The National Register. — London, England, 1816-03-25 00:00:00

MARCH 25. piepareel to say. that it' the lio., shrunk from impo:ing :los tax, they would abaieb n a strong feature of finance. The Noble Lord denied that all the politic meetings were for the purpose of opposing the Property -tax; other matters were missed up in the qui stion. Out of 90 counties, only 19 yeti. lions were from counties. It was, in truth, a divided question, n u t half of the counties were azamst the tax. He should eon• tend, that it was by clam o ur that the breach of Puha:mem was nttempted to be fastened on the heer.)—The• expenses of the emintry were elithuited in round 'lumbers at 39 millions, prospectively ut ;A millions. The revenue to meet thin was the surolits of the Consolidated Fund, and the other items, amounting to 28 millions. The plan of his Riglit Hon. had been, to remit eight millions, thus leaving about two-thirds of the revenue applicable to the expenditure. Would it be prudent to remit six millions more. Gentiemen hod talk ed of referring to the Sinking Fund, which was now somethine more than 11 millions; but that would be a mode ofproceedini: injurious to the best principles of finance. If the House did not give the Government the aid of this tax this year, you most endure a debt of 11 millions, which there was no possibility of 'avoiding: and he put it to the good sense of the House and nation, if they would shrink Isom supporting the Go% eminent, mid tin a their hocks on themselves. He, the rerun., had no doubt the Honse would agree to the vote. Mr. linotitat fist skewed the recorded pledge of Parliament it elf. LI the ?.27th sect. of the 16th of the King lie linen(' these words- 6 ' Be It further marted, that this Act shall et.ll - in firce dorina the war, and for six iilti r the con clusion ot'a Definitive Treaty of Peace, and ao loager." - -(Luutl CriV4 li• . . . . Mr. Waits:gunner believed that the House in supporting this tax %timid titleA turn their Nicht on th , opowtres Ile saw no clear and plain necessity for the tax. His Right lion. Friend hid put it in a clear point of view, and the question was, whether the Howe should e.. 4e the money loot Isct or case thens selves. - Hear,hear.) _ _ The *louse theu divided—Ayes, 101—Noes, 238—Majority against the Tax, :41.—(Lvad cheering follenwl the unnounconat (if 1 7 . e monbern.) The Report of the )ptapply for making a pro.. ision for the Clfarlette of %Vale;•, v.as brought up 3lid agreed to; as Wis also toe Report of th- Army Estimates. Adjourheh sat Tsool hat. .. TUMID MARCH 19. Mr. WESTERN present. t t Ft ;awn, signed by a nnmher of the most respectable owners and ocettpi. , rs of• land it, the coun ty of Essex, setting • •lii the hardships tinder vt hieh they at present laboured, and I.ray;tag a revision of the present system of Tythes. The }Um. Ntember took this opportunity of stating iiis opinion that the pr , 2:eut system of tythes was one which wss hiehly bortlicnanthe to the cultivators of land, and which culled wittily for the interf•renre of tl.•• Mr. Lucxn 4RT agreed in what had bt.ea stated by the Hon Itlember. (Mr. W.) Atter a few words from Mr. COKE, the petition was ordered to lie on the table. Mr. P. Moor n presented a petition from Rear-.1,;.air0l Graves, claiming a mikes/I of certain rieVilllCC , , %% It: ch, he stated, he I. smtained by the improper sale and transit* , r a aixt i part of the Bahama Islands, which be claimed in right of his wife, Arrhella Graves, to %chow family the land ill (1111t . Fii011 had been granted by e patent fl ULU the Crown.—The peiition was ordered to lie on the table. . . Mr. Cutts presented a petition from certain owners anti oc cupiers of bv.a in the county elik, proving the House to take into consideration the distressed state of Agriculture. Sir W. Wiihnt prescrted a tram eeriain owners and oreup!ers of land in the county s t Deithigh, st twig !lath the hardships ender which they at present laboured. Mr. BROUGHAM :coved for a return of all goods seized as contraband, on board transports, widiiit the last &ix mouths; and „Iso fur rop•ra of co! resimudence between Sir 11 owe Pop ham end the Treasury, relative to transport.; in the service of Got eminent, or pretending io be in the service of Govern ment, having contraband goods un board.—After a few words t•rom Mr. Vansittart, the muttons were agreed to.--Ad journed. WEDNE4DAY, MAECII 20. Mr. ilvng brought in a Bill fur buildieg a new Church in the Parish of St. Pancras, which was read a first time. Mr. W. Burrell presented a petition horn the Rape of Aron del ; and Gen. Ferguson . ne front Forfar. praying the House to tale into its serious consideration the present distressed state of Agricultural Interest, and the laws relative to the Distil:cries. Laid on the table: O n the motion of Mr. Mellish. the New River and West Mid- • diesex Water-work Bill was ordered to be read a sceoud time this day . six numths. Mr. limn euxm presented a petition signed by :,000 mer chants and tradesmen of the city of Wesaninster ; and Mr. locitanT one from Mary-le-Bonne, against the insolvent Debt- WIC Act. The former gentleman stated, that during the three c••at•s this Act had heed in active otter:l6ou, persons had been eelestsed whose debts amounted to .1, - .97,1.191. ; and the amount Of the composition they had paid was 14191., or between a' fourth and a fifth of a farthing in the pound Mr. A BERCROMOIE admitted what the lion. Gentleman had stated, railed lei ►he most serious enquiry; but he conjured the House net to listen to the accounts, which were exaggerated, snail a Committee had looked into the subject. At ml event, it often h livened, that the creditor was more in Ciult than the debtor by h.s awn carelessness. Mr. li uoceMAM repe;fted his fanner statement. The petiti•n was laid on the table. REPEAL OF 'CUE WAR MALT-TAX. Mr. VAN6ITTART rose and stated, that he should on Monday next, it; the Committee of Ways aid Means, move to (manne the several War Duties of Customs and Excise, with the excep tion of the Malt-tax. No doubt surptize would be excited, that he should relinquish this tax, after having so recently, by the decision of Parliament, been obliged to forego the-Property 'l'ax. But since that decision had been come to—whether wisely or not at was not for him to determine--it was of little consequence whether a larger or smailir sum was obtained by loan. 'l•he object he had in view in relinquishing the Wm Malt. Duty, was to give relief to the 'mitering tenantry of the couutryt relying on the wisdom and energy of Parliament to make: good the deficiency—(liver, hear !) --He should nt I, after CV% communication., consider himself• at liberty to make ivy further concessions in respect to the agricultural interest, tuts to relieve them frets the Horse-tax ; which, ht the eVrilt of the Property •tax taking place, he hod stated he should do. Nor should he consider himself bound to relinquish aoy of the other resources of the country.—The itt. Hun. Gentleman then sug gested to the Hon. Gentleman t Mr. Wasitßa) the nett sAty p..stponing his notice of motion for a Coin Mute, on tile agri cultural distresses of the country to some' distwot time. - Mr. COlie rejoiced that the lit. tion.Gentleman had deemed t ex( edieut to allow the- Wat Malt Las to expire. he niuser• ea, that the agricultural iutcreat had buckled for relief the fast day THE NATTONAL MISTER. csp• ri illy tht relitiqui , hment of this tax. • wa • the first step to a great relief. At the same time he did not lonic that the Revenue would lose so ninth 'IS might be imagined, he tax not protineing more than two ai;dians. Mr. BRAND wished to know whether the Malt-tax did not x e nit the ~thot• July. Mr. I'AN , “TTART replied in the affirmative, and observed that h t shouid summit a motion with respect to the stock on hand. Mr. Poosnosv rejoiced that Ministers had abandoned the tax. To that abandonment they had been driven by the peo pie of England Withont their loud and general voice the In come-tax would not have been got rid of, and lie trusted the defeat of Ministers in that respect would be an eternal lesson to the people of England.—( Laud cries 41 lade, hear! l They might be us.sured that their Representatives would attend to their call, and compel Ministers to listen to the voice of justice mill of reason( Hem, bear!) laird ensTl.Eni.AGti conceived the Rt. Hon. Gentleman could not has e been in the House %Iwo his Rt. Hon. Friend had made the communication respecting the Malt-tax, or he would 1101 have attributed to the exertions Of• the people, the relinquislitnt lit of a means of taxation which was conreded Ally to the distresses of the agricultural intere , t. With re spect to the Proparty-tax, he was prepared to contend that it was a wise, just, and politic measure, inteude•l to relieve the agricultural interest, and the low erortlers of die people.- •( Laud cries hear, heate ! ) Rut the rich had relieved themselves from the burthen, and therefore he must protest against the decision of Parliament, which he must consider as unwise; if• they had attended to the modified imposition as proposed by his Rt. lion. Friend, the people would have been more relieved than other ise—( Hear, hair !) Mr. (loom expressed his congratolutions in common with the Home on the abandonment of the Malt-tax. He also wished ,o state that Ministers hitherto had received his support, but for the future he should only support them so long as they adopted and persevered in a system of ceonomy.—( f air, hear! ) Mr. 1101.4a1A Sr hoped, that those Gentlemen who generally supported Ministers would take a lesson from the Hon. Gen tleman who spoke last, and othy give stippolt when it conkd be given honestly—then the c:aintry might be saved,and the Cr•ovn compelled to do its duty to the natun -(ll.atr, hear!) Lord LUOCELLES eoto it was not prudent to announce to the c..untrv, that became they had ancceed.•d in petitioning against the Income-tax, they were to pet; ion against all others. It must obvious to the lion. and Learned Gentleman, that there were a 4111111)er Of eXpeliCIS to wind up :he war, and con /mittens ly there must he a great demand far money. Mr. Bitounftsat had no such idea—he had not wish-d the people to oeution against all taxes. Mr. kosE could I.ot sit still, and :ear that the Property-tax equally affected the poor as the rich. He must deny the posi tion the great latriho der and stockholder were more relieved by its icpeal than ons other class of the community. It was trite that it was objectionable, ina , inuch as it made the private affairs of t h e trading part of the pub:ir subject to inspection ; but in every other point of view it was not so. tie was per suaded :he good e. me of the country would come round in time, anti they would tied the tit, to be a gowl.oue, and infi nitely less oppressive than any other—Meal, hear!) AGRICULTURAL DISTRESSES. Mr. CVR WEN presented a petition from the landholders of Comberlaud, stating the ao.ieultural distresses of the country. The Hon. Gentleman staii d the great distresses of the county in particular from u Inch this petition proceeded, and consi dered that the Noble Lord could not be aware of the general state of the agricultural distress, which had arisen in a great measure out of the want of a circulating medium, and from the increase of the hurortatiint of wheal and grain, anteccdant to the year 18t'1. He contended, that there woe at this moment more men nut of employment than at any period of scarcity. The pressure of taxation had borne so heavily on the rich, that they could not find employment for the poor. 'the abandon ment of the Malt-tax was a relief to the farmer ; hut he still found ltimself aggrieved front the pressure of the Horse-tax ; and he Loped Ministers would Mix that part of the subject him consideration. Mr. LONG %V ELLENLEY declared, that no now felt wore than himself for the distresses of the uvicultural interests. lint when the Income and Malt-taxes were removed, what more did the people want ? Ministers were Witted to the thanks of the country for what ;hey had dune. Mr. * WESTERN expressed his satisfaction that the Malt-tax was to be repealed. Lord CkIiTLIMEAOII trusted the House and the country would see it in the light in ti)iieh it was intended, uamel3, as a great effort to relieve the distress of the lower classes of the people. Tile petition was then received ; and referred to the Agri cultural Committee. _ _ Lul! NL(/ENT. after a few words, moved for an account of the number of Clerks, and the amount of their salarte , , exi , t- Mg in the Admiralty in the year Ists and 1810 , and alNo the number of persons borne on the Admiralty Establishment, and the amount of cuinpensation granted to to uperaunuated Clerks since 1610. . _ . ..... Mr. Caoaast did not see the necessity for the Return for which the Noble Lord had moved, since all the information lie asked for would be found in the Estimates already laid on die table. Curd NI:GINT . 3 motion wits agreed to. JUVENILE APPOINTMENTS. Lord Itt. - rtis moved for a copy of the appointment of Master George, as secretary to the Province of Nova Scotia ; and also that the return snould state the age of the young gentleman at the 'Mica his appointment. Mr. linoun ti ► AI NV I.lsed ad so to add to the Return the name of the Rchool tient Which the young gentleman was taken.— (o laugh.) Lord Mrt.Tott also moved for the appointment of another Master George to the same office, with a ait:Attquent of his age, and the mane otitis deputy.--Ordered. THE SECRETARY OF THE ADMIRALTY. Mr. 31E1111;ra said, he had now to bring forward a question of a most serious nature, namely, to coquire into the circum stances attending the increase of the solaries of the Secretary and Under Sccretaiy to the Admiralty. Le bringing forward this nnestion, he should also adseit to the increase mark: to the salaries of the Commis•iimers of Customs and t:scise in Scot land; and drawing the attention of the house to this subject, he trusted he should not be suspected of any nisei to moil with the measures of the Noble Lord and ha colleagues. On the contrary, he wished to see public services rewarded, hut tin orrery prolniudi laid with them ; they were to prove that these increases of sahuies, especially that to the Secretaries of the Admiralty Were consistent with economy mid the duty they owed to the poinie. Tile lion. Member there proceeded to comment ou the advance which had been made to the saLary of the Secretary of dm Admiralty of WOOL a year, stud on. the 51 Order in Council directing that the salary should be the same in time of peace as in time of war. The reasun assigned was, that no decrease took place in the salaries of Secretaries of other offices, and that all ought to be treated alike; this objec tion might easily have (teen obviated by allowing the reduction in the salary of the Secretary to the Admiralty, and to extend it also to all the other public- Secretaries. The objection to ineemility world thushave been dote awry.--(1-liar, hew. )--The Hun. GetitlVlllall euucindyd by moving a Itesolation, declaring that the I mouse highly approved of the Order in Commit of the lath of June 1500, but cons:dered the subsequent order of the gltil of June, MIS, as a misapplication alike public money. Lord Caimans:Ann would never qua, rel with stay gentle. man for nutting questions regularly, eapeciaily when, as the Huu. illesether said in this ca •e, the onus prohmedi lain on Minis ters. He also agreed with the lion. Member, that this was a very important question, as related to the general question of economy, although inerete.e upon the partienlar office was but small. He could therefore, at pre , ent, gist. the House but a very imperfect outline of.what had been done, what was doing, awl what was intended to be done. The correct details would be laid before the House in a few days. Ile would now state, roughly, that the reduction in the %I ar-Ottice woMd be about 40001. In the War Department there would al-a be very considerable deduction—seven clerks and one under secretary. In the Paymaster-General's office, the estah!ishinams abroad would be rcdnced 51,0001. a year; and a further . -aving of 70001. WAS contemplated, and a reduction of 11 elsi as wadi! mike a whole saving of 11,0tral. In the Civil branch of the Commissariat there would be a reduction of upwards of 12)0001. Ia the Storekeeper's Office a reduction of 60901.. • had already taken p!ace; and a further reduction of 34001. was in contemplatian. In the Barrack Department, a tarring of 7001. had already been adopted, and other reductions were determined on. lit the Admiralty, the salaries hail been re. ilnced 301591. and a further reduction of WWI. would immediate ly take place. In the Navy Department, 1000 persons had been discharged, and a saving tif 102,0001. introduced. In the the. Victualling.Office, a reduction of '.25,0001. had been made, and a saving of 2),(6001. more had been marked out. 'lire - Transport Estaniishrnent would be &Inmost entirely reduced._ '('leer Ordnance, and sonic other offices, were nut M. this stata-• bent; but the rough statement lie had just made produced a total saving of 3111 : 0001.; a further saving upon these offices-of 91,0001. was contemplated, making in all tiall,oo.d. indepen dent of those others not included in the returns. He trusted this statement woatil prove, teat his Majesty's Govennuent • were not entirely occupied iu increasing salaries--( hear, hear,)—St ith respect to the increase of salaries zit ea to the Commissioners of Excise, it did not originate now; brit was agitated in ISX, when a gentlemen on the other side of the Howie were in office. The then commissions 1. made al a. - plication for au increase of salary, which was mit,t ;Len compl:cd with. They renewed their application to Mr. Perces al, and that gentleman, whilst he withheld au Munediate increase, held • out hopes, almost amounting to a promise, that with the re turn of peace, time adsauce should be made. The titans of these gentlemen were weighty; they collected upwards oi 41) millions of revenue, and the sum collected by the 1.011111.• • :alt ers of excise had increased 21..iimillions since uuy ativanc:. hart been made to their salaries. This had greatly increased their labours, and upon the grounds of increased labour it was that his Majesty's Goveraineut bad acceded to a claim long since made and well received. With respect to the next q he was of opihion the Hon. Member had not adoptail a right course ; in his opinion the proper coarse to have pursued would 2- have been to object to the vote when the Navy Estimates came before the Houle; and then, if it should appear that the pro posed vote of salary was too much, to reduce it. With respect to the advance. lie farmil himself Loud to •ay, that no applica tion whatever was made by Ls lion. Friostil (Mr. Crokar) on the subject; on the contrary, lie, as fir as his own individnal - voice went, objected to it, 116 thiuking it might call for personal observations on himself; the flier was, that the adva lice was madam by the advice of the first Lord of the 'Eretisnry, the first Lord of the Admiralty, 81111 the Chancellor of the Exchequer, who, . after due consideration, determined that in every view of jus tice the advance ought to be made. The Whet! of Se:lcm ty to the Admiralty was one of this utmost important in the Stale-- one of great labour, and by no Illeiill3 less so in peace than in . war ; autl he must agaai repeat, that, as far as his Hon. talent' • was concerned, the subject was fully rips it to discussiett, as he had taken uo step whatever to obtain any addition to hisaalarv. 'l'bc Noble Lord, therefore, concluded Iry moving as au amend- - ment, that the other Orders of the Day be now read. Mr. H. MARTIN was nut at all satistied with the explanation , of the Noble Lord, ;mil trusted the House would mint be turne d aside from entertaining the motion by the speech they had just heard. Mr. ROBINSON defended the measure. It tnicht indeed be said that thi4 salary of Mel. a year WAS WO 1n YGh at any time ; but as the duties of this °thee were equally etlicit , nt in linie.of peace as in ttineof war, lie could see no reason why a difference should be made, or that the salary should be mule inure at Gate - tittle than at another. Mr. Ilituen flaw said, the Noble Lord Itail desired, en a ror wt. night, that the House would wait till he could 114se au op portunity Of explaining this circumstance, and till ha - could eater on his defence. The Noble Lord had said, his stakmanit of retrenchment was only a rough sketch : lie would not, there fore, criticise it closely; hat he must advert to the first article in the Noble Lord's list of retrenchment. Thi4 seas the War Odice, an offiee erected for the purposes Of war only, and which, therefore, he (Mr. B.) bad expected to hear it we.a en tirely done away. 'fbc Noble Lard, to his great 4.lisappotot went, stated, that a reduction of seven derkv toil vile Wider St rrt bery hid taken place. So much fur retrenchment in that guar 141*. But there was one article of • retrenchment to which the • Noble Lord had adverted in lofty terins, and that was the Ad miralty and Navy. Here the Noble Lord said, a rethietion of upwards of 504.* Officers had taken place, and a saving had been made of near 400,0:ild. Thisindecal looked like business, . and he (Mr. IL) was most highly gratified to lieur spinach had . be e n done; but upon eintuiry how (lid the fart tUtnont ? that upwards of :moo of these officers were poor artificers, who had for their labours in the Doek-yards received 14. or itid. : delV. This was a mockery. Hon. Member then adverted . to the reduction of the Conunis,ariat. nod contended, that it was still more trilling than that in the Navy Ilepartnicat.. The Hun. bent. said, he begged now to lie understood es memiing nothing of personal disrespect either to Mr. Cruker or to Air. harrow ; but he must say, that thus taking money out of the pockets of the pidilic to pat into theas, was no less than it gross, . scandalous, and profligate Job. Mr. PELL said, it Was with a feeling of Indignation that he had heard the unfounded and impst imputations of the lion. Gentleman between the increase of salary now pruposed and other circumstances unconnected with the. sou e: It was . as fair to represent this as a scandalous Job. lie t „tended that this was -a question of prami l de, , whether the sal ar i es o f Civil Officers should be less in tune ut peace than in einie of . war.