/ET. 38.] THE INCOME-TAX. 297 



liament, to organise a movement for its immediate 

 repeal, by getting up such an opposition to the pro- 

 posed continuance in whole or in part of the tax, 

 which Vansittart had announced, as would insure its 

 abolition. 



It will be shown presently how we fought the battle, 

 and how we gained the victory. Meantime I wrote to 

 Lord Grey as follows : 



TO EAKL GREY. 



" Dec. 5, 1815. 



"DEAR LORD GREY, I have had so little worth writ- 

 ing about of late that I did not trouble you with let- 

 ters ; nor, indeed, is there much more now Jo say. I 

 think it material to remark, that these vile proceedings 

 in France, both in the way of political and religious 

 reaction, are producing, as far as I can observe, one 

 salutary effect, they are disgusting even those who 

 used to be fondest of arbitrary and counter-revolution- 

 ary measures. A great disposition also exists in all 

 classes to sneer and carp at the Treaty. Its complicacy 

 and manifest tendency to sow the seeds of new wars 

 are extremely apparent ; and men, one should think, 

 are at last disposed to have a little quiet. Whether 

 they are or not, however, it seems plain that we should 

 drive at retrenchment, reductions, and repeals of taxes, 

 as the one thing needful. Until the peace establish- 

 ment is brought as low as it can be, the country can 

 never have a chance with the Crown, nor indeed with 

 the tax-gatherer. We never seem nowadays to con- 

 sider whether such and such an item of expenditure 

 can be afforded ; all that is asked is, Shall we be the 

 better for the article ? forgetting that there is a pre- 



