Star. — London, England, 1816-02-29 00:00:00

I ~. . ~. ~''~"-.. mer ten millions, would make up fifteen and a half, while the Right Hon. Gentleman had calculated on twenty.. The Right Itinourable Gentleman knew as well as Nana!, that Ireland, instead of contribu• ting three millions, must throw itself, upon us for support ; and thus so much more would be added to our exigencies. We had been told-that this demand for 20 millions of money, would not be a permanent demand ; but it was admitted, after deducting the 90,000 men statiored in France, chat there was to be a permanent establiihment of 111,000 men. Now, in order to compare this establishment with that of 1.791, we must deduct for the New Colonies 23,000 men, which would leave 85,000; 25,000 for Ireland, which notil.l leave 60,000 ;in short, result of the papyri on the table she wed that there would be an excerehng of 17,000 in this peace establishment over that of 1791. N.iw, was not this a /grime facie case apt would establish a sufficient ground for alarm ? And ought we not to pray his Royal Highness the Prince 4egent to order that other and far different estimates be produced ? Secretary at War, in the luminous statement which be ILI made of the disposition of the forces, had divided that subject into four branches—England, Ireland, the Old, and New Colonies ; after what had fallen from Members, whose authority he could not doubt, be might admit that so much was necessary for Ireland ' • but not for I year, (that would be the way to remove Ireland from the attention and remembrance of the House.) — He thought such a force should be granted only for the exigency of the present moment. As for En land, he was utterly unable to conceive the grounds on which the force should be so much increased. If the ;Stipulation was greater, had it proportionably de. generated in Spirit ? On the head of the new cola. nies, he was still less able to-comprehend why we were called upon for an army to support islands, at the very moment when we had reduced our navy, Which was the more obvious defence for such pates. ikons, But this convinced him the more that our navy was reduced for the sole purpose of applying• more money to the army. He deprecated this ne glect of our peculiar constitutional force, and would ask whether the navy, by any conduct during the late war, had justified the apparent imputation, that we deemod them unable or unwilling to defend us ? It there was danger, a !air proportion bad not been maintained between army and navy. If there was noalanger, why did we keep up an army ? With re gar to the old colonies, the Secretary at War had pro bably relied on the opinions of military men; and if be went into a Committee, the utmost we could do, would be to sift the Secretary at War! But the House,'in such matters, ought itself to take the depo bitions of military men; and had they done so at a former period, Walcheren had never been attacked. il l , opinion of military men ought to be asked by the House itself. Among other statements, the No ble Lord had mentioned one thousand men stationed at the Cape, for the purpose of resisting what be teamed the native,; fur it would have sounded too ridiculous to have said in plain ttb the Hottentots ! The Noble Lord' had very probably made due in. quiry at the Hone Guards; but inquiry at the Horse Guards was very diffeteu‘from a formal examination before that House. In the former cue, it was almost impossible that they whose opinions were requested, should not gravitate towards thexentre of influence. B ut we bad been told, " we were to provide against tut ute contingencies; we were to be preps:W." 1-Jc mustobserve, that the present were no prepara tions 1. This was not a rehearsal, but a performance ; we were cursed with all flic prigifs pomp, yid clr-s steered thif Power with Which, it was said, no other' nation was safe. - Hight he sir might be not, then, congratulate. the House pet this great event ? If there was. now no danger, the army was too large; if there was impending danger, the army appeared too small. He must assume that Europe was now cafe, and England in security. He would say that the revenue had been declining for the last sir month,, and-oncsurplus was so small, that our finances could scarcely he in a worse way. The difference between . July the sth and Jannarylhe sth last , was from 4167,400,000 to £66.00(),000. He should not then eater into any details of the different branches in which the revenue failed. The Consolidated Fund Was £39,308,000, and there were if e 2,700,000 of per =anent War Taxes, making a total.of 442,060,000. Deduct the interest of debt. £37,758,000, including Sinking Fund, &c. There were also the Austrian loan of £400,000, and the debt of Portugal, and va rions charges, to the amount ui one million five hun dred thousand pounds. and the interest on Exchequer Bills. The £20,001,000 outstanding must be at 5 per tent. the £6,000,000 to be issued' at 4 per cent. Making £1,240,000. There was a permanfntchargeof at 40,498.000. He threw out any thing that might aggravate the statement. The total remaining of all the . produce of taxes was £ 1,819.000 for service from the consolidated fund. Thb only other source was derived from what was called the annual amount tif taxes. He reasoned on the ordinary way of rnaicini up the ace .unts for the last five or six years Now, ail Other resources must be of a novel k nd: £2,700,000 of war taxes, be it recollected, were already made permanent ; hat there wall the falling off, he }►ad noticed ot 411.000.000 in the revenue. But this re duction could not be a reduction of one million out of Seven. but of one out of nine millions ; and he did not believe it would be possible out ot the nine to procure more than six ; he did not believe that the present taxes could ever remain at the same rate, for the war expenditure - contributed in a degree to re' venue; but now, when even that source had failed. and when every mode of supply was cut off by the accumul ited distresses of the crun.ry, he was per.' /traded that it would be impobsible to levy taxes to the same amount Admitting, however. that ten psi Ilions could be raised by the means proposed, all that remained was the Property Tax, and that would Dot be equal' to the return of last year; tor it must be remembered, that last year's return was in tact the return of the year preceding ; and though the Chancellor of the Exchequer had stated that the • amount for the SO January, 1816, exceeded, by more than a milliOn. the amount returned for the Bth Jan. 1815, yet he could prove incontrovertibly, that the amount of the year ending in July 1815, was less, by a ntillion.than the amount Ot the year ending inJulylBl4. He would vesture to assert, that the utmost the Pro perty Tax would produce next year, would not exceed eleven millions. The Right Hon. Gentleman had taken the half of that tax, which, added to the for. - F.? cam stanee.of war was no prey se* future evils, bat present elthatsdoa and ruin; and if ever war - did come, there nittselse a stop to the pay-1 mast of the interest of natidnal debt-we malt de.' frond our creditors -we must sink in bankruptcy.- (Loud cries of Hear, hstr.).6-41e did not wish to prevent a proper establishment, but the question was, what should be deemed Inch ? 'The Secretary at War had said, that only 4600,000 would be saved, if 25,000 men were to be struck off the list ; for bis part, he could not cotnpreheed this statement ; but it we could save only 46, we were bound in duty to exert every effort for doing M. Ministers themselves had stated, that every possible saving should be made. Ministers loudly proclaimed the necessity of economy, and their desire to adopt plans for carrying it into execution; but all the savings we had yet heard of were to be created by an increase of salaries. hear.)-Could • any set of Men then be viewed with more distrust and jealousy than such an AdministratiOn ? Could the country Gentlemen of. England, who had been assembled here by the call of the . House, Efface any reliance upon them, or con. cur in their measdres, when the most prominent points of their policy hid been a bribery of the Tax. gatherers, and a pampering of the Army ? He. wished the Noble Lord were in his place, that he might now remind him of what passed un a former 'occasion, when he proposed the measure that had procured so full an attendance in the House.-.. The Noble Lord then tauntingly told him, that the country would not be interested in what was slid ,*^ , done on the side of the House on which he generally sat. This prophecy had not been nitrified. Tor' country had been roused, and bestirred itself froisi one end of it to the . other ; and he was convinced chat many of the country Members h..d come up charged with thelentiments and tesrs entertained by the die tricts to which they bel.ineed The inconsistency , 4 Ministers had been apparent; and they could ii.,t ex. .pect confidence in their statements while they then selves contradicted them ; nor could they rationally anticipate that the Gentlemen who composed this House would vote for such extravagant Estimates while no real danger could be pointed out, and *hilt it was considered that Ministers themselves wished, before they thought of their establishments, to lull us to the most profound repose. 'There was nothing 110 W but black spots in the horizon, (for Ministers were still determined to look into the clouds) -(a laugh,)-and upon the simple declaration of tie ea. isteece of such spots we were required to encumber ourielvca with taxes, and to incur the danger of losing oar liberties. He concluded by imploring the Mem bers of the House, who had been sent up by their constituents to attend to their interests and the in. wrests of the empire, to weigh well what they were required to do before they lut themselves to the sup. port of Ministers ; to consider what account they could render to their own minds, their friends, to the people of Great Britain. and to the world, if they adopted the course proposed by the Administration, and contributed so powerfully to overthrow the liber ties and the constitution of their country. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER rose amid cries of ‘4Q•testion I" The Resift Hon. Gentleman had rested his argument on tw,, wounds: first, the assumed security of the country ; and se condly, the desperate state of its finances. is to the first, he entirely concurred; tne country MSS cer tainly in a state of as complete security, as, under the circumstances of the world, was possible; but it would not therefore be wise tor us to repose on the laerels which we had earned, foolishly careless of those measures by which alone peace was 10 be con solidated, and its full blessings to be obtained:- (Ifter).-.He referred to the history of Switsersand, to chew whit fate was to be expected by a country in which the Government, giving way to a notion of fancied security, neglected precautions dictated by pt udence and required by circumstances. It the House were to adopt what the R:ght Honourable Gentleman and the Honourable l3stronet opposite called constitutional doctrine, the question would be brought within a very sma ll : for a Stand ing Army would, in every case, be excluded, however great the danger, however wise its support. He then followed the Right Honourable Gentleman (Mr. Tierce y) into his financial details. The' total *swum of the Estimates on the table was 49.000,000; and it remained yet to be sheen in what branches reduc tions could prudently be made. Being unwilling to intrude upon the time of the House at so very bite an hoer, he thought he could considerably abridge what he would have to say, by quotinit, as to one branch of theisobject, the authority of a high military charac ter, which could not fail to have weight in that Manse. It was that of Sir Ralph Abercrombie. whoia 1797 (by a document which be now held in his hand) gave it as his opinion, that the force necessary at that time for our West India colonies was 7,500 men, including artillery. Now by the present estimates, the face to be stationed in the same islands included in the esti mate of Sir Ralph Abercrombie was one third less, namely, 5000 men. - (Near, hear.) As to the navy, the fact had been repeat e dly state d, t h at the while body of Midshipmen who had served their time had been promoted, or angered to continue on service as supernumeraries. (liter, hear.) Comparing the Naval Establishment now with that of forme; years during peace, it was not diminished in a greater pea ,portien than the Army. Lord COCHRA.NE shortly addressed the House on the subject of Malta, anti contended that there was no necessity for the fares there; and, acquainted as he was with foreign establishments, •he considered thine of our possessions abroad double that which was required. Instead. of the Maltese having those situa tions on the island, which were under the direction of his Majesty's Minnlatrip they were filled by persons at home ; and a Noble Lord on the other side pos. seised there a situation of 47000 a year. He re marked, in regard to Midshipmen, that they were not provided for, except i few in commissioned ships, and it required the great political influence of great men to procure them this advantage. He thengbui also, that if taxes to this extent were raised, they weld inevitably be the ruin of this country. Mr. S.WORTLEY thought a very strong =lied beeaput by the Right Nondurable Gentleman (Mr. ,Tierney) on the Government, which was entitled to attention, though he (Mr. S. Wortley) certainly was deairogs of the House going into a Committee. He felt hima oblijged, and !re believed the - country were obliged, to his Majesty's Ministers, for those exertions which they had made ; but he must tell them, that, . r . • . . Wit tittle taithistater4 this iiisaipliedisi; Ro regretted that the excess a the Civil List Expendi ture should come upon the People, and lie contenJed, that there ought in tithe dines to be no increase of sa laries. There was not, hoivever, any Government in which he had more confidence than he had in the pre. sem I and he was sure they had nothing to do for the satisfaction of the country but to pursue a system of economf. ' Mr. KENNET r wished to ask the Chaticellor of the Exchequer one question, whether it was true that within a short period the salaries of six Collectors in Scotbnd had not been increased ? The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER intimated his intention of answering that question to-morrow. ' After a Jew words from Mr. S. WORTLEY, Mr. Flamm, and Mr. PROTHER9II, the latter of whom voted for the question, the House divided.—Ayes, 241 ; Noes, 121—Majority for referring the Esti mates to the Committee, 120. _ A convenadon then took place reverting Mr. Warm:es motion, In which Mr. Bootion.tst, Mr. ht A NKLAND LEWIS, I.Mr. PONSONRY, Sir G. HaoTneu t C, and 1.1,rd PALMERSTON, I participated : the ressilt was, tbat Mr. Wes rea N , In consequence of the exhausted state of the tram its contimird and pro• meted debates, agreed to postpone bit motion till *I ursday ; Lord Coestaati a signifying, that his own motion against Lord Ext.assoaotiou, which bum' for that thy, could not occupy much time. The army estimates come on, in committee, on Friday, and as it was understood, would also occupy Monday. The house then, at Four u'lluck, adjourned to this day. • • THE EVENING STAR. ,0 N 1)0N. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1 4 3, 1816. PRICE OP STOCKS THIS DAY Al I WEI.YE O'CLOCK: Reduced-6 iif •,.Coas. mo. —tor acc. 61ti 1 per Cent. 77fi-3 per Cent. Sioy —Eon& par, Is. pr. Own. 174 pr.—Do. pay. 1 6—titch. l3Ub 11. dia. par. Petitions against a renewal of the Property Tax continue to pour into Parliament from all quarters of the Kingdom, and well they may; for never was there imposed, in a free country, so grinding, op. pres►ive, and inquisitorial a TAX ; never was there attempted a more direct violation of the faith of Mi nisters and of Parliament, pledged to a patient and virtuous people; never was a more pitiful quibble resorted to. for the purpose of evasion, than the ca veat of the CUANCELIAiII of the Exciittouta, that, this worsit and no longer," being omitted in the Bill of last year, Parliament does not stand pledged for the non-renewal of-the TA: in a time of Peace ; never was any thing more untrue (though wewillaot charge the Clin)est.Lon of the EactiEQUER with a wilful mis statement) nothing can be more untrue than the states went, that Mr.Wturatteari had moved last year, on the Property TAX Bill, the addition el these words, and that his amendment had been rejected by the House.— He made the motion of amendment alluded to on She Baal Restriction Bill, and on that only. But the incompatibility of the Income Tax with a time of Peace, the pledge that it should not be continued longer than the war, had been so often given, that no omission of the words in an act wrung out by ne cessity and for a temporary exigency, as was the case with that of last year, can undo the claim which the people have upon the Government to relieve them entirely from this execrable imposition. On the question of the extent of the Peace Este blisfunent, people may differ, and differ honestly, in their sentiments, according to the view they take of the present circumstances of the world. We are happy to see, however, that many Members who would be afraid to reduce the army, are yet resolved t o oppose the Income Tax. In fact, the two ques tions are perfectly distinct. But we must remiss' the country, that, even if the Income Tax be disconti nued, they will still continue to pay an equivalent. Let it be recollected, that when this odious Tax, on the Peace of Amiens being announced, was disconti ruled, an increase was made on the Assessed Taxes, as a sokstiirts for a large portion of it, and that this substitution was not repealed when the Property Tax was again tutored, on the breaking out of a new war. If we recollect rightly, the increased Assessed Taxes were rated at nearly half the amount of the Income. Tax; so that, in fact, by its renewal, the Public were made to pay, and have ever-since paid, about fifteen instead of ten per cent. But we mean nut now to argue against the pay. meat of Taxes, though we might say much against the manner in which a large portinn of them is ex pended, but against what we conceive to be a Tax incompatible with a period of Peace, because inqui sitorial and directly opposed to the nature of the Bri tish Constitution—a tax against which the lamb has no appeal but to the mercy of the eagle - . The entire system is such as never should be im paled upon Free( men —no, no onus its a lime of war. When it was first proposed it was opposed oa this ground, and the plea was only that of finality —a necessity which would cease with the war. Now we have got peace, and the plea for continuing this odious robbery is still 44 Necessity." We deny the necessity. Government wants only (as Ministers tell us) a teoftorary aid, and two years will probably satisfy. It they need only a temporary aid let them borrow what they *ant from the money lying in Chancery, not only of lunatics and minors, but absolutely unclaimed and having none to claim it. —We deny that any rational or tenable argument can be offered against the Nalion borrowing this money. Can the claimants, when their different portions may be awarded, have i better security for repayment than that of Parliament t Here then are means pointed out for meeting the temporary exi- ' gency without imposing this unconstitutional. Tax upon a inieritorious but distressed people. It the Tax, however, be persisted in, there will thereby be furnished at least a semblance of evidence to sup port the assertion of those who maintain that the large Peace Establishment is urged for the sake of obtaining the Ti.; and not the Tax to meet the ex pane at that react Establishment. • , , • Xl4 11TON; FT 11A thi ß 21. 1 Her NTAJesI Y, the Princes en.trtuy ert 0 and the PaiNcr.ssas, return to Vrindsof 0 4 ; 1 ' 4 1 Qn Saturday her MAJESTY Will be prft.l.4l Council held at the Castle on the i t .:' 1 1 Knio's health. The following n c - r y 4 t dit sh w i l l go t' Buckingham H. , use, the pri ncesi i# unlit of WALES to Warwick House, a n tl Family will remainin town a werk,. i n t he'Ll L which s expected the Pamir. RE Gur a :; 1111 I OPOLD will leave Brighton, to gi ve the ; P . ti town.—The Royal nuptiAls are nt;t place these two months. 1--""1131 THE AR Mr. The Aberdeenshire Militia Were di sethied Aberdeen qn Satutday. Poirt SMOOTH, FEB. 28 —Monday, t h e King's) Regiment, embarked on bo ar d 41 , 9 '4 Ireland ; and on the foll ow i ng day the 41711 ment, for the same destination. —It ha s b ete necessary, in consequence of the very cro ,, A. , of a detachment of the 41st Itygim ent,or Z , Ocean transport, to remove lO U men h . 'N• another vessel. 110 41 RAMSGATg, Fes. 28.—Partof the 8d Bit the 95th Regiment, have j ust marched in %T. Bind playing, and have been embarked 0,6_, Kinnerslev Castle transport f or Ireland, 0 thought they will sail the next tide,-TheZii verpool packet wiil sail to- n i g h t at ten o,lli Ostend, with passengers and goods. We copy the following letter from Ch a d._ from a New-York Paper of the SOth t i t pears, however, almost impossible that the k 4 which it speaks could hav e ta k en place, 14a,„;_1. having been known i n E ng l an d through 1.72 and more direct cbinnel: " CH Alt 1 ESTOW N, JANU ARY " Cession OF TUC FLORMAS.--We have CoOp e ti an intelligent Gentleman, wh o arr i ve d here k en k ..." r Icons yesterday, which pl ace he left ovi th e kb He states, that Just before be left that city, a iater:!_ r arrived from Pensacola, in a tdiort passage, w o o s the Floridas had actually been ceded by the Spe A g m b tl British Government; and that a body of Mud, th ,,.:1 landed at Pensacola and ht. Augustin e , an d takes foyrp. sum of the country." In the House of Representative, on W e d mii February 21i, Mr. ROBJULTSON ()tiered a Ites a i m i ll this effvct : Resolved—That the President of the United S t u b mpti id to lay before this Houle such infuringto u as h e which he may not think it in t•I communier., the said to have been made Ly the Covernin A 444 fur the cession of a part of Louisiana. Mr. RoasursoN said, he felt it his duty p ot * this :notion, in consequence of tie reports sidi s kii the papers in yarkus p.irts of the nation ttestlis respect to this subject. COURT OF KING'S BENCH, FEBRUARY X, cAsiistokr y JCLAN. This was an action on a bill of Etcba. g.! for £lOO, 6.1 Finch. of the O. P. and P. Si Tavern, Ruiti I cou rt , Mr. Kean, of Drury•lane Theatre, and indorsed asset, plaintiff. The defence set up was, that the bit bad Isas counted by the plaintiff for a usurious cathideration. To prove this case, Mr. Finch was called, who ow. early in October last, be being very much pressi-tt for plied to the defendant to accept a Inn fer him tar £i Mt. kindly coniphed with his request, an i having niraiaed die eel:tante, he, unknown to Mr. Ke.n, applied to tin whom he had known for sonic yea-s, and who had nem* counted bills fOr him, to accommodate him on this enniag o , lie accordingly came to the witness's house, and then, lab coffee-room, gave the witness ASt.., who, upon that, initial l y hill over to bun, at the same faille telling the pluntiff the Inn not present the bill. when ft should become due. sit' er aBO Theatre or at Air. Itean's house ; but that, oii its hicomigia, lie, the witness, would provide for it. A few days before dell becante due, the witness, fleabag it was Out of Lis postern* ' up the bill, informed the plaintiff:: brolter of that theunstaini at the same time giving hem AtO tor the plaltgiff, an! Wee* that he must renew the bill for him. A tew days &foments saw the plaintiff, who said all was right, but he lime hatna titer bill, which the witness promised ; but soon afterthisthsell ness was arrested, aid disabled front performing bh weskit obtaining another bill from Mr. Kuan. U, on this, the *dr . demanded the amount of the bill from the defendant Web refusing payment, instituted the present action against hiss On the part of the plaintiff, two witnesses were callsl,ld Jews, of the names of Splicers and l.evi, who, on ezasinis, In contradiction to the testimony of Mr. Finch, stated, the were present in the coffee-room at the time Cashmere disarni the bill, and that he save Finch .€O9. is. deducting only 6it lesal interest of les. for the two months the bid bad to a they differed, however, materially in their testimony; set I.ord Et.i.att noaouon left it to the Jury to say, to wikko they would give credit. If they should be of °pima that lit /Lean was Ignorant of the usurious transaction which had tall place, supposing there was usury, and that the useof Wart witieh be had given to the witness Finch, had bren illegally ad improperly applied, he might honourably and honestly mil payment, and the law would sanction hint in that resistant. 'rhe Jury founds verdict for the defendant. The Scotch Jury Court last week decided thetas signature of the name of a person who could 's write, the hand and pen being guided by lard* was no signature at all. Isms Off MAN.—Couay or COMMON I.AVi....SNFIi O ST ILWAIT.-1 . his was an action brought by !Lehr.] Olee Smith, Esq. against the Reverend Thomas Orprn Stoat* criminal couversa:ion with the plaintiff's wits. The OK, . 1 , / . were laid at ifficoo. '1 he trial occupied the internist gni. court and of the public for five days; it came on at Calms on the Lb, and ended on the 13th instant. The Jury al*. a verdict of .610011 damages, with costs, against the ddadig. MANSION-Houst.—CommiNATloN.--yesreeday level* neynsen suganbakers, in the employment of Messrs. Dm" and others of that trade, were charged with a cumbistda I appeared from the statement of . the complainant., again years Once, during a time of great scarcity of provhidlisi 1 wages of the journeymen (independent of being provided MI apartments, fire, &c. &c.) were raised from 10.. to in. pe week. A short time back, however, the masters wered eli Mon that in consequence of the decreased price of prorine. the pion, should be reduced to its origival standard. M ties to this effect was accordingly given to the resident josnir men, but the latter refused to continue their services wee& terms; and a•: general combination being entered into WOO them, what is termed a resod relin was signed by about Of! sons. in consequence of this prOceeding, the business do' sugar-houses was wholly at a stand, the journeymen 10411 , suddenly struck.• His Lordship proceeded to hear evidame identify, wheashe ordered four of them.to bc comntittedP oll House of Correction fur one month each—hoping this 111 meat would operate as a warning to the rest, and Warr °l ' l l to return to their employment. At a time when wheat Was at 16s. to 17s. as Winchester bushel, ro farmer took an estate wag a few mild: of Exeter, it a rent of £l5O per . art with a proviso, that Je l o a-year should be dedu for every 6d. under I 3s. per bushel that wheat MO sell for during the term of lease ; tie be deterr ots. by the legal market returns. The average Prics wheat being now about 7s. 6d. the rent of the 1 so taken is actually reduced to about 114(ea r • 1 LONDON: Pruned by Laval. KIINT, Arkin Owl übbobed there, and at the Star Dike, Temple lit ;DI _Ti k M lif I l'et: iol 141 47 11 1 ROI 1; 4 L" bt :