The National Register. — London, England, 1819-06-14 00:00:00

190 IMPERIAL I'ARLI.4.IIEAT. temtintted film the 3d page.] resort to the eonsuitmt;vsn ofspirtts. By the other proposed tax. 'that on wool, he was of olinies Cott a material inj.try would be stone to a very iniporton. 1;m-telt of our manufacture. He must *we more repeat his shailni opposition to the reaulutions of the Committae. Mr. 11i7 nit doubted much whether the surplus so much spoken of really amounted to two millions ; he aooreliended it would be found to san,nool. short of that autoant. It had lame objected that no particular branch of expenditure haul been shown to be exorbitant. but he ini-ted that they were all too enormous; and if in:ntste-% had been sincere in their proffered v.-who - toe, 6..1 would nave done more an I promised less: pro mises would not relieve tie starving ttionuf.tetururs of Carlivle o of Coventry. Ministers might tad% about being econotnicol, they tnight boast of their string dispo.ition. but unlets they ..were sincere in proitasions, what hope was there of crer -seeing a tnininsiion to our distres-ani For the reason% he 1131 •arated. if nu other Hon. Member proposed an amendment to the last resolnrion. he should tlink roper hitanelf to divide the Vous,: mon it. Mr. 1). W. flonsue strongly objected to the imposition of these new taxes upon n p ogle already too much opines:it'd. Mr. W wet:MAN obeected to the imposition of even a shilling. in the shape of taxes. upon the prop!:. The real question now to be eons:den-it was, not what ought to be the amount of the sinking fund, ler whether it oat to be five millions or ten millions signitiol little; but was the country now in a state to bear these 'taxes? The minister had been linable to make a loan to the extent he wieuld for, mind hat' remorse to the sinking fund. To this expedient he hr.d been &iron, sad he avoid find. ultimately. to his astonislnit.mt. thot although the taxes were enereased. the -r-venue would be grietiausly The first and s-cond resolutions were then put and carried . ananiiisou,l v. _ Sir M. W. Iltnt.tc moved tin amendment to the effect of leaving out all the swswls of the original motion Lifter the word tt That." end to substitute a Jed 'ration Oat it w.t, not exp.xii • ent io the ilistretsol state of the country, nor tar vitt) , measure of pmctical retienchment was adopted, to add w the burdens of -of the people by any fresh impo.inons. l'hu Cum( t.n R of the F. sic it ccar F. n said 1: c. should oppose vile Hun. !kinglet's retolution, and give his support to that -already lietbre the House. (lloor). • Mr. M.scoottat.D made a fcw remarks in favour of the •amendinent. Strangers were Caen modem' to withdraw arid the House daitAss. For the re501uf0n.........i 86 For the amenthn2nt.—.. lla:nrity in favour oldie rzvolutioti...--110 The third reading of the Cash Payments Bill is postponed till Monday. WEDNESDAY. JVNE 9. Sir M. B. FoLxrs pmented a Petition ftnm the shipowners and snertlitints of King's Lynn against the foreign enlistment bill.—Laid on the table. _ _ ST/ TE OF AGM ICC I.T Petition was presented from Barnstaple. praying the I lathe to appoint a Committee to enquire into the state of agriculture.—!tail and ordered to lie on the table. _ _ . l'oon Laws.—Mr. S. Hoe nxr. obtained leave to bring in • Bill to amend the act regarding parish vestries. Mr. S. Dolman moved far leave to bring in a Hill to amend the Poor L•srs regarding settlements and renting tenements.— The object was to amend the law as to the meaning of •• meta," die Ix-tinier of a tenem:nt under tot fur ratty days. giving a claim to residtmee; and that had led to great abuac.— agreed to. Paitions were preaenttd from nradford and Leeds against the T of on Wool, which. after a long debate, were read, and ordered to be printed. AUIDGFT. ...... . _ The House having rolred itself into a Committee of Ways and Alcor's. _ _ _ '1 de En ANC F. t.t.on of the }: KC 11EQ1r1:11 mse to bringforward his Budget. He tatia the House. by resolutions. had already taken some ei!Av of die finances of the country ; and after what had been agreed upon, it let:mined with him to short how the supplies re s h red were to In: rai.ed. Most of the items were known, and with the addition of a small loan for the next year, the liouse was in posiession of the state of our financer. He would now natne the general heads of tae amounts; and *Le following is a samaras) , of the decal : SUPPLIES. Granted for 1818. - 1819. La 909,603 Aricy .C 8,000.080 6.45.1.80 Navy Jais.r4lo OKloaner 1.191,0“) 1.958.939 111 iscellautoub XI 8.5704;51 T , tal gull:lies J:126.477.000 mix,Coo Interest on S:xcht u:r ISt& 560,000 Sinking Fund on ditt0...... ..... 1.570.000 4314000 rl,l3u,ssi .20,477.0 e" By reduction of Unfunded Debt 1U.3,7,000 £51,074.0u0 WAYS AND MEANS. Granted for 1818. 1819. 43.mn,r.n0 Annual Malt .0.nn0,01)0 3,500,000 Excise Dutitx continued 3.3000 'on 230.000 Lottery 2stxtaio 240,000 Old Starts 554.0:0 17,000,000 17,474,0n0 I man 12.000. ( 140) Lout: truni the Sinking Fisith l Y,noo,ooo kilJn4.form .... One Loan. the Bight lion. Gentleman mid. had aready been mentioned; that from the Sinking Fund to the alumni of te.rxio,ooo.'. would be hereafter brought forward. There two ..uns would raise the supply to upwards of thirty-one millions. The Loan by competition, he had agrertl for this mommg ; and lie had to unngratulate the country on the advantac emu ter:mann pleb it lied been conchtded kat.) It wan on terms most beneficial to Cie public. As to the charge of management, he hvgal to observe that the Loa% from the Sinking Ford would mint occasion any charge on the port oldie Rank. The a, liount of the wilt:l.:charge ol tit- Loans, &c. would be 1.1 1 45, 000 4 the rate of interest 44 ss. 9d. and the whole charge to else ',while C/. os. ZA. per cent. The Loan fur the nett year vausidta: about 4.ono,nont. ; and that he tru.tcd would be the lost Lostitt would he rerluired to make.—( firer. )—.The amount of the rtnfunded debt as 9.0e0,600f. ;it was prOpOliPe to It 1 0 .400; 0 004 which would reduce the unfunded debt to 3N,500.c011a The amount of tasty, three mdlions, be proposal to apply to the etrafViening of the consolidated fund, to meet the interest CC the ato of the last and the preset' )(am lie bail already noticed the general detail of the items, by which it was proposed o mak?. up the three millions ; repetition would now betmneces aary, as time whole emu was to go to the Consolidated Fund, schedules would hereafter be placed in the hands of Members. 'mare would be considerable alterations in the mode of fixing and sissying the new duties. This applied to Tobacco: time dimes were to be critt..liz.xl. The foreign whatrto would be at Cs. ditty, eh- plantation Meier° : and ell snort: indiscriminately at Cs. Thi. am told pmcht.i.e 510..5 • V" , r. The CllO4lllB on Tea a cre to be ,upe and tne Excise Duty advanced to 101. This would THE NATIONAL REGISTER. live the amount which had been named. Planing the duties nuns distinctly under the Excise WOUlli he serviceable, as the are tides were stiscerible of much adulteration ; and adulteration would be more efrectually checked by the Exeter. All the duties, it was prod ofed. should be extended to Ireland and Scotland, ex cepting diet on Spirits. The Melt Ditty, which was calculated would produce 1.400,000/. would be one shilling and two-pence per bushel. T:ie amount of the materials far brewing but year was se lot.; this year it was dl. its. ; and front the statement of Mr. Barclay. he was warranted in thinking. that the public might look to a reduction of the price of Leer - 2 ( Load Cheering. ) There would he no reanto to advance the price of beer now, and Ia confidently expected that a reduction of the price would soon 'Ste mace.—. The advance on spirits he thought essential to pro alai, the 11. e tietiv.i. as sell as the morals and health of the people —(Here.) Heald now gone through the items, and if further explanation wee, required, lie should be happy to give it. He repeated that sue loan for next year would not be above 4,000,00 rd. except it could be raised by other means; and lie tru,ted that etterwards the Goverament would have no occasion to trouble the 1103 Se on tte painful subject of loans and new taxes. (Near.) Ile hoped those who had suppontel the Government on the pre scut occasion. would have the thanks of their Constituents, after the irritation of the moment had gone by..—(l/tar.) He con cluded with moving that it was espedient to raise 1e,000,e001 by annuities. Mr. GUENTELL agreed that it was not only desirable, but with reference to the best interests of the country, most expedient that it should guesses a surplus of income beyond the expendi , cure; that it should poetess. in short, what was well known by the mine of the Sinking Fund. Ile also agreed, that it was most fit that that surplus should be carried further than the existing amount of 2 millions—that it should be increased by the two modes, of reduced expeneciture and additional taxes, to 5 mil lions. Alter the country , should thus be pineal in an attitude to command respect front all the world, he should feel most happy I if, by economy, by the proposed regulations in the collection of the revenue, and lastly, by the operations of compound interest, dime 5 millions were raised to 8 millions of surplus. There was cue patt of the eubject net adverted to, but upon which be was peculiarly sensitne ; nrel thought it appealed in itself trittiug, it might pruduce restate of the utmost value: he alluded to the ge nerally understood Lethal of the Bank of England to give the lain contractors that aavininodation which for the last stn or 25 years it lied Worded, by making, a proportionate advance on the instalments of the loan. The directors must forgive him fur tut:rung, that there was something of littleness and low mind. edness, ioinething of pique and spleen in this Mims' : it was an opposition to the government and tree country, wholly unworthy iersons protersing to take such an interest in the concerns of the nation. It was, pereaps. natural that the corporation should feel saint degree vf resentment against government. which, after 20 or 513 years of tubeerviency, had at last broken the fetters by %filch they bed been so lung and injuriously bound; and he was not surprised that the dill:cities now Caine forward and con sideree such an attempt as a resistance to their high and mighty atelier ty. ('fear.) it was not to be wondered that 114 mer chants, men engaged in the I uraait of g e m, shottot be a little intoxicated with the power they had for a series of years exer cised ; and they might be allowed to feel a little chagrin and soreness that their power was now at an end. They hail hitherto been anxiously consulted by ministers in nil exigencies regarding the finances, end no doubt they thought it a little hard that those to whom (though not quite disinterestedly) they had given their advice and assistance, now turned against than. Perhaps even they utigot feel sons portion of resentment at the apparent ingratitude of their protegesethe Pint Lord of the Treasury and • the Chancellor of the Excuequer. (-Cites's wad laughter.) It -would be easy to go inure at large into tlis point, but lie would inertly cungretulate ministers that they had at length effected their emancipetion front a species of tyranny as disgraceful to the government as injurious to the best interests of the country. Mr. MANN Ixu dente,' the charge most unequitocally, and he called upon the hon. gent. to prove or to retract it. Tne three tors had been told, that they were not to be politicians ; that they had nothing to do with the state of the country, or its in terests; and that they ought to confine themselves to their books and their banking husina.. The amdist o: the directors, on the particular question refrrred to, had nothing to do with the point slaw before the committee. Ile was qui:e willing to bear his share of reponsibility for the decision at - whee l! that body had arrived, and lie would not attempt to screen himself by arty ex planation et the motives by which he had .seen at:meted. Mr. GIENIEL L explained. The lion. gent. had represented it as tearcely honourable in his: to have stated that them had been a nivition im the Court et Directors, since that fact could not have been communicated to hiin without breach of confidence. He had thily to say that he had heard the •ti et stater upon the public newt, and by a Bank director, when tim•ar three other gentle men were present, mid that no symptom of any necessity or any wish tie secrecy have appeared. rir.loui Newrone said, fiat lie really thought the conduct of the Bank perfietly right. Aita the steps taken flu the re. sumptiou of cash payments. it was but fair that the Bank should exercise their own discretion. Mr. huN SET telt great reluctance to speak on a financial sub ject, but he must remark. that, consider.ng the sacnticcs made by the people of this country, the privation; which they had endured, and the distresses by which they bail been depressetl, he was amonished at the amount of -arvenue which they paid. When he oonsidered the distress. suffering, naisery. and wretch. ednesr that prevailed; when he saw disease. the result of mis:.-ry; and crone , the result of misery azu Mamie : when he observed every where sr:liter want and misery than England evur knew since it became a kingdom : when lie frund, into whattr:r de partment lie looked. abether into the agriculture, the commerce, ur the manufactures of the country. that nothing was to be seen but di:ire is, want. and -beggary ; when he considered these things, he was compelled -to call it nothing short of madness to impose :me new tat, and lie thought it inipossible to thrive:: the result. On the particular taxes, and especially en the Malt tax, be should offer some °Wen odium •on a future occasion. He Leg ged, however, to say before be concluded, that the 350 Kraals who lied voted tin. 3 millions more of tames were aware that this was not the end, but the beginning of Parliament. Lau session 354:persons could not have Leto found in that llousl to give such a vote; and it they had been found Puy world have met with Cie sante reception whit!, those who had voted away the , liberties of the people met with. He wished n o tch, however great the inconvenience nt it. tlii.:-t! ;me three hundred and thirty persons should be sent back to the people. when, instead of the bold tone which they assumed in that House, they would have recourse to ai - ologies, and Le covered with Ataxic fur their conduct. Alaxisrts:Ln said, he was not afraid, even if he were to be immediately sent bark to his ronstit waits—if there w ere n ow t o be a dissolution of l•srltament--he should not be afraid to tell the House that he apploved of a property tax. Ile thought it infinitely better for the noose to say, •• Come and Jay a mo. ditiod property tat, of ulna we shall feel the burden." than to impose any other tax. But it' gentlenam would ....it bate a pro. pent' tax. he thought, short °fa property tax, that the taxer. pro pou:d were the most lenient; but :t' a prt.perty sax slotdd be reannevended, he would shift las i•roLnil and support it. Mr. .1. P. r said, the queaion was, how the country. PO mud' pressed upon, could be relieved. The remedy was nut an increase of taxation. Let the country, on the contrary, be allowed a little re arse, and then it* indu 'try, its resources, and its prospe ity would increase. mat was the only mode of Increasing the re venue, and ultimately reducing our burdens. Sir 1t.tV11.5071 objected to the pups wed taxation, on the ground that it would give to bad and desperate characters, of venom theme were tome in the country, an opportunity of inflanting the JUNE 14. minds of the people by the representation that they were taxed. as was in fact the albC, beyond their ability to !lay. Increased taxation in time of peace would also have the effect of tithing from the fundliolihr any security of ultimate payment which ho might have. This was the case in France ; it WAS tie case in Prus.ia. It might be, as in the eases of those eouutries, that a forced temporary supply night be obtained, but then it would be, as with them. the destruction of die sources of fair and rea sonable revenue. Mr. Aldermen WOOD objected to the tax on malt, which. in the present depressed state of the fanners, would be must :e. vcrcly felt. Mr. lticaano had already opposed the grant of 3 millions towanls a sinking. fund. because he did not wish to place such a fund at the Mercy of ministers, who would take it whenever they thought urgent necessity tequited it. He Onetime never would Five a vote in support of any tax which went to continue a sink ing fund : for if that fund were r) amount to it millions, minis ters would on any emergency give the same account of it as they did at present. The delusion of it was seen-long ago by all tho s e who were acquainted with the si:bject ; and it would have been but fair and sound policy to hiwe..exposed it lung ago. On the subject of the loan lie had nothing to object. He gave credit to and thanked the tight honourable gentleman (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) tin Iris good management within the last two or three days. It was, he conesiveil, creditable to him to have ef fected the loan on such good terms, when it was considered that only a few days back the funds we'e at 66. But though he gave credit to the fief. hon. gent. for his plan in one respect, it was but fair to his hon. hind (Mr. Grenfell) new- hint, to say tat this was the advice "M' lie had given long ago. Mr. GR I: NEELL wi.hal to understand the right linuouratble Fent. (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) on his intentions respect ing the sinking fund. He wished to know whether th ere was only to he a real sinking fund of five millions, or whether the old machinery should go on as before, and the system of borrowing from it be continued. Ile could nor consider the present plan as a breach of faith with the public creditor, for it wws in strict con formity with Mr. Fox's clause. As a proof that it was not con sidered a breech of Stith by those who were the best judges, he need only mention, that when on Friday last it was known OD the Stock-exchange that those 12 millions were to be applied to the service of the country, the 3 per cents., which were at 66,109 C in a very short time to O. . _ The CHANCELLOR - of the Excn EQU ER replied. that he aid not wish to be misunderstood upon this subject, but that any ar rangement now made would not pledge him to a particular oae next year. If it were necessary to v.ke off only I I millions next year, there would not be more than a millions to borrow ; and perhaps circumstances might be such as do away altogether with the nccessity of borrowing further ; that the arrangements re specting any loan next year. however small. would depend on the state of improvement of the country. The resolutions were then read by the Chairman. On the Chairman putting the resolution, •• that there be grant ed a sum of 24t , ,000i. to be raised by iottery." (h.dr). .lr. Cat rrs entertained strong objectimis to the resolution. upon which he would certainly divide the house. The gallery was accordingly cleared fur a division, when the numbers were— Ayes - 117—Noes - 49—Majority in favour of the resolution 65. The next resolution was—That upon every bottlel of malt, barley. corn, or any grain brought from Scotland into Englnn•l s there be laid an excise duty of is.; and a deity of ts. td. upon every pound of tobacco and shuft; the same not being Irish snuff." Mr. Gomm claimed the attention of the house for a few mi nutes. He very seldom troubled them upon questions of this nature ; it was always with great reluctance that he &delimited them, and in the present instance he did so with extreme pain. ) It might, pet hap, Went rely inconsistent in him, who voted on a fanner occasion for the Saancial resolutions of the right honoufable gentleman, now, to oppose one of the principal taxes suggested by hint. Such, however. was hi. intention, and he should do so front this motive—that the lamhal interest of the country had a right to complain of the manner in which their grievances had b. cu considered, and their petitions received. As a member for one of the great agriculturnl counties. he should ill discharge his duty to his constituents, if he did not carefully watch met their interests. They had been told by ..n hon. gent. that their int.merts were sufSciently protected already by the corn. bill. Hut from that opinion he dissented moat entirely: the corn bill was a dead letter in fact, and uo protection whatever. The landed interest demanded only what every other body of awn had—protection ; * protection against the foreign fender, who could afford to bring his corn to market at 40s. cheaper than they could. Not only was that corn bill no protection, but fresh tales were now to be imposed upon therm (Hair.) The Chancellor of the Exchequer had told them. that this deny on malt would affect neither the land .holder nor the consumer. Certainly this was not one of the happiest and most ingenious taxes ever de vised for it was not to vffect tiny one. ( Hear, and mach laregh ter.) But the fact was, that if it did nut press upon the land holder, it necessarily would upon the poor, the great body of whom were ►upported by the {{our rates—another circumstance materially affecting the agticideural interest, and as he always looked upon that as one of the meal important of all, lie should undoubtedly protect it. Mr. Bux•tos said, the Chancellor of the Exchequer had made certain charges against the brewers, and hail only done tat; for now, after conversing, as he himself declared, with a gentleman fully into:used on the subject, and on whose authority lie professed himself to have implicit reliance, the right honour- able gentleman had not had the fairness or the justness to wine forward and acknowledge his error. lie tMr. Huston) might be allowed to feel warm, he hoped, on a subject like tithe; and though, in what he should say, lie wished to observe strictly the respect due to the louse, and that which lie entertained per:o• nally for the right hum gent., yet lie wished to give to the statement of that tight hon. gent. as positive, clear, and direct a contradiction as the English language could furnish him with the means of giving. ( Coeers and Lighter.) The Chancellor of the Exchequer had said, then, that although the malt tax, upon being repealed, had been la,' to the government. yet that circum stance had not benetitted the pcople.suid that the whole advanirge of it had been to the brewers, who continued to charge as be. fine. Culoncl Woos:nouns would not resist the imposition isf taws fur the purposes proposed by the government, but would of to the tux upon noilt on our eeneral principle that it would diwourage the gtouth of corn, which 1F1141.d ben serious esti to the preseut state of taeagticulturc of the country. Mr. C A Le ERT said, he 'stolid object to 011 11w proposed Mara as impressive tii the lower classes of the coonouitity. The resulutiou stow heft' s the House s inmositm nn addl. tioinel duty on malt, nod the reley raising the juice of bee r, woes d pat ticularly ufect the loner chases. Mr. Munkintibn said, that on two occasions there laid beet' two proposition of reduction till Ihr competitors re ceircel an impulse trim the Chaocellor of she Eschequert they declared that they oar eager to reduce, and yet they bad unlined three mouths to elapse w ithout attempting such reduction. The ttrilitiers attic measures wassail, equalled by the estraordsuary mode of carrying their competition into t Teel. he Hunk had been told that she brewers had determined let hold a suer tin!. at which these competitors acre to prove their csinipetitiou by canting W, au uader. shading and concert to reduce their prices. (Ilene and a latigh). With regard In the price of beer, he was free to allow, that if the proposed tut were not billwed, them . gemiemen must have held one of their coast:attest cun p-ler I It ua pr tob, succ eat I hi men ccbc tele 1 the 1 A: the J