Mr. WODEHOUSE'S motion re...
Mr. WODEHiOUsE'S motion respecting the Salt-tax comes 5 this eveniing. *Yhat may be the object of the Hon. Gentleman, it is difficult to conceive; but if Ministers sup- port him, it will appear to be on their part the most disii- genuous and unhaudsome conduct imaginable. Their pro- mise is pledged for the repeal of the tax; and is a promise no longer sacred, when otbers urge him who makes it to its violation? Mr. WoDEHousE may probably imagine that the people are not sufficiently burdened: if so, let him propose some tax which may fail chiefly upon his Own constituents, (upon Norfolk barley, or turnip-seed, or Nor- wich crapes), and suffer the rest of the nation to enjoy the relief which has been promised to them. It is to be observed further, that the retention of the salt-tax is not only the retention of the impost itself, but also of all those expensive agents, of all that costly ma- chinery, by which the tax, though at present but small, is collected; whereas the repeal of the tax sweeps them all away. Even if it were proposed to substitute thie repeal of the window-duty for that of the salt-tax, the change would be objectionable, because till the repeal of all the assessed taxes, the odious race of surveyors and assessors would:still remain. Had the salt-duty conqnued undiminished till the present day, and had the assessed taxes been parilly repealed, with an engagement on the part of Government that the whole should be abolished this session, we should have called for the fulfilment of the engagemnent before the salt duty was touched; because by the total repeal of the assessed taxes we should have got rid of the agents employ- ed in their collection, and in increasing their amount. But in these reasonings it will appear, we fear, that xve are ar- guing upon mere supposititious cases; for we cannot learn that the repeal of any tax is contemplated instead of that of the salt-tax; and should this be the case, a pure and unTedeemed wrong wiUl be inflicted on the nation.