22] ANNUAL UEGISTEH, 181(5. 



in the other House, the numbers 

 bein;^- 540 to 77- 



The public opposition to the 

 continuance of the property-tax, 

 ah-eady mentioned as having com- 

 menced in the metroi)olis, spread 

 with so much rapidity through 

 the nation, that the delivering of 

 petitions against it to the House 

 of Commons, and the consequent 

 debates and discussions, occupied 

 a large share of the attention of 

 the House during some succes- 

 sive weeks. The topic was re- 

 sumed on Feb. 22d, by a nu- 

 merously-signed petition fi'om tiie 

 inhabitants of Cierkenwell, pre- 

 sented by Mr, Brougham. On tins 

 occasion, Mr. Barmg expressed 

 his liope, that as petitions weie 

 preparing on the subject in every 

 part of the island, the miniaters 

 would not hurry on the vote of a 

 large peace establishment. 



On Feb. 26th, a great number 

 of petitions weie presented, some 

 of them by memljers who de- 

 clared, that their own opinions 

 did not agree with those of theii' 

 constituents. The Chancellor of 

 the Exchequer took tliis opportu- 

 nity of giving notice, that he 

 meant to propose this tax in the 

 committee of ways and means 

 on the^Sth, and hoped that those 

 members who had notices of ino- 

 tions on the book would give way 

 to him. Mr. lUtring thereupon 

 strongly censured the indecency 

 of such precipitation, and de- 

 clared, tliat lie would oppose the 

 measure in every stage, and keep 

 it before tiie House as long as 

 he was able. 



On the next discussion of the 

 subject. Sir F. Burdett, in an 

 energetic speech against the con- 

 tinuance of the tax, introduced 



that opinion respecting the sub- 

 serviency of the House of Com- 

 mons to the ministers, which he 

 never hesitated to express in the 

 face of the House. He said, 

 " The right hon. gentleman (the 

 Chancellor of the Exchequer) had 

 told them that they had all la- 

 boured under a mistake, when 

 they supposed that the property- 

 tax was not to be renewed after 

 the termination of the war. He, 

 for one, was never mistaken on 

 tlie subject ; for he never did be- 

 lieve tliat ministers intended to 

 let the tax die away. He was 

 quite convinced, that the majori- 

 ties which siq)ported the right 

 hon. gentleman would not aban- 

 don him in consequence of any 

 expression of the public voice. 

 He despaired of making the ma- 

 jority of tliat house, constituted 

 as at jiresent it was, feel for the 

 distresses of the country : but he 

 hoped that the sentiments of the 

 people would be so expressed as 

 to compel ministers, and through 

 them, their adheients, to aban- 

 don the mea>^ure. ' After the 

 hon. baronet had finished his 

 speech. Lord MUton rose, and, de- 

 clining that he agreed in many 

 of the sentiments of the last 

 speaker, said, that there was one 

 point in it, which, as he conceived, 

 called for observation. This was, 

 that the hon. i>aronct had ex- 

 pressed a ho])e, that such a cla- 

 mour and tunuilt would be made, 

 as should pi-cvent the Chancellor 

 of the Exchequer fiom renewing 

 the tax. He himself avus pei- 

 suade.d, that if lie abandoned it, he 

 would do so, not from fear of 

 damoiu- out of doors, but for fear 

 of losing a majority of that house. 

 Sir Fraticis B. appealed to the re- 

 collection 



