20 MAY 1854, Page 15

THE MALT-TAX.

_London, 18111 May 1854. Sut—In your rtmarks upon the new taxes, you omitted to notice the un- accountable and most unmisteakable oversight of Mr. Gladstone in levying the additional tax of Is. 3d. per bushel upon malt. The effect is this,—the brewers of course have agreed to charge the extra price of 3s. per barrel upon the beer, which is exactly one farthing per pot : this is perfectly fair and necessary, and readily to have been foreseen.

Now, this is calculated exactly to meet the two and a half millions (in round numbers) additional tax ; but as the publicans have agreed to charge an additional halfpenny per pot, the poor public will have to pay just five millions,* whereas only the half of that sum will go into the public exche- quer!

Surely this is not right. As it is, every one is dissatisfied,—the poor man at seeing the publicans take cent per cent profit on the increased price ; the brewers a little jealous of it also, as tending to check consumption ; and some of the publicans jealous•of each other—some pretending they will not increase the price : but this would not be fair to themselves, and assuredly they would have it "in meal or in malt."

Well, then, as the public must pay the fire millions or thereabouts, why not double the extra tax, and take it all into the public exchequer ? Thus every one would be satisfied, and understand its necessity ; in addition to which, there would be a surplus, and the Sugar-duty might be allowed to be equalized in July, in accordance with the present Customs Act. By this operation the public would actually get a bonus.

"FAIR AND SQUARE."

• Thiaof course is somewhat less actually paid at present by the amount con- sumed privately, but the remit of alteration to the exchequer would be exactly doable.