. A meeting of the ,inhabitants of Southwark was held
at. the Town- hall on Monday, for the purpose of considering, the, conduct ofMr. William Brougham in voting against Sir' John Keys motion ; and of petitioning Parliament for the repeal of the House and Window tax. - The • High Bailiff was in the chair; and read a letter from .Mr.
itiOnghana, Stating his reasons for not attending the meeting. ..
As regarded the repeal of the House and Window tax, and the substitution of an equitable-Property-tax (Mr. Breegham.said), he would give a petition pray. lug for those-measures his cordial support. .(Hisses.) If that alone had been 'the object of the meeting, he would have attended it; but as it was for the pur- pose also of discussing his conduct in voting -against Sir John Key's motion, with a view to call.upon him to resign in consequence of that vote, he must 'de- -cline-attending; unless he were prepared m become a mere delegate instead of a representative, end tO "surrender his independence and 'usefulness as a public man it once and fdever. , (Hisses arid groans.) Mr. B. Wood advocated with much earnestness the repeal of the taxes in question. He combated the arguments against their repeal and the substitution of a PrOpertHax which were put forth in the' last Edinburgh Review. It had been said that the landlord would pocket the amount supposed to be given to the tenant by the remission of the House and Window tax; but What had the Government to do betiVeen landlord and tenant ? When the East India Directors assured Mr. Grant that if the China trade were thrown open, the duty on tea would net be so 'easily collected,-Mr.- Grant pithily replied, that they bad bet- ter Mind' their-Own business, and 'Government would find a way-of leetirigthedink. 'Sn'he'said tti thegentlemen who 'lied the argument about landlord and tenant. He illustrated the atrocious inequality of the House-tax by examples. If the million of money expended by Lord Westminster in building Eton Hall had been expended in building five liondred houses at 2,000/. each, they would have been taxed to the amount of 9,0661. 13s. 4d., instead- of 42/. ha., which was what the
Marquis paid for Eton Hall. He concluded by,.minting the first reso-- lution,....-to the effect that the trading classes, who ptincipally paid the House aud Window tax, were unable to pay it any.longer ; and that k ought to be repealed, as oppressive and unjust. . Mr. Paull, in seconding. the resolution, said that the payment of these taxes was no longer a question with him. (Loud cheers.) If the collector called upon him, what would be his . answer ? " Why, there' they are—there are my chairs and tables—take them." (Loud c.heers. Was he to understand, from those cheers, that they would follow his example ? (" Yes, yes!" from all quarters.) Several other resolutions were, then put, and carried. .Mr. Sheriff Humphery was extremely well received by the ineeting. ThankS were voted to him, and a resolution was passed unanimously, calling upon Mr. Brougham to resign his seat.
A Deputation from the united parishes of St. Andrew, Holborn, and St. George the Martyr, consisting Of Mr. W. Tooke, the member for Truro, and other 'gentlemen, waited on Lord Althorp, at the Trea- sury, on Tuesday, with the resolutions of a public meeting- of these parishes, remonstrating against the House and Window taxes. After a long discussion, the Deputation retired, expressing a Lope of receiving some further intimation on the subject.
A Vestry was held on Wednesday evening in the parish church of . St. James's, Clerkerivvell, at which resolutions-were passed that the repeal of the House and Window tax should be effected by all consti- tutional means. One person proposed a resolution that every:hail's& keeper should put a paper in his window, declaring that he would not pay these taxes any more. The Chairman refused to put any such
re- solution. After the meeting, some wag hoaxed the more simple of the parishioners with a report that Lord Althorp had been Present incog and heard the discussion.
Dr. Lushington has addressed a letter to Mr. John Solom-ons, one of his constituents, in explanation of his vote on Sir John Key's too- tion,--..so exceedingly inconsistent with his conduct only, a few days, be- fore, at the Crown and ,Anchor meeting, where Burdett was 'boeted from the chair. He says that the, consequence of. Sir John's: nrotion' . being carried, would have been the resignation of at least a latge.pertof the Ministry, the repeal. of the Malt.tax, and the, impositien of a Pee- • perty and Income tax ; all of which. he decidedly disapproved' of; he therefore thought it better to. vote with. Lerd Althorp. The iferald forcibly exposes the hollowness of the Doctor's excuses ; and observes that his first reason—the desire of keeping Ministers in their pikes, right ,or wrong-being quite sufficient, the others might have been spared.
A dinner was given on Wednesday, at the Eyre Arms, St. John'er Wood; to Mr: O'Connell; by-the working .clasaes of the metropolis. A piece Of silver plate was presented to him on the occasion. It cost 200L; and consists of an elegant candelabrum and tovi-er.basket, sup- ported by three female figutes,.representingEngland, Ireland, and Scot- land, adorned by the emblems of their respective .conntries; The base on. one side is.decorated With Mr. O'Connell's arms ; on another, is an inscription in verse, 'highly flattering to the' "'Glory of Erin ;7' and on
the third, a prose incription in the following words.. .
Presented.to Daniel.Q'Connell. by, the Working classes residentin Loudon, natives of Great Britain-and Ireland,arid-ofthe EnrupeanAnd American Cell- tinerits. as a testimony of their esteem and ailiniSdioa tic his sgenilid and sitecessful exertions in the cause of Civil- and Religious Liboit9:=1-koistioti,45llt Vat: 1833." The gallery was filled with ladies. "L'iwards■ Of 'Atte htindred-per- sons sat down :to dinner. Mr. O'Coneell: spoke- repeatedly in-' the course of the evening; and the whole.affair seeing ta have linseed nit ot- tremelywell.
Previous page
