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

PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS. HOUSE OF COMMONS, WEDNESDAY, FEZ. a. Lord Bre 'roan appeared at the Bar, and intimated that tho Addrel of the Houfe had been prefented to hi' Majefty, to which his hlajefly was pleated to give a molt gracious Anfwer. Mr. Rose, preparatory to the opening of the Budget, moved fora great variety of papers retpoeting the duties on tea, tiger, paver, printed goads, prorniffory notes, bills of exchange, &c. lee. for the left three years, dittingaifhing the amount in each rat, to be laid before the Houfe. Thefe were accordingly ordered, and prefented by the proper officers from the different offices, and afterwards ordered to be referred to the Committee of Ways and Means. A new writ was moved for the confolidated burghs of I.Ver. mouth and Meleombe Regis, in the room of William Garth- Ihore, Erg. who has accepted the place of one of the Lords of the Admiralty. Mr.PORT ea gave notice of his intention of bringing forward a motion for the removal of the matineersand perfons noircon fined under the Habeas Corpus Sufpenflon Aft in the Prifon of 11'01d-bath-fields, from that prifon. On the motion for the third reading of the Bill for Repealing the Brown Bread Adt. patted during the Lift (Mon of Puha meat, Lord SHICTIPIRLD fuggefted the r ecerity of adopting fame new regulations in the room of thole which the Aft contained, and gave notice of his intention to move fur leave to bring in a wn on this fubjeLl. The Bill was then read a third time, palled, and ordered to be carried to the Lords for their concurrence. BUDGET. The Houfe having refolved itfclf into a Com mittee of Ways and Means. Mr. Chancellor Pim- rote, and (poke in fub fiance as follows :—ln fubmitting to the Com mittee the means that are required to make pro vifion for the fbpplies of the year, it will be my duty firft to call their attention to the changes , which take place in the di ftribution of thole means in confequence of the Union, to advert to thole parts of the Supply and Ways and Means which are to be feparately provided for, and to Rate how that feparate provifion is to be made. In doing this I thall adhere as clofely as poffible to the mode nfually obferved in the annual Itatement of the financial fituation of the country. In purist :ince of this arrangement, therefore, I !hall lay before the Committee the various articles of which the Supply of the year confifts. SUPPLY. There has already been 'rot ed upon cillmate for the &nice of the Navy the fum of - - - C. I,s,Bce s cco Being an excels above the Vote of Taft year by 2300000 L This additional expence, how ever, was thought necelfary, as well to early the naval force of the country to the ntrnoft pitch of Ilrengtb which the exigency of affairs :night demand, and to make ample provifion In pecuniary fupply to meet it. Ido not con fider it neccffary to go into a minute itatentent of particulars, as I am perfuadcd the Houk will be better pkafed on fuch an exxafion to have the general view. The next article is the Army. for which there las been voted upon ellimate the (Muni 9,617400 Doing a conlidcrable addition to the amount of the Vote of kit year, which was 8,850p001.; but this is accounted for by the addition to our effedive force, as explained when the Eftimates were confidered. On the head of Extramtrica.ris - s daze is to be Rated the funs of - adet,ooo it t.. 1, • lons of . 3,785.000 Making in all for the Army - On the'head of Ordnance, for Great Britain there i. voted - - z,63 9 p00 For indand there will be - - a y ypoo 15,910,000 Making, on the head of Ordnance - Mifeellancous Services for the Plantations, &c. Including Ireland, there will be - There will ne fume charges that will bear feparate ly upon the two countries; in the prat sit view, however, I fhall !late thole articles that are 1 ,9 3 5P 0D eoramon to both. A Vote of Credit to the amount of kopool. will be required, 1330,000 In this the Committee will perceive • that I anticipate nothing for foreign lOW:lies. The unfortunate ems tion of Europe leaves no opening to fuppoie that under this head say extraordinary ccperacc will be called tor. It is for this r:afon that I con ceive it unneceffiry to make any prwellion for this branch of ferrite, and I with to be undcrftnod that I retain my former fentiments upon the policy of loch an expenditure. Indeed I am convinced that in re viewing the cireumftances of part tranfaetions, the bionic will never repent the cootie it has purfued, and the (urns it has expended for thole Alyea'. I shall fay no more on that point for the ',fermt. Of this fico,oool. there will be ycopont fur • Ireland, bcfides a fum of goo,oool. being what is called the rem anent Grants, a fund foenewhat fimiler to the Civ il: Lift in this country, 39 0 . 000 737P0° Making - - - ta xro Thus the total of them Supplies is° - 3J,5117 —By the Aft of Union it is flipulated that of the joint charges 2-t 7th parts lhould be defrayed by Ireland, the remaieder by Great Britain. By this fc.de of diilribution then there will be of the turn of 33,387,0001. 4, 18 6,0001 to be defrayed by Ire land, and 31,400,00a1. by Great Britain. Ireland, however, takes a fhare both in our peace and war eftablifhment in the proportion mentioned. Ire land then is bound to pay out of 1,177,0001, the Turn of t 37,0001. But to proceed to thofe articles which upon a fair conftrudion lhould be account ed separate charges on Great Britain. In apply ing this principle it kerns jult and equitable that fitch articles as ante from caufes prior to the to of lanuary, t Bot, fhould be takeninto the account. Thefe particular charges are heavy upon Great Britain this year from various circurnflances, to be regretted no left for the collateral fufferings they I,srou g ht upon the public, than for the cffc& they have produced upon the revenue. The failure from unpmfperous feafons in the adequate fupply of food, &e. has extended itfeif to thofe Inanches of revenue-connected with that fupply. Wifaing it to be underßood that in either country, when, fcparate charges ar'.fe out of caufes prior to five a:complifhnient of the Union, they fhould be • We give the rowed tams only. Dy this MOM there may lee a diference of a few thoufand pounds between ,the detail. and the rattles. Mr. Pitt, in raiding the hyum * read only roar 1 numbera s and in trying to male the ankles rally. we &mold 4116.1 tranekr an error from one snick to another,— .• be spitliams Y takralsly cormdi, sakisk is aii that it ectoirary. feparately provided for, i Hata carry Aft in the firft year of it an opportunity has occurred for fix ing a precedent for the application of the rule.— I Lament indeed the circtunftances which in this inftance calls for it, but the event no lers enables us to prove with what good faith and liberality the Imperial Parliament will proceed in the inter pretation of every thing in which any diftintlion and reparation of interefta can be found to exit! between the two countries. • I In the firft place, then, there is a deficiency in the Income Tax, for which it will be recolleded, I took credit at the rate of (even millions. Lail year it has produced about fix millions, and from all the information I have obtained from the exa mination of returns already made, I fhould not conceive myfelf juftified to rely upon a greater fuln for the laft and the prefent year. From all 1 can collet, however, I am perfuaded the refult will not vary much from fix millions for the years tBOO and tflot. Betides this there is. the ulna! difcount on the Loan, and Lottery zoopool. The deficiency of Malt 400,c001. There are likewife outftanding a numbi.. of Exchequer Bills iffued uppn the produce of the Affeffed Taxes, and the Tax on Export's and Imports in the years 1798 and 1799. From various caufes thee Bills can not be immediately fatisfied upon the funds allotted for them, though there is fufficient rearms to be- , lieve that a canfiderable part of thole funds will yet be available for their payment. Neverthelefs,, as it appears inconvenient that any furns 'of this kind fhould remain for any length of time unli quidated, I think it right to include a certain filth for thefe Bills in the Supplies for this year. Upon this then I fhall call for a vote to the amount of t,350,5001. There is another head of deficiency which we mutt remark with regret. It is the growing produce of the Confolidated Fund. This I took for the year iSoo, at 5,500,0501. By the ope ration of thefecanfes which Ihave already mention ed, the deficiency which has taken place will be ex plained. The duties on malt, upon beer, and (piths, have been greatly reduced by the meafures which a failure in the adequate fupply of food, &c. has produced. Other branches of revenue have been influenced in the fame manner. But I truft that a deficiency which arifes from temporary circum fiances will ceafe with that preirure from which we are entitled to expeet that we (hall, ere long, be relieved. Several other caufes have contri buted to this circa, the extenfion of the period for the repayment of advances made to the plan ters of Grenada, &c. On the principle I have Rated, however, I think it moll eligible, in the mean time, to p a fs a vote for making go od thole deficiencies. This head of deficiency I Rate at three millions; the produce of the Confolidated Fund, having, to that extent, fallen lhort of the furn of five millions, for which I took credit. There different articles of feparate charge, then, will Rand thus:— Deficiency of the Income Tax - L. 'mope* Difeount on Loan and Lottery - aoocoo Exchequer Bills aural on Affelfed Taxes, and Export and Import Tax - 1,350,000 Deficiency of Confohdated Fund 3,c00p00 Ufual Drfickney of Gtant% • 460 C -00 LaR of all, that funs ss Licit has been for force time palt a vrel it iv yowl, and, I era, will always b e vote d , i n aid of . _ the Fund for the eatinaion of tie National Debt - - - 200,C ZO Total of feparate Charge oa Great Britain - - 6,6t0p00 The amount of Supplyabove ftatcd - 33,074 00 Making the total Surply - £.4 2 ,T97 ,000 WAYS AND MEAT:S. It remains to Rate the Ways and Means to meet this Supply : In the lint place there is theAannalLand and Malt £.2,750p50 Lottery - - 300,000 Next, the Income Tax, which I base takegi at 6.000 000 L; but, from this, there is tobe de durfted the intereft charged upon it, an too iit ing to 1,740,0c01.; fo that there remains appli cable to the Supplies of the year - - 4,260p0s The Export and Import Tax, comprehended in which is the Tax upon Su gar to be Included in the permanent Taxes I &all Sy-and-bye pro pofe,but the produce of the Export and import Tax win, I as convinced, without the deduc tion which this will °coition, produce the fun for which it was taken halt year, namely - x,kto s erzo Next is the Surplus of the Confolidatcd Fund, cal culated up to April eiloa, all previom charges being cleared of; as is prepofcd. The whole produce of the remanent Taxes for the year 1800, is 22,044,c00L 'lle permanent charge on it amounts to t0,r44,00:1. leaving a Into of ' ' ,sieop:ol. applicable to the Ways and Means of the year. The taxes Impeded in the year 'Soo, have not yet reached their WI produce. They were taken for 350,0001. Their produce for the three firlt quarters has been about allopeol.; and front every ground of conjec ture we 'are entitled to ezpedt that their pro duce win foe the other quarter be mio,cool. more. Among the cattle, of the deficiency of the produce of the , Coisfolidatcd Fund too, was the remain' of the duties on sugar, owing to a momentary prelTure of unfavour able eircurnftances. Thefe duties, the pay ment of which was furpended, win now be available, and there is upwards of 300,0001. due upon Bonded Sugars, which win be fptedily recovered. There are (metal other articles en which we are entitled to•expeet an improvement for the future. The (Ades to which is airiest the deficiency in the Malt, Beer, and Spirit duties, win not, it is fairly to be calculated, aged theirproduce for the eafuing year. There is no reafon to exiled that there will be any dim:notion in the eon fumption of Beer, and we may lately take credit fur the average revenue from that arti cle. The enereafe of price In the material, in coairequence of the eircumflanees mentioned, may have juftified the manufaCtetrers in lay ing an additional charge upon the coniumers of their commodity. but I have as hcfitation in fay ins that when that raufe has maid to operate, the public may julll look forward to that encl....did charge as (applying the means of confiderabk Revenue to chi State. Upon the head of Britins Spirits too, we may calcu late at leaft.soopoci. more than was levied this year; upon the whole, therefore, we may take upon the head of furplus on the Confoli dated Fund, a fan of - - - - ;4 0 044 1 0 In the votes of credft for laft year there is a fun of 500,0001. which has not been if ucd, and believe there remains no claim by which it can be affected. We may therefore Race this film in aid of the Ways and Waal - - - geo,nen Ntestaaof Grants - • - - To thee add that part tor which Ireland all Es 4340 00 To make op the Ml tram required. there is a Loan of as{ millions, betides what writhe re quired for the kpaate charges to be harm by Ireland - - - ot,yoe,ooo Total of Ways mil Moms - • . 42,544p00 LOAN ! In Dating to the CoLmittee the terms upon which the Loan has been concluded, I feel the tumuli fatisfaaion in the full and unequivocal proof they afford of the manlinefs and good fenfe which prevail is the public 'bind, at a time when attempts were fo indullrioufly made to fpread dif couragement and alarm. They afford the fulleD proof that the monied intereft, a airs fo often the object of reproach and inveaive, feel that their particular interells are infeparably bound up with the general iuterefts of the community, and that they participate in the common fentiment—that it is by firmnefs and determination alone, in a crisis of difficulty, that there can be any well grounded hope of being able to maintain, not only what is delr to themfelves, but what is molt valuable to the State.—This proof is the more fatisfaaory as it has occurred at a moment when .there exifted iu Come places a difpofition to indulge, to encourage—nay, more than to encourage, to ibilil gloomy and defponding fentiments of the fituation and proteas of the Country. This tranf ,aaion, I repeat, is a decifive proof of the energy of the public feeling, of the confidence which the moD intelligent men entertain of the public re fources, and of the efforts to which we are ade-; quate if we continue true to our own caufe. It is a circumftance which I Date with pride and Cuisfaaion that, under all the circumftances of difficulty in which we (land, amidft all the un certainties of public affairs, foreign and domeftic, amidft all the artifices ufually praaifed on fuch occafions to caufe a depreffion of the public fpirit, amidft all the particular caufes of difquietude in- 1 ildioully exaggerated, a greater number of opu lent competitors for the Loan appeared this year than I have ever had the good fortune to meet with in any fimilar tranfaaion. I have next the fatisfaaion to obferve that two different lifts of thofe wealthy and refpeaable men, without a with or defire to receive from me any explanation of our political fituation, entertained fuch confidence, not merely in any individual, but what is much better; in the general nrength and refources of the Country, that they came forward with a compe tition to contra& for a Loan of twenty-eight mil lions, at a price above the market price at the time the bargain was concluded. So advanta geous was the tranfaaion for the public, that the Contraaors had no profit but the difcount allowed upon prompt payment. Taking the 3 per Cents. .at 56, and the Reduced at 56 three-fourths, the terms are as follows: mi. 3 per Cent. Caeca/ are - • 70 0 0 se& ais. of Reduced - - - - aa6 0 Dircoost sos $ o Being thort of tool. at the actual Rate of the mar ket, the Pole profit confifting in the difcourit to thole who do not avail *thcmfelves of the diffant periods fixed for making up their inftalments. hloll certainly the Committee muff feel, in this ilatement of the fad, the firongeft ground of con fidence and of confolation. After fo Tong and fevere a struggle, after fo many gloomy prognoftics, after fo great an increafe of our debt, after this van ad dition to our expence, both from the fcale of the war and the accumulation of expence in every part of it, from the fame caufes that operate in private life and in private concerns, it furely is a fubjed calculated to banith every fentiment of defpondence. In no cafe during the prefent, and only I believe during the laft war, and that upon (mall funs, was there a Loan negociated on terms fo advantageous to the public. The ftatement is one on which I can congratulate the Houfe and the Country. It fhould teach us to reflect that if our dangers are great and formidable, the means we poffefs of repelling them are powerful in the fame proportion. It remains for me now to point out the means by which the intereff of the Loan is to be defrayed. NEW TAXES. Aware of the magnitude of the fum for which hrovi lion is tobe made,' am not fanguine enough to ope that taxes bywbich between 17 and r,Bco,coo mull be.raifed, will be wholly free from objeflion, yet I truft thole I Ihall lay before you will be found, on an impartial examination, to be fuch as will neither interfere with the general profperity of the country, nor prefs hard upon that clafs of the community whom it has ever been the with of the Houfe to treat with a tender forbearance, and whom at the prefent moment it muirbe our peculiar ttudf to fpare. I (hall fubmit the Taxes I propofe then, under the different heads under which they arrange them/dves. TEA. The Erik articles on which I (hall propofe an increafe of duty, ate thofe which are comprehend ed under the Excite, -which I fhall state under their fcveral heads : and the fum which I propofe to raife from the whole will amount to 586,0001. The firft of there is the article of Tca, on the fubjea of which the conlideration of the Houfe has then been engaged. The Houfe will recoiled that I did once fubmit to the Houfe a meafure of Commuta tion with regard to the duties on this article, for the propofe of putting a flop to a fyftem of fmuggling which was then carried on to a great extent. The confcquence was, that the fyftem was put a flop to, and the capital of the fmugglers was deftroyed. Although at that time no more than fix millions of pounds of Tea was imported into this country, it is a pofitive fait that the importation has fince increafcd to the amount of 22 millions of pounds. The Houfe has always adhered to a principle which I with to be followed on the prefent occa fion, that of laying on taxes which Mall fall as much as poffible on articles of luxury, which fliould bear upon the higher orders, and from which the lower chiles might be exempt. This is the principle by which I Mall now be dirofted. There Is not a cottager in the kingdom who will not, after this duty shall be laid pn, be able to pur- chafe tea, fuch as he has been in the habit of using, at a cheaper rate than he could have hac; ;r twenty years ago. Even under the additional du tics that have been laid on this article, the fate. of the Eall India Company have of late been con. fiderably increafed. The new duty which I mean to propofe is, that of ten per cent. on the value of all teasfold above 25. 6d. per pound ; and I have calculated this will produce an anneal ium of 300,0001. PAPER. The next article on which I propel& to lay a citt ty, is not an article of neeeffity ; and I fuppofe it will not be denied but that it will bear a duty double to that which it now pays. I prnpofe that an increafe to that amount be laid on all defcrip. Lions of Paper, exempting, however, from the du ty all paper-hangings and decorations which Thal] be exported from this country. I [hall alfapro pore to allow a difcount for all paper on which (hall be printed thole daily publications which arc Co extremely interelling to all defcriptions of pee *, as to eonffitute a fpecies of luxury that can hardly be difpenfed with. This difcount, I &11l expel*, will make fo little difference in point of duty to the perfons interelted in thofe cations. as to render it unnece ff ary to raife tre bil pikes of them; and even if it fhould be neceffary, I think thofe perfons who retort to coffee-houfes, and who are interefted in knowing the contents of thole pa pers, will not murmur at a trifling advance in the price of an article that is capable of affording le high a gratification. As to the graver fpecies of literature, I do not fuppofe that this tax will make any great difference with regard to the publica. tion and fale of books or works of learning, which more properly belong to the library ; for it is not very likely that there will be fuperfeded by maga zines and newfpapers. The fum which 1 expert to be produced by this duty will amount to 1 35,0001. There is another article coming under the head of Excife, a tax on which cannot tend to dit courage our manufathsres, nor will it be felt as a hardlhip, becaufe it is only the luxurious ufe of the article on which an increafe of expence is like ly to take place. This is the article of PRINTED COTTONS. On which I propofe an additional duty of aid. on all thole paying a duty of 3W, per yard; but allowing a drawback in cafe of exportation. I ellimate the produce of this Tax at 140,c001. The whole therefore coming under the head of Excife, will amount to 575,0001. Of thofe arti cles coming under the head of Culloms, the irft on which rpropofe to lay a duty is SUGAR. A Dtity of t s. rod. per hundred weight will pro. duce a Turn of 123,0001. This duty will make no difference in the price of the commodity, becusfe it is only perpetuating one duty in the room (la temporary one, which is to ceafe. The next At.. tick is TIMBER. I fhall propofe to lay a duty, amounting to one third of the prefent duties on all Staves, Deals, &c. imported into this country which, together with an increafe of 4 per cent. on the value of the article, will produce the fum of soo,oool. The article of PEPPER Is one on which an increafed tax can only be felt by Foreigners, becaufe they have no other chan nel through.which they can receive it except this country; and while we continue to be taxed for the ufe of this commodity, it is but reafonable that the people of other countries ihould be taxed alto. On Pepper, therefore, ufed for home confumption, I Thal' propofe a tax of 3d. per pound ; and on that for exportation 6d. per pound. The whole will proddce a fum of too,oool. LIM) TRAIN OIL, AND RAISINS, Will produce ;he fum of 36,0001. Thefc arc the whole which come under the general head of Cuf toms. The next fuhjea which I (hall bring before . the confederation of the Houfe is, to make come addition to the tax upon HORSES Of all defcriptions, even upon thofe employed in agriculture. With refpea to Horfes that are kept for pleafure, I truft an additional duty upon them will meet the approbation of all defcriptions of people; and a diftinaion flail be made between thofe who keep but one pleafure horfe, and thofe who keep more than one. If the fituation of per tons at the prefent time is loch as to enable them to keep a pleafure horfe, a moderate contribution cannot, I am fore, be complained of as a hard (hip ; for the very circumftance of keeping a horfe is at once a proof of ability to pay the duty. The very nature of the cafe furnilhes an argument again(' the pollibil4 of objeaing . to it. In the firll place, I (hall propofe an additional duty on every horfe employed in agriculture, which will produce a fum of 170,0001. For every pleafure horfe, where no more than one is kept, I intend there (hould be an additional duty of to& and that thofe who keep more horfes than one (hall pay an addition of sos. for each horfe. The whole pro duce of this tax on pleafure holies may be eilimar ed at 136,0001. The next article I (hall name is that branch of the Revenue which comes under the head of 11/Al l 4/41. And firft, I will propofe to inereafe, by one-h:Jf the duties already payable on Bills and Notes of all defcriptions, which will produce the fum of i 2,0001. The next fpecies of (lamps which 1 pole to tax is one which I fubmitted to the P fome years ago, and the duties on which by fitificiently produaive : it is to lay an addi tax on all Policies of Infnrance, to doubl amount they now pay. This will produce a' 145,0001. And thirdly, I mean to propofe deeds relating to the conveyance of property, now pay a duty of l os. for every (kin ofparci (hall pay 35. more for every fuch / kin. The arifing from this may be ellimated at 93,' POSTAOII OT 'ATTU*. The laf general head of taxation whic. to fubmit to the Houfe is one from which nue has always been raifed in a manner tl fatisfaEtory, and the moll confiftent with acral convenience of the public of any oth hich 1 pro- the Houfc hive bee. additional ioublc the .e alum of ofe that all .rty, which ►archraent, he product ich I mean ch a neve- r the moll ith the ge- other • 1 . ••