Star. — London, England, 1828-02-16 00:00:00

IMPERIAL " HOUSE OF LORDSlataituater The Loop CHANCELLOR tpl " ijiis seit.upon the Woolsick at Five 4 .'Clock. ‘‘. • • J`‘.l We AND CORIVIATIUM AC% Lord AUCKLAND presented Petitions from the Protestant Dissenters assembling at the Meeting House in St: Montag-square, Hackney, for the tepee) of the Test and Corporation Act.—Ot dered to lie upon the table. PITZW I LII ANI presented similar Petitiote from the Parish of Fulwood, in the Town of Sheffield; from the Congrega tion of Independents of Queen-street Chapel. Sheffield ; and from one other Con‘regation of Protestant Dissenters in the same town. —Ordered to he upon the table. Lord EM LYN presented Petitions to the same effect from the Ptotestant Dissenters of Lammas-streetCbapel, Carmarthen; from another Congregation of Protestant Dissenter in Carmarthen; and front the Prote.tant Dissenters of the Baptist denomination of Ha verfordwest, in thC . Omnty of Pembroke. Lord TRY NHA NI had to move for the production of several Papers of great importance. In the fir st place, he would move for an Account of the numbersof men .committed upon criminal charges in Enlaced and Wales during the last two years, distinguishing those committed under the Game Laws; the number of persons who have received Parochial Aid in England at:d Wales during the same period ; of the number of persons now in Prisonl , an Ac count of the Parochial and County Rates fur the same period in England and Wales. In the second place, he should move for a Return of the total number of Persons receiving Dividends upon Three per Cent. Comoli, Three per Cent, Reduced, Three and a Half per Cents. Long Annuities. Four per Cents.. and New Four per Cents. on the 10th October, 18271 and the Sib January, 1128, distinguishing those who received under 101. under 201. under 40f. tinder 1001. 2001. 3001. 4001. 6001. 1,0001. 2,00 1. 4,0001. and above 4,0001. and specifying the sum total received by each class. The Duke of WELLINGTON had no wish to withhold the information to be derived front the first class °lvrea moved f r by the Noble Lord. But be believed that a• large proportion of that information was already before the House, and be would sus.: lest the propriety of postponing the motion for a tew days, in order to afford an opportunitrol etiquiriog into that fact. With respect to the accounts relating to the holders of funded property. he con felsed that he felt some degree of difficulty. A similar Return had been moved for, and furnished five years ago. But he wrs not without anprefiension that the production of this -account might now give rise to some degree of excitement, and produce surmises and speculations which it was better to avoid. The Earl of ROSS LY N strongly recommended to his Noble Friend to postpone his motion for the present, to afford time to ascertain how much of the information he sought was already before the House. He could nut recollect the whole, but he was quite certain that many of these papers had already been moved for and presented. Considering the mass of papers which were laid upon their Lordships' table every Session, it was desirable to exclude every thing that was superlunus. For if the man should be too mut:better - eased, the•effect would naturally be to prevent Members from attending to any of them. The Marquis of LA NSDOWN said. that it was quite time that the great mass of papers continually brought before the House was likely to have the effect stated by the Noble Lord. And he believed that every valuable information of the kind required was now in possession of the House, although perhaps not printed. blued of it had been long before the House, and more recently a Noble Friend of his, who took a deep interest in all that related to the welfare of the' Agricultural body, hail moved for many of the Returns in cluded in the Noble Lord's motion. But, although before the House, this information was not very easily accessible; for recently, when at the head of the Hume Department, he had had occasion to refer to some of those papers, and found great ditficulty in getting at them. _ Lord THY NH ANI said that be would be the last person in the world to move for any unnecessary papers, and so tar as regarded the first class of documents, be bad no objection to defer his motion till Monday. But the motion for a Itmusu of the persons holding funded property, clastifiesl as belsad.ahasscribed, he should make at present. The former Return of the same kind was made five year. ago,and be wished to ascertain what alteration ►ad taken place in the interval. . . --- The question wu accordingly put upon this motion, and it was agreed to. WOMACK Slow Till COMMONS. Sir ALEXANDER GRANT, and several other Members,. biought up the Biiifor the issue of I_ 1'2,000.000 Exchequer Bills fur the service of the year 1528 ; and also the Appropriation BilL his. CRAY/Fl o front the Treasury, presented several Returns rusting to Corn ad Wool. The Marquis trf CLEVELAND presented a Petition for the Repeal of the Test and . Curporatil•a Act, from the • Protestant boomers and other friends of religious liberty, of Stockton, io the County of Durham. On the motion of Lord SHAFTESBURY. the Exchequer Bills WI Mid the Appropriation Rills were severally read a first time. -Atijottised at St: o'CLoce, until To-mortow (this day). HOUSE OF COSIMONS. .Seriaere took the Chair at four o'clock; and the attendance &Mtifibtrs, on both aides of the House, was unusually numerous. • ThiebeMg the last day allowed for bringing forward Petitions , for kave to introduce Private Bills, an unusual number were presented. Mr. taArtit, from the Treasury ? presented Retorna respecting the Assessed Taxes from ScotLard.—Ordered to be printed. • Mr. BANKES brought in a Bill for the purpose of enabling Francis John Browne, Esq. to convey a certain house and estate to tbrettse of the County of Outset, as a Lunatic A.ylum, in accord attar with the 48th Gee. llL—The Bill was read a bra and steena time. Mr. MOORE presented a Petition from the Members of the Hibernian Joint Stuck Company, praying for leave to bring in a Bill to dissolve the same. Mr. Alderman SMITH presented a Petition from the Justices of St. Albans, praying for leave to bring in a Bill to enable them to erect a new Court House fur that Borough. shh: WOOD presented a Petition from certain Electors of the Borough of Preston. praying for leave to bring in a ma for the better regulation of taking the Poll in that Borough. Mr. MASSED DA WSON presented a Petition from the Roman Catholic Inhabitants of t.fuomel, praying for Catholic Emancipation. Viscount CA .;TLERE A GII presented a similar Petition from a Parish near Dongarvon.—Ordered to be printed. Mr. wArty presented a Petition , from the Protestant Dissen ters of Plaistow, in Essex, praying for a Repeal or the Test and Corporation Acts. Mr. MARSHALL presented similar Petitions from the Pro testant Dissenters of Great Smslkeid, in Cumberland; Prescot,in Yorkshire; and from another place in the sante County. • Mr.•GUEST presented a similar Petition from the Protestant Dissenters of East Bulkeley. Mr. LYGON presented a similar Petition from the Protestant Dissenters of Kilminster, in Worcestenbire. Mr. J. bi A RTIN presented similar Petitione from the Protes tknt DissentersOf four different places in Gloucestershire. Lord STANLEY presented similar Petitions from Dover-street Chapel, Manchester; the Protestant Dissenters resident in Preseot, Lancashire; and from the Protestant Dissenters of Barnham Castle, and another place in Yorkshire. Mr. P. BARING presented similar Petitions from the Protes tant Dissenters of Lymington, Hiochbetd, Broad-street Chapel, Jersey, St. Hilliard's. and also two other places. • Mr. WARBURTON presented similar Petitions from the Pro testant Dissenters in Cardigan, and from Haiston,in Essex. Mr. JONES presented a similar Petition from the Protestant Dissenters of Abergwilly. Mr. ABBOTT presented similar Petitions from the Protest- Dissenten of Newton Abbot; Glossop,in Herta; Exeter; &John's. Jersey; Everdale, Northamptonshire; and several other places. Mr. B. BARI NG presented a 'loader Petition from the Prows. tam Diamenters of Hinchfield. Mr. WOOD presented a similar Petition from the Protestant Dissenters of Yorkhouse, Lancashire. Mt. X ASTHOPE presented similar Petitions from tie Prates. tent Diseentersof the Borough of St. Albans; Dalton, Glouces tershire • a place in Surrey ; and the Congregation of Preston street Cbsipet, Goodman's-fields. Mr. PROTHEHOS presented a similar Petition from.the Pro testant. Dissenters of the Borough of liveshans, in Worcestershire. Mr. W. SMITH peesented a similar Petition from the Depu ties of the Baptists residing within twelve miles of the metropolis. Ile would not then desire the Petition to be read at hongth as it was very long s but be **meetly entreated that every Hou. Member would devote *leisure quarter of an hour to its perusal. These Petitions were severally ordered to be printed. • Mr. WODEHOUSE presented ?ratios from the Maltsters of Wakinsham, and another place, pining for a repeal of the Malt Act pas..A last Semi Mr. G ILOSVP.N 0 ted a similar Petition from the Malt seers of Chests!. The Petitions were ordered to be primed. • Mr. MA BERLY moved for an Accoult of the public Revenuel for the years eadSsig January 1821, 1842, 1823, 181111, 1825, 1326, 1267jand 1888. Also of the payments which had been made oat gibe panic each year, specifying the particularist:ass; and also an Account of the iturplos.- 7 -9ydered. JOHN W ttOTTKIILEY moved foe some returns of a sled. isresture.—Ordered. Mt. WOOD moved for ari Account of the Number of Comic lions thew bad been of Retail Brewers, for selling Beer to be (bank Or ,~ .. a _ • upon their premises, distinguishing thelllfforent cos !sties io whltii aonvietiona,took place. --Ordered Sir JOHN NE wpoar moved , fora Retina of the quantity of Corn and Idea) exported from /Ireland since the Union, distinguish ing that imported into &viand, from that inverted into foreign •countries ; also a Relent Ott*, Triunity of !cif, Butter and Purk, exported from Ireland sinee.the same pehod, and observing the -uzlinction.--Ordered. fed for a return nethe number of who Mr. HUME moveuao. _ of persons had °brained their discharge from pais& ender the Insolvent Deb tor's Act, since 1813; stating the number that had been remanded, together with the cause and period for whieb they were remanded; and .pacifying the counties in which the discharges had taken pl-ce —Ordered. Mr. HUME moved for returns respecting the Post Office in Canada, stating the number of Postmasters employed, the number of persons who received salaries above .C 69 per annum, and se veral other particulars relating to the detail of the lestablshment. Ordered. Mr. HUME said, that as there was a paper before the House by which it appeared that the large sum of X 56,000 was paid to the Bask of England for the management of X 8,000,000 of Ezcheqtier Bills, he should move for a return of the Items, the whole of them which ar ade up the gross charge.—Ordered. CATHOLIC ASSOCIATION ACT. Mr. S. RICK. said, that he had given notice of hls intention to bring forward a motion respectipg the Law tot the Suppression of the Roman Catholic Associatlotf, and he was anxious to take that opportunity of putting a question upon the subject to his Right Hon. Friend the Secretary fur Ireland. On the 30th of last month he had asked the Noble Lord opposite (Lord Palmerston),whetber it was the intention of Government, as the Act for the Suppression of :be Catholic Association would won expire, to introduce any new measure upon the subject, or to propose the extensi of the present Act to a longer period ? That Noble Lord haeplied, that circumstances had not tendered it necessary for his Majesty's Government to some to any decision upon the subject, and that in deed they had not then had time to consider it. With that answer he (Mr. Rite) was satisfied; but he saw, by the papers of the day, that the Noble Marquis who was appointed to govern in Ireland, was on the eve of his departure, and that preparations were actually making for his Veception in Dublin. He therefore concluded that Government mat have come to some determination upon the sub ism, for be eotild not imagine that the Noble Marquis to whom be had alluded, would proceed to the Government of Ireland, with out having received some definitive instructions upon the subject of the Catholic Association. He therefore wished to learn from his Rt. Hon. Friend ( Mr. Lamb) whether it was the intention of the Go. vet lament to allow the Act to .expire, or to bring in a Bill lot its further enforcement? Mr. LA MB said that the Act had some time to run, as it.woold not expire until the end of the Session, and therefore the subject was not one which required immediate attention. It was indeed im possible to say what occurrence might take place before the time now fixed for its expiration, and consequently he did nut see k.,w he could furni,ll his Hon. Friend with a more satisfactory answer than his Noble Friend had already given. O. the motion of Mr. Dawson, the Eachequer Bills Bill was read a third time, passed, and ordered to be carried up to dm House of Peers. On the motion of Mr. Dawson, the Transfer in Aids Bill was read a third dote, passed. and ordered to be carried up to the/louse of Peers. The Committees of Supply and Ways and Means were postponed till Monday. FINANCE COMMITTEE. Mr. Secretary PEEL said, that in the first place he should move, that that part of his Majesty's most gra cious Speech which was particularly addressed to that House, and had reference to the state of the .Penance of the country, should be read. The C erk ti en read the following pm of his Ma jesty's Speech We ate commanded by his Majesty to recommend to your early attention an inquiry Tito the sate of the Revenue and Expenditure of the country. His Majesty is assured th.et it will be satis factory to you to learn, that notwithstanding the dimi nu ion which has taken place in some branches of the Res enue, the t cal amount of receipt during the last yea, has not disappointed the expectations which were entertained at the commencen.ent of it." - Mr. Secretary PEEL then reise.l have moved, Str, that the part of his Majesty's most gracious Speech which :eters to the state of the income and Expendi ture of the Country should be read, not merely in corn pliance with a general usaite upon the occasion of simi lar motions for a commitei upon the state of out Fr nances, but in older that ,I may introduce the proposi tion I am about to make under the very highest aus pices, and claim for it the sanction and the recommen d ition of the fi.st auth:rity in • the land. This propo sition, for the appointment of a Committee to inquire into the state of our Finance , . is .not a Thing by any means either novel or unusual*, At various preceding i teriods in the history of this coantry,-ComMittees have been appointed et the recommendation of the Crown, not only for the purpose of examining into the amount of the Income and Expenditure of the Country, but still more for the purpose of submitting their opinion upon the possibil ty of establishing a more effectual controul over that expenditure, and at the same time of making such reduc ions in our variolks establishments, as may be found compatible with the situation and necessities of the country. In the year 1786. some short time after the conclusion of the American War a Finance Committee was appointeJ, on the recommendation of , Mr. Pitt. After the inteival of a-few years, in 1796, a similar Committee was appointed, over which, l believe, the present Lord Colchester presided—and - presided, o ~ with in ability which has conferred on him the greatest honour; while from the exertions and.-recom• mendations of that Committee the most essential ad vantages had accrued to the Government and the - Country. Again, in the year 1807, at the tecommen dation, I believe, of the present Mat qiiis of Lansdown, then Lord Henry Petty. a Committee was appointed; having objects exactly similar to those which preceded it. And lastly, in the year 1817, a Committee was moved for by Lord Castl reagh, to make inquiries of the same description, into the state of our income and expenditure, although, from a variety of ciscurnstances, the country did not derive from its recommendations the advantages which were anticipated. fly an entirely fortuitous, but somewhat • singular coincidence, the same period of time, or very nearly the same period, has elapsed between the appointment of this and of these three other Committees. In the year 1786, a Committee was appointed in the first instance. In the year 1796, exactly ten years afterwards, the second Committee was appointed. Again, in the year 1817. or in ten years further,a third Committee was appointed; and finally, in the year 1828, accidentally, no doubt,, but yet somewhat singulaily., I now come forward to propose the re-constitution of a similar Committee, after the lapse of very little more than a similar pe riod. 1 do nor, I beg now to say, propose the ap pointment of this Committee horn any of the • various arrives or objects wltich I have heard during the c ssucl cone rsa ions upon the tut jest in this Hous-, and the divussions elsewhere much more than insinuated.—' With respect to the motives and the objects which in fluence use on this occasion, I beg most solemnly to assure the House and the Country. that I donut propose this Committee in the reluctant fulfilment of any pledge given by the head of a' former Comment. 1 propose it from a conviction, which I have for a long time en tertained, and which has been. , strengthened and con firmed by the inquiries and exisminatipas I have been compelled to make upon the docutients connected with thg subject. I propose it, I. say, from a deliberate coo vlction that the time is now coma when it becomes. an imperious duty to look fairly and firmly into the whole 'Woof the Financial system of this country. * I -clo.ooe propose it, as has been insinuated, to Made & *to .4e ceive, either this House or the country; I'do not 140- pose it for the purpose of procuring b . /Commendations to increase our establishments ; I do not propose it to 2 find an apology for any increase of taxation. I propose a Committee, because 1 belieee its marnbers will honestly, and conscientiously execute vie proposes for which it is appointed, and because I believe that these purposes,, thus honestly and fairly executed, the Executive. Grea•`' vernment,and the country at large, must derive the most important benefits from their labours. It may be perhaps unnecessary, and it certainly would be much more agreeable to me, if my labours on this occasion could be confined to the simple statement of my views in the appointment of the Committee,: and to the proposal of the names of those whose acquirements point them out as fit to be its rnesti-1 bens. I think, however, I may infer from the con versations which have taken place here, and from' what I have accidentally heard elsewhere, a very gene , ral expectation has prevailed, that I should preface my proposal for the appointment of the Committee by some general reference to the state of the finances, of, the country. I should be sorry to disappoint the gene.' ral expectation, but, at the same time, in attempting to fulfil this part of my task, I trust the House will bear with my incompetence,_ and extend to me its indulger e. hope it wi 1 be good enaugh to iecolect, t' at thei statements I have to make upon this su' ject have n t been intimately or necessarily - connected s. jib that par ticular department of the State over which I have the honour to preside; arid that, under the very peculiar circumstances in which I have been lately placed— called upon so very recently to return to the set vice of the Crown, I have not had an opportunity to devote that time and that attention to the details of the ques tion which it deserves, and which might, perhaps, Wye in some me Mite compensated for the disahilties and de ficiencies, under which I must have always laboured attempting to enter upon such complicated subjects. I shall attempt, how ever, to lay before the House, not only my view of the present condition of our Finances,, but also the general outline of the facts connected w ith our Income and .Expenditure for some years preceding. If theme prove to be any met it in the statemera I am thus abi ut to make, it will be only this: that 1 shall state the truth fairly and openly, without attempting to con ceal or to gloss over any thing which may have c-me to my knowledge. For if theme is any thing of which, I am more thoroughly convinced than another, it is' that nothing can be more absurd or impolitic than any attempt to mystify or conceal the financial state of the country—(Hear; hear!) These things are mote simple than they appear to be upon a superficial view nf the subject. There is, in fact, not the slightest-dif ference between the calculations for med upon many millions and upon a few pounds, or between the expen diture of'a bumble individual and that of a rich and powerful' country.' • They depend upon the very same principle, and it might just as well be contended that the common rules of arithmetic, applied in making common calculations in our domestic occurrences; do' not apply to the casting up 'or the subdivision °C lions, as to suppose that the extended fi nancial system of a nation must not rest upon the same views and be governed by the same principles as the income and' expenditure of a private individual. I shall attempt, therefore, on this occasion, to consider this most im portant question—the present !tate of the Finances of this country—upon precisely the same principle, and upon precisely the same views, with which an indivi dual might be supposed to enter into an examination of his own concerns--supposing that any necessity should arise for his entering upon that consideration.— I sliall,•as far as I possibly can, divest my statement of any thing technical, or which might be considered obscure, so that I may, if possible, render it intelligible to all who hearnie, even those who • may be thelean versed in questions of finance. I presume, aerefote, that if an individual was about to look into the state of his affairs ; the condition of his estate, the amount of his income, and the extent of his expenditure, and the pros. pects which the future afforded him, I presuMe, I say, e would proceed sorriewhat on - these principles.He would first enter into an examination of the extent of his incum brances, and the amount of debts to which he was indis putably liable; 2dly, he would ascertain what had been the amount of his net income for years back; 3dly, he would inquire what was the prospect of the probable income he might calculate upon the future; and, fourthly, he would determine the amount of his future expenditure. In pursuing that course, therefore, I am not gr,ing back to the histriry of our finances for a long series of years. 1 do not by any means profess to enter into any profound views of the subject. I am merely going to give the House a plain statement of such facts as I have been able to collect, and to present a general view of the present financial condition of the country. The fint•question, then, which presents itself, accord-' ing to the • course which I have prescribed to myself, is this—What is the present amount of those incum-', brances, tolhe due discharge of sehich we are bound by every obligation. of: national -honour and national faith? For, whatever may be the financial condition of this country, or whatever may he the difficulties in which we are involved, I believe that there is an uni versal feeling, both in this House, and throughout the country, that the national faith which has been pledged to the public creditor must be the first object of our regard, and placed as an item in our financial account from which we cannot escape—(Hear,.bear). I think it quite sufficient for my present purpose (although .1 am willing to go farther back if any Gentleman should desire it); but 1 think it will be sufficient if I examine . into the greatest amount Of debt at some given periods, taking the first year of the late . peace as the commence ment of these periods. Taking it, thcn,"as the first, and shewing the utmost extent of our incumbrances at the end of thewar, I shall take an intermediate period between that and the present, and then 1 shall state the amount of our obligations at the present moment. For these purposes, then, 1 propose to take the years 1815, 1822, and 1827. The total Unredeemed Debt in 1815, or ra ther 1 should say 1816, for it will•be more convenient and more intelligible to speak in each case, of the year in which the account was fairly made up. The total capital, then, of the unredeemed funded debt of this country, in the-year ending on the sth January, 1816, WAS 816,910,0001. In 1822 the total amount of the un redeemed debt was 796,550,00 W. Last year the amount or capital of the unredeemed debt was 777,476,0001. I should observe; that I deem it unnecessary to mention the hundreds. This last item is strictly, I believe, 9 or 4004 more, but I 'apprehend it is sufficient if I state it thus- in round - numliers, and indeed 1 .- -fear that the debt is altogether so large, that a few hundreds are but of little consequence in the statement. The next matter to be considered is, the amount of Charge. The amount of. Charge for Debt to which the country is annually liable, includes the amount of interest payable to the public creditor on account of the funded debt; and thx.cestof management of the unfunded debt.— rhis charge amounted— Inatts ~ • . • . • • .. a'asst7ll,ooo lu lasi to la 1847 to 25,500,000 * But this statement alone does not corn •f • • prise a Air view 'of the aggregate - amount of the public debt, and the charge upon it. In the first place , the annuities p ry able on the public funds are terminable, in point of fact. het at so distant a period as scarcely to warrant the intro duction of any calculations founded on their expiration. In the next place a portion of this charge is permeate. and another temporary only. We are next to cemeider what has been the total amount of charge occasionedto the country by reason of the Unredeemed Funded Debt, at the first period—the year after the peace—the inter mediate period, lBV2—and in the last year. The anemia amount of Charge on the Funded Debt and Annuities was In 1815 • . . . . ‘50.488,080 In 1822 88,9118088 In 1827 • .• . • 518,581,000 I am not yet come, Sir, to speak of the Eschiteruei Bills or Unfunded Debt; but the statement D have made will serve to thew that the diminution of the public expenditure, on account of interest, to which this country is liable, was last year, as compared with the le3 t io6;oom year 1815 But as compared with 182 t, only . 21spoo In order to termriate this virw of the %hulk of thi incumbrances to which the count, y is linble, on accousi (if the charge of the unfunded debt. in7luding - Esche: quer Bills (under various closse,), Public Works, Iris Treasury, D ficiency, Outstanding, I inas state, that In 181 S It amounted to . . X 44,54400 0. In 1822 to . . . . . 4110:09,0041 In 1827 to . . . . . 34,770,000 The total annual charge, therefore, to- these three yearsw namely, 1915, 1922, and 1927, as for funded debt, for annuities, and for unfunded debt, was, for V.e Ora year, in ISIS 4£33,679,000 111 1822 . • • • • 30,027,000 Iu 18'47 • • • • • '29,251,000 ' (Hear, hear). I am perfectly aware th it all this ts matter of mere detail, and as such must be very te dious, I fear, to some Hon. Gentl. men 3lcnind me; bat. • on account of the extreme importance of that detail, I must entreat their most serious attention to it—(Hear. - hear). The total decrease, then, Sir, of the capital of the unredeemed funded debt, since the year 1815, has been 38,83.5,0001. that it- to sty, last yea - r, as coin pared with the year 1815. we had appropriated for the redemption of the funded debt. 58,000.001 t and in 1827 also, the unfunded debt, as compared with ite - amount in 1815, was decreased by 9,707,0001. so that the decrease upon the debt, funded and unfunded, was, in round numbers, 48,608,0001. The total decrease of ckarge on account of the funded and unfunded debt, since 1815, appears to have been 4 424 0001. th ft is t• say, a less amou. t on account of the charge for the total debt, as compared with its amount in the first year of peace, 1815, by the considerable sum of 4,000,0001. It may not be unimportant, in the next place, to state . vihat proportion of the annual charge on the total debt of the country is occasioned by annuities. Of hew `annuities, some, as I have before observed, are terrain. able. In 1815, the total amount of charge on the debt was 80,488,0001. of which 1,924,0001.- wee absorbed by annuities. In 1822. the total charge was 28;590004 of which 1,892,0001. was the am , wit df annuities.— List year the total charge was 28,381,0001. and the proportion of annuities (a proportion undoubtedly much increased) was 2,602,0001. My sole purpose is to give a full and unreserved statement of the condition of tlie• finances of the country: I trust, arid I . believe'. there will be no material error, for my object iito,state 01 7 . to conceal nothing: This being, then, the state tif our MI. cumbrances for which we have to provide, let us next look at what has been our Revenue and our Expenditure for sometime past. In order to make a correct estirnate for the future, the best cour-e will be to extei:d the view some. what beyond the limit of two or three years; and Ipoi.o pose, therefore, to. bring the period of five yenta witaise-; the scopeof my observations. I will first proceed•scesl state whit has been the expenditure of - thetountry Cot each of the last five Years.. Aqherear, at the ciutsek,,' I am met by a difficulty as to the meaning of the - word.' expenditure—a difficulty which, obviously, .ntateekte solved before we can hope to have a clear under. standing upon the . subject. I wish it, therefore, so be understood, that by " expenditure," I mean , !her national- expences, clear of e.hat is called the "demi weight"—the naval and military pensions. For -thy sake of promoting a clear, intelligible, view of !Mg ; complicated question, I discard all consideration lot' the present of the sums of 4,800,0001. on the one side, and the 2,800,0004 or whatever the amount is, on the other. That I may not be charged .with a -desire to evade a difficulty, I will afterwards. speak of those Pensions; but, for the present, I leave them alto gether out of my calculation. I have, then, taken the last five years, and endeavoured to ascertain what has been the amount of the great branches. of National Expenditure, viz.—the Interest of the Debt, the Army, Navy, Ordnance, Civil List Establish ments, and 39 on. It will be observed, that in stating the. expenditure, I am stating it exclusive of the interest of • the unfunded debt, and exclusive of the advance of five millions given under the Act of Parliament to the Com missioners for the liquidation of the National Debt. The expenditure, which I now propose to stare to the House, comprises merely the ordinary expenditure of the country, the great branches of expense. The total of these branches, then, exclusive of the Sinking Fund, was ite -1323 . . . . . X 47,692,000. • 1824 49,527,000 1825 48,061,000 1826 49,583,000 1827 49,719,000 Suppose, in the next place, that we deduct from the gross expenditure, the fixed sum for the interest of the debt, in order to exhibit the expenditure apart from the fixed incumbrances—l proceed, then, to state the net expenditure, exclusive of the charge for the Funded and . Unfunded Debt, - exclusive of the naval and military pensions, and also for naval and military works— which latter do not at all belong to the subject. The sums will then stand thus— 1825 . . . 8,477,000 1824 • • • • • • 20,461,000 1825 20,000,000 1826 21 ) 500,000 1827 21,52,000 In stating these figures correctly, Sir, I intend to east no reflection, if any there be, upon any former Govern ment. In doing so, I should be reflecting upon myself as well as upon them. But that is not my purpose. I am satisfied that the course I am pursuing, is the only one by, which I can fairly present a full financial view of my subj ect ; and it is to the accompli s h ment o f t h at task my duty upon the present occasion points—(Hear, hear!) Having thus separated the ingredients of our expenditure, having shewn it in parts, I will now present to the House a view of the total expenditure and income for the entire period of five years. The total income, including all sources of revenue, and the re-payment of advances made for -public works, for the five years fast past, 15•.• 4161,000,000. Of course, the- House knows the meaning of re-pay ments of advances made upon public works in England and Ireland. Sums were advanced from time to time, for the in - emotion of works in both countries, security being taken for the interest and re•payment at mire. nient periods; and this sum of two hundred and - sixty. one . millions includes within it such sums as have.. been `repaid during the five years. I will now, with equal timesetve, state the amount of the capenditure for the same the of of iike likowi and.r3 for pm total'A tlvo 11 revers' debt, inea— Noi one sti existtt 'total t 164 i,. Mall. 4113114 Iflt I . attenti In4si9 mall/ 'five r Exhib 'wow The d foi tba 4 1illiCes ( coop ther. to hal I WOUI easily actual have, recjuu tame Ilona etetati years. to pro calm —Tha Right at a a be pr MAUI slater; purpo future to ref; last is Thi Casua Public therefg The I an that .I preseil in tate u of ttei lap& sequel annex u alone sure c 'Heim year Dedi sum Esti, Fine The was so tb those will not will ,~