The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-04-22


| threatening aspect of the times have prevented
corresponding number Of Dew buildings from being
erected, the rents have risen 70 an unprecedented
height particularly for the tenements Inhabited By
the iabo!ing poor. The inevitable consequence q
| an addition to the house tau would be further
rise in the scale Of rents which would entail fresh
sacrifices on class already overbuTthened and coma
pletely exhaust their slender resources The duty
on salt Is equally Objectionable. That necessary in
in this country, the price Of which = nxed accord
ing to the reduced adopted in 1915, ct IL tha-
rs per 400 lbs and it u now proposed to raise 1t 70
~ The u. s
In price - one dIeier pound "a dreier Is three
felt even BY the poorest family, and Ct the
not entirely without foundation; but IL is not
the less 4 faacy and az such II is declared to be
by every one acquainted with the domestic arrange
mens Of the lower orders Of society In this country
In the eastern provinces, especially, the peasantry
subsist almost exclusively on potatoes and salt,
scarcely ever seeing meat from one years end to
the other. For the smoked provisions, too, which
form staple article of food in Germany, such %
hams, sausages, &C., great deal OF salt required
the farmers want it for their cattlein short, it is
an article quite indispensable to the industrious part
of the population, the bone and sinew' Of the
land, who consume much more in proportion than
The higher classes, and in this instance, therefore
in the former the chief burthen would fall upon
those least able to bear it, while the rich would
escape scot free, only contribute an infinite small
share TO the gross amount
The public in general have 10 unfayorable an
opinion OF their nominal representatives, who are
elected on system which may be called carricar
ture Of universal suffrage, that any serious oppos-
considered out Of the question; and to judge
from their sntecedents It might even be ina,
gined that the most Objectionable feature Of
the new taxes-their bearing more severely on
kkA thnvH thu nrllA hA
rather q recommendation than otherwise with the
Prussian legislators Not little surprise was felt,
therefore, when it became known that the ministe-
rial proposals were meeting with Q most strenuous
resistance In the second chamber that they had been
rejected by the special committee appointed to ex-
anime them, and that they stood great chance OF
being thrown out altogether and the debates were
watched with an interest hardly inferior to that
cited by the deliberations of the Evolutionary
assemblies Of lS46 and 40. The attack was COM
menced by the constitutional party who opposed the
measures principle, denying the alleged ne ,essty
OF extending the term of military service, and stat
ing their conviction that with greater economy on
the part of government the present would he
found amply sufficient to meet all reasonable de-
mands upon it. The most effective speech, however,
was made by the leader Of the extreme right, or
high tory party, who exceeded his liberal col
leagues in the vehemence of his foundations aud
the cutting severity of his language. Instead
of raising the salaries of Office holders, he said
1t would be far more advisable to reduce their num-
bers, which had increased so nordinatey OF late as
to form an immense standing army, who welded
the pen in lieu of the sword, and not only did not
contribute to the security OF the State, but cogged
its wheels in times Of danger, and Were source Of
weakness and embarrassment to their employers. II
was all very we'll talking about economy, while the
most splendid and costly buildings were continually
dered on objects of taste and vertu which ought to
be devoted 70 more necessary purposes This WAS
an inuendo leveled at the King in pr0Nid persona,
whose architectural and artists mania is proverbia
hso tr 1aav xInv
ned and partly completed . series Of improvements.
highly ornamental in character but very prejudicial
TO the brooches pockets of his faithful subjects. The
ministry made but feeble defence; they have not
got tolerabe speaker among them, although the
Premro, Baron Aenteufiel. who on his first appear
anoe in the Chambers could scarcely open his mouth
without exciting the hifarity Of his auditors,
has, by long routine, acquired certain degree
Of fuency which, however never rises to any
thing like eoquence. On this occasion, the extreme
right being formed, a factious and unprncipled
coalition with the extreme left, all the best speakers
were on the side OF the opposition. who had decid
edly the best of the argument. After fortnight of
stormy discussion the house tax put to the vote
ON Friday last (the 9th nst) and ncgatived by an
| immense maority-24l against %; In fact, no one
voted for il except the ministers and their immedi
! ate adherents, together with few crochetty mem
beers of the Rhenish brigade, or Roman Catholic
party who no doubt advocate high taxes on religious
fore had government experienced over shelming a
defeat, and the opposition seem to have been quite
startled at their own success On the following day
Menteufel declared in the Chamber that If the salt
tax was thrown out two ministers would not retire
from Office (everybody thought the would), but that
it would become matter Of serious consideration
whether such systematic opposition, did not tend
to impair the legitimate authority Of govern
ment, and what measures would have TO be taken
In consequence. This dark hint threw the timid and
wavering portion of the assembly into great con-
sternaton, particularly as they bad not the slightest
idea Of what the Premier meant, any more than he
probably had himself for dissolution of the Cham
Der in imitation Of Lord Palmerston would lead ~
very different result what IL has done in England
M. de Menteuhers threat was evidently a mere
brufum tuimsn, but he knew what sort OF folks he
had 10 deal with, and the effect produced showed
that he was not mistaken. The first paragraph Of
the law relative TO the salt tax, raising the govern
ment price from twelve thalers To fifteen was car
ried on Saturday by a majority of lea 70 $50, and
yesterday the whole act passed with a majority Of
twenty. The left and part OF the extreme right
voted against II, the ba ancc OF the right and the
centre, or Marais, In Its favor.
Thus government has had one OF its financial
projects rejected, but has succeeded In carrying The
other; and II II should be equally successful with
the third, on the tax upon licenses, nc, will have
raised near three million thalers instead OF the four
millions calculated upon. 1t remains 70 be seem how
ever whether the silt tax will he assented to In the
First Chamber, or Moose OF Lords. ] understand II
il likely 10 meet with considerable opposition there
and IL that assembly wish 70 make the mselyes popu
lar they win have better opportunity than IL
afforded them now when their rejecting IL would lie
\ followed by burst Of enthusiasm that would re-
sound from one end Of the country 10 the other.
For my part, don't believe our besculsns 70 have
ipdept ndence enough Cor such line OF action; IL u
composed, indeed, Of the same elements which are
Represented by the extreme hight in the Second
Chamber, but they are now under the direct in
huence OF the King, whose nominees they are, and
whose wishes they will hardly venture to thwsrt
such an occasion
THE CASE o. TINE STEAMER LYOyysls.