The National Register. — London, England, 1816-03-03 00:00:00

,11.%P.C . 11 3. regulation of the Civil List in foam, 't here %%utast not be ani arrear, as compared with the estimate of last year. Mr:l:must:l hoped that the present enquiry would lead to discussion that might give a lesson to a certain person, and force hint to pay his debts hianself. let the House remember, that the last payment afforded that House had not been re ceived with common decency ; It had been consid , red so moth a matter of course to defray the Prince Regent's extravagance, that no thanks had ever been returned. ARMY ESTIMATES. The debate on the Army Estimates being resumed from last night, Mr. LAW said he should vote in their favour. Lord Fot.tt Knott t: made a most able speech on the danger of so large a force. lie felt as strongly convinced us he could be of any truth, unt manifest to his outward senses, that there ex isted in !OW(' quarter a resolute determination to establish a military go% eminent in this country. Mr. R. W.sito said, the establishment now proposed was ah eolutely necessary for the protection of the eonntry and onr colonies, and be trusted the House would feel nu difficulty in voting it. Mr. down Stirru considered the words in the Regent's speech, that the trade and commerce or the United Ki nz d oi n wore is a moat flourishing situation, as tidy intended to deceive the country. Sir FRANCIS IitItDETT made a !Wig and able speech against the 'lodinates, which WWI loudly cheered. Mr. TIRRNEY described the financial difficulties of the country; he considered the proposed Estimates as no provision against future evils, but present exhaustion and min and it' user war did tonic, there must be a stop to the payment 0;' the interest of the national debt—we must defraud our credi tors, we must sink in bankruptcy, The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER replied at The House divided—for leaving the Chair, 211 ; against it, 121.—Majority in favour of Ministers,l2o.—Adjourned at tour ha the morning. THLRSIIAV, FPs. 29. PROPERTY TAX. ----- — 7 - • ---- Petitions were presented from Exeter, Devonshire, Ash bourne, Banff, and from Reading, against the Property lax. sit Jams SIMIAN wished to state fairly lugs sentiments on the last Petition. It contained, us api ominent feature, an imputa tion on the Government of a great dereliction of public WO; as the tax was to be applicable only to a state of war, and never to a time of peace. Ile desired to see the end of the lAA as much as any of the petitioners could. He had attended Parliament diligently last session ; and he never heard any de claration, front which a breach oh' faith could be implied, from any individual, whatever might be his official situation. It would he absurd to suppose that Parliarnent made any pledge. It was alwa+a in the power and duty of Parliament to take proper measures to wipe away till the arrears of a war. lie agreed. under all the ciremustai es, that it was desirable nut to renew the tax, though n e t from its containing evils which could nut admit of modifications. Many opulent persons a ere reached by this tax who would pay nothing to the asseased taxes. The state of the agricultural interest was peculiarly distressing. and internal and external commerce were in many respects at a stand. He was sore Goverument would he de ceived in the produce of the first year. MR. HORNER was happy that the learned gentleman's eon stiuients were to have the benefit of his vote against fist tax, which was the most important feature of Ike petition. Certain ty Parliament could not gip e a pledge; it must do its duty ac cording to eireuenstancts ; but the case was different as it re sevcted Ministers, who wit. charged with forfeiting their pledge to Parliament ; whit It was the real fact, and a matter of geese and important consideration. The supply was always a question beam en Parliament and the Crown on the statement mi n i sters . He had also attended diligently lest session, and he had a distinct recollection that the tax was held out as a war tax only ; to ask now to impose it us a peace tax was a for feiture of a promise. Mr. DA% FAA PORT disapproved of the tax as a peace tax. He wished the House to stand well with the people, and reject it. Sir C. MOROAI ST said, that the breach of a pledge generally aroughout the eountry was among the chief complaints be • . and wherever he went, and formed a strong argument against the. renewal. Petition ordered to lie on the table. Mr. Ihcalasoa presented a petition against the tax from Wellington iu Some' setskire , which stated various reasons tOr trot emceeing it—the commercial and agricultural distress, and tire danger of a standing army. lie was convinced that not only the propertya.tx, but also many others, nmet be taken off, or the farmer would not be enabled to till his ground. He could eow borrow no capital. If the tax were not removed, we should soon see one class of society sinking down ; and what would become of the lowest? It' two persons ill 1812 had laid out eqnal mime of money in the funds and in laud, he who bought land could now only let it at one-half, Die could meet with a tenant; but he who funded would buy double the emu he could at the time lie bought in. The difference wes us Sto 2. But the Minister wanted to do all he could to prop up the tends. lftlers a man thought the feuds rotten, he would therefore sooner place his mouey there. It appeared to be the policy to make the funds all, and the land nothing, though cultivation was the founilution on which the superstructure of national prosperity must be laid. Mr. terailteotern presented a petition from Hull against the Property-tax. He considered that a pledge bad brew made :aril broken. lie regretted to say, that it the Preperty-tax URA curried, ninny would pay more than they ought, to support type:trances and credit. Mr. Tnostsoa said, it was universally understood, in and clout Hull, that the tax wits only a war tax. The country raid have but little reliance on parliament, if it suffered this WA to be renewed year utter year, when the necessity t'or it had reamed. There had not been in Hull in ten years so many bankrupts as tiering the last ten mouths. The hardships of uerictilture were excessive in that neighbourhood. Merchants 4 'add appeal against the (hare( ler the tax, and an I 'at Aran's word might be taken as to what his affairs were ; but the farmer could get no allow:wee ; Ida appeal was neck's The people had yielded to the weight of the tax like sheep. and had been shorn to the bone. Ile hoped the effect of the pill lams would be, that we should s ery soon hear that the tax was dead and gone. Mr. I KKART presented a similar petition from the united (wishes of St. Andrew and St. George the Martyr. He thought the tax peculiarly hard on traders; yet a properly tax, if ne cessary, might be so framed as to reach the means of those who laud really the ability to pay it. support a property tax modified with a view to the fonds anal places and pensions. It' this was called a breach of faith, he should say it was the that duty of Parliament to adopt till measures that were fair and expedient to promote the aaricull tire of the country. Fir 3. NEWPORT thought the Hon. Member should, in his 0011;a:its reject the proposed tax, and bring in a bill according to hi , IMO itWs. Ir. taxing places and pensions lie would give Li... his support. THE NATION. Lord Nt.letc.NT observed, ih.it the object of the bin give ministers si great revenue before tlitt had given one proof of their sincerity in their profeF‘imei of econinny. Ile hilolll opreie the ta% under any modifications, nniess he saw some prnuf of retrenchment. Sir C. fix KR xt.t. remarked, that in private life the yiolatinu of a pledge would be esteemed envernment, when they pledged this u a war tax, should have kept theii faith at all eve's. He hoped the tat would he abandoned. BROFGHANt observed that attempts were made by inte rested persons to check the expression of public opinion rt specting the income WC. He instanced the ease of a ?layoff of a town, who had set himself against a petition for the non renewal of the income tax. This mayor had three eons in the navy and one in the victualling department, and might have good reasons for snpporting the income tax. This, however. was only one fact, out of an immense number of others, with which he should not then trouble the House. It was quite enough to show the means which had been taken co stifle the ♦oice of the country; but if the people once mauls their voices heard, the Government would he obliged to obey them. Mr. ARRUTRNOT could pledge his hononr..that no influence whatever had been employed by any part of his Majesty's Go vei ument for the purr( ses to which the honourable and learned gentleman had alluded. Mr. Buovortam had only said, that the influence was local, and not that it had been produced by the Treasury• The Hight Hon. Gentleman, however, would find, that as soon as any objections were made locally, intimations would he given that such a one was a very good friend to his Majesty's Govera ❑:eet. Mr. ARDI'TIINOT did not 'confine hinvelf to the Treasnry, bin had positively stated that no part of the government what ever had interfered on these oeeasions. Mr. I'oNSi:NBY was sure the Right Hon. Gentleman was in eapable of stating any thing that was not the fact, as far as his own knowle.ige went ; but there might be au opinion in persons holding sill:mons in his Majesty's Government, that their in fluence should be exerted to prevent these Meetings from going forward. The conduct of Ministers had not been 61111 as to induce certuin persons to suppose, that their zeal in precluding the people from presenting petitions to that house would he very disagreeable to them. Lord MILTON observed, that persons who were looking to the government for patronage understood these matters very well, without having received any special intimation. Indivi duals had stated, when applications were made to them for support at elections, " I have such and such sons in the army, and therefore I cannot support such a candidate." Mr. ARBUTHNOT begged to state most positively, that in no way whatever had government authorized any persons to pre. vent petitions from being sent to that house. Sir GEORGe WARRENUER knew that is great difference of opinion existed in many parts of the coontry respecting this measure ; but he could confidently state, that in his neighbour hood the plan of finance of his Right lion. Friend was parti cularly approved, because the agricultural distress would be relieved by upholding the public credit of the country by means of this tax. From all he heard, he cold not Colmar to observe, that if charges of this nature were to be repeated it would he a very pretty sort of war. The grossest misrepre sentaf had been circulated in the country respecting this tax. He had himself read handbills, that it was intended to lay the tax on sert ants, and to deduct it from the wages ofartisans. These statements could be made for no other purpose than to excite public clamours from the lower classes of the people. If ministers chose to recriminate, and say that gentlemen on the other side had nettle representations which the lower orders did not understand, there would be no cud to this kind of war• _ . _ . . Gen. Fene.tssow said, it might be very possible that many friends of the Kieht lion. Gentleman approved of this tax ; but with revect to the particular part of the country from Ulrich he came, it had been always dist in4nished by a most tenacious adherence to every measure of every administration. ( , 1 hozh,) Mr. Ttioneso% hoped, that whatever might have been the understanding between government and certain individuals, the people would continue to meet and express their opinions without the control of any mayor or constable whatever. Mr. Ltuubtou's motion was then agreed to. BRIAN LANDLORD AM) TENANT BILL. Sir JOHN NMPORT rose, in pursuance of his notice, to move for leave to bring iu a Bill to obsiate certain difficulties to which landlords and tenants in Ireland were liable. The jest he had in view was to assimilate the law of Ireland to that of England, in so far as, whenever a tenant should abscond, and not have sufficient property on the premises, the landlord 'night not he obliged to have recourse to the circuitous mode of eject. uncut, but avail himself of that summary process which is used in England. • Having stated these objects, he should reserve himself for a more particular detail of the provisions of his Bill, if the House should permit him to bring it in. Leavo was given.—Adjourned. Fittuax, MARCH I. Mr.Gouen presented Petitions from different parts of Suffolk, praying a repeal of the Property Tax. Mr. Serjeunt OsisLow brought in a Bill fur more effectually ' securing the Liberty oldie Subject. To be read a second time out the bth of April. Several Petitions were presented from Innkeepers, praying a Repeal attic additional Duties on Licences. Petitions were presented frinn Curdwainers Ward, from Dart nell, Acton, Norton Falgate, Bethnal Green, and other places, against the Income 'fax. Mr. Emu: gave notice, that he would on Thursday week bring forward a Motion for the repeal of the War Malt Tax. Mr. VANSIITART said, he wished to take the earliest oppor tunity of stating, that his Noble Friend (Lord Castlereagh) was as yet too much indisposed to attend in his place. He trusted, 1 1 however, he would be sufficiently recovered on Monday next. I on this account he would tom propose to postpone the consi deration of the Army Estimates till that day. This was ac cordingly ordered. Mr. ATKINS Winn irr presented a Petition from the inhahi tmtts of the comity of Oxford ; and, in c luing so , dr e w a ref or ,, of the distressed state of the agricultural part of the country, which, he said, wits so great and so severe. that no persons who had not personally witnessed it, would credit. Mr. (imENEELL strongly recommended economy to Admi nistration, and earnestly urged them to abandon the Wen of continuing the Income 'Fax; a tax, he said, so oppressive, that the country which submitted to it, without the greatest and most urgent necessity, did not deserve the name of a free country. Mr. PonsonnY did not rise to suggest any other mode of raising the money accessary to Meet the proposed e m s( ; but to plate that almost every Gentleman who had risen in the House t 1111 whatever side) had stated his objection to the In come 'fax ; and the voice of the country was responsive to the voice of those Gentlemen. Ile hoped that these universal re presentations world have their effect ; and If the Right Hon . Gentleman sliculd still feel the inelinittiou to press this fa. vototte tax of ht-, that ties Mors- - .rot.; I force hit, to abaialim it. •To lark of substitutes tar tl.is tax was quark..ry ; it Was mere deception practised on the ;mule ; there was no remedy i'or the present existing disireases of the country out retkeirels ,iient and economy ; lud that measute he trusted they wmal be forced to adopt. Sir.l. OWeN hoped the general expression of objection front ot'cry part of the country wool(' induce Ministers to abandon the tax. lie feared, that persevering in this tax would change the nature and (diameter of the country peis; le ; who, instead of a rare of hardy independent peasantry, would become a de • graded race, obliged to depend on their tarishes and charity fur stime.rt ; as inch was the distress of Cie farmers, that they :mold no longer find them employ. lie was no financier, but he must confiss he could see no objection to having recourse the Sink'ng Fund, did he thiuk the Stock-holder could have any right to complain of a measure an loudly called for by every lint (Dine kingdom, at all events he hoped the call would move successful; and that the voice of the peopli., thus generally expressed, would ultimately oblige alliiisturs to give up Ott odiousand unconstitutional impost. Mr. Cohl6 (of Norfolk) also opposed the tax. He believed that if the voice of the whole population of the country could be collected, it would he found in opposition to this tax. 'rhe Petition was then brought up and read, and ordered to lie on the table. Mr. BitOrGtlA tt wished to know if any accounts were to be laid before the House on the subject of the Expenditure of the sum granted last session for paying on' the debts of the Civil List. A Noble Lord opposite hail said, that gentlemen on his (Mr. Brongliam's) side of the House had taken up too strict a line of economy. lie and those who acted with him thou:ea differently ; awl therefore he should now move an Address t , t the Prince Relent, for an account of the way in which the sum grouted by Parliaimmt for paying off the debts of the Civil List last session, had becu applied. Mr. TIERNEY said, unless the Accounts were laid before the House on Monday, he should move for them then, and toe the • examination of evidence at the Bar. The Address was then agreed to. Mr 11. Sum NEH presented a Petition from upwards of 1110 of the Inhabitants of Bermondsey, praying a Repeal of the property tax. The Hon. Member at the same time felt it his duty, as a Member of Parliament, to state his opinion of the tax ; which was, that no tax could be proposed that would rail such a sum of money, and bear so equally, so lightly, or sis fairly, on every class of persons, as this would do, or Mishit was collected at so little expenee, or with so little vexation and trouble to the public. Sir J. Macaiwrosit would have felt considerable diffiderce in differing from the Hon. and respectable Membi r tor the county of Surrey, delivered too in so firm and manly a tone, bad he not had the support of other lion. Members almost no respectable as the Hon. Member far Siurey, by the opinion of many of the Hon. Gentleman's own Constituents, and by Pe titions from almost every commercial town iu the kingdom. The Hon. Member had said it was a fair tax, a tax not op• prcssive. and one that bore as light as any tax could bear on the people; and also that it was collected at less expeuev to the public than any other tax. He t dissent from the lion. Member in all these opinions, except the last. It certainly was a tax collected at little expellee. But one more oppressive. more unequal, more inquisitorial, or more odious and uncon stitutional, could nut he conceivi d. Sir WILLIAM CURTIS presented a Petition from the Ward of Tower, praying a repeal of the property tax ; as did al.o Sir dxates &RAW, from Bridge and Vintry Wards, which were or tiered to lie on the Table. Mr. CALCRAFT presented a Petition from the City of Ro chester on the same subject. The Hen. Gent. regretted ;hat the battle of Waterloo should leave led to the establishment of an army three times Um amount of formor Peace Establish mews and that the conquest of l'aris had produced the Pro perty-tax. Ile he ped the people would not slacken in their exertions to obtain a repeal of the. Tax, lint second the opposi tion of this House ; an that by their united efforts their object might be attained. The Petition was laid out the table. Mr. CALVERT presented a Petition front the parish of St. °lave, Southwark, ea:dust the Property-tax. The Hon. Gent. wished to know from his Hon. Friend (Mr. Lushington) whe ther it was the intention of Miuisters to bring the Tax forward on Wednesday next, bceansc his Hon. Friend had said, that it would not be brought forward before that day. lie also wished to know whether they intended to abandon that •• wise and just measure," as his Hon. Friend had termed it. Mr. LLSIIINGTON had no difficulty in giving an answer to WS lieu. Friend. He had informed the Douse, that it was im possible, flom the state of other business (namely, the Army Estimates), that it could come on before Wednesday; the Report of those Estimates, supposing they were voted 00 Monday, would be fixed for Tuesday, consequently Wednesday would be the eat bcst day in which his blight lion. Friend could submit his Proposition to the House. Perhi,ps, therefore, it might nut come on so soon. Witli respect to the other question lie must state distinctly, that there sea. no intention to abandon the tax because (and he would rei.edt die words) Goverutuent thought the measure a just and wise one. Sir 'F. ACLAND presented seseral Pe:itions from "melons Parishes in Devonshire on the saoc subject.—Adjourned till Monday. TUESD..II".V LONDON GAZETTE. BAN K 1111 PTS. J. 110!•soa, Ilope's-hause, Stapleton. Cumberland, bacon-faster, surrender, March 14, 15, April 9, at the Grapes Inn, Carlisle. Att. Mr. Young, Chariottc-row. Mansion-house.—G. Waugh. Orton, Cum berland. butter-factor. March 21, 28. April 9. at the George and Dragon Inn, Carlisle. Att. Mr. Young, Charlotte-row. Mansion-house. —C. W . Battesley, Ipswich. bookseller, March 7, 8, A:mil 9, at the Golden Lion Inn, Ipswich. Att. Exley, and Co. Furnival's Inn.— J. Cox, Liverpool, linen-draper. Mach ttl. 22, April 9. at the George Inn, Liverpool. Att. Illackstock, and Co. Temple.-11. :mil R. Ellis, Clipstone, Northampton, fanners, March 19, Yu, April 9, at the Swan's Inn, Market-Ilarborough. Leicestershire. Mt. Mr. Goodman, Win. chester-street.—W. Garth, Mangrove, Lancasltin:. cotton-spinner. Mardi is, 19, April 9. at the Bridgewater Mrr.s, Manchc4er. Att. Duckworth and Co. Manchester.—W. Holt, Nlarsdtm, Lancashire. cotton-spinner, March itt, 19, April 9. at the Bridgewater Aims, Man cliesttr. Att. Duckworth and Co. Manchester..-1. Cooke, Quebec, Nlanchinster, hat-manufacturer. March 13. I(, April 9, at the White Bear Inn, Manchester. Att. Mr. Bettye. Chancery'.hme.-1. Duniam. East Teignmoutli, Devon, merchant, March 17. 14, April 9, at the Public Rooms, East 'reignmouth. Att. Mr. lion:, jun. Hatton-gar t'ock, Canterbury, draper, March 11, lt. April 9. at the Canterbury. Att. Dyne and Eon. Lincoln's lan-lields-- .1. Cooke, Cotton, Salop, dealer, Mardi li, 12. April 9. at the 'Cabot Inn. Shrewsbury. Att. Clarke and Co. Clumeery-lane.-- 1 :. Bristol, furrier, March 11, itt. April 9, at the Commercid Rooms, Bristol. Mt. Edmunds and Co. Exchequer-Office of Pleas. I.inoola's Inn.—W. Yandall. Taunton. tailor, March 1 t, it. April 9, at the Castle Inn. Taunton. Au. Blake and Son, Cook's-court. Carey-stmt. .—.J. Coleman, Colwick, Stafordshire, dealer, Feb. 29. Marc'! I I. APIA 9, at the Swan Lan, SLatlind. At Collina and Co. titaffiatt.—G. Laing, REGISTER.