Star. — London, England, 1819-06-08 00:00:00

POIN , ‘ . -•••1•••^ AMNIMM r- p t .1. ( l en t . • • ''• • - ' so 4 1 " • • ~...„,..... 0., _ ~,.. . . . . . . • .4,r* izo'n • .f:!: ‘ , - .. . / 1. . * t ...' .• i tb F' \ ;7 -111 el:v *4% • "•...„. - - at . a # ,,.. r ....!,.,. . ± :g. T. ozpiy 7/ i„ . ..._..... ___.. .. . A'-.e.,' TUESDAY, JUNE 8, 1819. N m r I 0,072. PRICE 6EVEN-PENCF. E.4ST-JIVDIA HOUSE, May C 6, 1819. l i, COURT ne DI RECTORS 1 - , , f the UNITED PI EITCII.4 NTS of ENIILAND, trading r..1.V."11:ti, do her,ty gior Icariar, 3 t; COFRT of the said Comriny will be linime, in Leadenhall-street, on TiII'IiSDAY, 0.• nt oTleck in the Forenoon until 1:A-cuing, at the desire of the under-mentioned Pro- HOUSE OF COMMONS. Mr. T. COUBTENAY brought in a Bill to regulate the number of passeng.•rs to be carried by 111a:thews's new invented Stage Coach. rINANCE..—NEW TAXES. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER moved the Order of the Day for a Committee on the' Finance Report. The Motion was agreed to, and the House resolved itself into the Committee. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, that after the Report which had been presented on the state of the Finances, the House would naturally expect that previously to any statement of the ar rangements which had been made with a view to meet the supplies for the current year, some discus sion should take place on the matters contained in , that Report. It was natural to expect, not only that the 'general financial state of the country should be brought under the the consideration of the House,' but also that some explanation should be given as to the measures alch his Majesty's Government in tended to propose to Parliament in the present state or the Finances, and as ,most suited tt the situationl ,in which the country now stood. To make such an 'explanation the more clear, and to separate it froth Ow more 'nitrate technical details which it involved, ,he had suggested the mode of embodying, in die form of It:solutions, the more general propositions as to our financial situation, unincumbered by the par ticular details, which would afterwards come to be considered. He therefore hoped that the Ilouse would find it better first to enter into the discussion of those leading features of our situation which were traced in the Resolutions which he had laid before !the House. In these Resolutions he had endeavoured in as short and simple a manner as possible, to bring the most material facts into view, as separated from the details. No reference was made to the distinct appropriations ; because, in whatever way these might be arranged, and to whatever degree they might be multiplied, the great question must always come to be, as to the proportion which the income of the nation bore to its expenditure. It was to this ge neral question that the Finance Committee had prin cipally directed their attention ; and, with the same view, he would now take the liberty of recapitulat ing shortly the main facts embodied in the Resolu tions. The first resolution stated the amount a the' taxes of which the country' had been relieved, since the termination of the war in 1815, to be 18 millions per annum. Of the particulars of these taxes, an ac count had been just now laid upon the table of the House (by Mr. Lushington), which collected the va rious branches of the revenue from which this reduc tion had taken place. These accounts brought to gether, for the first time, a statement of these vari ous branches, and the proportions of each. From them it appeared that the amount of these tale!, on an average of the two last years, was £18,700,000. The second resolution stated the effect produced by the consolidation of the Treasuries of Great Britain and to the establishment of the public credit. Looking to the amount of Tares from which the critintry had been relieved since the war, the greatest and most important of them was the P r operty Tat, He was far from arraigning the decision of the House on this subject, although it was contrary to his own opinion ; nor, indeed, could he, in his conscience, say that considerable benefit had not been felt in many Colonel GORE ANGTO!•I presented a Petition from cer tain inhabitants of Bath, complaining of the mode of colloetine. Assessed Taxes.—head, and ordered to lie on the table. Mr. PROT( I'M on presented 4 Pit 16011 from aperson named James 111 ills, a civil engineer in complaining that at a late trial in which he was plaintiff, he was prevented from ad dres,.ing the Jury, as the advocate of his own cause. The Peti tion prayed that the !louse might adopt some measure to pre vent tither persons from being debarred of this right. On the motion that tt:e Petition do lie on the table, Mr. CM' ILTEN AY observed, that it was the duty of the 'louse not only to open its doors 33 widely as possible for the reception of Petitions, but that it was also their duty to pre vent this right treat being abused. This Petition did not pray for any thing which the house could properly accede to, and be thought upon the whole that it ought not to be allowed to lie on the table. T CANN:IU. 11)49.1m A. ALLAN (FT TS GRANT J. I T, RDI T (;ront.r. respects of great importance from that decision ; and he certainly hoped that the relief which had been thereby afforded to the Public, was among the causes which led to the restoration of public credit and the lua"tv ('. i'•ovorN l;.; J. Kisser, ...:~.~..:: T~ -t o t: the following Question, • tt :h. , Court conevr in the recommendation of the rourt r.:t , rt. as contained ;in their Thslltition of the 20th ult. :he tlnt. of ftio,ooo be accordinply granted to he ap t . th • benriit of the Marquis of I lAymos, in the mode in 61 Hesolutiot., subject to the confilmation of t7 .,1 C:etrt. I:ttol . :t 6 it now lies open 7t this ;louse for the pc the rroprietors. .10SE Secretary. renovation of industry throughout the country. after the great depression which had been experienced just after the termination of the war. But at the same time, be did nut believe that the industry of the country could be in any way so well supported as by pla . cing the Public Revenue in such a state as should give a consider:ll)le surplus above the expen diture of each t - ear, applicable to the reduction of the debt already incurred._ What he now wished was to Mr. PROTBFROF. said he had very little knowledge of the circumstance to which the Petition related; but that he himself felt considerable delicacy in taking any ob:iection to it, as the Petitioner was one of his most active ono:wilts during the can- vass at the last election for Bristol. The question was then put, and the Petition rejected without a division. A Petition was presented from the Land Owners and others of the county of Kinross.—Read and ordered tulle on the table. The Bill to authorise the Sale of Game was brought in by Lord CRANLLV.—Read a first time, and ordered to be read a second time on Thursday se'anight. Zlr. EDWARDS presented a Petition from the Agricultu rists of Curphilly, in Glamorganshire, praying for a Protecting Duty on the Impartation of Foreign Corn.—Read, and ordered to lie on the table. LIST-1ND1.4 HOUSE, Junc C, 1819. frir. Co IT T of DIRECTORS of the UNITED of mi:nrir.iArs of Elk - GLAND, inkling • r.1.“11,\711 do iterebq 1 izt re •.1 P.:FERIA' G . F.Si KR AL COURT of the said riuted to be le•id at this House on W.F.I2INES -1)11, the C; :o. iT.stani, is nu& Special, fur the - purposu of lay , -.- the Proprietors, tip_ir approbation, a Resolution Directors of the Ali April last, granting to Sir fi!aro Barlow, Ptrt. G. C. B. a Pension of £l5OO per th , grourds th• Mill stated. Nepert regain d by the By-Laws, Cap. 6. Sec. 19. is L b, ir....Actioa of the Proprietors at this House. JOSEPH DART, Secretary. Enleaece the Revenue in the same state as it would have at the time when the Property Tax would have expired, if, instead of being given up in 1816, it had been continued on the modified plan which he sug gested for two years longer, If that plan bad been adopted, at this time about £18,000,000 of the debt would have been discharged. Bat the decision of the House made it necessary to pursue a different plan; and, of the measures then resorted to, he must be ( t allowed to say, that he considered them the best which the situation of the country afforded. They were indeed to be considered rather as temporary expedients ; but they had brought the country , to its present state without any diminution of public credit; without any loss of character, and without any severe financial pressure. But the plan of temporary expe , dients must in time come to an end.—( Hear, hear, hear, from the Opposition.)—When those which the repeal of the Property Tax had rendered necessary HOrkE, Jane 1819. 111:11; CO IIT (y4)111E0'010; ofthe UNITED •1,".;.V;" ,7;* MPRCHAATS ENtiL.LND trading , . ! ;OP.'''. rt , hrnkv girc Natici,; . E IZCA 1! I'ERLY GENERAL COURT of the (o' pane, al painted to he held at their Douse, in Leaden tl!ttr,ct, on \\ EDS ESDA Y, the Tii instant, at Eleven t;':— . 4 in tip. I . . , renoon, there. will be submitted for ronfirma c :lie lie.oiinO , n 0; the General Court of the 19th :Way last, 1 -7 Vi.'...! 61311 i t(i Sir MrI:IIAV MILL, who corn r.. d i ill: •••ty's late ship Alet•ste, of the stun of 8.100; tie ..pruitanwitt of a Chaplain to the Company's Factory r C:eaon, with a salary of £BOO per Anuum, payable out of it Commiscon. respecting Sir limray . )laxwell, as required by e r: i:y-Late.,, tutu Gas at this Ilow,e tor the perusal of the Pro ' JOSEPH I),IRT, Secretary. were resorted to, ihele w•rd only two resources open to the Government. The one was the arrear or War ir.. .cr•, PORT OF EXETER. roa. SALE RV AUCTION, C7l , r of the !lonourable the Conitni%.ioners of his Majesty's Fiansr, the 13th (lay of June, 1819, at Eleven tin: Forenoon, at the Cu3tont.l louse, in Exeter, THE GOODS UNDER-MEZ•:TIONED, liOnT CONSUMPTION : (.411oLs Brantly Subject to the Duties of Customs and Itum Lacise. GeGeva PoLr.ds Chuculare. - - - AND roa Four East-India Silk Handkerchiefs. On Sorcnnay, the following day, at the Custom-House, in 'TOPSHA M, at Three o'Clock in the Afternoon, !G.:lions Brandy Subject to the Duties of Customs and Geneva 5 Excise. I Ta;loms Rope. Which will be put up in Lots, and Sold to the highest Bidder. PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS. HOUSE OF LORDS, JUNE 7. Th House met on the expiration of the Whit Recess, and I w, to. heard at some length respecting the Scots Cause, 11 at r. Callai:der."—To proceed again on Wednesday. Tie Duke of Gomm!: took the oaths and his seat. r:rt Account% were presented from the Treasury and Mint ti-pci.tiog the Caiinages agreed for with Mr. Bolton, of 14”. in?haot ; the Contracts entered into with that Gentleman ; dtSe prke- of Mullion at different periods, pursuant to recent ordt•r• of the Mitt.. - . ..,.„ 'Pt , Fifteenth Report from the Commissioners of the Caledo- I tiro Canal was presented, and ordered to be printed. Sercr.il Private or Local Bills were brought up from the Corn- Ens ay Mr. ILotrarON, Mr. 11Aovcy (of Norwich), and other Ile Uteri, and read the first time. Tao 1.411 , ,f DA RLING TON presented two Petitions, one I two the Ship Ihs nets and others of the Town and Port of Sun ithin.l, a•.d the other from the City of Durham, against the eel Duties lley,iilation Bill. The Commitment of Dunn's Divorce Bill was postponed till T.a.r:day. Lirl GREY presented several Petition; from certain Prates- Dii , enters in different places, praying for some relief on MI ill with respect to the present form of the marriage ce,nieny, as prescribed by the Established Church, as inconsist et wth those tenets and doctrines which they hold, &c. and The Earl of A 1.11E,M A It LE presented one from certain Pro ztar.t assemers of the City of Norwich, nearly to the saint effect. *rte Cotton Manufacturers' Bill was read the second time, on 'S:t , 7,::ritanding that the discussion would take place on the next r. ':h.' Committee), which was appointed for Monday neat. l'ae Earl of DARN LEY, alter briefly referring to the papers it. re the Ilcuse on the subject of the State of the Royal Navy, %mein, intention, on Thursday, to submit a motion, founded papers, and observed, that he should not occupy any tc , . LIZc panio❑ of their Lordships' time on the occasion. 1••ar1 GREY moved to discharge the Order for summoning t...-morrow on his proposed motion for the second 7 • 11 Bill now before their Lordships on the Repeal of •rein Tot Acts. It was with reluctance he felt induced to F•:Eone that motion ; which, however, he intended to bring nod tdl ti;.• next open day. In which view, after the Order discharged, he moved that the Lords be summoned for 75.12 y, V. hit h was ordered accordingly. lh the motion of Lord AUCKLA NI), a Message was or to be sint to the Commons, desiring a Copy of the lie ; t their Committee o❑ the subject of the insolvent Deb ' Act. L rd K EN YO:•:, after a few obserati - ms on what had taktn re.pecting the We't Middlesex Water Works Lill, and "v.r..;3,- a I'etition front a number of the Vestrymen and pr.iyitg to he heard by their Coun,el against the -.ony:A that the Bill lr2 re-committed, which, on the guts ordered accordingly. Lordships ordered t%e proceeding to take place on art: the l'etitioners to be heard by their Coun3el and i!eju? for. gti...lification Dill WAS read the third time, and .r.o. Fso rEz;lt Y presented a Petition from cer .o,cribiti,; I.leztJrs ag..inst the Barnstaple Election 13th. ih n: dine; Earl of C.kERNARVON, the Order of the Barnstaple Election Ilia was post t t \'. doe th.- LORD CHANCELLOR, and a : i r.l-!.ii,, the second reading of the Dill on -. .1‘•, W. 1% fixed for to morrocrse'nuight. Li. I of L.% CDERDALE, the Order tic L ,r.:td .Tadges, relative to certain • .1 !0 ~11.1rti:tivd by his Lordship respeeting po,roned till Friday. vlirg ion the table being respectively for tied till to-morrow. Sir J. SEBRIC HT presented a Petition from certain Drug gists in London, against the Bill for regulating the Sale of Poi sonous Drugs.—Read, and ordered to be referred to the Com mittee on the Bill. Sir ROBERT WILSON said, he rose to present a Petition to the House which related to a subject which was this day to engage the attention of the Ikuse—the Financial State of the Country. It was signed by Brassington, late of Warwick street, Golden-square, now of Peter-street, Westminster, and contained a most affectint narrative of the distresses to which b^ had been subjected, by the brutal conduct of the Collectors of Taxes.—The l'etition described several scenes which had been exhibited in his house at the time when executions were sent into it by the officers of Taxes, to recover some trifling arrears which were due from him. It stated, that one of these had taken place when his wife was six months advanced in preg nancy. The alarm brought on her dreadful tits, which ter minated in an illness, which continued till the end of her preg nancy, when she was delivered of a dead child ; that he was himself now a ruined man, and his family beggars. The Fed tioner further alleged, th•u the officer had presumed on the Pe titioners inability to seek legal redress, and said to him—" If lon have no money to ray your taxes, you cannot get money to ro to law." It sated in the next pLice, that all the Petitioner's household furniture was carried off by the officer, with the ex ception of the bed on which his wife lay, while the Commissioner of the Taxes on being remonstrated with as to the conduct of his agent, replied only by wanton insolence. The Honourable and Gallant Member then observed, that a system which could sanction such proceedings was one of wanton cruelty ; and that the Petitioner concluded with praying, that this heart-breaking taxation might be reduced, while the best mode to effect it would be, a change in the representation of the country.--The gallant General went on to say that he had before declared that he would not vote for fresh burdens to be placed on the People, until those grievances were first redressed of which they solong, so loudly, and so justly complained. The moat striking of the public grievances was the state of the representation of that I House. That the system of Representation was imperfect no man would deny. There was no sympathy—no cOnfidence—be tween those who make, and those who are called upon to obey the Law ! " I will not (continued the gallant General) consent to place fresh burdens on the People at this melancholy moment, when thousands of them are starving—when distress has tri uinphed over the first feelings of a British heart—the love of country !—ar d when thousands are also asking us, as a favour, to be sent into perpetual exile !—( Hear.)—No ! Sooner would I lay my head on the block, than consent to place one additional shilling on the country, or to lend my support, by saying Aye' to the Resolutions about to be proposed by the Chancellor of • the Exchequer !" fbe Petition was brought up, and laid on the Table. Sir J. NEWPORT presented the Second Report of the Com ' mis4ioners on the State of Education in Ireland. Ordered to lie on the table, and to be printed. Sir G. CLERK presented a Petition from certain Traders in Edinburgh and Leith, praying for an Alteration in the Distil lery LAY/S.—Read, and ordered to lie on the table. Lott EBRINGTON presented a Petition from certain Uni tarian Dissenters in Devonshire, complaining of the Marriage Act.—Read, add ordered to lie on the table. Mr. HUME presented a Petition front the Burgesses of the Royal Burgh of Cup praying fur a Reform in the Scots Burghs.—ltead, and ordered to lie on the table. A Petition was presented from the County of Forfar, com plaining of the Distillery Laws.—ltead, and ordered to lie on the table. The Bill for the Prevention of Contagious Diseases in Ire land, was read a third time and passed. The Report of the Irish Church RAH Bill was taken into further consideration. Sir li. PARNELL said, that he understood there were many objections to this Bill, and hoped that the further stages would be postponed till next Session, to allow time for inquiry for obtaining information. Mr. L. FOSTER said, that the fullest time had already haen given for Inquiry, and yet that the Honourable Baronet came forward without any sufficient reasoti, and called for a delay till the next Session. The truth was, that there was a very urgent necesity for passing the Bill as soon as possible, inasmuch as the greater part of the sums which it empowered to be raised had been advanced by way of loan. He hoped it would nut be thought a want of courtesy if he refused to accede to the request for delay, Sir .1. NEWPORT also wished for delay. Mr. L FOSTER explained. The Amendments were then agreed to, and the Bill ordered to be read a third time on Wednesday next. Mr. BEN NETT moved, that there be laid before the House a Return of all the Officers and Men appointed to serve under Captain llanchett in the Preventative Boat Service; front April 1, 1316, till Ma:.:11 31, 1818. The Honourable Gentle man said, that he had read the documents furnished to him by an lion. Gentleman opposite (Mr. Lushington) and he was bound to say that they certainly contradicted the statement of Captain ITacchett's Petition. Mr. A BERCItobI BIE wished to know, whether it was in tended that the vacancy in the Court of Exchequer was in tended to be tilled up by the appointment of a new Baron? Mr. CLIVE said he was not at all prepared to answer the question. N:r. ABERCROMBIE hoped that no step would be taken to ftil up the vacancy, without giving an opportunity of calling the attention of the House to the expediency of not hung up the vacancy. On the motion of Mt'. LUSIIINOTON, then was ordered to be laid before the House an Account of all Taxes expired or rtpealed since the termination of the war. The Papers were then broaght up and ordered to be printed. l'lt()Firs OF THE BANK. Mr. G RFN FEI.I. said, be rose to give a r.otiees as to which he was glad to see the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his place. It had been ust.al during the war to allow the Rank aalwitts ,upon every Loan, at the rate of about £KOO for every million (borrowed. If it was intended that this should be coatinugd on, the Loan now in contemplation, he gave notice that he would take the sense of the House upon the propriety of withholding it. Ireland. By that measure, the whole amount of the Irisb•National Debt was thrown into the general mass of the Debt of Great Britain. And here he wished distinctly to state, that he did not mean to say that Ireland had not, according to her ability, borne her full proportion of the burden which was cast upon the country by the war. At the time of the Union between the two kingdoms, no man could have thought, that for fourteen years, in am uninter rupted extent, there should have been a continuance of the greatest war in which the country had ever been engaged. Any man who could then have known it must have been astonished at the amount of the burdens which it would occasion—burdens of such magnitude, that at the prospect of undergoing them the stoutest heart must have been appalled.— This observation was applicable to Great Britain as well as to Ireland. When the enormous sums, which it was necessary to raise by loan during the war, were considered. every one must feel them .to be such as it would have been impossible to calculate upon beforehand. Whether with a view to the capa bilities of the country, all the arrangements•whsch had been made were such as, upon a knowledge of its resources, would have been most advisable, it was now quite useless to inquire. But this much was certainly known of the state of Ireland—that pre vious to 1798, when the disastrous civil war broke forth, the taxes - in that country were so light, that it would have seemed unfair to propose any addition to the debt of that country, without providing a re venue for its liquidation. This, however, was not the course pursued, and the consequence was that while in Great Britain a great part of the supplies were raised through the year, Ireland had recourse to loans. This produced a very important difference in the state of the debt of the two countries as accu mulated during the war. In the period which elapsed between the Union of the two kingdoms, and the consolidation of their Exchequers, the National Debt of Great Britain had increased in a proportion of four to seven, whilst that of Ireland-had increased nearly eightfold, or in the proportion of fifteen to ninety-two. The inevitable consequence of this was, that the consolidation imposed a great addi tional charge on Great Britain. The amount of this charge, as in the resolution, was £1,885,472. The third resolution stated the amount of the supplies al ready voted or to be voted for this year at (20,503,0 3J. The fourth stated the amount necessary for the sup plies of the year which it would be necessary to raise by loan ; and the fifth mentioned that the Sinking Fund, applicable to the reduction of the debt in the present year, might be estimated at about fifteen m illions and a half, a sum which exceeded that re quired for the service of the year by about two mil lions. The next Resolution stated, that for the pur pose of supporting the public credit and providing for the progressive reduction of the public debt, it was expedient that a Sinking Fund of not less than £5,000,000 should be provided; and this was fol lowed by a Resolution, that for this purpose the Re venue should be increased by the imposition of new Tales to an amount of not less than £3,000,000. — Stith was the general view presented by the state of our finances uld the tneasures proposed with a view Taxes, not then received, which amounted to a very considerable sum: the other arose from the facility (which the public convenience in other respects calla ed for) of resorting to the Bank of England for an advance of money. la 1815, the debt due by the Public to the Bank was reduced to such a degree as was thought necessary, for the purpose of allowing the resumption of Cash Payments, without danger or inconvenience to that establishment. But in 1816, the Treasury having been then unavoidably drained by the war, it was thought indispensible to resort to the Bank, as affording the most convenient and the most economical means of providing the sum which was required to make up the supplies for that year. The state of the country at that time made this mea sure the most advantageous that could be adopted ; for it was then labouring under the want of circula tion. In such a state of things, the loan from the Bank contributed to revive public confidence, and afforded the means of considerable relief to the mer-. candle interest. So strongly was this felt by Parlia ment at that time, that a million and a half of Ex chequer Bills was issued under its approbation ft r the relief of this body of the community. Thus the means which had been resorted to under the circum stances of the country at that time were not only such as the Parliament had approved. but they seem= ed to be the most advisable in every point of view, whether they regarded immediate convenience, or the effect upon the general financial system. But the time was now come when the House was called upon to decide upon a more permanent and systea matic mode. It was stated in the filth Resolution s that the. Sinking Fund exceeded the sum necessary td be raised for the service of the year by about two millions only. This statement was taken frota the Returns of the Revenue in the two first quarters of the year. But from the 11th Report of the Finance Committee of last Session, and the first Report pre sented this Session, it would be found that in the first year of peace there had been a very considerable defi ciency in the income, as compared with the expendi ture. In the year ending the sth January, 1817, the expenditure was £51,2a0,(X)0, while the income was only £51,300,000, leaving a deficiency of L:2 ; 900,000: This, however, seas made good by the arrears of the War Taxes, which had not then been applied to the public service. But if the Revenue had stood at what it was in laid, there would have been a defi ciency of above three millions. In the following year the deficiency was much less. In the year end ing sth January, 1818, the amount of expenditure was 1-'52,.59!i,(XX), while the income wa5E52,320,a0 rs leaving a deficiency of little more thank:6oo,ooM In the year ending the sth of January, 1819, the ex penditure was above fifty-two miliions, and the in come somewhat above fifty-fur millions; leaving a surplus of incotne beyond the expenditure of that period, £1,680,000. For the current year the Fi naace Committee took a still more favourable view, and estimated that there would be a surplus of £1,900,609 beyond the expenditure. But he would ask whether dd, was such a surplus as ought to be required to place the country in the situatioa which was requisite? Whether it could provide for such an extinction of the public debt, as would enable the Nation to meet any future emergency ? Whether it could hold out to the Pablic at large the prospect of speeiilv relieved from a part of their preseat burdens? a surplus of nu more than two mil lions, it was dear that the country would be al• under such restraint as would cramp its resout 'the improvement of the income to make it prod a gre.aer surplus, must he reckoned amongst measure, wi.ich wele of the strictest necessity. arose from the importance and extent of its of don. And first, with aNiCW to what was duet public creditor, he knew no measure which a more incumbent on the House to adopt. By tin tern which was .adopted by Parliament in the 179'2, on the recommendation of Mr. Pitt, proved, that for all debts to be ..i.itracted iu 1! '... . i I 1 1 i 1 i . ', ... i i I I 1 4 ; . . i, 11 ,I• 1 i 1 1 , , II ! '• ' f ) i it 1 . 11 , . . , 1 I I t . . . .„ lways urces. °duce • . . those This vent- to the it w:is • s).s- -! year it wet futut 41)