The Statesman.
London, England, 1815-01-20 00:00:00

down to the present moment, atid if he had then beert
in Parliament, lie should most decidedly have op-
posed it. If any tax could Lea devised which could
draw from the pockets of the people e portlier of
their income in exact proportion to their abi!ity to
pay it, such a tax would he the most perfect mede
of assessment that could be devised; but tieder this
present Income Tax we cannot get the geed because
we cannot bear the evil ; it took the same sum front
the man whose income was derived ft oni the preca-
rious fluctuating aouree of trade and profession, art
from him who derived a similar income from real rer-
manent property. It woe a tax In:it upon gen;us, ;tr-
dustry, and enterprise; it was Imposed upon those
who ought rather to b.. rewarded by the Slate tlarii
to he drained by it. There was an her peleable
'justice in its operation, that foreigners were exempted
from it. Now it was evident That they either placed
their money in the English funds on necount of
greater Security, or because they received higher in- •
terest. Was it not perfectly fair then that they
should pay towards that security which they .en-
joyed? But being now exempted from the operation
• of the Act, the very money which our Government
paid to them over and above sr hat was paid to the
natives and residents in this country, might he used
hostilely against us.. Mr. [Jersey pointed out other
instances of the uneqeal operation of the tax, and
concluded by giving his cordial assent to the Re-
solution.
Mr. Wreetere SMITH then rose, and in a long and
animated speech, of which we regret our limits will
permit only a short outline, combated the areumehts
in favour of the Property Tax. The Worthy Alder-
man (J. Harvey), he said, had appeared anxious that
we should not speak ill of an old friend, or (as he
trusted would very soon be the case with the tax in
question) that we should not say any thing disrespect.
' ful of the dead. His main argument appeared to he,
that it had materially contributed to the liberatiett
of Europe. Now, admitting for a moment Gat the
sums raised bud effected that purpose, he cored sue
no charm in this particular mule of raising the
money, for the same sum raised in any other way
would have produced the same effect. He (Mr.
Smith) had always considered this tax as a most
blundering way of raising money, and so far from
regarding it as a friend, he looked upon it as the
greatest enemy the country ever had; for (among
other objections) no scheme of taxation had ever
been invented which so completely tereled.eo break
down the seilit of the middling classes of society,
and to check that. feeling of honest independence
which every man ought to possess. Most men
were apt to reflect with peculiar satisfaction on
some particular part of their conflict; this errs
his case viii regard to the line he had taken
in Parliament respecting the Property Tar.----
When it was first introduced by Mr. Pitt, he had
opposed it with his utmost force; and when ha
found that it must pass, he had then applied him-
self, not without success to mitigate its :severity,
with respect to some se y obnoxious provisions of
the first Act; and he felt it due to Lord Sidrnouth
and Mr. Vansittart to say, that their mod.fications
had rendered it considerably less unpalatale, by
allowing the returns of different species of property
to be made separately, by which complete disclosure
was avoided. He perfectly agreed with his Ho-
nourable Colleague in the truth of Adam Smith's
observations, that a tax which should assess the
population of any country in exact proportion to
each individual's ability to bear it, would be the
most perfect; but it should be remembered, that
the same writer had also given it as his opinion,
that such an apportionment could not be made,
without resorting to means so inquisitorial and de-
structive of all private comfort as no free people
could endure. it was not, indeed, to be supposed.
if we got rid of this, tax, but that a large part of the
money must he raised by come other method ; with
idebt of 1000 millions, taxation must necessarily
be heavy. But he was afraid that in proportion to
the facility with which Motley was obtained from the
people, would also be the facility with which Minis.
lets (he did not particularly point at the present)
would be apt to spend it. To the Resolutions he gave
his cordial assent. :f he tax was unjust in its principle,
for it assesses 10 per cent. upon every income alike ;
it is unequal in its operation, for it takes the same sum
from the industrious tradesman, the poor annuitant,
the professional man, whose incomes are limited or
precarious, as from the land-owner or great capi-
talist, who e property was fixed and certain, and rohs
them of the vete money white• they would otherwise
convert into property as a provision for their fami-
lies. Nor could any thine be more injudicious than
that the skilful and enterprising manufacturer, who
was rather entitled to reward fur the share lie took
in contributing to the prosperity of the country,
though at great individual risks should be taxed for
his'precariires profits on these very exertions equally
sc.l the drone, who only consumed the stock of the
hive. !'hat the effect of the tax is oppressive, no
one could for a moment doubt ; the very constitn.
lion and 'form of it is inquisitorial, and the nits.
rhinery user' , its enforeemeet Peeler:thee grinding.
Ile was clad to hear, and del not at,'“ht, that the
Commissioners in Norwich had acted Stith fainiess
and feeling;; but this was merely the di-I:le.:en and
temper of individtials; the pri.sisions and tendency
of the measure itself was in a very different spirit ;
and. if the instances of harshness alit oppression,
which had occurred in different places, were to be
detailed, the relation would scarcely lie futished he.
fore the time when the Act expired. He would add
a few worils on the subject of any modification of
the tux. On this subject, he trusted the people
would speak with firmness atel derision, for .if
they consented to this, the, burden would be
rendered perpetual. If it was reduced to two
per cent. instead of ten, Ministers would urge. that
the burden was so light as not to afford any fair
complaint;tolevy
the
tit Assessors
It‘yi
til rigour; v()
it obueld in-
notgssatrlioduuc,niftdbdatofthe money was raised either tritiines
in
nenccoe of collection ; the m
nstantuse,tlte peoplewaotilyrbee•
isuvirtieri,l;l be
into
secu-
rity; rity Ottid whenever Ministers wanted more money,
they woulainstantly increase the per eenteee from lw
to five, and so on to 10, and perhaps to la-;7lr certr.;
then all the ori4inal severity would be nenin em-
ployed, and this detestible yoke would.be rivette4l
po ittooeudr
tnheeeleßs for
esolu
teivoenr. w
hlilo ch therefore
declared
all, p;
i