The National Register. — London, England, 1816-04-07 00:00:00

J No. 431.—V0i.. IX. POLITIC.II, DISQUI:SI 7'l 01V MAIN' L or IT MAC LCONOMY. WE have several times intimated, that, considering the Property Tax in a financial point of view; sec thought it might be so modified, as to be rendered a productive entree of public revenee, and to reach only the, higher or ders of seeiety. • Ott that ground we should have felt dis posed to recommend its adoption, had not the faith of Go vrrnment been pledged to suffer it to expire at the return of peace, and bad not the voice of the country, instead of citing up that pledge, imperiously called for its re demption. Financial advantage, we conceived, ought to be sacrificed to public faith. The one, even setting aside the morality of the case, was but a temporary peel : the other, a rooted rock, on which states and athninistrations might stand unshaken by the storms of revolutions and of egos. We abetaintel, therefore, from supporting the tax, att4 saw the triumph of the country with joy. Had we been aware, however, deal the beneficial consequences which result from the loss of that impost, our neutrality towards it would have been charged into hostility the most open, and the most active. These consequences arc now daily unfiddieg themselves. The principle of eco nomy is not only recognised, but carried into e ffitet with vigour and sincerity. Instead of creating new burthens to fill up the chasm left in their financial systtne Minis ters seek for resources where they ought, in wholesome retrenchment. With a degree of self-command which does them honour, tiny introduce the pruning knife into their own measures, and lop of every branch of expendi ture which may be spared, without impairing the strength and the greatness of the State. They aleutdon their in tention of ceiling upon Parliament to defray the excess of the Civil List. They frame bills for the suppression of those offices which a Committee of Inquiry pronounced eiselessayear or two ago, but which were suffered to.exist as • long as there was a superabundance of revenue to sup l• port them. They court advice on every point in which reductions may be proposed, and whatever surplus of expenditure may stir remain to provide for, they intend to do it without pressing on the people either for the principal or the interest. These arc 'certainly important advantages. It may be said, that they have been wrenched from the hand of power, and that they are due to the spirit of the nation, and not to the wisdom or economical disposition of its Ministers. This may be true to a considerable extent ; but when it is considered, that although defeated in the attempt to renew the Pro perty Tax, they might (and inked the Opposition expect ed they would) have shifted their ground, and so framed a new series of duties, or so modified the reduction of chose in force, as to divide and foil opposition, whilst they in sured an meliminished revenue, some credit may be given to the uprightness of their intentions, and some praises bestowed on the mode of conduct which they have adopted. It is natural that men, who have long wielded the vast resources of a country, exerting all her means in a contest in which triumph was the liberation of the world, and defeat national annihilation—it is na tural that such men, accustomed to an administration so enlarged beyond all natural proportions, should at the hour of peace, be still extravagant and yet sincere in their notions of economy. It does not always happen, however, that they should attend to remonstrance, or welcome instructime It is more likely that, creatures of prosperity, and inured to power, they should feel in dignant at a repulse, and should endeavour to obtain by art and intrigue an equivalent for what they have lost in open enterprise. This system has been disdained by Ministers. They have been sufficiee Feat to consi der that they must be wrong when Wee voice of the country opposed them. They have been sufficiently unprejudiced as to seek out their men error, and suffi ciently honest, to set about repairing it themselves. To deny their claim to respect would, therefore, be. a wilful abnegation of justice. The trust placed in their lands is awful. It is tinder the influence of their coun cils and the exertion of their allergy, tiet the power and Alia nal( Airoitittr+ Our ton.6titution Rnb Labui. SUNDAY, APRIL 7, 1816. glory of the British empire have attained the limits of earthly greatness. History, that has recorded the course of so many nations from infancy to maturity, from weak ness to strength, has never graced her annals with so noble a theme, r.s the progress of our country to her ' present elevation. The wars of Rome and of Carthoge shook the World, but did not change its fate. The con queror, uthoejnir ,lio,inig,ht be, only held forth•chuina to mankind, and the triumph of the Roman Eagle was the slavery of nations. Far &awe is the glary of England, and far above her power. She has conquered, and the world is free. Where her arm has not smitten, her ex ample has tired. But it' she resign that power which has been found unconquerable,—if bite suffer the spirit of life to depart from her counoils, and niggardly econo my to palsy all her faculties,—then may her Ministers be justly•arraigned, and in the downfall of its guardian, the world may anticipate the revival of despotism. imrEill.4l, PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LOBOS, AIONDAV, APRIL. 1. The Aturquis of Bath resented a Petition from the Wiltshire Agricultural Sudety, complaining of the Distressed State of Agriculture, and prrying rchtif. Tt s:snav, Aynat. 2. The Duke of Sussex presented a Petition from the Ward of Cripplegate Without, against the Stauding Army, and the your mous Public Expenditure. The l:arl of Launsat only. said, that Government must be aware that some speedy relief must be given to the Igrictißore of Scotland ; for they st know that a deficit in the Revenue, arising from that part of the country, amounting, he believed, to 97,001)1. had taken ?lace in the mouths of Dec. and Jan. Lord HOLL A Sp n, iu presenting a Pet,tion front the Freeholders of Middlesex against the S anding Army, comnatulated the House on the increase of knowledge in the country displayed iu this Petition. He also prestuted a Petition from horthlk on the same subject ; anal also praying for relief to the Agri caluiral Interest. it was by the voice of the people that the limotne-tax hod been gad rid of; autl it they would only come forward in the same manner, they would also get rid of the enormous and useless Establishments. Let them mot listen to what %mild be said by persons holding offices under Govern ment, (kat these Establishments wore absolutely necessary. Let theta persist in calling for realucti iiii , and lioverument would soon begin to retrench. He believed d: _overtunent had now reduced the Military Establishment 250,0001. in compli ance with the voice of the country. This w as but little; but if the people et* Englund called on Parliament for further re duction, Milliliters would be obliged to retroicb still further their lavish expenditure of the public money.-•-The Petitions were then read. Lord RoLks: wisheikthe higher 9rdut s, who had been relieved from the Income-tax, to come Nrward with a voluntary sub scription to the amount of that which they would have paid to this tax, for the relief of the lower orders. He also hoped, that the people would not beTurther burthened on the Assessed taxes. STATE or IRMA-ND. The Marquis of Huck st.HA M rose to move for a Committee to enquire into the State of Ireland. In doing so he felt em barrassed, because the picture was so large a one, that he hardly knew in what point of view to place it beforellieir Lordships. The grievances be complained of were those of the whole of Ireland—the rich impoverished, and the lower orders enslaved. If called on fur documentary es idence, it would consist of immense masses from the history of Ireland, sheaving Governments radically bad ; which, by attempting to govern by division, had wily united the whole population against themselves. His object, however, was not to entrire into the origin of this system, but what the means were of cur. reeling the evil. To look to the past only fur instruction, and to bid the people of Ireland took to the future with hope ; to govern with mildness and oonciliation. lie Wright, without stating any reason fur his motion, call on Ministers to show the House the present state of Ireland. But Ministers had ad mitted the existruce of the evils, when they called on Parlia ment for so large a 'Watling force in Ireland, and for the power of suspending the laws in that country. The House vs as called on to spew that there were other menus of protecting Ireland 1 than by ruling her like a conquered cutuitry, by placing over her a military garrison in time of peace. It was impossible td look into the state of Ireland without looking also at the pre sent state of the Catholic Wuestion, mid winch was their duty to icuicily. He would restore the Catholics to every office of trust, pre tit. or rack ; except that lie would not allow a Ca tholic Chancellor to be the keeper of a Protestant King; that there should be no Catholic fellows of Colleges ; nor would lie be fur allowing Catholics to superintend the education of Pro testant youth; but he va stunt encourage the education of Ca. tholie youth, tliat thus might not be forced to seek protection in oilier comitries. the King too should have a caontroul over tie• oatnitiation of (*Mitotic Bishops. Vi ith these guards, oud some others which might be pointed out, the remedy %%amid be ate and cats of amine:Atom The es il of Tythes arose from the mole of go' erring Ireland ; it was taken oil the great latolholikr. and pot on the poor peasant. The riches of ire , land toi mei ly consisted in pasture lands, and cousequently a tythe w.. put on cattle, until u clamour was raised by the English petty the eutiutrj , %%hick was most pow erfol. M hea. Chit Iv the tA.29l.llkra eff i retest ant limo holder, the Catholic peasant I. i dned to e.sy a tithe to support a chnrch whirl %sea in o.te;SsC u the he urotissed. the e:antoynie at 1 of Ty- - m ra was a source ot any woes to Ireland. Ilia 4. * f ran-F: bionic lay in that system of division which relidered the 1 .,. meat of tythes in Leland. From the evils arising by the em ploYment el Ty the Proctors, the interests of the.Chnrch an its character was injured in the opinions of the people. The remedy was easy(iti his opinion, by levying a rate in proportiog to the rent on the lends, tie lieu of tythe s, which ought only to be paid by the rich landholder. Another grievance was, the power given to the Grand Juries iii Ireland OQ the presentment of roods, which was often made a private jub. Any one might 4 00te:. r that a road a antectsepitirs, and then the Grand Jury had dte "Inver of ordering it to be repaired, the expence being 'paid by a rate on the. Barony; and that money frequently went 40 pay a tenant's rent. Another es if was, the appointment of High Sheriffs in Ireland being vested in the Crown ; and th ese offices were under the sole contruul of the Crown. Atwitter evil ton arose front the appointment of magistrates in Ireland ; for, owing to the pressure and inquietude of thetintes. the office of sianagistrate laid become very laborious, and, cousequeatly, many got into the magistracy who did not deserve to be there. The lam point, but by no means the least, was the finaricial state of Ireland. From time to time the revenue of Ireland had sunk below the charge due to the public creditor. He entered iuto a variety of numerical statements to prose this. In 179!, 49 midioes of yards of litter) were imported from Ireland into Eng• land ; and in 1810, only 39 millions were so imported. Add to all this the increase of illicit distillation. and the i.ictui e a as one of national bankreptev. He trusted the House would be of opinion that he had stated enough to lay a parliamentary ground of enquiry. 'they were now charged with the protection of a country meant as a blessing to us in peace, and a source of as sistance in war. By neglecting it we might cast these blessings far front us.—Ouifuture rule in Belated would consist of' ewe matting exertions to keep down her generous population, if en quiry were not made as to the best means Or suothiug and con eilialing that country. He concluded by moving, that a Com mittee be appointed, to enquire into the state of Ireland. The Earl of Lis ER root contended, that uo practical good could result from sendiug this question to a select Committee. No ens,. had been made out which called for enquiry ; and, even if it were referred to a select Committee, it would be next to impossible to -cute the mode of proceeding. He was ready to admit, that the system of Government fur Ireland, for many years, was radically wrong ; for it went on the principle of sa. crificing the interests of Ireland to the supposed interests or Great Britain. But, during the present reign, that system had been totally chairged into a system of conciliation; and he re. membered a noble Baron, in another place, had stated, there was not a Sessiuu but what some boon was granted to Ireland by thiucountry. He was far, howeser, from wishing to be tiu derstood as meaning to say, that became much had been dour, more, if possible, should not be done for that country. He so lemnly declared!, that lie, and those with whom be acted, had invariably labonred to throw every fair advantage into the scale Mil-eland. Whatever evils might formerly have existed in Ireland, no coimtry in Europe had made such improvement ih power, prosperity, and wealth, during the last 50 years. The agriculture of Ireland had quadrupled daring that period, while its trade had doubled since the Union with this country. The principal evils under which Ireland laboured were to be traced to the lawless and dissolute manners of many of the lower order a of the people; and arose from no religions feelings whatever. Catholics as a ell as Protestants were the objects of these tu mults and illegal proceedings. These were only to be corrected by extendiug the benefits of edireation. He read a horrible pie:. ture of the state of the lower orders in Scotland in 161115, when there were 200,000 beggars in that conntry, living without re eard to the laws of God or man. How was it that the lower orders of the people ofneothriel werenow so tranquil and oho diem to the laws: at wos not front the excellence oldie consti tution aurae country ; it was from thegeneral extrusion of edu cation among all cla sses in Scotland. '1 he Catholic Question was, in his opiuion, a simple question ; and if it should be con ceded at all, should be dune without qualification, except, as ~.../MI had been already stated, to the Catholics themselves. The sys- ae .-- tem of ty thes might become a question ut' fair commutation; . but hr could tenure: the House that every attention had twos paid to this subject by Government, but they bad found no plan ''.. P h itil was not liable to inure blunie than even the tythe system ' itself. On this point, unless sunie plan were laid down before-/ hand, be would object to the goiug into the Committee. As oi t • the question of 'Grand Jury presentments, he nuderstood a was now -prepared to amend that part of the laws. The, app ' recut of magistrates could not be better than in the Minds 4 • Crown. As to the Prtances el Ireland, it was intended, aver the recess, to brine toward a measure for the consulidativ of the finances of Gr at Britain amid Ireland. The, reigestAvils of Ireland were to no ascribed (treat to the *ant TA eadeation,) tonic want of a resident Gentry ; a circumstance which might be lamented, but could not be remedied. He felt it as strongly as the Noble Marquis to be the dirty of Government to use ever, means to make Ireland a source of • trem;th, and not of weekneee to this cour''sx. Bat each i ..:rose topics, which the Noble Marquis hail alluded to, might be separately brought before Parliament, without referring them to a Committee. 'The Earl of itt!i'st.V.: said, that the Noble F.er: opposite would have I ' I that the distresses of Scotland in 18n8 arose flow a tyrannieal Government endeavouring to force Balm to a r e it- , which they an their consciences abhorred. Be.. • the history of those times, to: would ha• evils were relieved by giving them the .... misty believed in, aud the pastors in whom Shniiar were the evils, and similar ought them in Ireland. The Earl of STANHOPE considered , ing the emicession of the l'eto from the usit to injury, Fur his part, lir had au bevieg tire people from the louden of ' the Cruirch, which lie lead learned (ruin the Isce Mr. Darel, , s, and that was, to' (mil isewert). —(A fuligh.t) The But of 4toyouEEN opposed, and sec, orted the motion. Lord Kilitstiaxe contended, that it effort te bring the people of IrCaird *lei to force 'Wm to a relizion med. Had he consulted rive also found that those . religion they cocisrienti- itoni then had con .. c.. - ght to be the re *ilk the question o ... ' '',... i . ‘ ; 0 ,, to rat ellent pi Ir , .P.7' l '. IR I' e ty "i th t us l4 ,t i t e u s d a‘ o: 4 '''.... t, f i g : : 1 011 1 . ' nn a shrewd ,ic 4 4 . , a l i o Li leave toe Cht , li • .4 —^ nd the Earl of i __ there never ha • " tto sabjectiunig . • 'll‘l* . . , . ; - .. ,• . • , • ;:r . ...,- . . • „, . ' ..J • ... : 1 ' i ` . • , • . il i i i I I ~. - - !