JET. 38.] THE INCOME-TAX. 305 



terest excited out of doors kept pace with that of the 

 spectators indoors ; and those who carried on these 

 active operations showed a vigour and constancy of 

 purpose, an unwearied readiness for the combat, which 

 astonished while it animated all beholders. I recollect 

 one or two incidents which may be given as a sample 

 of what was daily or nightly taking place. It was 

 in these debates that Castlereagh made his famous 

 complaint of the " people's ignorant impatience of 

 the relaxation of taxation," as he termed it, meaning 

 for the relaxation. A very unusual and unexpected 

 petition in favour of the tax was presented from 

 some place, and excited a good deal of controversy as 

 to its origin, and the quarters in which it had received 

 support. I thought this dispute quite immaterial; 

 and I applied to the petitioners the anecdote told by 

 Fuller of a conversation at the table of James L, where 

 he dined. The King, addressing Bishops Neale and 

 Andrews, asked them if he had not the right to take 

 the people's money when he wanted it, without all the 

 forms of Parliament ? Neale said, " God forbid you 

 should not for you are the breath of our nostrils." 

 Whereupon he asked Andrews, who tried to evade the 

 question ; but when the King insisted on having an 

 answer, he said, "Why, I think you may take my 

 brother Neale's money, for he offers it." I will not 

 say that, having forgotten the names of the two 

 bishops, I may not have substituted two of opposite 

 principles in our own day. But I certainly suggested 

 that the prayer of the petition should be granted by 

 passing a local Act, laying the tax upon the places 

 whence the petition had proceeded. 



I recollect a striking instance of the spirit with 



VOL. II, U 



