26] 



ANNUAL REGISTER, I8l6. 



into the appellants' circumstances. 

 Seven thousand out of the whole 

 number did not appeal ; probably 

 thinking it a less evil to submit 

 to the imposition, than to expose 

 the situation of their affairs : but 

 supposing them to have been 

 charged justly, what a pestilential 

 influence must the tax have pro- 

 duced on the morals of the coun- 

 try, when such a body had re- 

 course to the most guilty evasions 

 to avoid the assessment I 



Several other speakers follow- 

 ed on each side, of whom Lord 

 Castlereagli was the most diffuse 

 in recapitulating all which had 

 been argued in favour of the 

 measure. At length every other 

 voice was drown(;d in the cry of 

 Question, and the House tlixided, 

 when the numbers were, I'or the 

 contimiance of the Property-Tax 

 201, Against it 238 : Majority 37 • 

 \VTien the result was announced, 

 a long and loud cheering arose in 

 the House, which was re-echoed 

 bj the crowd that filled the lobby 

 and avenue.^ ; and the event was 

 felt in general throughout the 

 nation as a relief from an oppres- 

 sive burden, not perhaps so gal- 

 ling from its mere weight (for 

 heavy burdens mmt be borne), as 

 from its manner of Imposition. 



After this great deduction from 

 the ex[)ectcd resources of the 

 Chancellor of tiie Exchecjuer, the 

 House was probal)ly surprised by 

 his notice, on March '20th, that 

 on the next Monday, in the com- 

 mittee of ways ;uul means, he 

 intended to ])roposc the continu- 

 ance of certahi uf the assessed 

 taxes, but not of the war duties 

 upon malt. The House, he said, 

 would be aware that after he had 

 been deprived of one of the great- 



est resources on which he had 

 calculated, he could not be ex- 

 pected to dispense with any of 

 the means which remained : but 

 as, in consequence of that deci- 

 sion, it would be necessary for 

 him to have recourse to the money 

 market, it was of little conse- 

 quence that to the amount of the 

 loan should be added the calcu- 

 lated produce of the malt duty. 

 From the information derived 

 from persons who were best ac- 

 (piainted with the state of the 

 agricultural interest, he was con- 

 vinced that the most effectual re- 

 lief would be afforded to this part 

 of the community by the relin- 

 <iuishment of this tax ; and he 

 was therefore willing to rely upon 

 the wisdom of parliament to sup- 

 ply the means which woidd be re- 

 quired in cimsequence of such an 

 arrangement. 



This announcement by the mi- 

 nister of tinance was received 

 with much satisfaction by the 

 House in gcneraJ, especially by 

 the members particularly attached 

 to the landed interest. Observa- 

 tions were howexer made upon 

 the supposed motives which had 

 induced the minister to abandon 

 a tax raising two millions, imme- 

 diately after he had been deprived 

 of five or six millions ; and it w as 

 suggested that the purpose had 

 been that of regaining a popu- 

 larity which had been lost by per- 

 sisting in the attempt to enforce 

 a tax generally odious. 



No dimiestic subject during the 

 present year has more forcibly 

 acted upon the pidjlic feelings 

 than that of the state of agricul- 

 ture, a iiiatter highly important 

 to the general welfare, and in 

 which every part of the united 



kingdom 



