The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1833-10-15 00:00:00

THE ASSESSED TAXES.

•. Samuel Harding, was indicted for assaulting John Frederick
King, a collector of taxes, in the execution of his duty.
Mr. Alley, in opening the case, said the defendant was one
of those unhappy persons who were bitten with the prevailing
mania of resistance to the payment of taxes. Thank God,
.things were not come to such a pitch that the law of the land
cotud be set at defiance with impunity. He should be very glad
to see a reduction of taxation, for the sake of the trading and
poorer classes; but while the law was in exiitence, it was dis-
honest and outrageous in any man to refuse to pay his quota of
taxes, to which all were liable. lie had no doubt that much
would be done to relieve the people in the next session of par-
liament,.but until then they must wait, and those whose duty it
was to collect the taxes must be protected in thainterval. In
this ea 4! his client had not been much injured, but the law had
been outraged, and justice must uphold the dignity of the law.
The complainant stated that he was a collector of rates and
taxes at Kentish-town, and that he had called uo less than eight
times upon the defendant for the stun of £1 ss. for the lighting
rate. The defendant used to say he could pay if he chose, but
the money was as good in his pockets as in that of complain-
ant's. he was summoned, and allowed ten days, at the ex-
piration of which complainant called again and saw a young
lady, who paid him the money and all expenses. On the even-
ing of that day the defeuilant came to complainant's house and
demanded a receipt for ss. 6d. (the expenses,) which complain-
ant•could not give. He then stormed, and swore if ever com-
plainant went tp his house
.again he would kick him; he also
threatened to strike him at that time, and would have done so
if complainant had not stood on the defensive, with a ruler in
his hand. After making 'use of very abusive language, the de-
fendant left the house.

Cross-examined by Mr. Phillips, for the defence.—Had made
a claim for 15s. on the defendant which was due before he. en-
tered the house. Did call the defendant a scoundrel, and an
empty-headed coxcomb.
Mr. Phi Lips then addressed the jury on behalf of the defend-
ant, and observed that his lea'rned friend Mr. Alley had treated
them with a speech that would have been more seasonable at a
meeting for the abolition of the assessed taxes. Indeed, he
thought at one time lie was actually present at such a meeting,
and was -looking out for the doughty Dr. Wade to start up and
answer his learned friend. (Laughter.) Mr. Alley had also
given some favourable prognostications respecting the future
doings of Parliament, which were, no 'doubt, intended for the
edification of the learned chairman, who was a member of the
legislature. But what hail all this to do with the case? There
was no proof that the defendant refused to pay the rate, and as
to the as,ic,isql taxes, they were nfA mentioned. There had
been, to be sure, some ebullition of feeling, but it was a very
trifling affair altogether.
The jury found the defendant Guilt!!, and the court sentenced
hint to pay a fine of Vs., and to find securities to keep the
peace.
TRADES' UNIONS.

Richard Spencer, John Dowston, and Benjamin Perkins,
were indicted for assaulting John Hu:Won.
It appears that the prisoners were members of a trades'
union; and had combined to keep up a certain scale of wages ;
the complainant worked at 'a lower rate for Mr. Ozier, a tin-
plate-worker, in St. John-street, with the defendants, and re-
fused to join the union, or to have anv correspondence on the
subject. This aroused the ire of the defendants, and they wan-
tonly beat the complainant, who is an old man, and played
tricks with him. On one occasion they cut his head open.
The defendants were found Guilty.
The Chairman said the system wlich generated this assault
was a system of oppression, and unlawful. Every man had a
right to dispose of his labour tor what he pleased, and the sys-
tem of rornbinatiOrf must he. put 'down.
The defendants were each sentenced to three months' impri-
sonment, and at the expiration of that time to find security for
their future good behaviour.
Five other members of trades' unions were charged with
creating a riot at the time the above-named defendants were
taken to the police-office. They were liberated on entering into
their own recognizauces to keep the peace.