Star.
London, England, 1803-06-20 00:00:00

MUSE OF COMMONS.

The ferwrid reading of the Scotch Mannfarlurere ND was poft•
prima till Monday.
The Highlands of Scotland Roads Bill was read a fecood time,
and ordered to be printed.
The Twelve Million Loan BID was reported, and ordered to be
read a third time 011 Monday.
The Militia Subaltern Oaken Bill, and the kith Indemnity Bill
were read a locoed time, and committed for Monday.
The Eicife Duty Bill was read a fuft, and ordered to be read a
fecond time oo Monday.
Soon after the Houfe had affembled, a Meffage
from the Lords acquainted the Houfe that their Lord-
(hips had agreed to the Northampton Ordnance Bill,
and to the Amendments in the MaliciousShonting Bill.
The Ci.atrcst.toe. of the Excurgy se delivered a
moil gracious communication from his Majely to the
fame effect as that delivered by Lord Hobart in the
Houfe of Lords. _ .

The Meffage was then read from the Chair, and
ordered to be taken into confideration on Monday.

TAX UPON TILOPILITY.

The CHANCIILLOIL of the Exca &tam moved the
fecond reading of the Bill for granting to his Majefty,
for a time to be limited,con tributions on certain defc rip.
tions of property, offices, &c. as therein mentioned.
Mr. Fano usou obferved, that the prefent Bill was
confidered by his conftituents, in that part of it which
went to impofe a duty upon land, to be inconfiftent
with the exprefs provifion of the Aft of Union be-
tween England and Scotland upon the fubjeft of the
Land Tax, and, therefore, he defired that part of the
laid AA of Union might be read, which was done
accordingly. In fubmitting this matter, he Paid, to
the Houle, he had done only his duty. He was fen-
fible of the liberality of the Englilh nation, and he
exulted that no difference would arife upon the mean-
ing of this Article of the Ad of Union, on the appli-
cation of this Bill to that A&.

Sir ROllk.llT Buxton raid, that in a former Parlia-
ment, he brought forward a claufe in the Land Tax
Redemption Bill, which, although not fuccefsful in
that Houft, yet, from the manner it was attended to,
he obferved it had great effet at the time, and the
fpirit of which was to be found in the Bill now before
the Houfe : the claufe had this for its objed, to pro-
vide that when any Tax Ihould in future be laid on
Land, a Tax of an equal amount Ibould be laid on all
property whatever of equal value. When the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer Rated this Tax to him, he
confidered it as a Land 'fax, to which, as a Land
Tag, be had confiderable objeaions; but confidering
' that Land, like every other property, ought to con-
tribute an equal (hare to the fupport of the State, he
thought that this could not be deemed a Land Tax,
provided all other fpecies of property was made to
pay a like proportion; for, in that cafe, it was only
to be confidered in the light of a contribution in com-
mon with every other fpecies of property. It was
not a Land Tax, but a Contribution of Landed Pro-
perty, like other Property : this got rid of the idea
of a Land 'Tax, and that was all he wifhed, for a
Land Tax was a duty on land alone, without regard
to any other fpecies of property; but this was not fo,
the impoll upon property was general, and land was
only made to contribute its flier: among the reit.—
Looking at this Tax in that light, he had no oblation
to it, nor did he think it elated the Union with
Scotland ; if it did, he fhould, as an Engliflonan, re-
fute his affent to it ; but this was nothing more than
a fair call on all fpecies of property, to bear its (bare
of a ueccfrary burden, to fupport the State, and as
fuch it had his entire approbation.
Mr. W. Dullest agreed with the Hon. Baronet,
who (poke laR, that this was not a Land Tax, but a
contribution of Landed Property, in common with
every other fpecies of property, to fupport the State
at an important mills. Neither did it come within
the fpirit of the Ad of Union with Scotland; Co that
his Hon, Friend (Mr. Fergufon) and his confiituents
might be tatisfied in that particular; on the contrary,
there was a claufe in that Aft of Union, which ex-
prefily authorifed a meafure of this kind—(Here he
read another part 9f the Articles of Union, which
empowers Parliament to impofe fuch hordens on both
parts of the kingdom, as may be forte' interell of
the whole;) and be obferved that regard was had to
the different circumftances of the different parts of
the kingdom, by making the charge upon the occu-
pier ninepence in the pound in one, and fixpence in
the pound in the other.
Mi. Kiri natio did not very readily fee the force of
the metaphyfical dittindion which had been tie&
between a Land Tax and a Tax on land, Of a Tax.
as it was Rated to be, calling on Land to contribute
'to the State. It was raid that this Tas was laid on
Land, as a Property in common with every other
Property—He apprehended that fuch was the cafe,
when the Land Tax was arft introduced; for that the
Tax was then imposed upon a view of the circum.
fiances of the country ; and it mutt be prefumed that,
in the opinion of the LegiLlature, other articles were
taxed in their due proportion—however this might
be, he laid in his claim hereafter, at leaft to difpute
the propriety of the relative proportion aow made
between England and Notth Britain.
The eIIANCILLOII of the Ezell Kota raid, that
after what had paired he did not think it neceliary to
prolong this dircuirion. It did appear to him that his
Hon. Friend had Rated the matter corredly. With
regard to the readineis of the inhabitants of Scotland
to bear their (hare of the necefary burthens of the
State, that was 4 matter of which he had no doubt ;
but Parliament would not make nil of that rradinefs
fo to inipofe upon that part of the kingdom more
than its due weight of the btwthen Co rapport the
Suite. But this was not againft the fpirit of the Aft
of Union, any more than the Income Tax, which had
been laid on without dillindion upon England and
Scotland alike. He took upon himfelf the negative
of the proptilition that this was a Land Tax. It was
not the objet to tax land for the purpore of railing
money from land alone; but the tabled was to mire
money from all !pecks of property, and land among
the reft was made to contribute. It was not land
that was made the *Wed of taxation, but property.
and the pardfion of land was taken as the indication
orproperty, and an ability in the owner and occupier
to bear a given portion of the burthens of the State ;
andin this 111141111tf all fpecics of property was called
upon to contribute. This, therefore was not a Land
Tax, nor an Income Tax. nor a'l'as upon the Funds,
but it was an impol on every dercription of property,
for the yurpofe of making it ilike contribute to the
fupport of the State, the principle of which be Ihould
not now arfor it was amply difcaffed, and fa-
tivfatorily determined, and fully recognizecrat the
titre of palling time ta; called the Income Tat.

FRANCE.

A PRIVATE LETTER, PARIS, JUNE vs.

Of thirty-fix gun-boats fubfcribed for here, four
are already built, ten building, and two manned with
Pariflan Sailors, have defrended the Seine as far as St.
Clad, for the infpeflion and approbation of the Calle
CossuL. Thefe Boats are to carry heavy metal, and
are conftrueted after the model of the Swedith Gust-
boats, or Gallies, in the Gulph of Finland.
The Military and Naval Selllions of the Council of
State were yefterday ordered to St. Ckstd, and con-
tinue there yet. -All Officers on leave of abfence are
ordered to join their refpeElive Regiments, and the
greateft feverity and vigilance are afed to find oat
the Confcripts and other Deferters; this does not
promife a long duration of the Continental Peace, or
prove that the Ufurper ads with the wire approba-
tion of the Great Powers :—many think Profile is
lulled to fleep on a precipice, and that 'feria arid
Frame andotilased each other.
BONAPARTZ was fo well pleated with the Anfwer
to the Manifefto of the KING of ENGLAND, in the
Monitesr of yefierday, that be prefented its Author,
HAL/TRIUNE, with 12,000 livres.

Your Government cannot be too vigilant in fearch-
ing Veffels from France to Ireland :—for tome time
the Rebels who write Libels in the Ages, have been
bufy compofing, with the affillance of O'Comoos and
Co. fevers! inflammatory and revolutionary Addreffes
to the Irifh People, which have been fent to Bour-
deaus and other places, to be forwarded to Ireland.
The arrival and departure of Couriers is unufually
treat; yeflerday no lets than fix Couriers arrived at
TAILITILAND'S Office. and the Spanifls. Portuguefe„
PrufGan, an d Dani lb Mini fters received each a Courier
from their refpeame Courts.