutional purpose of maintaining a stand-
ing army. lie contended that it was only by re-
trenchment and economy that the expenses of the
Government could be reduced. and by that means
the Income and War Taxes would be unnecessary.
He trusted the voice of the people would at length
force the Government to abolish every sinecure, every
pension, and every unnecessary place.
The Sheriffs requested to know the sense of the
Meeting, whether the Resolutions should be put se-
parately or in the aggregate ; when it was agreed
that they should be put separately. On the first Re-
solution against the Income Taz being read,
Sir JOIIN Gummi came forward and declared that
he was a supporter of the Property Tax. and there-
fore should oppose the Resolution - (Lord hisses and
' tusesk.)—He was ready to admit that the people of
Spitaltields were very much distressed, though not
to the extent that had been stated; that the poor were
in great want; that there were numerous bankrupt.
.ties. &c. and it was on that very account be thought
the Property Tax ought to be continued. Some taxes
most br raised, and let them be raised irons the rich,
who were best able to pay them. Other taxes ought
to be reduced; let the additional Malt Tax be taken
91) that the poor could have their beer cheaper ;
bet let the Property Tax continue—(Lend /kappa
batke).—He was net very rich himself ; but that nix
would hall very heavily•on him, and yet he was ready
to submit to it, because it was the best that could be
144 on.

Mr. Met.uwe spoke to order, and wished that the
sense of the meeting might be taken on all the Reso-
lutions at once.

Sir Joun Gunton proceeded. lie was ready to
admit that the military establishment was greater
than the necessity of the country required, and he
thought it might be reduced : but he was not for
doing airay the Property Tax. I..et other taxes that.
afected the Poor be taken off. The Minister had
already premised to relieve the farmer by taking off
the tax on husbandry horses.—( 4 largh; and crier If,
a trifle, atrille !)—The Gentleman who opened the II
business had said, that the granaries of farmers were
empty. If so, surely it would be a good thing to
give some kind of bnnus to farmers. With respect
to the other Resolutions, he was sorry to observe,
that they were most intemperate, and that they con-
tained an unfair attack against the Bourbons
(Blau, and tries of Off ~p)_.....rhat is your opi-
bion, Gentlemen." continued the Worthy Baronet,
" but I think differently."—(Crier of Of, en—That
attack on the Bourbons had come trout men who
*ter attackod Iletiverte. 1,129 latter

was a tyrant ; but be asked, if any roan present would
venture to say th.it the B.Hirbons of FranCe were ty-
rants ?—.(More clomrour elineeprobatisn).
Mr. JONJCS BURDETT said, it was with gnat diffi-
culty he could prevail on hirmelf to intrude on their
attention, but when pi:7,eii.les were stated to mislead
them, it was the ditty of every man to put in. a wits!.
He objected to the principle of the Property Tax. •lf
was not of much consequence how far it was prOduc-
tit; the principle made it objectionable. They had
the greatest of all blessings, tri d by Jury, but if in
qutsitorial assessors and commissioners were to have
the power of inquiring into every man's deed and
circumstances, the Eqglish Constitution was gone.-
( dfritrobatios.)—The Property 'l'ax, and the establish-
ment lit 149,000 men, were objects of the most seri-
ous alarm, and if the people could submit, there was
an end to all constitutional freedom. What was this
force for but to keep the Bourbons on the throne of
France—to enable the natiori, according to the state-
went of Lord Castlereagh, to hold rank among mili.
tary despots We had no desire to keep rank with,
them; they wanted their good Old English Govern-
ment—the Govermient we had before tbewar.—
(Lwod cheering.)
The Rev. Mr. DRAPER also opposed the principle
of the Property Tait. He did not like the term pledge,
adverted to in the Resolutions, because the idea it
conveyed was, that the Minister could influence the
House of Commons to do what he pleased. The Mi-
nister had been found capable, however, of giving a
pledge, and of breaking it with another country.—
He gave a pledge not to interfere with the private
affairs of France, and yet he had forced that country
to accept the Bourbons; and the present Standing
Army was to be kept up for the purpose of keeping
them in their situation.

Mr. READING.—" I came here invited by a public
advertisement to sign a petition against the Property
'Fax ; I did not expect when I came to hear other
matters mixed with the Property Tax. I will sign
the Petition against that Tax, but if it is to contain
any matter opposite to the rriii,cry Tax, I will that.
nothing to do with it.
Mr. MELLISH addressed tlae I\ Izetin3, but met with
repeated interruptions. Ile war nei the Fr'eeh'olders
against signing such a Petition as w;,s intended to be
brought forward (Loud clamiir.). In AP S cr t,..) what
Mr. Bentley sail about the B:nk of England, he
could assure the Meeting, that the Bank was able to
pay every farthing it owed. It had hem s.iid by cue
Gentleman, that there was no appeal t.:1):1) th C,,m-
missioners of the Property Tux, arid that a favourite
of the Government might be relieved in preference to
another—(Grier of ns, yes!) He would tell them,
that no such thing could happen ; for if the Commis-
sioners supposed a man had hot paid enough, they
might go and loot at his books. He believed the
Tax required great modification (Cries of Off; 1, aid
Chsootioso.) It was no later than a fortnight, the Minister
said one half the amount of the Property Tax, raised
in other ways, would be much more oppressive than
the whole of the Property Tax (Hisses.) —The Wor-
thy Member here alluded to Lord Castlereagh's
speech on Monday night, but was called to order, as
departing from the question.
Mr. Sheriff BELL gave it as his cpinioa, that there
was Ito departure from order.
Mr. MELLISH proceeded on the subject of the Stand-
ing Army. He observed, that, in support of the
25,000 men to be kept up, it would require 7000 of
them to relieve the garrisons in the different islands.
This he heard last night in the House of Commons;
and was it to be supposed chat Gentlemen of high
rank would come down there and tell a falsehood.—
(Load laughter and hisses.)
Mr. BEING Sdid, since he had had the honour of re.
presenting the county of Middlesex, it had been his
happiness to agree with his constituents upon every
grand question, and if he had differed firms them
upon the one before them, still after the sense of the
county bad been so unequivocally expressed by Pao:.
chial Meetings, and every other possible mode, he
should not hive put his opinion in competition with
chat of thousands, and tens of thousands (Lord ap-
plause). If, however, he found himself differing from
his constituents upon every occasion, he would not
take advantage of an Act that ought never to be
passed, he meant the Septennial Act, to represent
constituents after be had lost their confidence.—
(flear, hear.)--He assured the Meeting that he
heartily agreed with them in opinion upon the nature
of the Income Tax, and he would use his best ex-
ertions in opposirkin to it.—(afftplastro.)—So tar
tram the people having betrayed an impatience un-
der it, he thought they had borne it with wonderful
good temper. Many who disapproved of the war
Which it was in part'-to support, had yet paid the
tax without murmuring, upon the express under-
standing that it should end along with the other
mischiefs and miseries of war.— (Hear.) Last year,
when it was attempted to be renewed, the voice of,
the country compelled the Minister to abandon it; a
case of necessity, however, arose, and an Act was
passed for the continuation of it for one year ooly,
and now, without any pretence of impending war,
the Minister has the audacity to come forward and
attempt to make the country familiar with it in all
its odious characteristics. Great, however, as was
his objection to this tax, if he bad but one vote to
give.he would sooner give it against the standing army
than the tax, because, while the former was a pre-
tence for the exaction of the latter, the support of
such a military establishment as was contemplated,
would go to alter. the character, and to make us a
military people, which was altogether inconsistent
with our situation, our constitution, and our interests.
(Rear.) He hoped the inhabittants of every parish,
of every house, would stand up to express their de.
Bided disapprobation of both Income Tax and
Standing Army. He had clearly given his opinion,
and they knew how he should vote on both—(Leed'
applante.)
After some observations from Mr. BUM? in ex•
planation, the Resolutions wets put, and carried by al

PRTCU

thew of hands, oitly Sot .1011,1 Gisa se and lota, is
bring against th7m. A Pciti to was then agreed to,
when a moti was mu le that the Members for the
County should not only present, hut 'import it.
gr. BM; h Ted, that after themtplicit mann,* is
witch he Lit I expreisel himself. his line of condees
could not be mistaken. —(.4ol4;fet
Mr. Dils:a.a:n was determined to hear every thing,
that could be heard upon% the subject b. tore he, toultt
pledge to vote one way or rise other— Wirier )
A Vote of T;tanits was then passed to G. Jets:,
EI, and a !ion' tr vte was prop tsed ti W. Mu.
Llifi, Esq. which was negatived, with the exception
of two haaJs.

Thanks were then vntA to the Slum's., for his
conduct in the ChAir ; awl to BEi:rt.Ev. fit his
exertion in promotiong the business of the Meeting.

PARLIAkt ENTARr PROCEEDLVGt.

HOUSE Ott LORDS, MARCH S.

On the question of the Second Reading of Barlow's Dinned
Bill, Counsel Anil evidence were called in. After the usual
statement of the case (the particulars of which were recently
before out Readers), the necessary prows were entered upon,
but that which respected the service of the notice, &c. on Lei,
Barlow, not being held adequate, the further proc-edltrgs weft
adjourned, anti the Agents directed to attend on a future Jay.
Mr. CRALIKLitS presented at the Bar certain documents frost
the Trustees, under the Act of the SSd of the King, for Ins.
proving the Communication between the Counties ut fidioburgis
and Fife, In Scotland, which were ordered to he on the ta!ile
A Private Bill was brought up front the Commons by Mr.
Ec carols and others, and read a first time.
Lord KING presented a Petition from the principal inhabit!,
tants of Great Grimsby, in the County of Lincola, against the
continuation of the Property Tat, and expressing the hope. Q.
the Petitioners, that the return of Peace wool ! bring with it it
corresponding diminution ut the burthens of the people.
Earl s I'ANIIUPB prevented a Petition from the inhabitance
of the Paiisti ut St. Luke, Chelsea, to the satne effect l'hrss
Peat ions w•re read by the Cerk, anti ordered to lie an the •abla
Tl:e Sauk Lou, Bill was read a second time, and some r•nr:::e
and private huainen disposed of. After which t4eir Lordon,se
a•lx..ortitd till to-morrow.