Star. — London, England, 1821-06-15 00:00:00

to those Honourable Gentlemen, in a few cleys, to m ake good those promises which they now made to retrench the expenditure. He (Mr. Baring) con ceived that the first duty of the House was to take rare of the means of providing for the wants of the , State; and, although he felt, as strongly as any man, 1 ( o r the distressed the agricultural body, yet hewas sure that the country would scout the opinions of those who would first vote•for the most extravagant scale of expenditure, and would offer no other remedy foe the distresses of the country, than to injure the pre!. perty of those by whose assistance they and their principles were supported for so long a time. He denied that this motion came with the authority of the Agricultural Committee. It was true that they. iastructed their Chairman to give notice for a repeal of this tax, but it was also true that they afterwards resolved that the notice shoal.' not be given. But t here was more than this—there was a promise on tl:e part of the Right Ilonourable Gentleman, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when this Committee was appointed, that arty recommendation from them would be most favourably received by Ministers. That the Committee, therefore, sat with this impres sion on their minds, and if it was possible for them to cc llect any facts upon the strength of which the repeal of this tax might, with propriety, be called for, it was reasonable to presume that they would have been in possession of those facts. But the truth war, that no evidence was received upon the subject, with the exception of a short statement from one witness. He WAS asked if the repeal of this tax would prove use ful ? He answered. that it was too trifling to be of any material benefit. This' question and answer, however, was expunged. He deprecated the notion which he had heard thrown-out, that the loss of this tax might be compensated to the Revenue by having recourse to the Sinking Fund. He would put it to any man of experience and common sense, what would be the case of this country without a Sinking Fund, to answer the possible fluctuations that might arise?—to mcct any danger that might follow from a sudden alteration in the state of France, or any in dive sition to peace on the part of America? It any emergency should arise of this kind the Government must necessarily have recourse to loans, and who would be disposed to become their creditor, seeing how indisposed they were to retrenchment, and the y ,yiiii: off their previous engagements in a time di peace: He conclude' by opposing the motion. Mr. BENETT (Wiltshire) would support the ino. ti en, not because the Tax was so trifling as that the Government could easily dispense with it, but be cause the principle of it was impolitic. Mr. W. BURRELL said, he considered the Tax sow sought to be repealed as a most unjust one, if for no other reason than that it operated so unequally on the firmer. The Members on his side of the House were reproached for having loaded the coun try with burdens, by supporting Ministers in a long war. Ile had`supported them throughout the con test with France, from the conviction of the necessity. cf doing so ; but with the understanding, that after the war bad terminated, the burdens of the country would also be taken away. " Oh," said the Minis ters, " support us in this war, and when it ends you shall have a remission of all your burdens." Was this the case? Did they realize their promises?— We had at this moment every Tax that was created duriea the war, with the exception of the Property Tax, and that they should have too—(Hear,-hear). And not only would they have the Property Tax, but the Assessed Taxes also—(clear, hear). —Had Minis ters attempted anything 'yet in the way of relief ? Had they propreed a single measure of economy? The Hoe Gentleman considered that it would be im possiule for things to go on as they were. The Taxes had pe to that idtch, that they would be the ruin of, the c ountry. Ile called upon the Landed Interest to make a stand, and attempt the effecting of some tiring like practical economy. He concluded by giving his support to the motion. Lord MILTON exhorted the House to make this motion the beginning of a series of measures for oco sons), ; for, as in the case of the Property Tax, Mi. uistets would never retrench, unless the power of ex penditure were taken out of their hands—( Hear). The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER re quested toe House to recollect that this was only the beginning of a series of assaults on the finances of the country, the extent of which was to be measured by the opinion of each of the individuals who had a hostility to some particular tax. If this system of attack should prove successful, it would be impossi ble for any Government to go on. He explained the , embarrassment which the loss of a tax that was esti ma:e.t at £5e0,000 a-year, would occasion ao the country. He said that Government had carried eco tomy to the u.most extent possible; and if it was imagined that the reduction of this tax would con 'train them to any further measures of economy, he could answer for it that the design was wholly unne cessary. Ile begged the house to observe, also, that in considering the pressure of this tax upon the farmer, they should recollect that his other expenses had been considerably lessened. Ministers had the greatest wish to relieve the Agricultural Interest—the causes of that distress were beyond the controul of any one. Their acquiescence in granting a Committee was a proof of their disposition to relieve the agricultural distress. He moved the previous question. Mr. SCARLETT declared, that a more uncon vincing statement he had never, heard made, than that which had just fallen from the Right Honour able Gentleman (the Chancellor of the Exchequer), who had said that this was a Tax which the farmer could well bear, because provender, and other neces series for his horses, were so much cheaper—that is, in plain language, that the farmer was the better en abled to sustain the pressure of the Tax by the dimi nution of his means—(Hear, hear).—Did the Right' Hon. Gentleman give any answer to the argument of his (Mr. Scarlett s) Hon. Friend, who had se ably sheaved the very unequal pressure of the Tax? Why did not the Right Hon. Gentleman impose a Tax on grazing cattle? The Right lion. Gentleman ad vanced another argument, and said, that the pro pched repeal was the commencement of an assault upon the Revenue, and consequently on the public credit of the country. But the Revenue was divided iato two brindles—the one to support public credit and public frith, which no one proposed to we.tken, and the other branch went to support the extravagant establishments kept up by Miniaers ; and it was the inter which was a-sailed, and which required to be contracted. if a part of the nineteen millions which were voted to supply those establishments were repealed, the public credit of the country would derive support from that very circumstance. But the Right Honourable Gentleman answered, that Ministers had resolved to reduce next year. That was an additional reason why Honourable Members ought not to hsve granted the sum, because if the Right Hon. Gentleman was in a condition to re trench next Session, that was a proof that he could at present allow the taking off of £380,000. The Right Hon. Gentleman had used another argument, of rather an affecting nature. If, said he, lion. Mem bers insist on the repeal of the tax in question, the consequence would be, that the country would he deprived of the benefit arising from the services of the present Ministers. That he (Mr. Scarlett) could not believe—(Hear, hear). When the question of repealing the Property 'fax had been before the House, the same threat came from the Right Hon. Gentleman and his colleagues; they declared they could not stand if that tax were repealed--(No, no, from the Ministerial side). The lion. Gentlemen might cry " 10, no ;" the answer to which was " yes, yes."---(llear, liar, and a laugh). They did—he would repeat it, they did alarm their friends by threatening to resign their places if that tax were re pealed ; but it appeared that they were not in earnest —(Hear, flear,4ear). But he (Mr. Scarlett) would assert that the finances of the country would be im proved by the repeal of the present tax, and that the increase of taxes did not tend to increase the Revenue. The proper application of the Sinking Fund was not in keeping up the price of stock and funds, but in the repealing of the taxes, and remitting a portion of them to the people; and it was on that ground he would vote for the motion. He hoped that Hon. Members would persist in compelling Ministers to adopt a system of economy. The best mode of sup porting.the credit of the country was by retrenching unnecessary expenditure; and Hon. Members should never forget the maxim, Magnum rectigal est parsi nsonia. He hoped that would not In lost sight of. Mr. HUSKISSON thought the House should pause before they diminished the actual amount of taxation. He was fully sensible of the distress of the Agricul tural part of the community, and could he think that the tax was obnoxious to the farmers generally, he should consent to the repeal. But in the 112 Peti tions presented to the Agricultural Committee, one only had prayed for the repeal of the tax in question. Formerly the tax had been 17s. on each horse; but in 1815 the tax had been reduced to half-a-crown on all horses employed on farms below £2,000 a-year. Was not that a material relief? The tax like all others, must spread itself generally over the whole of the capital of the country. The taxes repealed in 1721 had been those on pepper, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmegs ; but in 1722, the Administration of that day bad proposed, as a substitute for the taxes so repealed, a tax on Papists !—(.4 laugh). Upon that principle, the Hon. Gent. was bound to propose some I substitute for the tax he proposed to repeal. The Honourable Member for Sussex, and other Honour able Friends who sat near him, and now called for the repeal of this tax, were not acting consistently on this occasion. He would ask his Honourable Friends, if they were not amongst those Members who voted the necessity of keeping up a Sinking Fund, to keep up public credit?—(Hear) —lf they were amongst those who held such an opinion, then they acted un fairly in now proposing a repeal of this tax, with out proposing an efficient substitute—(Hear, hear). — The taxes for the present year were already assessed, and it would be April next before the assessment for that year would be made. Mr. W. BURRELL said he rose merely to observe, in reference to what fell from the Right Hon. Gen tleman (Mr. Huskisson), that though he voted with him for the three millions of taxes, yet he did not feel himself bouisd by that circ umstance to vote in I support of the Agricultural Horse Tax—(Hear, hear). Sir J. NEWPORT hoped the Landed Interest in that House would always bear in recollection the manner in which the votes they had given were taunted by the Right Hon. Gentlemen that night.— They were taurad because the); did not give their vote in support of Ministers. The Right Hon. Baronet then complained of the delay of the Agricultural Committee's Report, and, in reply to the demand of the Right Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Huskisson) for a substitute for the present Tax, he (Sir J. Newport) would recommend a tax on Placemen!—(Hear,hear). That would be the most proper substitute, and would produce the greatest revenue—(Hear, and laughing). Sir C. BURRELL rose to support the motion, 'and adverted to the hardship which this Tax im posed upon farmers, who might have had four or five small farms on their hands, which tenants had thrown up to them. Having so large a farm as these united would be, the farmer would, in that case, be subject to the greater ratio instead of the less. He entreated the House to take this matter into their hands, as the landlords had shewn so great an indifference to the interests of their tenants. Mr.o A LC RA FT strenuously supported the motion. Mr. BROUGHANI contended that this tax sinned against all the principles of taxation, since it was a tax upon tools—the horses being the tools of the far mer. He would vote fin its abolition on three, grounds :—First, that it was a tax upon labour; se condly, that it was unequal in its operation, the grass lands being exempt; and, lastly, because the worst lands would be most heavily taxed, since those lands which were poorest, and therefore required most horses to till them, would be most heavily taxed.— He would give no substitute, but tell the Ministers to economize. The House might depend upon it, that if Ministers were cramped in their means, they would adapt their Estimates to circumstances; and that they would, to use an old phrase, " cut their coat according to their cloth"—(C'/leers). Mr. CURWEN, amid loud cries, shortly replied. The House then divided, when there appeared For repealing the Tax - • 141 Against it - - - - • ' - 113 Majority against Ministers - — t r,B! _ The result - was receivc.l uith the loudest cheering. Mr. CURWEN then brought up his Bill, pursuant to the decision of the House. It was read a first time ; and, on the question that it be read a second time to-morrow, The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER rose, and put it to the Hon. Member whether, i❑ courtesy, he ought not to postpone the second reading of this important Bill to a longer period than that which he had hied?—(llear). Lurd MILTON was of opinion that, considering the lateness of the Session, his Hon. Friend was war ranted in pushing this measure through its stages as fasras he could. It had already received a full dis cussion, and he was at a loss to see why, after sach a marked decision, Ministers should be again inclined to appeal to the sense cf the House upon it. Mr. CURWEN was of opinion that it was due to the distresses of the country to give them the earliest possible relief—( Hear). The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER did not consider the result of this nights debate as at all conclusive on this Bill—(Hear). Mr. CURWEN said, that he shoal.' he deserting ' his duty if he failed to press the second reading for to-morrow_(ile„,.). - Mr. BROUGHAM was inclined to doubt the pro bability of the Chancellor of the Exchequer again trying the House, after the marked decision they had come to, and considering the persons of whom the 'triumphant majority was formed—(Hear).—lf, how ever, the Right Hon. Gentleman was determined to oppose the Bill in all its stages. he (Mr. Brougham) would suggest that, to avoid indecent altercation for the present, it was better to suffer the Bill to be read a second time to-morrow, and let the debate come on on the bringing up of the Report—(Cheers). Mr. BARING hoped the Right lion. Gentleman would not pledge himself to make a stand against the Bill on any particular night, but would suffer k to take its ordinary course. • The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER.—" I shall take such a course as to me shall seem fit" (Hear). Sir C. BURRELL termed the Right Honourable Gentleman's opposition most vexattous. lie hoped the Honourable Member for Cumberland would not cede an inch—(Loud cheers). Mr. 1-lUSKISSON condemned the introduction of the term " vexatious," as altogether new in Parlia mentary phraseology—(Hear).—He could not see why the Hon. Baronet was so warm on a subject which was not yet before the House. Lord MILTON thought the Right Hon. Gentleman must have forgotten himself, to affect ignorance of a, subject which had exhausted the discussion of hours,. and one on which the Right Hon. Gentleman himself had made a most elaborate speech—(Hear, hear). Mr. GIPPS.—" If my Hon. Friend foregoes this Motion for to-morrow night, his conduct will appear to me highly impolitic."—(Cheers). Mr. CURWEN declared, that nothing should in duce him to forego the Motion. Sir W. W. WYNN hoped that this unjust and op pressive tax—(Hear, hear) —would be forthwith re pealed. He thought that no substitute was wanted: the money which it produced might be saved by economy—(Loud cheers). Mr. FORBES conceived that the question as to whether the tax should or should not be repealed had been finally decided that evening—(Cheers).—He busted that the artillery of a Noble Marquis, who was then absent—(Laughter)--would not be able to drive the House from the position which it had that evening taken—(Cheers). - The Bill was then ordered to be printed, and to be read a se cond time to-morrow. Lord MILTON gave notice, that when the Bill went into a Committee, he should propose a clause to repeal the duty on Foreign Wool. Mr. CURWEN said, he should certainly oppose the Motion of his Noble Friend, as he did not wish to embarrass the Government, or hurt the credit of the Country. CRUELTY TO ANIMALS. Mr. R. MARTIN brought up the Report of the Committee on this Bill, and on the question that it be now read, Mr. GOULBURN moved, as an Amendment, that it be read this day six mon,hs. Mr. BERNAL spoke in favour of the Bill, as did also Mr. C. SMITH. Mr. W. WYNN supported the Amendment, and deprecated such an insignificant species of legislation as that now before the House. Mr. RIDLEY COLBURN followed on the same side. Sir MONTAGUE CHOLMELEY supported the Bill. Mr. MONCK opposed the Bill, and thought that in most cases it would be inoperative. Mr. 11. M A RTIN vindicated the principle of the Bill. Mr. Aldetman WOOD was prozeeding to make a few obser vations, but was obliged to desist, in consequence of the impa tience of the House for the question.—The House then divided, For the original motion - - 26 For the Amendment - - - ea The SPEAKER, in giving the casting vote, said, that ac cording to the example of his predecessor, he should support the Bill, to give an opportunity of discussing it in another stage. SUGAR DUTIES' ACTS. A division then took place upon the question for receiving the Report on the Sugar Duties Acts— Ayes Noes Majority - —33 The Report was then received and agreed to. The other Orders of the Day being disposed of, the House adjourned at Two o'Clock. THE EVENING STAR. LONDON. FRIDAY, JUNE 15, IS2I. THE FUNDS. PRICES OF STOCKS THIS DAT AT ONP. O'CLOCK : 3 per Ct. Reclu. 75% 3's-5 per Cent. Cons. shut 31/. per Cent. 85% 7 /g-4 per Cent. 94 93% 5 per Cent. shut—Long Anns. 19 1-16 India Bonds 50s. 495. pre.—Old Annuities 75%s Exchequer Bills. par, Ss. pr.—Cons. for Acct. 77 1/1. The motion of Mr. Curtwot, for leave to bring in a Bill for the repeal of the Agricultural Horse Tax, was last night carried against Ministers by a majo rity of twenty-eight. Let not the friends of this mea sure be deterred from persevering in it, by Mr. VAN- SiTTAReS threat of a new Tax to make up for the loss of this. There is an actual surplus of nearly four millions in the estimated Revenue of this year, above the current expenditure ; and the loss of the Agricultural Horse Tax will only lessen that surplus by the sum of about half a million.— What necessity, therefore, can there be for any new tax ? The surplus is, indeed, said to belong to the Sinking Fund : but that is a delusion to which the eyes of all sensible men are now open. Nothing can belong to the Sinking Fund beyond what our necessities can spare. Onr Creditors be sides nc , t pressing ; and why should we distress ourselves to pay off that can as well be paid off at a future day? Accounts have been received in town from Con. stantinople of the 13th, and from Odessa to the 19th ult. the latest, we believe, that have reached this country from either of these places. These accounts state, that, in the Turkish Capi:al, up to the 13th of May, "rvith the exception of sacrifices and arrests of Greek subjects, everythe:ig tended to tranquillity; whi;ll, as we find ;t interpreted by a Morning co. temporary, mean., "tranquillity nearly re-established 1" The bodies of the Greek Patriarch, and some other Ecclesiastic,, had an lye,' op board a vessel at Odessa. A Dutch Mail, which arrived last night, brought the " Declaration by the Messenian Senate of Cal mata, and the Comman2er-in- Chief, NIAYROId ICHALE, to the Governments of Europe,"which was a few days ago briefly noticed in the French Papers. It is dated from "the Head-quarters of the Spartans, March 25, 1821 (0.5.)" After stating, in forcible terms, what all the world knows, that the desceniants (i the ancient Greeks have been for ages the slaves of a barbaiian tyranny, and that they have at last resolved, with one accord, to throw off the yoke, they thus appeal for aid to the Governments of Europe :—" Enlightened Nations! Enlightened Governments! the time is come to pay your debts to Greece, our country ! We ask of you only counsel, arms, and pecuniary assistance, and will gratefully return them the glory of our benefactors shall be as durable as that of Greece!" • A Mail from Flanders, which arrived this forenoon, _ has brought Papers to the 12th inst. They contain accounts from Turkey, which, though not of so recent a date as those received in London, serve to throw light on the sort of tranquillity, or tendency to it, which is said to have prevailed in the Turkish capi tal. A mercantile letter from Constantinople, of the 10th May, received at Frankfort, says- 46 Every day this Capital of the Ottoman Empire is terrified by bloody executions. The Greek merchants fly or con ceal themselves, and all business is at a stanti." . A ship which left Smyrna on the sth of May, touched at several Islands in the Grecian Archipe lago, and has since arrived at Trieste, reports that two Turkish frigates, two corvettes, and four brigs, which sailed from Constantinople to support the troops which are collecting near Salonichi, to act against the Morea, have fallen, by the treachery of the Greek sailors, into the hands of the Insurgents : it is added that the Turks on board, to the amount of 900 men, were at first taken as prisoners to Milo, but afterwards, on receipt of the news of the execu tion of the Patriarch, all put to death. The Paris Papers of Monday and Tuesday arrived this forenoon: their contents are not of much in terest.—The PRESIDENT (par interim) of the lonian Isles is said to have issued a Proclamation, bearing that, " according to a communication made to him by the Captain Bey commanding the Ottoman fleet cruising in the lonian Sea, the Porte has declared in a state of blockade all the ports and coasts of the Morea, with the exception of the ports of Patras, Nau pacto, Navarrino, Modone, Coron and Monembassia." A Decree has been published at Naples, by the restored King, FEantxaND, which states that, with the view of realizing the promises which his Majesty had made to his well-beloved People in the letter which he wrote to the Duke of CALABRIA, on the 28th of January last, and fixing for ever ( !!!) the public repose and tranquillity, he has convoked a temporary Junta of Consultation, consisting of eigh teen individuals, among whom are the Marquis de CIRCELLO, Cardinal FAR. RUFFO, Prince CANOSA, &c. French 5 per Cents. Monday, BGfr. SOc. TUE ARMY. Yesterday the Regiment of Royal East India Volunteer•, under the command of Colonel AMLL, M.P. after receivi:.g their colours in the area fronting the Company's Warehouses in New -street, marched to London-field, Hackney, where they went through various evolutions with great precision. This Corps consists cf upwards of 600 rank and file, all in the cm ployment of the East India Company. They presented a very military appearance, comidering the short time they have been embodied. In the evening an elegant dinner was given at the City of London Tavern, at which were present the Directors, and the Officers of this and the three former Regiments. The Band of the Coldstream Guards added to the conviviality of the evening. A cold collation was provided at the Warehouses for the visitors, in a liberal and elegant style. Yesterday, an inspection of the City Light Horse Volunteers took place in Hyde Park, by their Colonel; when that fine Corps went through their various evolutions in grand style. In ore cf their rapid charges, two of the front horses fell, in consequence of the uneven state of the ground; but although one of the riders came with such force as to break his sword, and the rear rank passed over both, neither of them were materially injured. The 71st Regiment marched ft om the Infantry Barracks in Canterbury, on Tuesday morning, for Chatham. The Ist Regiment of Royal Dragoons, in Radipole Barracks, intend celebrating the Anniversary of the Rattle of Waterloo, in which they bore a distinguished part, on Monday next. Friday, two troops of the 7111 Dragoon Guards, under the command of Lieut.-Coldtiel Man, marched into Derby front Nottingham, to remain until further order. A party of the 41st. Regiment, stationed at Dornach, were on Monday se'unight marched to Gruids. about six miles above Bo nar.bridge, the tenants of which were to ba then ejected ; the Sheriff bad gone the previous day to pit wade them to remove without resistance. Wednesday, the Dumfries Yeomanry Cavalry, command. d by Colonel 11 , Muano, went into quarters at Dumfries. The Dumfries-shire, &c. Militia, commanded by the Marquis of Quertissaassr, assembled at Dumfries on Saturday W.:, for three weeks' training and exercise. NAVAL Lk T.r.:I.LIGENCE. FALMOUTH, Jura 12.—Wind N.—Sailed the Active, Wat. T.. LAKE, for Jersey ; and Enterprise, Ilosms, for London. PLYMOUTH, JUN'S—Wind N.—Arrived the George, MM. lAN, from Cork. Sailed the John, WALKER, fir London. Fowl-mourn, Jo sia 14. Wind N. E.—A rrived the Duncomb, Robotism+, from Dantzic; and Pilot transport, front Deptford. Passed by for Cowes, the Stances, GARONR, from the Dowls. DEAL, Jima 14.—Wind N.E.—Arrived aid remain his Ma jesty's ship Viva, from a cruize; and William Lashirgton, Suctana, from St. Kitt's. Sailed this morning the rest of the homeward-bound, except tLe William Penn, from St. Peters burgh, and hall, from Riga. Caine down from the River aud sailed, the David, Dosisiarsors, for Virginia ; GARD:tan ; for Barhadoes ; Either, Casow, for Demerara ; Barrack, SMITH, for Quebec; and Providence, for New Scuth.Wales. The of the schooner Slope has been gut off the Gualwill Suds, and towed on shore on the plain, abreast of Deal. I I.IVANNAII, Alas s.—One hundred and severity-three hogs heads, 23 tierces of sugar ; lerS puncheons and 40 hogsheads of rum, have been saved from the Hall, CONNOR. ilaawun, Jura 14.—.'arrived the Lord Nelson packet, I.vi:h a Mail frutn Holland. The Marquis of LONDONDERRY is confined to ::is ;spa: tmcnt by a severe attack of the gout. .• 1 ~ . • . ,~.. _