The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-10-03 00:00:00

1834 .. £4,578,009 .. £6,497,902 .. £1,166,914

1847 .. 7,747,156 .. 6,913,816 .. 2,679,124
Mr. Gladstone next adverted to the fact of Sir Robert
Peel's son, a young man 23 years old, having been ap-
pointed to the command of the finest frigate in her Ma-
jesty's service, over the heads of numbers of veterans who
had grown grey in the service; and proceeded to show the
meeting the propriety of enforcing upon the attention of
parliament the great necessity for reducing the natioral
expenditure, observing that nothing could ever be gained,
either from government or by parliament, but by exac-
tion. On resuming his seat, the chairman was loudly
cheered.

LAWRENCE HEYWORTH, Esq., M.P., proposed the
first resolution, as follows

" That considering the privations of the industrious classes.
no measure of financial reform can n:eet the requirements of
•ur national position, or satisfy the reasonable expectations of
the country: which aims merely at equalizing the public income
and expenditure, without at the same time providing for a ma-
terial diminution in the present overwhelming load of taxation,
by the most unsparing retrenchment in all the departments of
the public service."'
He thought no one would deny the great privations which
the labouring classes had been enduring for the last few
years. True, these privations might not have been wholly
caused by heavy taxation ; but certain it was that heavy
taxation had been the main cause. Insufficient employ-
ment, too, had been felt in England and Ireland—parti-
cularly in the latter country, where wages had fallen to
4d. and sd. a day. In Manchester alone 7000 and 8000
people had been wholly unemployed; and yet the labour-
ing classes were obliged to pay duties and excise to the
amount of £32,000.000 per annum—about one-third of
the wages they earned. Had the people of Ireland been
fully employed, and had' they obtained " a fair day's
wages for a fair day's work," would there have been re-
volt and revolutions in that country ? Nothing of the
kind. What caused Chartism to run riot in Lancashire
and Yorkshire lately ? Why, it was a want of employ-
ment; and the same want had produced insurrection in
the various countries on the continent, where much of
that want had been caused by the fearful expenses into
which our continental neighbours had plunged, in order
to increase their naval and military armaments. That
increase abroad had frightened statesmen at home, and
then we proceeded to build additional ships, and to en-
large our military forces. Wow, was it to be supposed
that we should have dearness and scarcity if we availed
ourselves of the products of the whole earth ? Let, then,
there be general economy, and particularly in our arma-
ments. Let the excise duties be taken off the commodi-
ties which the labouring classes consumed, and let those
duties be placed upon the broad shoulders of the aristo-
cracy • and then, when a noble scion was compelled to
: pay£3,ooo a-year instead of £3OO, he would soon begin
to discover the necessity of reducing the naval and mili-
tary armaments.

Mr. RICHARD SHELL, in seconding the resolution, said
that the Financial Reform Association had been organised
because of the increase of taxation to meet enormous ex-
penditure. He objected to the levying of an income-tax
alike upon the industrious citizen and the landed and
funded proprietor. The taxes were levied upon every
article that it was possible for a man to consume, and
they were expended in various unnecessary ways.
The resolution was carried unanimously.
Mr. FRANCIS BOULT proposed the second resolution as
follows :

" That in the opinion of this meeting no government can or
ought to retain the confidence of the people, which does not
avow, and to the utmost possible extent act upon, the determi-
nation to deal justly with all classes, by an equitable adjust-
ment of the burden of taxation; so that, ins ead of pressing.
as now, on the springs of industry, limiting the consumption
of commodities, restricting the operations of commerce, and
causing social privation and distress, the necessary revenue
shall hereafter 1,0 levied by a.direct impost on the members of
the community, in pnportion to their respective ability to con-
tribute."

It was true we had a Parliament called " the collective
wisdom of the nation," which had always supported the
prejudices and class interests of the nation ; and no real
reform was obtainable from them without vigorous and
continuous agitation. He lamented this as much as any
man; but the fact was, that agitation must be kept up if:
we would keep an effectual check on national expenditure.
Now, industry in this country was legally prohibited to.
an enormous extent, for we were now paying £3,000,000
per annum for liberty to carry on our trade. This might
be denied upon the ground that a man could turn himself•
to whatever he liked ;. but the fact was true nevertheless;;
and he proceeded to illustrate its truth by reference to
the business of a soap-boiler, and the duty upon that and
other articles of manufacture. This association did not
hold any Utopian plans, neither did it indulge in any ex-.
travagant hopes. But it hoped to make financial reform.
a hustings question, and it further hoped to make mem-
bers of Parliament vote a little more of their own money,
and a little less of the money of the people. Then we
should hear very little indeed of the so called "glory"
of naval and military forces. At present we are main-
taining 60 vessels for the purpose of preventing peo-
ple trading with• their neighbours in the North Sea. He
wanted import duties to be taken off, and for new markets
to be opened free to the sons of industry. He called for
the abolition of the window tax, the soap duties and the
window duties. He complained that while the Navigation
Laws were about to be repealed. the duties upon the raw
material were kept up, as if to prevent the home ship-
owner from entering successfully into competition with
the foreign shipowner. He was prepared to show that
the income tax, unequal as it was, was, nevertheless, less
unequal than any other tax now imposed, for almost all
the taxes pressed with the greatest severity u.pon the poor-
est classes of the community, for they had to pay not
only the excise duties but the profits of the shopkeeper.

• •
Mr.. EDWARD BRODRIBB seconded the resolution.
Voluminous and ill-arranged as the documents were on
the subject of taxation, yet they could be arrived at with
accuracy. The gross amount of taxation, for the year
ending the sth of January, 1847, was £58,438.000. This
was raised by direct and indirect taxation ; and these
terms of " direct" and " indirect" taxation, he proceeded
to explain in a manner which excited much laughter.
Now, there were Ils. duty paid out of every 20s. upon
tea, in the shape of direct taxation, and 2s. 9d, more,
making 13s. 9d. in all, in the shape of indirect taxation.
Now, the annual taxation of the country was laid as fol-
lows ,—Customs and Excise, £37,000,000 ; cost of col-
lection, £1,924,000; Stamps, £7,676,000; cost of col-
lection, £154,000 ; Land Tax, £1,166,000: Assessed
Taxes, £3,309,000; cost of collection, £317,000; Income
Tax, £5,544,000; Post-office, £1,964,000 ; cost of col-
lection, £1,128,000; Crown Lands, £394,000; cost of
collection, £259,000; other items, £427,000; cost of col-
lection, 459,000; China money, £668,000; superannua-
tions, £365,000. Mr. Brodribb proceeded at some length
to comment upon the enormity and inequality of these
several taxes, and said he had often wondered how
£37,000,000, in the shape of customs and excise duties,
should have been submitted to by the people. The fact,
however, was, the people did not understand the nature
of the items, but they were as follow—Spirits, £8,376,000 ;
Beer, £5,371,000; Wine, £1,892,000; Tea, £5,112,000;
Sugar, £4,050,000 ; Coffee, £756,000; Tobacco, £4,319,000
Soap, £966,000 ' • Excise licenses, £1,000,000. Now, with
reference to the duty on soap, if cleanliness was next to
Godliness, where was the piety of our legislators ? If
financial reform could not be brought about in its
entirety, ruin would stare the country in the face ; and,
in order to prevent this ruin, he called for the suffrage to
be commensurate with taxation, and for the electors to do
their duty manfully in returning proper representatives to
Parliament. He contrasted the tranquility of England
with the anarchy of the continent, and he said that, in
order to preserve this tranquility, justice must be done to
the people.
Mr._FARRAR supported the resolution. _ _

Sir JOSHUA WAl:msuly also supported the resolution

He was happy to find those who'imce differed with Re-
formers in opinion now giving to Reformers their cordial
support. The Chairman had spoken in a manner deserv-
ing of himself. He had called things by their right
names, and he had enunciated great principles. He was
happy to find that the reduction of local and general taxa-
tion was engaging the attention of the people of Liver-
pool; and with reference to national taxation, IN Axtuly

Oct. 3,1145.

believed that it was unjustly proportioned, so far as the
oligarchy were concerned. tie knew something of the
local taxation of Liverpool; there were 63,000 assess-
ments in Liverpool on £1,500,000 worth of property, and
yet thousands of houses never paid a shilling of taxes.
About one-third of the population paid the whole of the
local taxes; and would it not be fairer and honester that
every house should be taxed, and that every owner should
pay ? There were, moreover, three sets of tax collectors
in Liverpool, and the consequence was, that the tax col-
lector was never from the door, and the confusion was 11
great that the people never knew whether they had p!lici
their taxes or not. He contrasted the enormous taxation
of England with the diminished taxation of the 'United
States, Russia, and Austria, and he said that the present
melancholy position of affairs in this country would con-
tinue until an intelligent people returned honest Repro'
sentatives to the House of Commons—a House that Wag
now little better than a Registration Committee of the
House of Lords. England was now maintaining an
armed force of 300,000,000 men. For what pur-
pose ? Should he tell them for what purpose ? No;
they knew it themselves. There were 151 Admirals now
on pay; and we had 500 Majors, and 70 Lieutenant-
Generals in three regiments of dragoons alone. And tint
state of things would continue, so long as there wereotlll
70 members of the House of Commons who voted with
the people. He referred at great length to the unequal
franchise and mode of representation in this countrY,
and said that half the House of Commons represented
£600,000 of property, and that the other half represented
£92,000,000 of property.
Col. WXLLIAMS proposed the third resolution :

"That copies of the foregoing resolutions be sent to the First
Lord of the Treasury, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and
the members of the borough and the county."
Mr. CLAY POLE seconded the third resolution. .

A vote of thanks was passed to:the Chairman, and the
meeting separated.

EARLY CLOSING MEETING

On Tuesday a meeting of the friends of early closing
was held at the Music-hall. The attendance was respect.,
able.

His Worship the MAYOR occupied the chair. He said
he came there rather as a listener than a speaker. 111.
had very great pleasnre in complying with the reciees°
that he would preside over the meeting, because he 50
entirely and cordially approved of its object, as set forth
in the circular sent to him, which stated that it was es-
tablished to obtain, by upright and honourable means,
such leisure as should enable the assistants to preserve
and improve their health and perform the higher duties of
their existence as men. (Hear, hear.) Much he believed
had been done, but much remained to be done for the
accomplishment of this desirable object. He was aware
objections had been advanced against them. He bad
been told, with reference to their object, that if young
men were released at earlier- hours they would spend their
evenings in idleness or amusement, or perhaps in a more
objectionable manner. He hoped that the meeting would
give a practical denial of that assertion. Next to early
closing there was another very important object ; be allu-
ded to early rising. With the two combined, early clo-
sing and early rising, he was satisfied much might be done
in their religious and moral improvement, and enabling
them to discharge every duty in, the station of life in which
providence had called them. He approved of the early
closing of their offices, of their shops, and of their mar-
kets. He hoped the speakers would be consistent, that
they might have an early closing of their meeting. lie
hoped the speakers would not fall, into the too common
error of public meetings of making too long speeches when
much might have been compressed. His worship resu-
med his seat amidst general applause_
The Rev. Dr. TRENCH moved the first resolution, 0
the effect that late and injurious hours prevailed in mail
places, and that the meeting would use its best efforts
to lessen the evil, in a speech of considerable beauty and
force.

The Rev. Mica STOWELL BROWN seconded the mo-
tion. He advocated early closing, on the ground of its
moral, physical, and social benefits. He argued that
shopmen should not be asked to supply articles after
seven o'clock, as he who did so robbed them of their
time;, their health, and the recreation they ought to enjoy'.
He contrasted the condition of the shopman with those
mechanics whose business concluded at six o'clock in the
evening. To do business after that time robbed the shop-
man of intellectual and moral culture. Every one who,
engaged in late shoppingdid a moratinjury. It was sal°,
some would not close their shops though the vast majority
did. He said, let the vast majority close their shops
earlyrand others would be ashamed, and follow the force
of public opinion. He would use no,hard words, but he
would' have hard facts used in their behalf. It would be
no moral injury to shopmen to be liberated early any
more than other classes closing at seven o'clock. , the
Collegiate Institution was closing its. lectures, and e"
minister was winding up his sermon, and the news-room
was closing at that hour, so that the shopman had no
opportunity of improving himself.
Mr. CROPPER moved a resolution to the effect that the
meeting recommended seven o'clock as a desirable time
for closing shops.
The Rev. Dr. HUMS followed in an able speech.
Mr. JEFFERY said when he was requested to move the
resolution, he felt it his duty at once to accede to the re-
eqaurelsyt.ciosHinisg resolutiont ro
ecommended
He
hee
hsupport opfiacesthe
of business filled with persons engaged in business as late
as eleven o'clock at night. His friend, Mr. Woolright,
took pains to get the opinion of the body of tradesmen of
the town, and they were of opinion that it was time to
grapple with the monster and destroy him. The first
meeting was held at the Clarendon-rooms, presided over
by Mr. Reay. Another meeting arising out of it WAS
held at the Adelphi Hotel, when a deputation was sent to
the employers. A meeting of abouit 100 tradesmen was
next held, when it was urged that shops should be closed
at the hours of seven, eight, and nine o'clock, according
to the-season. But the public had not been consulted►
and the shopkeepers by degrees gave way. It was after-
wards arranged that the shops should be closed at eight
and nine o'clock, but this was obliged to terminate in
consequence of the late hours of the closing of the mar-
kets. Mr. Jeffery entered into a.continuous history of
the early closing movement. The time hitherto given to
young men had been well employed ; the abuse had been
the exception, the use the rule; and he contrasted their
conduct with what it was under the former rule. Mr.
Jeffery showed the advantage of early closing to the shop-
keeper, the assistant, and the public. He especially
urged that ladies used the middle hour of the day as best
calculated to make purchases. He also thanked those
ladies who gave their servants a day a month to make per-
chases.
Mr. JOHN SMITH seconded theresotution.

Mr. LAWRENCE HEYWORTH; ALP., supported it.
The whole of the resolutions were carried unanimously,
and, after a vote of thanks to the Mayor, the meeting
separated.