The Statesman.
London, England, 1822-07-03 00:00:00

It not*
shout the principles of resurrection restoring the de-
portedd in' t is of the country to
.forowe prosperity ;
that the distress of the enamel wet to be attribotad se
'Ai Operations of nature. and Providence to be looked
II is the soiree of hope sod relief. Extraordinary as
"Ms language was. be hegged to say that he did not
Attribute it to inability in the person using it; for he
knew`that Hut.!.., had said of a celebrated character in
`be history of this couatry, that by splendid talents
he had risen from the lowest station to be the head of
ifte State, orithont having attained the power of es.
grousing himself In language which venal(' not dis-
grace the meanest peasant in the country. He believed
the confie.lan of langutge he km! 'quoted rather atoll
frees time critical sheath's of the speaker than from. his
inability, unshackled, to chid:, his thought, is other
lords. He has, however, since that period adosithed.
that laxities; het beloaglog to the cantos of natal.
might have a share in operating the .listres, ;of the
*try,- for he bad himself projsosed a redaction of
0001. of taxes. by a calculation which he had
be found that from the year L 794. to 18111. a
in. of mosey in direct treed hail he., everted feels
Ike Pattie equal to• 1.404,360,7941. TA is was an
lininsensi unto. of which it was scarcely possiblonto
have it distinct concepties. except that, like the Ro-
nne Emperor Caligula. they were to wish to wallow is
gold. By this continued draining from 'taxation the
capital of the productive classes was taker away, Ina
gives to those who were not connected *MI their:
No one. le believed. amid now he toned who did
not admit slat this debt was a great *aliens) or
!enmity. He knew that persons might answer Mill
by pointing to certain signs of wealth. But he
should say, these were equivocal, and often the WM:
cation of great evils arising from the demolition if
rts-
pital, which was the necessary eosseqoeree of tazatioi:
rot his own part he did wet think that agrieskseal
distress arose from any thing but low prices. 1116
landed gentlemen would not alto* them to keep lowa
down as low as I, would go, and the only metherC
therefore, of relieving the otreatry. was by re-
ducing taxation. High tazei Prodigal high One*
tied the reason that we sow bad high taxes Mill low
priors. was in conesquence of the existing glut of Ism
produce. He Imes very well that great 'Misery bust
totems is the restoration of things to their peeper
tteodard.. The poor !aids mast go oat of cattivader
and the last layer Of capital mast in fact be taken eit
the whete of the land. It was with a view to the per
motion of this misery that he now came forwskd to
preps, some mods of relief, and for that purpose be
PrepOired his fret resolution. He knew that them
were malty argassonte for opposing the reduction of
sweeties; In time of war they were tad that they
emuttaottithe slay the means of contending aguish
a pottot trolly; and in time of peace the maxim
was vestal to them. aria perms, pare Whims; mid
thus with these who so reasoned they mast have taxes
to perpetuity. He knew. however, that he alaeold be
asked fir hie mesas of roducieg taxes. and mkt thht
point, he would read his second resolatio*....TlVooh.
Member then read—" That the A
bettelinttad.
he derived from the Sinking Food are
that to impose or castles, any additio's& bill:1140m
epos the people fir the support of it, wield be unwise
and isexpedient." This was the proper Fund to ap.
ply to for this purpose. Is a Small State such a mode
of Ilquidaling a palm& debt 'Wight avail, but in a state
like this, it could never easier the end proposed.
The Sinking Fend was awful te.Hinisters, by aiding
them to fond. He beilesfed all the. sonatas* about
compound Witted had been long sloes exploded, and
with it ought deo to have goad time system of a Mak'
lug Find. The thirty trillions to be taken for this
penmen In a certain sandier of years had notch better
remain lo the pockets of the people, the best treasury
of thi Direen: lie contended, they had a richt to the
repeal if taiadoi to the amount of 3.00000/. at
loam. Which Wail the amount at which the Sinklog
Fend was rated by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Be-
sides this, they had a fight to•a diminution of taxation
to thi sates, of Ire or six millions, is consideration of
the rife in the vales airmail from the &Premien of
the currency. The moderate amount which he asked,
therefore, ought certainly to be granted. He knew it
might he urged by the Noble Marquess opposite, that
this was Very ingenious after the taxes they bad al-
ready coaceded. and that it would interfere with the
Isaac, plan of the Government. This he could sot help
it was his business to perform laii duty in obedience
tv the directions of his constituents. With regard. a
the choice of this particular tax for repeal be believed
it bad long been desired by the country. It was 'a
species of property tax, and had certainly origineAy
been held by Mr. Pitt in the light of a war tax. It
win lest levied in commutation for a tax upon tea,
which was taken off. Shortly after this • shop tax
was proposed, bat frets the outcry winos .. It wag
soon obliged to be given up. when the iin4stee orit
was agile lick.' upon wisdom. The operatioi of the
tax was %espial, for by a calculation' be bad made it
appeared that upon low rented houses It was at a
higher rate than upon the higher noted. . Thus it
pressed hardest on the lower order of housekeepers,
and was at an average of 36 per cent. on all that kind
of property In the country. Such was the nature of
it, that it was impossible an individual could escape
this tax. Many houses bad been built before the bill
of assessment was resorted to, and these contained
more windows than would have been thought Deco.
eery if they bad been Wit subsequently. They cow
sapiently paid much more in proportion than others'
which bad been more recently erected. The evil ef-
fects of this tax might be traced in every direction.
Numbers of windows were blocked up. and thus house.
were wade uncomfortable mad unwholesome ; or to
building. from the efforts made to avoid paying
largely to this *bine:one tax, houses were rendered
damp or exposed to tiadryrot. Many houses which had
been inhabited by persona in genteel circumstances weir
handoned Goat:count of the wiadow tat. He knew acme
where a person had a house, the rent of which was 361
pentangle, which was sugunoted to 60/. by the vision
I tax. rite coasequeoce of this was, that nobody womb:
take the house. Part Oche property was stoles throat.
s being left unoccupied. A pers.. was then put it
.o take careof it. hut the tax-gathererconsing mead t.
collect the Window Duty, the proprietor, rather that

'

palling the hoes* lowa.
into lint. The basso, i yea:
considered worth Pon/. Polle:i
sold.ale for bat 8001. awl thus.
*posh ..x, the proprietor had in one year Iwo
4411.11 or 1200/. inany'disadvantages gtew ont of this
tix. A house that was considered cheap as to rent.
bud remain untenanted on account of the taxes. Its
' inequality was grievous, sad this inequality bad ben
Omitted by Mr. Pitt in 1797. Two houses standing
next door to each other, paying the same rent. oral „I
oestribitte in very different proportions to t• e Nemo/
Tax. The Chancellor of the Exchequer knew that
twenty houses in Tuthill-street would pay as much no
i certain somber of 'endows as twenty hones le Imo-
barol-street ; yet me there was no comparison betweeso.
'the importance of the trade carried on in the two
placer, it was not to be supposed the inhabitants were
equally able to pay. The same amount being charged
on houses differiee in value, took from the'owner of
one, io a case which he stated, a seventeenth part of
his income, while from the owner of the other it took
but a seven bemired' Part of his means. Is the me-
tropolis the holders of houses, to enable them 'to pay
obis tax, let oat part of their houses to !Odgers. and
wrested themselves into dark back rooms. Therms
Isititene• of being this stilled up was disease, and of-
ten premature death. In Ireland this tax INad been
so injurious that it had been called the fever tax.--
Minister, had thought it tight to give it up in 'reload.
He approved of their condvet in this tutelage, and felt
•nevinced that no greeter relief meld be afforded to
the people of ibis country than that which *Debi be
derived from a repeal of the window tax. The tax
,prevented improvements bring made which were no-1
misery for the comfort of the peop:e. A poor mom
wished to build a warehouse. which he could hole
done for ten poneds, her he was prevented Hai
doing so, because had he Unlit one. Innen
mitt, *it shillings for this hoses of six windows,
be most have paid tweet), shillings to this tax,
from the addition of the warehouse window.—
The tax he regarded as premier very heavily on
shopkeepers. Whatever the state of th• it trade they
were compelled to pay this impost. The shopkeepers
id this country from the manner in which the demand
for all consumable articles varied and declined
osier the pressure of calamity could be sure
of a* retina. bat the return of the ra-ptherer.—
Tie house had the meant of relieving the country frees
this impost. It would be asked what he would subeti-
tato for it ? This be maintained, it was not for him to
de, and be might leave that task to the Chancellor et
the Exchequer. He would; however, recommend. that
the amount of the Window Tax should be taken from
the Sinking Peed. If this were not door, lie wee of
Opinion that a reduction might he made in the expos*.
tore of the comity, which would admit of being takes
of. Won in den of peace we bad an Anny and a
Nary which cost the annual sum of lb millions or mow
where thereabouts, he thought he had a right to wain
not very considerable redactions were practleabie. The
Chancellor of the Exchequer seemed to ***km AM
there were so limits to the pewee of the people tops MOM
—lt reminded him of an ancient story told of Themes-
tattoo, he believed, whg going to an island where the
people were not more partial to reactions than we wore
sow, told them to enforce his demands, that he brought
with him, two this, who must be obeyed—Force and
Necessity. To thin the people replied. that they akin
bad two Ueda who most he opposed to itij—Wnt and
Impossibility. The .propla eit this notary had sub-
mitted to greater harden than' had ever been i
on any other nation; bat he thought he saw no=
duns of a determination not to coatings to endure tax.
sties to the seam extent. It was felt both in that house
and in the country, that Ministers had set don. in the
course of the provost Snake, what they nett to have
done to relieve the people. For the late scheme which
Ministers had brought forward, with respect to the
Naval and Military Pensions, be regarded it as a mere
juggle, and as being wholly at variance with then prin-
ciples to which they bad ansesuced it to be their deter-
mination to adhere. To what be had already said, Is
favour of the repeal of the Window Tax, he begged to
add a quotation from a noon made by the Noble Mar-
(Fess. The Noble Lord on the 3d of April, Hal, had
said, " if he thought it possible. which be did not, to
repeal taxes to the amount of two millions, he would
prefer repealing the Window Tax to repealing the Malt
Tax." The Malt Tax being given up, it was now, per-
haps. hardly 'fair to call for the Window Taz to
be gives up too: het if be bad obeys, as be
thought be had dose, that the unseat which was
2,3115,27b1. might advastageously be takes hove *nether
fund, he thought the country ought to ban the relief
for which he contested. He cescisded by moving
three resolutions, the int of which inland it to be
the duty of the House to repeal all taxes that could be
taken off without detriment to the public interest; the
second: declared the Siakiag Peed to be Blaney and
useless& ; and the third. declared the Window Tex to be
oppressive, and that it ought to be forthwith and im-
mediately repealed.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said
it was not his inteotion to follow the Hon, Gentleman
throogb the variety of topics which his speech em-
braced. He would address himself to those points
which be considered as hewing au immediate cessat-
ion with the subject before the House. The Hon.
Gent. set out with observing that it was open the con-
vimiott that the Slohieg Pend ought sot to be anise
talned, that he proposed the repeal of the Window
Tax—there be (the Chancellor of the Exchequer)
commenced his opposition. He (the Chancellor of
the Exchequer) was of opinion that not only upon
grounds of public policy, but inasmuch as the Hose*
had settled, by repeated decisions, that the Sinking
Fund was to he maintained. be would not consent to
diminish the means of maintaining that fend. Upon
these grosseds lie would rest his opposition—upon the
first Resolution he would move the peeving question
The second Resolution he should meet by a decided
negative. He was not disposed to desy that the
Window Tax was heavily felt by the public. In Ire-
laird the Window Tax was taken of. Ireland was not
subjected to the Property Tax. She, in fact. never
laboured under any heavy direct taxation; she was
not, therefore, sensible to any relief as consequent
apes the remission of taxes, at the retire of, peace
it was right. however, to have relieved her as soon ar
!be opportne.ity arrived from that which most op-
pressed her; anal this was an indulgence more pree-
iarly called for under the preseat clreamstaeces of
that country. It certainly was one of the malts of
'he Union of the two countries to remove from the
metropolis of !island that class of peewits whose re-
.idesee there had kept op the value of houses. The'
iepreciation in their value, which followed. resisted
he Window Tax of coarse heavier. May of the
arger houses were to -venal lobo lag's'', and the
ambitions, to to great number of isstinces, had re-

THE
firepaiec the reOlial :of floaCtail; Ho:Motile' thieve I litZemerme.- es
thiaiS in to stew thilit alaiiiroaei <the Tiaiota of alma. ho carried 1
gethied resolutely raised their voice to obtain they before, had been errs
irQ4- nsv GO hi. They had all herirel delivereti le '4416 Ole aesitiale
that HOW, on a farther eteeselpo.,The.atolinr•st nritiene 'heeelth this tax, the I
A- time dir 1200/. Maw