Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-04-01
OUR MONTHLY LONDON CORRESPONDENTS
For the National Era
THE ARIsT0CRAcY OF ENGLAND mo. 5.

Ii has already been stated that the politica
revolution OF 1858 was accompanied by ter
ritorial and ecclesiastical revolution, az thu
Crown lands were divided, to very great OK
tent, among the great Wing families who had
taken principal part in the expulsion OF the
Staarts, and the act OF uniformity was solemn
ly ratified in favor Of Church OF Englandlsm
A narrow and false view ID taken OF TINS MEM
orable epoch, if confined strictly TO the chrome
logical date OF 1888 for it really was an inter
mediate position between, and a past and IN
ture era The historical student should con
slider il as q compendious term, including that
series OF events which commenced with the
grand rebellion. against Charles ], and termina
ted with the accession of the Houfe OF Hanover
to the throne of Great Britain. II word, it
embraces the rise, progress and conclusion, Of
the national protest against an arbitrary and
underlined prerogative
We proceed 10 its results on taxation. For
the sake OF clearness we may be allowed to re-
peat that the abolition Of the fendal dues at
the Restoration, and the surrender Of the Crown
lands at the Revolution, deprived the sovereign
Of the main sources Of revenue, which he had
enjoyed during the six centuries in which the
fendal monarchy had existed For the former
deficiency an hereditary excise was establish.
ed for the latter, the CIVIL LIST was institu
ted. These two combined however were in.
adequate to defray the increased expenditure
Of the nation plunged at once into the war
which William Ill necessarily wageu against
Louis XIV. Now, when the dethronement 81
James II was meditating, the revolutionary
party, in order 10 conciliate the mass Of the
people, who were justly indignant at the excise,
promised, in the event OF success to introduce
a land tax on their estates by way Of compen-
cation and to this they were also moved by re-
Numbering that the excise was only carried
by two votes, for it was not sufficient to effect
revolution, but also to secure it against the
contingency OF counter revolution. Accord
ingly, in the first year Of tho reign Of William
and Mary, three separate aids were granted to
the Crown for the financial year I689-l690
which together, amounted TO four shillipgs in
the pound on the true yearly rental of real
property, and twenty -four shiilngs for every
pound Of personal property, except debts, stock
ON land and household goods At that time,
the legal interest of money was six per cent
Here then are combined land tax and
special income tax and it ia to be observed
that the same rate, or four shillipgs in the
pound was levied both Oh real and personal
property. The amount thus assessed was
f20IS, 704.
The aristocracy, however, having caught
the fish, we're soon disposed to remove the net,
Tor they submitted NEST relnotantly to tax
themselves and Diet. rmincd, and "a we shall
presently see, succeeded in throwing the pub
lie burdens off their own shoulders On the
I'd April, 1890, the House of Commons being
in Committee Of Supply, Sir W. Strickland
moved shat the supply be not raised by land
tax Ga this Mr. Swynfn said "As to the
arguments against land tax | have been here
the best part of twenty years and all the pro
Jects would never do. The way Of our ances-
tors has always been on land, and they alb
horred excise and all other projects | wish
we prove wiser than they. We had q war
with the Batch, as we now have With the
French, and it WAS carried IN in no ether way
han hy- y land x.--I an not for taying our
lands 70 ensIaye our persons by excise Mr.
Swyp6a had the foresight to perceive, that II
direct taxation we're abandoned all the State
burdens would be imposed on trade and indus
try, while the land would escape; and expert
ence proved the soundness Of his implied pre-
diction. However his opposition at that time
was partially successful.
10 I690-I69l, two other aids were granted,
each Of which was fixed at & 65i 702 but
the two statutes by which these were granted
varied from the principle involved in those i'm
mediately preceding In the former il was or
dered that a rate Of four shillngs on the pound
should be raised on the full bona fde rental OF
the land but in the latter, a fixed sum was
voted TO be made up OF all the annual profits
of all the property, real and personal, in the
kingdom il IL also to be noted that il fell
short Of the first grant.
la 1892, Parliament reverted 10 the first
principle that had been adopted, and it il i'm
portant to observe that the commissioners were
ordered 70 assess all the real property after
the rate Of four shilings for every twenty shil
lings Of the full yearly value, A. the same was
let for or worth 10 be let, at the time Of assess
ing thereof The importance Of these words
will be pointed out hereafter.
This mode Of raising tax on land was fol-
lowed, without variation, up to 1896 but in
1897 totally different plan was pursued
.fxed sum Of IL 4s40 was then voted by
PArli4m~ns, and il was ordered that personal
estate should pay three shillnes in the pound,
desperate debts, stock on land, household
goods, loans TO his Majesty and the pay of the
military and naval services, excepted and fur
Their, that lands should be charged with a.
much equality and indIffsre0cy A possible, by
pound rate, Tor or towards the said several
and respective sums Of money by this act set
aud imposed Here, il must be observed
firstly, that the tar on personal property is
fixed ut three shilings in the pound second
Iy, that the contrary to the spirit Of the con-
stitutiou, personal property j. put forward n
the main and primary object TO be assessed
for, in ancient times, tenths, fftesntbs, and
subsidies were only levied on emergencies, 10
relieve TO goat pressure upon land; third
Iy, that real property 10 only 10 make up any
deficiency IN the sum voted that l. 10 say, IL
the three shillines in the pound on personal
property did not realize ff 4s4,0i5 By this
contrivanee the arstocracy subverted, or rather
reversed the ancient system Of taxation Such
continued ~ be the practice for one hundred
ears--or from 1897 to 1898, when the land tax
was made perpetual and fixed at f2,037 627
but subject % redemption. And il must also
be observed thai, during this period, the tar on
personal property Was not levied, though legal.
" due, bat fnalIy abolished by William w.
% these HISTORICAL facts we now proceed TO
offsr some reflections ~ illustrating the new