The National Register. — London, England, 1819-06-13 00:00:00

190 131.1)ER1.1L PARLI.I.IIEIVI: eontin ued twin the,:id page.' resort to the consumption of spirtts. By the other proposed tax. that on wool. he via, of opinion that a material injury would he alone to a very insportarit branch of our manufacture. He must once more repeat his decided opposition to the resolutituts of the Committee. Mr. HUME doubted mush whether the surplus so much spoken of really amounted to two millions; he aeprehended it %wild be found to fall soo.odief. short V that amount. It had been objected t'uu no particular branch of expenditure had been *boleti to be exorbittint, but he insisted that they were all too enortnous; and if whilst:et had Len sincete in their proffered .resoludon, they would hare den: more and pro.aised loss: pro wlers would nut relieve the starving. 11)Ant,facturen. of Carhsle or of Coventry. Ministers might talk about being economical, • they might boast of their saving dintoeition, but unless they were sincere in their profttsions. what hope was there of ever seeing a termination to our distresses ? For the reasons he had suited. if no other Hon. 31:either proposed an amendment to the rc , he should think proper himself to divide the 'loose upon it. Mr. D. W. HARTET strongly objected to the imposition of - these new taxes upon a people already too much oppressed. Mr. WAIT II 7 , 1.1 N ObJVCICII to the imposition of even a shilling. . in the shape of taxes, upon the people. 'roe real question now - to be considered was, nut what ought to be the amount of the • oinking fund, for whether it was to be five millions or ten 'Minor./ • signified little; but was the country now in a state to bear these axes? The minister had been unable to make a kon to the extent he wished fhr, and had recourse to the sinking fund. To this expedient he had been driven, and lie would find, ultimately, to Lis astonishment, that although the taxes were enereased, the revenue would he grieviously diminished. The first and second resolutions were then put and carried unanknosule. Sir M. Y. Butter moral an amendment to-the effect of leaving out all the words of the ori•ined motion after the word •• That," and to substitute a declarltion that it was not expedi ent is the distreesuil state of the country, nor till every ma'am se re:ellenl retrenchinent was adopted, to add to the burdens of of the people by any fresh impoeitior.s. The CHANCELLOR Of the EXCHEQUER said he should oppose the lion. Baronet's readmit - in, and girt. his support to that already before the House. ( firer). Mace.v.sx.o.n made a tew remarks in favour of the "rneraltnent. Strangers were then ordered to withdraw and the House divided. For the resolo een Ins For the muendwen• Majority in (moor of the resolution --110 The third reading of the Cush Faytuents Dill is postponed till Monday. w•EVxcsDAY, JUNE 9. Sir M. B. Ft/LEES presented a Petition from the shipowners and merchants of King's Lyun against the forcigri enlistment bill.—Laid on thetablc. STATE OF Acittcuttnal:.—A Petition was presented from Barnstaple, praying the !louse to appoint a Coniumwe to enquire into the state of agriculture.—Read and ordered to lie on the Paula I..twa.—Mr. S. BOURNE obtained leave to litLig in a Bill to amend the act regarding parish vestrie - , Mr. S. BOURN': moved for leave to bring in a Bill to amend the Poor I.aws regading settlements and renting tenements. — The object was to amend the law as to the meaning of *. Tene ment." the occupier via tenon:tint under 101. for forty days. giving a claim to raidenee; end that bad led to great abuse.— agreed to. Petitions were pvelemed from Bradford and Leeds against the Tax on Wool, winch, aft.r a lung debate, were mid, aud ordered to be painted. TtlF. BUDGET. The Ilouse having resolved iuclf into a Committee of Ways and Means, The CUANCEI.I.on of the EXCHEQUER rose to bring forward hi. Budget. lie said the !louse, by rcsolufons, had already taken some view of the simmers of the country; and after what bad been agreed upon, it remained with him to show haw the supplies required were to be raised. Most of the items were known, and with the addition 010 Yinall loan for the next year, the House was in possession of the state of our finance.. fie would now naillethe general heads of ale aveoucts ; sod the following is a sum:wary of the detail : SUPPLIES. (hatted for till F. 1819. .t 8,909.60.5 Andy £8.900.000 6.4.56.811.1 Navy 1 a 45,600 Ordnance 1,114i.1100 1.9514.9:9 Mibcellaneous 1.950,000 4:13.5705il Total Supplies X 18,477,000 e,Doo,otio Interest on Exchequer•llills 1,570.1a10 51i0.000 Sinking Fund on ditto 430.000 iti.130.95t 20,477.(100 By reduction of Unfunded Dcitt itt,397,f1u0 4u,074,0ur WAYS AND MEANS. Grantee! for I /IS. 1119. A-1.000,0 no Annual Malt i.. 3,000,000 3.3()).(4 Excise Duties continued 3,500.c le 1t.50.0011 Lottcry 2to,trat , Y 50,000 Old !Stores ..... —.... 354,0k4 L7,uoo,uon_ X7,074,n00 I .nee ll,o3o,teio Lunn frau the Sinking Fund-- 1e.000.000 £31,074.n00 One Loan. the Right Ilea, Gentleman said, lewd already been mentioned ; that from the Stoking Food to the amount of it.houmont. would be hereafter brought forward. These t n•o Lonna would raise the supply to upward:, of thirtyonc•millione. The Loan by competition, he bath agreed for this morning ; and lie had to congratulate the country on the ativaruageous tern:s on which it had been concluded —(llrar. hear.) It was 0:1 tenets most benedziel the public. As to the charge of management. he begged to oh.erve that the Loon front the Sinking. Fund would 1101 occasion any charge on the part of the Bank. The amount of t'le s holetirtsge of the Loans, 6.T. would be I 04.3,000/. the rate of i.otzrert 41.. Zs. 9d. and the 4Thele charge to the public r)4. 2.1. per rent. The Loan fur the next year would b e a b ou t 4,orsi.orot ; and that he trusted would be the Lad Loan it would irestsutirel to make.—( fleor.)—The amount of the unfunded debt was sl,isit,tori.; it was prnprows: to diminish it 10.500.000 L which would redure the •erfanded debt to 58,500,0001 The amount of taxes. three millions, he proposed to apply to the hirvngtherring of the consalidattal fond. 13 meet the interest of tie loans of the Lot and the present years lle bad already noticed the genn..l deril of the items. by which it was proposed o make up the three millions.; tea:titian ienuld now le unneces sary. as the whole aunt ras to go to the 'Consolidated Fuad, achedules would hermit r be placed in the howls of Members. there would be considerabie alterations in the mode ((tiling and the new cloths. T;iis applied to Tobacco: the duos. were to be equalized. The foreign tobacco would be at its. duty, the plantatitm tobacco ss.; and all snidik indiscriminately at Gs. The. would Product 5 0 0,000 r. The customs on Tea were to be ,re,pcaLd,. and the Eacisel)uty advanced to 100. This would THE NATIONAL REGISTr,R. give the amount which had been named. I'lacing the duties nuwe distinctly under the Excise would be serviceable, as the er tido were susceptible of touch adulteration ; and adulteration would be more effettually checked by the Eloise. All the duties, it was proposed, should be extended to Ireland and Scotland. ex cepting that on Spirits. The Malt Duty, which was calculated would produce 1,400,000/. would be one shilling and two-pence per baelael. The amount of the materials for brewing Lad year was 3/. 19. i.; this year it was .5/. be; and from the elan:l:lent of Mr. Itatelay. he was warranted in thinking, that the puldie might look to a reduction of the price of Leer —(/.and CAcering ) There woukl be no reason to advance the price of beer now. and he confidently expected that a reduction of the price would soon take place.—The advance on spirits he thought essential to pro tect the Breweries, as well as the morals and health of the people Mor.) lie had now gone through the items, and if further explanation were required, he should be happy to give it. He repeated that the loan for next year would not be above 4,060,004 except it could be raised by 01111:1' Illetilla and lie trusted that afterwards the Government would have no occateion to trouble the House on the painful subject of loans and new taxes. (Hear.) Ile hoped those who hail supported the Government on the pre sent occasion. would have die thanks of their Constituents, after the irritation of the moment had gone by.—( Hear.) He con cluded with 'noting that it was expedient to raise 12,000,000/ by annuities. Mr. GRESIFELL agreed that it was not only desirable, but with reference to the best interests of the country, must expedient that it should posses. a surplus of inure beyond the expendi ture ; that it errould possess, in short, what was well known by the name of diet Sinking Fund. lie 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 expenditure and additional taxes, to 5 mil. lions. Alter the country should thus be placed in an attitude to command respect from all die world, he should feel moat happy if, by economy, by the proposed regulations in the collection of the revenue, and lastly, by the operations of compound interest, those 5 millions were raiael to 3 millions of surplus. was one pert of the subject not adverted to, but upon which he was pe . rtireariy sensitive; and though it appeared in itself trifling, it might produce results of the utmost vale,:: i.e alluded to the ge nerally understood refusal of the Bank of England to give the loan contractors that acconimodation which for the lust en or 25 years it had afforded, by making a proportionate advance on the instalments of the loan. The directors must forgive hint for asserting, that there was !oznething of littleness and low niind othiess, eornething of pique and spleen in this refusal : it was an opposition to She government and the country, wholly unworthy persona profeassiug to take such an interest in the cor.cerns of the ...ninon. It was, perhaps, natural that the corporation should feel same degree of resentment ag ainst government, which, after 20 or 25 years of subserviency, hail at last broken the fetters by which they lied been so long and injuriumly bound; and he was not eurprieed that the directors now came torward and con sidered such an attempt as a romance to their high and mighty authority. ( It was not to be wondered that 24 mei chants, meal eneabed in the pursuit of gain, should be a little intoxicated with tine power they had for a series of years exer cised ; and they inignt be allowed to feel a little chagrin and surenees that their lowa was now at an end. They had hitherto been uixiouely eomulted by ministers in all exigencies regarding the finances, end 110 doubt they thought it a little hard that those to whom (though riot quite disinterestedly) they had given their advice and assistance, now turned against diem. Perhaps even they might feel some portion of resentment at the apparent ingratitude of their proteges, the First lamd of the Treasury and the Chancellor of the Emile:quer. ((.'seers and tang/del.) It Would be easy to gu more at large into tits point, but lie would merely congratulate minister.: tnat they had at length effected their emancipation front a species of tyranny us disgraceful to the governmeat as injurious to the best interested the country. Mr. al AYNING denieti the charge mo t unequivocally, and he called upon the hon. gent. to prove or to retract it. The direc tors had been told, that they were not to be politicians ; that they had nodding to do with the state of the country, or its in tenota ; and that they ought to eontine themselves to their boobs and their banking business. The conductor the directors, on tine particular question referred to. had nothing to do with tine point. now before the committee. He was quite willing to bear his , share of reeponsibility for the dratheion at which that body bad arrived, and he would nut attempt to screen hinteelt by any ex: planation (if the motives by which Inc had been actuated. Mr. tin uNFI:I.I. exphated. The hon. gent. had represented it as scarcely honourable in him to have stated that there had been a tkivision in the Court of Dbectors, siace that hat could not have been communicated to lihn•without breach of confidence. He lind only to slay that he had heard the fact stated upon the pubic street. and by a Bank director, when two or three other gentle men ware present. and that no symptom of any necessity or any wish tor secrecy lure appetred. EatJima NEWPORT said, that he really thought the conduct eof the Bank perfectly right. After the steps taken for the re sumption of cash.payments. it was but fair that the Bank.should exercise their own ~liscretion. Ale BEN X e r felt Knelt relacumee to speak on a financial sub ject, but he must rentark, that, conoidermg the sue/dices made by the people ut this country, the privations which they had endured, and the diatheses by whic4 they.hul been depressed. he was astonished at the amount of revenue which they paid. When be considered the distress, s , tfl ring, mi►eay, and wrt,:h. edness that prevailed; when he saw disease. the result of misery•; and saline, the result of 'Merry sail lliktUkt : when he observed every where ;vaster want and misery. than Eng/end ever knew since it beerune a kingdom : what he found, into whatever de perune»t he looked, whether into the agriculture, the commerce, or the manuttetures of the country,' that nothing was to be seen but distress, want, and beggary; when he cor.sidered these eintes, cempelied to call it sensing short of n u ttiness to imytoe one mow ter, and he thought it isnpo.sible to foresee the result. On the particular tares, and especially on the malt tax, he should oiler some olwervicions on a future occasion. He beg .gad, however, to say before he coucluded, that the 330 persons who had voted for 5 millions snare of taxes were aware that this was not the end, but the begin uir.g of Derlisuneut. I.:lkt yes ion 5531 u persona could not have been found in that !louse to give such a vote ; and if they had been found they would lave mat with tie same receptitut which those who had voted away the liberties of the people net with. lle wished much, however great the inconvenience ut it, that those three hundred and thirty persont .should be sent lark to the people, when, instead of the hold tone which they assumed iu diet House, they would have recourse to apologias, and be covered with shame fur their conduct. Mr. MAN SEIELti said, he was not afraid, even if he were to be haulm:lately sent bark to lab ontitittuents—if there were now to be a diloolution of Parlitutteto—he should not be afraid to tell the Mow that he aporovtal of a property tax. lie thotu c ht it ir.dnitely Getter for the ;louse to bay, .• Come and lay a me dined property tax, of which we slot!' fee! the burden,' than to Wilmot any other tax. hut if gentlemen would not have a pro perty tax, he thought. Abort ate property tax. that the taxer pro posed were the most lenient ; but it a property tax Avoid be reeonimended, lbt: would shift his ground and support it. _ _ Mr. J. P. GRAN" said, the question wail, bow tile country, co much pressed maw, could be relieved. 'The remedy wax not an ii.creaae of taxation. Let the erimury, on the contrary, ix allowed a little ere:ie. and then its industry, its resource., ...ad its prospe ity wouln increase. That was the only niuue of increasing the re Venue, and ultin»tely reducing our burdens. sit n.lv /1.50 31 objected to t& proposed taxation, on the ground that it would give to bad and desperate characters, of whom there were wine in the country, an opportunity of inflaming the JUNE 13. minds of the people by the representation that they were taxed, as was in fact the case, beyond 'heir ability to pay. Inenxiseat taxation in time of peace would also have the effect of taking from the fundholder any security of ultimate payment which he might have. This was the ca,e in France ; it was the case in Prussia. It might be, as in the CIA'S of those countries, that a forced tempom.-y supply might be obtained, but then it would be, as with them, the destruction of the sources of fair and tea :enable revenue. Mr. Aldermen WOOD objected to the tax on malt, which, in the present depressed state of the farmers, would be most se verely felt. Mr. Ittesnuo had already opposed the grant of 3 millions towards a .=inking-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 required it. Ile therefore never woubl hive a vote in support of any tax which went to continue a sink ing fund: for if that fund were to amount to R 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 those who were acquainted With the lbjeet t and it would have been hut fair and sound policy to have exposed it long ago. On the subject of the loan he had nothing to obiect. Ile gave credit to and thanked the tight honourable gentleman (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) for his good management within the last two or three days. It wax, he conceited, creditable to hint to have ef fected the loan on such good terms, when it was considered that only a few days back the funds were at GI Hut though he gave credit to the right hon. gent. for his plan in one respect,. it teas but tide to his hon. friend (Mr. Orenfellt near him, to say that this was the advice which he hail given long ago. Mr. GOENVELT. wished to untletstand the right honourable gent. (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) on his intentions respect ing the sinking fund. He wished to know whether there was only to be a real sinking fund of live millions, or whether the old machinery should go on as before, and the system of borrowing front it be continued. Ile could not consider the present plan as n breach of faith with the public creditor, for it was in strict con formity with Mr. Fox's clause. As a proof that it was net eon sidercxl a breach of faith by those who were the best judge,, he need only mention, that when on Friday last it was known on the Stock-exchange that those 12 millions were to be applied to die service of the country, the 3 per cents., which were at 6G, rose in a very short time to 69. The Citateerbboa of the Exettr.cluEn replied, that he did not wish to be misunderstood upon this subject, but that any ar rangement now made would not Fledge him to a particular one next year. If it were necessary to take off only It millions next year, there would not be more than 4 millions to borrow ; and perhaps circumstances might be such as do away altogether with the necessity of borrowing further ; that the arrangements re specting any loan next year, however small, would depend oa the state of improvement of the country. The resolutions were that read by the Chairman. On the Chairman putting time resolution, " that there be grant ed a sum of 240,004. to be raised by lottery," (hear), Mr. CRIPYA entertained strong objections to the noolution, upon which lie would certainly divide the house. The gallery• was teczuretingly &artal fur a division, when the numbers were— Ayes - 117—Noes -49—Majority in favour of the resolution ea. The next resolution was—That upon every bushel of malt, barley, corn, or any grain brought from Soot:int! into England. there be laid an tXCldg duty of Is.; and a duty of upon every pounehof tobacco and snuff, the same not being Irish snuff," . Mr. Goode claimed the attention of the house fur a few tui mites. He very seldom troubled them upon questions of this nature ; it was always with great reluctance that be addressed them, and in the present instance he did so with extreme pain. (Hear.) It might, perhaps, seem very inconsistent in hint. ale' voted on a former revision for the financial resolutions el de right honourable gentleman, now, to oppose one of the prineied taxes suggested by him. Suck, however, was his intention. and be should du so from this motive—.that the lended interest of the country had a riche to esniplain of the manner in which their grievances had hien considered, and their petitions received. A 4 a men thee fin one of the great agricultural counties, lie should ill discharge his duty to his constituents, if he did not carefully watch over their inters:as. They had been told by an hon. gent. that their interests woe sufficiently partixted already by the corn bill. But from that opinion he dissented most entirely: the corn bill vows dead letter in fact, and co protection whatever. The landed inter.st demanded only -what terry other body of men had—protection ; a protection against the foreign farmer, 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 taxes were now to be opposed upondiern. (.Ilear,) The Chazcellor of the Exchequer lend told them, that this uuty on malt would affect neither the land.helder 110 T the cousunier. Certainly this was not one of the happiest sad most ingenious tuxes ever de vised ; for it was not to affect any one. ( Hear, and ;waft Luigi,- ter.) lint the fact was, that it it did not press upon the boldest, it nemssarily would upon the poor. the great betty of whom were sopeurted by the pcor ratea--another circumstance materially affecting the agricultural interest, and as he always looked upon that es °noel the :met inyortant of all, he should undoubtedly proem it. Mr. WIXTON said. the Chancellor of the Exchequer Iran made certain charges against the brewers, and had only dote that ; for now, after conversing, as he lihnself declared, with a gentleman fully informed on the subject, and on whose authority he prefessed himself to have implicit reliance, the right honour• able gentleman hail not had the &into., or the justness to come forward and acknowledge his erase. Ha (Mr. Bunion/ might be allowed to feel warm, he hoped, on a subject like this; and though, in what he should say, he wished to observe strictly the respect iole to the house, and that which he entertained pesso. :tally fur the right hon. ger.t., yet he wished to give toehe 'gateman of that right hon. gent. as positive. char. and dietct contradiction as it:candid' huiguage could furnish him with the means of giving, ( ('itecre cud laughter.) The Chanceiler of the Exchequer had said, then, that although the malt tax, upon being repealed, had been lost to cite government, yet that circum stance had rot heat-fitted die people.and :bat the whole advantage of it had .hetai to the brewers, who • continued to charge as be fore. Cuhmel Wontitenosii would not resist the imposition Of taxes for the purposes proposed by the government. but would ohject to the tax upon malt on the geoerill principle that it would discourage the von th of corn. *hick *o , " be at s •citrus evil is the present slate of the agricelsere of the COUIII ry. Mr.Ci LS ER I said, be would object to all the proposed taxes as imp/evolve to the lower classes of the roininunT.. The resolution now before the !louse, imptoing nn taidi• Clonal duty on mutt, and thereby reising the price of beer, woo d particularly affect the lower classes. Mr. flostirlitts sail, that 011 two VeCtoioll9 there bad been nu proposition of reduction till the competitory , re ceived art impulse from the Chimes:bur of the Eschequei; they ilcelvreil that they were racer to reduce, and yet they had allowed three months to elapse w ithout attempting such reduction. The tardiness attic memures wasooly equalled by the -extraordinary mode of carrying their rim:petit iiiii into %test. Ihe flouts. had been told that the brew rs lord debit-mined to hold a mretinz. at a hich those e""4" l .: firS well, to purse their coin petit loss by coming t.. .w andtr stonliog aid conceit to reduce their prices. ( /Par ano a laugh). With ,egad to the price of beer, be was free to allow, that if the proposed tax were not imposed, these gentlemen must have held one of their couveuient (mart,- I