Star. — London, England, 1801-02-19 00:00:00

ever estined. This revenue is even continent with the nature of the inilitution itfelf ; becaufe the pub lic find much more convenience in paying the duty and expence attending all letters fent by poll, than if Inch modes of conveyance were to be adopted by the parties thcmfelves. It is not my intention to propofe an increafe of•ponage upon letters that &all be fent within the diltance of one hundred miles ; but for dillances beyond' that, there (hall be an incrcafed rate of•poliage, and that the rates ball be in proportion to the dillances, and be more numerous than they now are. This will produce the fum of 80,0001. I shall alfo fubmit to the Houle the laying a duty on the packets which con vey letters to and from Ireland : this is a tax that cannot he objeded to, when it is confidered that the packets from Great Uritain toiler Colonies arc rubjed to tatation. I alfo mean to propofe a tax on all inclofure in Foreign Letters, which, toge ther with the laft duty, will yield z,oool. It is a lfo my intention to fubmit to the Honfe the adop tion of a new inftittition, which will not only add to the revenue, but which will be produdivc of the greateft convenience to people relidiug in different parts of the country. This is the cftablithment of crofs pofts, by which letters can be conveyed from one town to another without being fent in the cir cuitous manner they are at prcfent. There is an other branch of the Poft-Officc Eitablithment, from which I propofe an addition of re-civic —I mean thole letters fent by merchant thips., which, accord ing in a regulation lately adopted, are fubjed to a certain rate of pottage, which 1 with fhould be in-! creafed. There is but one other branch of pollage which I have to fubmit to the Honfe, and my only difficulty is to know how I am to (late it cotredly. I mean the Peusy pill, for all letters fent by which, a rate of one penny is now paid ; and this) rate I propofe to rade to two-pence, which will caufe an encreafe of 17,0001. in that department. The whole fum therefore which I exped to be deriv ed fr om the increafe of pottage, will amount to rso,oool. RFCAPITTILATION- TEA, SOL pei cent. on all above t 6d. per :b. 3 7D,C00 PAPER, double the prefent duty.with a few cxcep tions, and an allowance for News Papers • PRINTS.° GOODS, additional Duty of 2'll on all Paying Ad- • - - SUGARS, IS. I ad. per. cwt. the Convoy Duty made proportional and the temporary one to ceafe - SCR, I-3d of the prefcnt Duties - Ps rrita, 3d. par lb. for Home Confumpt ion - Ditto exported, 6d. pe; lb. - - . LRAD, RCS. per ton exported - TRAIN OIL, RCS. a ton RAISINS, es. 6d. per cwt. - POST °MCI - • • STAMPS - • Hoesesforlateasuar,whereonly one, t05.L.63,000 On all above one, zos. - 73000--136,000 Ditto for Hv SIANDRY, RS. - 770,000 1 35 140,000 723,000 200,M0 8,000 92,000 2,000 I 2,000 I 2,000 130,000 340,300 L5,730,0:0 This is the whole amount of the encreafed bur thens which I am under the neceflity of propofing to be laid upon the Public for defraying the charges upon the Loan ; and I hope they will not be found to prefs very heavily on any defcription of the peo ple of this country,bnt (fill let . on the lower orders; and if that fhall be the judgment of the Houfe, it will afford me a peculiar fatislaftion to reflea that I have been enabled to acquit this part of my duty with fo little inconvenience to the public. Now, be fore I conclude this part of the fubjeet I am final:- ing of, 1 fhall beg leave to trouble the Houfe with a few words on the fubjed of the Income Tax. At the time I firft propofed that tax, I had reafon to hope, from the belt calculation I could make, that that tax would yield ten millions per annum ; but I have been miflaken in that calculation, and therefore I feel that I can no longer rely on more than fix millions; and it would on that account be irrational to hope that the application of it fhould be direded to the purpofes originally intended. I did firft propofe it with a view that it fhould be a war tax, which, in time of Peace, fhould repay the erects of the public debt beyond a given amount. If I was to pulls it fo as to make it a perpetual tax, I feel that I fhould be deftroying the obje& itfelf for which I introduced it. If it fhould be made a mortgage for the turns to be borrowed, it cannot be available for the purpofes of carrying on the war ; and therefore it would not be con. fluent with my duty to prolong the period for which this tax fhould be mortgaged. But al though it has fallen fhort of my original eflimate, it will g o a great way to anfwer the purpofes which 1 at firft intended. Suppofe the whole amount Ikould happen to be ten millions a year, it would not even then be neceirary to mortgage it to the extent at which I had originally pro-, poled. Since the time this tax was introduced, there have been eighteen millions of the public debt difcharged by means of the redemption of the Land Tax. I wills. however, to carry this tonfideration a little farther : I do think it right to look forward to the object of confining this Tax to the reduBion of the debt to the amount at which it flood in the year t 798. I think it will be bet ter to referve the Income Tax as a War Tax, than to pulls it to the whole extent to which I at firft intended. I think it better to adhere to thole principles we fhould now have in view—the principles of railing a part of the fupplies within the year by means of this tax, and of enabling the public to borrow thofc fumy that fhall be necelfary for the fervice of each year. Whoever will recolleift the circumflances under vbich we borrowed money three years ago, and lipares them with the (late of the country in we have been enabled to make the prefent Loan—Whoever looks at this Loan and compares terms of it with thole of former Loans, muff Ire and fl:el the . great ability which the country Foliates of making entreated exertions. But al- though thcfe exertions, fo far as they might tend to prevent the encreafe of public burthens. cannot he carried to the extent which I flattered myfelf! two years ago they would then be ; yet it is pro per that we thould fee whether there are not great and di ntial refources hill to be found in the tax on Incur:ie, taking it at the limited amount of fix millions. That tax under certain modification', to7ether with the aid of the Sinking Fund, will b: frond to produce the greateft advantages to future , times. After a peace (ball be concluded, it wll. operate u a c powerful means of reducing the amount of the public and if we look In ward with confidence to thole battering profpeels, we (hall have no reason to think omit-Ives midaken in our hopes if we continue the fame feale of ex ertions we have hitherto done. It is therefore my opinion that the tax on Income ought to be continued ;is it now is, until it (hall, with the aid of the Sinking Fund, have reduced the debt to the amount at which it flood in the year 17 ) °,, when I firlt propofed that tax. We !hail then have conferred the molt effential and haling benefits up on the public ; and pofterity will not have reafon to 1.,y that we had done too little, or that we had not made great facrifices for their benefit. The capital created in the prefent year will add twenty millions to the public debt, which added to the fifty fixmiliions aireadycharged on the Income Tax,will mace a Turn of feventy-lit millions, the whole of which fum,according to the calculations I made lad year, will, by the operation of the Sinking Fund, together with the Inconie Tax, be redeemed in the (pace of fix years. I hope, therefore, that this will appear to be no very difcouraging hate of the country after the numberlefs difficulties we have had to encounter. It is not for me to anticipate new trials—to look forward to embarraffments and dihreffes greater than thofc we have already ex perienced—but dire I am that, if the Members of this Houfe will be as true to their own charafter, to their own honour, their confiflency, and their powers, as the attachment and vigour of the country at large has been true to them, none of thole difficulties that may :trice will any longer be felt. I hope and troll that the iinfliaken firmnefs of this Houle, united to that of a brave and loyal people, will hereafter continue to produce the fame effeas which they formerly have done ; and that with regard to our native energy and our radical flrength, there will be nothing to dithearten us—nothing to make us in the flighteft degree Ihrink from the performance of our duty. I doubt not, Sir, but we fhall continue to be animated by that fpirit, and guided by that wifdom, which have at all times belonged to and diltinguiflied the name of Engliflunen. It is with uncommon fatisfaaion that I have to direa the attention of the Houle to two or three leading confider ations, which will give Gentlemen an idea of the refources which this country has to depend on. In the firft place, I have to hate that the permanent revenue of this country has far exceeded any thing it had ever been before, or any thing which the molt fanguine hopes could have anticipated. The amount of the revenue for the year ending in January laft, has exceeded by the font of 1,800,0001. what was computed by the Committee which had taken into its conlideration the finances of the country. If we lrI: to the hate of our public debt, we limit there behold diffident to do away any kind of defpondency, and rade our hopes. We (hall find that by adhering to the fyllem eftablifhed leveral years a);o, of appropri ating a certain funs towards the liquidation of the National Debt, no lefs a fum than 52,000,0001. of the capital of that debt has been completely paid off ; and that the total amount of the Sink ing Fund is five millions fterling. We find there fore that, notwithltanding the burthens of this War, more than one half of the debt contra/led by our anceftors at one time has been completely paid off. We find that the amount cl our per manent revenue is greater than it has ever been in any former years either of Peace or War; and, what . is hill more deferving of your confederatio n —that, during the whole courfe of this War, which fume Gentlemen have thought proper to call difaftrous and ruinous—this maritime nation, expofed as (he has been to fuch numberlefs diffi culties, to the hoftility of fo many Powers, and obliged to maintain an immenfe naval and military force, has every year been increafing in refources. We have increafed our external and internal com merce to a greater p;tch than it.ever was before ; and we may look to the prefent as the proudctt year that has ever yet occurred for this coun try. The manufaCtures exported from this coun try amount in one year, according, to the latch eftimate, to the value of twenty-four millions, and the amount of foreign produce that has been exported is no lefs than leventeen millions. If therefore we compare this year of war with for mer years of peace, we Shall in the produce of our revenue, and in the extent of our commerce, be hold a fpeaacle at once paradoxical, inexplicable, and aftonifhing—we (hall fee that in finte of the alarm and agitation which has often prevailed in the courfe of this arduous contell—in Ante of the. difficulties occalioned by the Itram;ii condua of foreign nations—in fpite of the delpondeney which has eccafionally prevailed, ne have Rill been adding to our refources, and =creating the means of continuing a war that was undertaken and car ried on for die maintenance of our honour, our independence, and falety—for the defence of all I that was dear to th.! civili..ed world ; and for the exiftence of a Contlitution eminently adapted to all the purpoks of public liberty and pi ivate happi nefs. Amidft all the danger that furround us, and the difficulties with which .- we may be cmbarralred, see have hill the coafolation to think that we can look up with confidence to our power and re fources; that we have it in our pi wer to meet and defeat all the ft heroes and combinations which our enemies may praaile or rail: up againft us. From this animating profile& we can look back with heartfelt fiti:,fiection to what we have don, : — we can fay to the xt mid, that we have difehaiged a molt difficult ditty, that, tinder all circumitan ces, we have maintained oar corm:l=cy and our independence ; and in (hors, Sir, that we have done every thing which was at once calculated to preferve the rights of a just and benevolent Sove reign, under wluofe reign the people have enjoyed fuch unexampled happinefs—.every thing that ' could tend to exalt the chars her of a great and wife Legiflature, and preferve the liberties of a brave and loyal people.—Mr. Pitt then moved the various Refolioions conformable :o his fpeech. Mr. Joccirrc made a few ohlerva:ions, expel five of his difapprot al of the general plan of tax ' ation propofed, and of the fears he entettained, that the produce was not likely to be managed 'with irtfceset. The Refulutions !Ming read ana agreed to, the Houfe vas relanted, and Mr. 117-azge leave for the eommitree m :it :twin , to-morrow. Mr. Pi rt. pnpoccd that the Report of the Con:- mitt.:e of Supply fhould be brought up to-morrow. 2.1 r. SHERIDAN apprehended, that the difen:lion likely to arife on the bringing up of the Report would interfere with the motion of his Hon. friead (Mr. Sturt) relative to the Ferrol Expe dition, which flood for to-morrow, therefore fug. gelled the propriety of puttin„i'it off to another day. Mr. STURT :aid he fhould certainly bring for ward his promifed motion to-morrow, and that no eon:idyl-awn fhould induce hint to pollpune it any longer. Mr. PITT raid he had no intention to make any application to the Hon. Gentleman to poll pone his motion, but that for the difpatch of im portant public buimefs, it was nccelfary the re port of the Committee fhould precede that Motion. Mr. Pir r's Motion was adopted. SIR SIDNEY SMITH. The Houle having refolved Will into a Com mittee of the whole }Joule, Mr. PITT moved, that his Majeay's Menge refpeeting the annuity for Sir Sidney Smith fhould be read, which being done, he faid, that the fubjea re co mm en d e d i n th e Meffage was one of thofe which required no preliminary expla nation or apology previous to lubmitting to the Committee the Kefolution for carrying it into ef fe,a. The recollation of the great and important fervices of the perfon alluded to would fufficiently engage to it the attention and the fupport of every Member prefent. With refped to the delay in bringing it forward, he fhould only obferve, that it was confidered better that this public acknow ledgement and reward of the gallant officer in queftion fhould come at the clofe of his command in the Ration where he had g..incd furl ditlitt nvifhed honour. Forefeeing no difference of opi nion on the motion he was about to make, he fhould forbear any panegyric upon the merits of Sir Sidney Smith, howc•••er agreeable it might be for himfelf or the Committee to indulge in that ftrain, and fhould ther e fore move a Refolution for enabling his Majefty to fettle upon Sir Sidney Smith the fum of toool. per year out of the Con folidated Fund, for the term of his natural life. Mr. TIERNEY was not fatisfied with the reafons affigned for the delay in bringing forward a motion for rewarding, the fervices of the gallant officer in queftion, and he likewife thought that the fervice of Sir Sidney Smith in the negotiation of the treaty of El Arifch fhould no lcfs be mentioned than the defence of Acre. Mr. PITT faid, that the prefent moment was not the time for entering into the tubjeet on which the Hon. Gentleman teemed anxious to introduce an argument. Other opportunities would occur. For the prefent he fhould only obferve that, in the cir cumitances in which the Executive Government of this country formed their decifion, it was impoffible for them to ad upon the principles which Sir Sid ney adopted in the conclulion of the Convention of El Arifth, though they entertained the fullell fenfe of his merits, and had even given orders for the obfervance of that Convention when they, knew it had taken place. The Refolution was unanimoufly agreed to, the Houle returned, and the Report ordered to be re. ceived to-morrow.—Adjourned. LONDON. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19. PRICF OF STOCKS THIS DAY AT ONE O'CI.OOK . Coe:lets 56: F — Reduced 571 7 4 per . C. 76. . Ncw s per C. 9t:l-0141 ditto smi—Long Ann. 17 7-16. Omnium zit pram. The great length of the Treaty between Aunt - la and France which we yclierday laid before our readers prevented our giving fome other articles from the nencli Tapers which are well worth perad, efpecially the MdTage of the Confuls, in fertcd in the firft page of this day's STAR. The Ncgociation Items to have been managed with great addrefs on the part of the French, who avoided the delays and inconveniercies of a Con grefs, and treated with the Emperor for himfelf and for the Empire. By this procedure the French avoid the obnoxious talk of interfering in adjufling the indemnities to be given to thole German Princes who have been difpoffeffed of their territories. But whence arc the indemnities to be procured ?—only by difpoifetling others by fecu larization or otherwife !-1 - low then are the latter to be indemnified ? It will be ken by the Mefrage of the Councils, that France makes one cattle with the Northern Powers againft Britain.' No one has doubted this for fume time ; but now it is avowed, and the fame abufe which has for years been popular in • Europe againtl. France, will now be equally fo again(' this country.—Tempora mutaiour. news of the peace in Paris railed the price of Tiers Coliolides to 651. What a change. A few years ago we were told, on what was then held to I be the bell authority in this country, namely that I of Mr. PITT, that the French funds were annihi hated, and the Republic worfe than bankrupt I It was reported yellerday in the firs political circles, that the Marquis of LANSDOWNE had written a Letter to a certain Perfonage, informing him, that by a late event, he felt himfelf at liberty to impart to his M—, that he had reafon to know, BONAPARTF WAS difpofed to treat for Ps*ci, on terms not injurious, either to the honour, or in teras of England Whether M. CAZALIS be gone over to France i on a pacific negotiation, or no, we will not pre fume to tietermine ; but certain it is, that he em tindcrne x r +prt's own paalicrt.—and es-a , !lir many months previous to his departure, tin.: con il agent. EA theA o txci3us Lord Li vet:POO:— Yellerday Mr. Pi: r opened the Budget as Chancellor of the Exchequer, beiNg toptar awe 1,1 :ha A.-trader. Th.! new Taxes arc—an additional duty on all teas above 2s. 6d. per lb. —a duty on paper, double to the prefent one, with exceptions to ionic particular forts—a duty on printed cottons—ts. sod. per cwt. on fitgars-- t-3d additional duty on timber-3d. per lb. on pepper-2C5. per ton on lead-2os. per ton on train oil—is. 6d. per cwt. on radius—additional duty on letters—additional duty on Ramps—duty on all pleafure-horfer., and on thole for hufban. dry.—The whole amount of the increafe of the Revenue by thefe additional duties is-1,730,000L A confiderable degree of anxiety prevailed yef terday at St. James's, on account of the Kitio's unexpthed ablence from the Levee, where a great numb - -r of the Nobility and Gentry had affembled. to pay their refpeas to his MAJESTY. On enquiry, it was told that the KING was recommended not to go abroad, on account of a fevere cold, with, which he had been incommoded for feveral day, attended with a flight degree of fever. It is pro. hable, however, that public bufinefs might have had fome (hare in keeping his Majesry at home, as a Council was holding at the Queen's Houle, from two to three o'clock, at which were prefent— their Royal Highnefles the Dukes of YORK an.l KENT; Earls CLARE, SPENCER, HARRINGTON, Lord LoucuEoßouckf, Sir WILLIAM GRAN T. and Mr. ADDINGTON. The Kisc's ahfence from the Levee appeared the more particular, as feveral of the late Mini fters refigned their offices yeaerday. It was in tended that Lord. Ca vsvii.LE fhould deliver the Seals into the KING'S hands ; and Lord SPENCER took his leave of the Board of Admiralty. The following are the Artklcs of the Treaty of Campo Formio, alluded to in the Treaty between /Infirm and France, as included in it, viz XII. All fates or alienations of property, aU engagements en. tered into, either by the Cities or by the Government, or by tl.o Civil Acanniftrative authorities of the ci-devant Venetian ter ritories, for the maintenance of the German and French Ar min, up to the date of the fignature of the prefect Treaty, grail be confirmed and acknowledged as valid. XIII. The territorial titles and archives of the different coon. tries ceded or exchanged by the prefent treaty, than, within two months from the date of the exchange of the ratification. be put into the hands of the powers which fhaU have acquired the property of them. The plans and maps of the fortreffes, towns, and countries, which the tontrading powers acquire by the prefent treaty, (hall be faithfully given up to them. The military papers and rcgilters taken in the prefent war from the Etat Major of the rerpeetive arntics, &all be re tored in the fame manner. XV. There (hall immediately he concluded a treaty aeons. merce, founded upon an equi , able balls, and loch as Dull fe cure to his Maki:). the Emperor, King of Hungary, and the French Republic, advantages equal to thofe which the molt fa vor! Ai nations enjoy in their relpetlive States. Meanwhile all communications and commercial relations (hall be ream ed to the fituatiou in which they flood before the war. XVI. No inhabitant of all the countries occupied by the Au- Arlan and French armies i,t ill be profecuted or quettioned, ei ther in his penal or property, on account at his political opi. mons or his conduct, civil, military, or commercial, during the war that has taken place between the two Powers. XVII. His Majelty the Emperor. King of Hungary and Bo hemia, shall not, agreeably to the principles of acutrality, ad mit into any of his ports, during the courfe of die prekst war. any vellels belonging to any of the Belligerent Powers. XXIII. His Majefty the Emperor, King of Hungary and 80.. hernia, and the French At:public, (ball mutually preferve to each other the fame ceremonial with regard to rank and other etiquette which was conflantly obfervcd before the war. His liid klajelty and the Cifalpinc Republic null oliferve, with re gard to each other, the fame ceremonial of etiquette which was in ufe between his Majefty and the Republic of Venice. NAUTICAL INTELLIGENCE. For Nautical Advertifements, fee the third column of the fluff page. The Mails for the Leeward Wands of the third Wednddal of the month, will this evening fit fent from the Poft Office to Falmouth, to be forwarded to the Wcft Indies in the Tuornfend Packet, now at that place ready for fca. PORTSMOUTH, FEBRUARY tS. This afternoon failed from St. Helen's the fol lowing Chips on a cruine : the ENDYMION, Capt. WILLIAMS, TRENT, SirE. HAM ILTON ISIS, Capt. WALKER, and the LAPWING, Capt. ROTHERHAM. The SANTA MARG.ARITTA and ST. FIORE NZO failed with the Straits Convoy under their pro cation ; alfo the SEA GULL, for Jerfey. The TOPAZ!, Capt. CHLIROH, which failed latt Friday with the Vs'eft India Fleet under convoy, touched ground near Cowes Cattle, but got off without much injury.—Two of the Merchantm en , Princcfs Royal, TRISTRAM, and the Jane, JOll N. STOW, bound to Demerara, got on (bore on the Shingles, and received fo much damage as to be obliged to put into Cowes, to unload and repair. DEAL, FEBRUARY :S. Sailed through - the Downs, the CALCUTTA, AtR LY CASTL:, CHARLTON, DUKE OT MONTROR E, and DOPER CASTLE, for the tall Indies. Wind N. On Monday arrived in the Downs, the Ameri can fhip Sally, of Baltimore, DAVID GEMMILL mailer, bound to Amflerdam, put in, being very leaky, having encountered a heavy gale of wind in the North Sea, which obliged her to bear up, after being in fight of the Texel. Arrived alf o th e gal- Lot Ikiercurilic, PITT R HEDRICK GEIDI'S mailer, of Roftock, in Mecklenburg, bound to London with wheat. Remain in the 'Downs, hisMsjefly's (hips as per lan. SHEERNESS, FEBRUARY ill. Sailed his Majel Hoop St Lair, Captain Wit, lAA MS, on a cruize.—Went out of harbour to the 'Noce, the Es rirc Ls, Captain SLADl.—Sailcd for Leith, the Normal:es cutter; and the (Itirsa aoliouon, Lieutenant FABIAN, on a cruize. Lieutenant MATHEW FLIEDERS is promoted to the rank of Commander in the Navy, and is ap. pointed to command the INVESTIGATOR, (late XaMO►MOM) now fitting for a voyage of difcovery.