482 
this country ; becaufe it was neceflary for 
the purpofes which the Minifter had in 
view, to treat you all likechildren. This 
was the reafon why this plan was not at 
firt adopted. If it had, the delufion 
would have been over, and the peuple 
would have feen the abyfs to which the 
Minifter was difpofed to lead them.” 
Among the many obje€tions he pointed 
our againft the bill, he gave a glaring in- 
ftance: Suppofe that two gentlemen of 
equal fortune fetting out in life, rhe one 
of them with his 10,00¢]. laying it out 
upon mortgage, and living upon the in- 
tereft of his money, which would be sool. 
per annum ; by this bill he would be taxed 
for his income, and no more. Suppofe 
the fecond to employ his 10.0col. in com- 
merce, and its produces tohim 1oool. per 
atnum, he would be taxed at the rate of 
a thoufand pounds a year: ** What, faid 
Mr. Fox, isthe reafon of this difference ?. 
They are both cqval in point of real pro- 
perty. Thus by making the income the 
bafis of your taxation, you impofe upon 
diligence and induftry, double the weight — 
which you lay upon him who choofes to 
repofe indolently and fupinely upon the 
produce of his capital. Idlenefs is fa- 
youred, diligence difcouraged! a_prin- 
ciple fo deteftable, that I could not have 
conceived it poffible to enter into the mind 
of any man acquainted with the fprings of 
human_ action.” He ftrongly contended. 
that the principle of the bill was bad, be- 
~ eaufe the affefled taxes were fo far. from 
being a criterion of wealth, that they were 
the moft fallacious that could be devifed. 
In the courfe of his fpeech, Mr. Fox ob- 
ferved, that Minifters bad given up the 
grounds of the war ; the Scheldr, Flanders, 
the decree of the 19th of November, &c. 
‘Their talents were now empioyed in ex- 
plaining away the declarations they had 
made.. They could not, however, 
obferved, fo eafily explaim away the quo- 
tation that they had made from Virgil. It 
ftood upon record : 
— Pornit que plurima virtues 
Ejfe fuit, toto certa tum efi cor fore regni. 
Minifte:s firft held out the tempting oc- 
eafion of at'acking France, united with all 
_ Europe—Year after year their object 
‘changed as well as their t2mptations. He 
eoncluded bis fpeech in the moft energetie 
manner, by declaring that the country 
could only be faved by a quick return to 
th: genuine principles of our anceftors. If 
this sas not done, he faid» “ the days of 
ghefe kingcoms are’numbered, and their 
guin is notdiftant.* = - 
To the arguments of Mr, Fox, the Mi- 

Public Afairs——Great Britain. 
‘[Dee. 
nifter.replied in a fpeech of confiderable 
length, and faid that fome modification 
fhould be made in the bill ; but whar was 
more effc€iual, ie oppofed te them a ma- 
jority of 125 members in favour of the bill, 
among(t whom were Mr. Alderman Luth- 
jngton and Sir Alan Gardener, both of 
whom were inftruéted by their conftiruents 
to oppofe the tax. _ Alderman Curtis went 
away before the divifion, and the Lord 
Mayor was not in the Houfe. Short as 
our limits are, we have given a lift of the 
Minority who voted a 
Affe ffment bill, 
Barkclay, Geo. 
Beauclerk, C.G, 
Bouverie, Hon. E, 
Bird, W. W.- 
Brogdan, J. 
Barch,' JR. 
Burdett, Sir F. 
Byng, George - _ 
€layton, Sir R. 
Coke, D. P. 
‘Copley, Sir L. 
Courtenay, J. 
Denifon, W. J. 
Edward Bryan. 
Fitzpatrick, RK. HE: 
Fox, Hon. C, J. 
Hare, James, _. 
Hawkins, Sir C. 
Howard, Henry 
Hufley, Wm. 
Jekyl, J. 
Kemp, T. 
Knight, R. P. 
Langfton, J. 
gaint the Treble 
fainwaring, W,. 
Nicholls, ]. 
North Dudley 
Petrie, — 
Peirfe, Henry 
Pochid, W. 
Rawdon, Hon. John 
Rawdon, Hon. George 
Richardfon, 
_Robfon, T. B. 
Ruffel, Lord W: 
Sheridan, R. B. 
Sinclair, Sir 
Spencer, Lord Reb. 
Stanley,. Lord 
Se, jobs Hon. 
Tarleton, General 
Thompfon, Thomas 
Thornton, H. 
Tierney, Geo. 
Tufton, Hon. Joha 
Walwyn, James 
Wettern, C, C. 
Wigley, E. | 
he 
Lleyd, J. M. - Wilfon, — 
Mr. Tierney and Mr. Combe were Tellers. 
The almoft unanimous oppofition. which 
the bill met with from the people out of 
doors, at the numerous mectings held 
upon that occafion, however have, it ap- 
peers, induced Mr. Pitt to make fome 
Mitigations in favour of retail traders. 
On the 18th of December, the Chancel. 
lor of the Exchequer moved the Houfe, to 
refoive ittclf into a committee, upon the 
affeffed tax bill. Mr. Piumer, Mr. Nicholls, . 
lord William Ruffel, Mr. Tierney; and 
feveral others, {poke againft the Speaker’s 
leaving the chair ; and at length, adivifion 
took plsee, when there appeared, for it, 
1743 ayainit it, 18. “ 
The Heufe of courfe, refolved itfelf:inta 
a committee, on the bill. Mr. Pitt then 
rofe, to ftate the heads of the modification 
which he meant to propofe. He» re- 
minded the Houfe, that in the former 
ftaterment he had laid before them, there. 
were two lines of taxations marked out : 
the one fog houles and windows, with 
“5 is dogs, 
