The Sun. — London, England, 1837-07-01 00:00:00

,rtune 1.9 meet inns. h Lau Lai,. 1161'ity LO IIICILiIIe nia one, because he had brought forward a motion upon the sub ct a former cccasion. With respect to including the Member for Lambeth, he thought it might be a conve •kieoce to have one gentleman who was connected with the Con - pally cti the Committee. Mr. WAL TE K be ,, ed to decline acting on the Committee. Y illE BUDGET. - The Speaker then left the Chair. The House resolved ite ,--- elf into a Committee of Ways and Mcsns, ' Mr. BE lINAI, in the Ch a i r . '` The CHANCELLOR. of the EXCHEQUER s Litl, that ..' sa former occasions he had been blessed for the length and letail which he had gone into; but undoubtedly Ird it . not i're se n f or th e p resent state o f t h e S ession he should consider imself bound to give to the house in the greatest possible .,h , etails, all that iie cons id ere d i meortsnt as connected we. 'se revenue of the country. He should most cer , minly have preferred to have it said that he had usosi o many words—that h e sa id too much—to having t said that he had made any attempt at tmncealment ; ' sit knowing that it was next to impossible to arrest the 1 ttention of the House to anything further than the Mere 1 tatement which he was about to make, he should confine e l imself within the narrowest possible limits. He regretted - . a say that he approached 'the House under circumstances :cry different to those which he had done upon the last 4nd similar occ as i on . A t t h at period the general impression, sithout as well as within doors, as to the state of all matters - J•onnected eith the commerce and manufactures of this mete e , vy was such as to inspire all parties with a hope of general tad extended commerce and preeperity. At that period he vook the liberty very earnestly but respectfully to call the el ittention of the house to those indications then existing vhich to his mind presaged apt extravagant degree of con idence in the existing state of things. Not only in the 1 aonth of May, but both antecedently and subsequently, he ook the liberty of stating to the House that there ...i .vere many circumstances connected with high prices —extravagant speculations in commercial affairs, and the -great eetension of credit, which might lead to an alteration— l?a fearful alteration of those circumstances. He had to thank the Right Hon. Baronet the Member for Tamworth, whom he did not then se e i n hi s p l ace, for the support which he was * E A -then kind enough to give him, and for the confirmation he then save to his (the Chancellor of the Exchequer's) suggestions. se On that occasion the Right Hon. Baronet was kind enough to . "'say that lie concurred with him in the language of caution, • which he thought it his duty to address to the House. ,Aln his opinion th ere were circumstances connected with the ''',,lexisting state of things which gave rise, if not to feelings of ialarm, were good grounds for feelings of apprehension. The 41 necessity for that caution had since been proved by the unfor tunate circumstances which bad since befallen the mercantile .- : ,,interests of the country. As on that occasion he had not thought it fitting or justifiable to add to the confidence which ex isted out of doors, so on the present occasion he would ; add that he saw no grounds for stating that there were now =any circumstances in the state of the country to create appre hensions of severe or lasting suffering. In Isis opinion they 'lliad seen the worst of it--the prospects before the country '. were brightened ; and he stated most explicitly that his opinion was, that they might confidently rely upon the re sources of the country to carry them through all their diffi culties if they acted with prudence and forbearance, and avoided ;leaking any step which might lead to shake the public credit. 4lt was upon the public credit after all that the great resources of the country depended, and although there were some vague - rumours out of d oors , t h ose were only made by parties who e,..were anxious to p ersua d e t h e great mass of the people that ' that was n o t th e case. They were anxious to persuade them ; v v .were a bounda r y ex i ste d between the monied and the working .claeses of th e country , lie had no doubt whatever that the 1 - reflecting classes would be aware that the public resources e. were guaranteed, by protecting the property of the rich, and :the industry and property of the poor. Last night an Hon. Gentleman in an argument upon a Bill had asserted that the borrower of money and the lender were to he considered as a distinct class, and that that which was good for one must be ' bad for the other; that lion. Member had committed the same ' mistake, as an lion. Member had done some time since, when he stated, that if an act was committed by Parliament that e'nook the credit of the country, the poor were not injured. lie would not on the present occasion enter into a history of e the commercial difficulties which existed in the country, but he l '; would again say, he had every confidence that of those difficul tics they had seen the worst. It must be gratifying to lion. Gentlemen who bad turned their attention to the subject to see that by the statements in the " London Gazette" the bullion in the coffers of the Bank of England was every day assuming 1 a better aspect. lie need not allude to the amount of that bullion, as it was op en to a ll who would read that demi ' ment, but he would take that opportunity of stating, that from the 7th of February last up to the present mo - ment, week by wee k , there had been a gradual increase of bullion in th e treasury of the Bank. To those who were V. parties to the A ct o f 1819, and to the Bank Charter Act, that must be a subj ect o f t h e most gratifying description. lie e would now p rocee d , as shortly as he could, to state to the Committee th e i ncome and expenditure of the year, as compared with hi s est i mate of the income and expenditure in the cour se o f t h e l ast session. He would at once state the estimate of last y ear , an d what the result had b een . Wi t h , respect to the in come , h e h ad calculated that the Customs . would have p ro d uce d 20,54 0,000 L—the act ua l i ncome had ES' been 21,445,000/. — ( H ear.) The Excise he calculated at 'f , 14,120,000/.—the ectual in come h a d been 14,439,000/. 1 , ( Hear.) Th e S tamps he had calculated at 7,000,000/. and the receipt had been 7,100,000/. The Taxes were Se estimated at 3,575,0001., and they had produced 3,681,0001. The Post-office receipts he had calculated at 1,540,000/., the -'produce had been 1,618,0001. The Miscellaneous had been estimated at 175,000 L, the produce had been 165,000/. There fore the income which, upon the data then before him, he had calculated at 40 ,980,000/., had produced 48,453,0001., undoubtedly showing a very large excess over and above any e calculation that he had from motives of prudence made to the tHouse. He hoped the House would not quarrel with him be e cause the income of the year had exceeded the estimate he had i" . • made.—( Hear, hear.) He sincerely hoped the House e . . would not su s p ect t h at he had stated the possible income s,;. with any view of misleading the House, because if there , was one duty more sacred than another which he owed to its: his country, considering the position in which he stood, it . was not to mislead Ilse House by exaggerated hopes or exagge s rated expectations of their future resources.—( Hear, hear, hear.) Ile would now proceed to the expenditure *and the est i mate of the interest of the funded debt r:1 which he had made 2 8,528,0003., the payment bad been 28 , 5 37,000/. The other charges upon the Consolidated Fund, exclusive of the West India Slave Compensation ac ,' comet, which he left out, in order to enable gentlemen to make 1 ,... a compari son w i t h the statement of last year, he took at 2,092,000/., t h e charge had been 2,! 83,0001. ; therefore, there , sad b een , i n po i nt of fact, no great difference in the mount of the i nterest of the funded and unfunded deb:, and the charges of the Consolidated Fund —the estimate being ,00.620,000/ , and tile actual expenditure 30 ,720,000/., bring r. illy a diff erence of 100,0001., on which he would have to i •ay s omet hi ng presently. It hail been cal cu l ate d that the t - expenses of th e year would have been 14,585,0001., but that calculatio n h a d b een taken before the whole of the sup , Ireblies had been voted—e Hear, hear)—and the supplies yacuelly voted amounted to 14 ,652,000/., beingss small llsees over the sum ca l culated upon. There was a a addi tioa n el su m t o h e a dd ed for unclaimed dividends, which hail re t • , • ekbeen leel•ied for i mme di ately after the publication of the r ;Asses, and which amounted to 69,0001. The Government had ri "felt :elt it his duty t o g i ve every possible facility to the payment of ' . 4 thes e divid en d s , a l though it might have been at some addi *nitionel expens e t o . t h em. Hitherto be had stated th e expen r. TTitre amid income without any reference to the West India oa n . lie stated to the House upon that occasion wha !maximum cf th e c h arge they were rightly to be ca t lle was d the on ` ,71 4t0 pay, and h e h a d a l so stated the niesimum, and had struupck 'eau average between ilea two. Fie bad calculated that they j'.:i%votild be called upon to pay for what might be termed the eurrent and the back interest upon the West India loan, a sum Alof 1,111,0001. But in place of that they had been required •"Ato pay a sum of 1,448,342/. That, of course, was simple tlits payment o f a d e b t w hi ch they were liable to pay at One i -period or anot h er , an d he rejoiced to say that that coctin- Issency had occurred at a period when the incense of the coupe 'try had exceeded their expectations, leaving a considerable [ surplus to be applied under the Act of Parliament to the reduction of the national debt.—( Hear.) He had now sotto ,phernodui„,...e.,:i thest l t c rtt lasteo t of Te i r the c e o s m t i ir:slarteedd withincomethe and t,. t e x i income end expenditure—h e had shown while the expenditure ihad exceeded their expectations, the inc ome also h a d exceeded Oleic exp ectat i ons, and they had: by this means paid off a greater mass of debt than could have been contemplated; aid l,. he would say, net in justification of himself, but of tiie r lion. Gentlemen eneweed in a responsible duty, that it wse Arming to their exertions the demands of \Vest - India prole ieters ',load so far exceeded their expectat Mee, ile believed that was Rowing ito be attributed to the great zcal and industry el the Hon. Gentlemen who acted as Commissioners for a - djudicating on l e the West India claims, and seeing the Noble Marquis and a e Right Hose Friend opposiee of his elm had great experience ;lin West India affairs whether the precision, dispatch, and .., 'accuracy with which the officers of the Compen rl sation Fund had transacted the buesiness committed . to their chasge, had not beers such as to give perfect satisfaction ,to all par'sies ?—( Hear, pear,) He believed a greater amount `, of heemess had never been done in so short sace of time. He, would now proceed to the estimat es, and a wo p uld compare diem with the estimates of the last year. He regretted to say that he was not in a condition either with respect to the income or expenditure to make a very sa tisfactory statement to the House. With respect to sthe income ho could S3,i littlo more than was known to hover Hon. 'Member, ...nal they could not have a great pressure lupin the countr:—tleat they could not have a great pressure on the nme'etacturing and mercantile interests of the country, without that acting immediately on the revenue of the country also, They were as closely connm ted as cause and effect, and iseirinjurious effect on the Excise ar.d revenue were undeniable. 'ith respect to the Customs Duty, undoubtedly circumstances sad occurred which had enhanced the receipts. The receipt /of tea duties in the last year had forestalled very considerably the receipts of the subsequent years. Above all, in respect 4to Bohea tea, which parties eould have introduced on a given '"day at one shilling and six-pence duty, whereas, if they kept it ' `over, they could only introduce it at an increased amount of duty of' 2s. Id. per lb.,—the amount of the Tea duties he 'would refer to for a moment. That duty last year had un doubtedly exceeded the amount received in former years, but the ci nsumption was going on rapidly its the country, which "was in a state of prosperity and employment, and tea was . isxtending itself through all classes of the community, isnd superseding other commodities which were not Iso advantageous to the revenue. In 1833 the amount of tea imported was 31,800,000 lbs. weight. In 1834 it was '34,969,0001h5; in 1835, 36,600,0001b5. ; and in 1836 it was F W ' , sn,B44,oochns. It was quite clear that the eluV had bet li cleared for home consumption: He hAd that no man could calculate this as a tale Otptnent of the amount Which would be nal!' kknkl`,:i ordinary circumstances. Soine 'of thii tea had I;trat exported, but the amount *as c',ce.ei:ingly inrall, and was not worth enterint, to `tlie account.—( Hear, bear.) Another wa.r 4. •`_.•;'r.',-er, to illustrate the matter was by .tating tho satit".•Unt cf d u ty rece i ve d upon i t. F or the year orn.litvt the sth of April 1836, the amount of lint trq , . - 0 1 5`4 tea was 3,886 0001., an d f or the rar 1•f to itke bth of April 1837, it was 4.603,000/.—K NoW, while on the one hand tiley would be (a . 0 - rel.it they did not take into account the result's of the alterations in the law, yet they would a 1,4 ho in error if all 0, - ,e increase in the consumption. ett`o Witributed to this cause. For there had he ,- ‘t!tl Zradual increase in the eansump , ion, and i t w•I bill; to be expected that it would go on ntercahioff ill accelerated ratio up to o .t: tonal of 4'A tASt. Ail he wanted to itnr.-es'S upon the House was that, as respected the Cnst's'*,.-.s revenue, there had been a large amount receive4. l 2nl; year which they could not expect to reerive in the year coming. In like mantle!' With respect th the expenditure of the rontay, there *as a con siderable item to he thArged which should ri+t be dis regarded, and to which he was st!ro the attention of Gentlemen would be directed. fit referred to the increased in terest on the unfunded qteot, on Exchequer Bills, in iepterober last—he had felt it his duty to increase the interest on 12,000,000/. of Exchequer Bills outstanding, from the rate n. I:kd. a day to the rate of 2d. a day; and subsequently in the month of November, towards the close of it, he found it necessary to give an increased rate of interest upor the whole of the unfunded debt. He had increased it from 2,1 a day to 2. 1 .1., which represented an interest of 31 per cent. It was not merely on that account that this burden had been increased, because those gentlemen who had looked at the estimates would have found that in some instances, he did so upon grounds which then appeared to him to bo sufficient, and which at this moment he had no reason to re pent of. At the period that took place there were persons in the City, and the bankers in various parts of the country, who at that moment of pressure and difficulty found it difficult to realize the public securities they held, in order to meet the engagements to which they were subject. He did not think it would be just, or consistent with the public credit of the country, that the Exchequer bills which were floating between a nominal premium, par, and discount—he did not think that it was consistent or just that that state of things should con tinue; he had, therefore, taken that course which pru dence dictated. If he had delayed in taking that step, and in that case discredit had been thrown upon the unfunded debt of the country, it would have behoved the Govern ment to have raised the interest on those securities. That course was taken in 1825. There was at that time an increase of interest placed upon Exchequer Bills, and yet there was a continuation of the sale of Exchequer Bills at a low dis count. He therefore felt that it would be but justice that the interests on these securities should be increased, more especially at a period when in consequence of the impor tation of foreign goods, parties were induced to invest their capital, under the hope of obtaining the high rate of interest. He had adverted to this subject for the purpose of showing, that whilst on the one hand he could not reckon on the same amount of income during the current year as was received in the last, so with respect at least to the interest of the unfunded debt the charge had been increased. But it was not merely on this ground that his burden had been increased, because a re ference to the estimates would show that some changes had been introduced this year which undoubtedly up to a late period ho had no reason to calculate upon being taken into ac count. He would not refer to them at the present moment ; they were open to all in the papers upon the table of the House. Some of them had been voted, others had not; but the gross amount under that head was 300,0001. The charges upon the Consolidated Fund and the interest which he had to provide for the funded and the unfunded debt amounted to 30,890,0001. The estimates for the year would be—. For the Army £6,401,000 Navy Ordnance 1,302,000 Miscellaneous The figures be had just given to the House did not entirely concur with the Votes which were upon the table—for in stance, the votes for the Royal Navy included the amount of the Post-office packets, which had been transferred to them, that made the estimates for the navy greater 100,0001. Of course that was to be expected to be deducted from the Post-office revenue. In the Miscellaneous votes it would be seen that they were less in amount than the votes on the table by the amount proposed to be advanced for the civil ex penses of Lower Canada. It was, in point of fact, no more than an advance, because the money was actually in the Treasury of Canada, and could not be paid out without the consent of the Crown, and was to be considered merely as a vote of credit, which would be covered by the money in Canada. The Right Hon. Gentleman then went on to say, thi's vote, therefore, is only a vote of credit to be covered by the sum in the Canadian treasury. The money there is a security for the repayment of the sum voted, and which amounts to 104,0001. Thus, then, it is estimated that the expenditure of the current year will be 45,786,415/. That is exclusive of the West India compensation, the amount of which, payable within the year, will be 845,000/., leaving a gross surplus of income over the expenditure, as far as I have hitherto gone, of no more than 608,5851. Those who advert to the papers laid before the House on the Bth of May will see that on this occasion, as on former occasions, upon the estimates prepared by the Right Hon. Gentlemen opposite, it is necessary to provide a sum to make good the deficiencies of the ways and means in preceding years. The sum required for this purpose is 223.9121., which, deducted from the gross surplus of 608,585/., will leave only a net surplus of 384,6731. I assure the House that I have drawn up my statement of the actual income and expenditure of the country without the slightest attempt to conceal or to withhold anything. I am only anxious to acquaint the House with the state of things as it actually exists. I turn now to the amount of income upon which I calculate for the current year. I take the income to be derived from the Cus toms at 21,100,0001., which is 345,452/. less than the amount of customs last year—the actual receipt of the year ending sth April, 1837, being 2 1,445,452/. I shall not make a large estimate for the excise. It will be remembered that there was a considerable reduction in the receipts of the excise last year, chiefly arising perhaps from the falling off in the consumption of malt, as will be seen from the following table, showing the number of bushels of malt upon which the duty has been paid since the year 1834 MALT. Bushels. Bushels. 1834 40,517,000 1836 45,509,000 18:35 40,662,000 1837 42,642,000 Decrease from 1836 to 1837 2,867,000 Average of 1834, 1833, 1836 42,229,000 But the prospects of the excise for the current year are of such a nature as to induce me to believe that if there should be a falling off in the customs there will be an increase in the excise. I know that this is mere or less a matter of specu lation ; but as far as I am able to judge, I have every reason to believe that, without any fear of being contradicted by the result, I may take the estimate of the income to be derived from the excise in the current year at 13,800,0001. being 639,391/. less than the actual receipts of the excise for the year ending the sth of April, 1837. Upon stamps I shall no doubt have something to lose, because the repeal, which only partially affected the last year, w ill of course come into full operation in the current year. I calculate the income to be derived from stamps at 6,800,000/. ; but I have reason to believe that they will produce a trifle more. The taxes of the year I estimate at 3,710,000/. in place of the 3,631,917/. which was the product of the taxes in the past year. The income to be derived from the Post -office I estimate at 1,660,0001., and from miscellaneous sources at 170,0001. Thus the gross amount of the estimated income of the year I take at 47,240,0001. and the gross amount of the expenditure, exclu sive of West India compensation, at 45,786,415/. If to the latter 845 ,000 / . be added as the estimated expense of the slave c ompensation, expe n di ture of 608,5851. ; but that sum, for the reasons I have a gros s surp l us w ill b e left of income over already stated, must be reduced by the amount of the sums ne cessary to he advanced to meet the deficiency of former years, so that in fact the net surplus max upon which we can calcu late is 334,1431. I regret most sincerely that this amount must dtstippoint the expectations of many lion. Gentlemen, And I ceafess it disappoints my own. I could have wished that the surplus had been larger. Tbere were two or three important questions with respect to the reduction of taxation, nhich I was most anxiou s to have had an opportunity of pro posing' and although I am not at the present moment in a con dition to bring them forward, I will not seller them to escape my recollection. If, after the event which is no puhlicly announced, of a di sso l ution, there should be an early sitting of the. new Parliament, it would, in my opinion, be most de sirable, if the improved condition of the fieaeces arid commerce of the country would permit it, that the several claims which had been advanced to the attention of tho House for a reduc tion of taxation should he taken into consideration.—( Hear.) As I have already stated, notwithstanding the difficulty and pressure of the moment, I have no deep apprehension for the real and permanent resources of the country. There may be danger in high-flown and exaggerated statements with re spect to the finances of the country, as in the case of the Hon. Bank Director, who on a former occaeien spoke of a " passing cloud," and of the Hon. Member for Sunderland, who indulged in another and a stronger metaphor ; but there is no danger in telling the simple truth, namely, that the com mercial crisis which has occurred, but which, I hope, is now rapidly passing away, has certainly produced a temporary pressure and inconvenience ; but there is nothing and has been nothing in that pressure and inconvenience which ought to make a man of reasonable firmness and courage consider that any portion of the main resources of this country arc in any the slightest degree permanently compromised or affected. —( Hear.) I have before me—if the disposition of the House were different from that which I expect it to be—if I could claim for a short time the attention of the House to an ex traneous subject—l have before me the means of showing that within the last two or three weeks the elements of im provement have been developing themselves in various parts of the country, and that various branches of trade and manu facture which have been amongst the most depressed are ra pidly reviving, and exhibiting something of an improved state. I could show that the receipts of the revenue have also, as a natural coasequence, considerably improved, and that the condition of the country generally is such as to give a reason able man much more confidence now than could possibly have been felt two months ago..—( Cries of " Hear.") I may be allowed to say, with respect to the former efforts I have made as Finance Minister, that the experiments I have tried in the reduction of duties have been attended with so much success, with so many good and valuable consequences, as to induce me, whenever the opportunity shall present itself, to persevere in the same course. Let me refer first to the elety on glass. Having in a former year a surplus with wl oh c 1 l deal, I applied it in the way which I thought best ICU eseesenessesseseeseee. THE SATURDAY, JUIN I a L. give rebel to instiortnt branches of trade .}nd attain facture and a portion of it,went toward - the reduetton of thb duty on What hi.4 , h the i•es`tilt i `% - *iiiiy, the relic ntie anon the tian'tliacture of that article, which previously had been falling off from year to year, aed from quart. r to quarter, immediately revived, and for the year ending the igth October, 1836 and fronl . ;bat to, that 7hh.,11 hetAr , ; uzL'edsing and almost ruinous trade, Wes' no,r a rapidly-increasing, a thriving, and a prosperous trade—a trade th:t bad increased, too, in a iegitwate way ; for, r.hilst the frudulcnt exports, fur the sake of the draw back, have diminie!.ot the holl-ie Consuitiption aHd the 1)0a -frip eottl_ r ot h ivy g,reatl-y,hfercased the Eaqe reiTect p'aper,, a Alel: In l t ne duty upon Opc't e ..-A 4.1 .1 a '..e'sait has been most satisfactory, be eaete 1 1 .1iid that whilst in the quarter ending the sth January, 1636, the quantity of paper charged with duty was 18,000,0001b5., the quantity chlrged with ditty at the quartet ending the Mb Janbnty ; k‘3 7 ;', *at 0&000,110lbs., hong an intrcasn of 10,003,0901h5. tioort the thantaraciure of paper in the conrse or the yet:.—(i-le' nr, hear.) It may be said that it is not fair to attribute this increase entirely to the althrathin iii Vie amount of the duty, becaese khib l'iAtiO.itin of the stamp duty on newspapt , tl thlist greatly have i ncrease d th e consump tion paper. No doubt that was the fact in a very material degree. The House must be aware of the enormous increase of newspaper circulation in the country since the alteration of the stamp duty, and they are now aware of the effect which the reduction has produced upon the pap r duty also. I promised at the outset of my statement that I would occupy the attention of the House for as short a space as possible. I endeavoured to fulfil the promise. I have shown the amount of income and expenditure of the last year, and I have stated the estimated amount of each for the current year. I undertake to make provisions for all the branches of the public service, and I have no doubt that they will be adequately carried out ; but still, taking all things at the best, I cannot calculate upon a surplus of more than 364,000/., or, to speak in round numbers, 400,0001. Can any one imagine that that is a surplus upon which, as an honest man, I cou!d propose any speculative re duction of taxation.—( Hear, hear.) I could not venture to do so even under a very different aspect of affairs, and in a much better state of things; but in the present doubtful state of commerce and revenue, remembering the events of recent occurrence, and carefully regarding the circumstances which are before us still—circumstances of doubt and uncertainty— I do not think there is any gentleman nho would be disposed to ask for a reduction of taxation. I, for one, if any gentle man were to ask such a request, should feel it my duty to re sist it.—( Hear, hear.) It could have been more popular, un doubtedly, to run the risk of trying an experiment—to speak of the revenue being b roug h t up b y increased consumption— to speculate on the future prospects and condition of the country—to have propitiated the Hon. Member for Middlesex by talking of a reduction of the Corn-laws, and the Honour able Member for Lambeth, by insinuating a reduction of the duty on soap, and to have proposed to the shipping interests a reduction of the duty on ma rine insurances. This would have been all very po pular, but it would not be consistent with the conduct of an honest man, nor with the conduct of an honest House of Commons.—( Hear.) No honest House of Commons, for the sake of popularity of any kind, would consent to endanger the real and permanent interests of the country,—( Hear, hear.) As I have already stated, I do not feel an apprehension with respect to the future. I trust that with respect to that branch of our commercial relations which has been most seriously af fected—l mean the United States of America—l trust that that great and improving country may feel, as we in England have always felt, that private commercial honour is one of the proudest attributes that any country can boast ; and that there is no way in which they can recommend their free institutions, or advance their national credit and national character, more effectually than by a careful and watchful solicitude for the maintenance of their commercial credit.—( Hear, hear.) In no other country in the world is the prosperity and well-being of the State more eminently fixed upon a commercial footing than it is in America. I trust, therefore, that we shall see from that country strong efforts made, not only to preserve their commercial credit, but to prevent it for the future from being assailed by so rude a shock as that by which it has lately been visited.—([-tear, hear, hear.) I thank the House for the patience with which it has listened to me. I know I cannot expect more than a cold approval of my statement. To those who seek a repeal of taxation I have no such boon to offer. I have stated the truth and the fact.—( Hear.) I have 'told the House the utmost amount of surplus upon which I can cal culate ; that surplus is not one which gives me the means of proposing any reduction of taxation. But I think it is still something for the country to say, that we have in the present year been enabled to complete to the utmost our engage ments to the Nest' India proprietors—that we have made every provision for the due and proper discharge and execu tion of the public service—that we have done so under a commercial pressure quite unexampled since the year 1825, without any increase of the public burdens—and that we have a surplus (albeit a small one) still remaining.—( Hear, hear.) I conclude by moving that a sum of 13,622,3001. be raised by Exchequer Bills to meet the expenditure of the ensuing year.—( Hear.) In reply to a question from Mr. HUME, which was not audible, The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said—l will state to my Hon. Friend the amount of the funded and unfunded debt paid off, not only in the last year, but in every year since I hare been in office. The Right Hon. Gentleman then read the following table : AMOUNT OF FUNDED AND UNFUNDED DEBT PAID OFF BY THE COMMISSIONERS FOR THE REDUCTION OF TILE NATIONAL. DEI3T IN EACII OF THE FOLLOWING TEA'ES. Funded Debt. Unfunded Debt. 1331 1832 1833 1834 1835 1836 Total ... £4,622,532 3,706,099 4,622,532 £8,328,631 Mr. HUME admitted that he was not one of those who was anxious for an immediate reduction of the debt of the country. He did not think that that would be so advantageous to the country as the applying the surplus revenue to the reduction of those taxes which pressed upon industry. He had always required an empty exchequer, because he thought it would be the means of calling the attention of the Chancellor of the Exchequer to the necessity of adopting a more rigid system of economy. Well, it now appeared that they had an empty Ex chequer, but he was afraid that it would not produce the effect he desired upon the Right Hon. Gentleman. if the Govern ment had been inclined to reduce two or three regiments of infantry and of cavalry, they might have had corresponding reduction in the estimates; but this course had not been adopted. On the contrary, the military and naval force re mained the same as in past years ; and, consequently, the cx t.avagant estimates of past years were continued. He did not mean to accuse the Chancellor of the Exchequer of being wil fully extravagant ; but it really seemed to be a kind of second nature with men in office to adhere to the established system of expenditure, be the amount ever so excessive. The heads of departments felt a reluctance to make any re duction ; and whenever any independent Member com plained of the expense of their establishments, they, on all occasions, became the apologists of the existing system. it necessarily became more imperatively the duty of the House of Commons to challenge the propriety of every species of ..expenditure, and to bring it to the test of public utility. If the Chancellor of the Exchequer had been more watchful over the estimates, and had paid more attention to the re duction of unnecessary charges, he would now have been in possession of a considerable surplus. The time was, how ever, gone by for making any reductions during the present Session. It was, however, competent to the House with respect to the supplies that still remained to be voted, to point out what reductions might be made in the course of the next Session. The result, then, was that they were now about to return to their constituents without having done anything during the present Session to relieve the people from the pressure of taxation. If her Majesty's Mi nisters really expected the confidence and support of the people, they must be prepared in the next Parliament to pro ceed on very different grounds, and produce very different re sults front it hat they had done during the Session now about to close. The Right Honourable Gentleman had expressed a hope that the worst of the crisis which had befallen the country had passed by, and be then added that if any in terference had taken place on the part of the Government or of Parliament with the Bank of England, or had any inquiry been instituted into the causes of the crisis, or into the state of the Bank, he was confident that no good whatever could have re. suited from it. Now'he (Mr. Hume) differed entirely from the Right lion. Gentleman on this point. So far from think ing that no good would have resulted from an inuui-y, it was his conviction ,hat very considerable benefit would have been derived from it ; and that it was the duty of the House at the in quiry into of the Session to have instituted a full into the conduct of the Bank of England with a view to ascer tain ehethcr the Bank had or bad not been the cause of that shock which, at the period he referred to, was known to be approaching, and which had since involved thousands of per sons in distress and absolute ruin. This was the proposi tion which he took the liberty to make when the Right Hon. Gentleman the President of the Board of Trade pro. posed a Committee to inquire into the operations of the Joint stock Banks. The House ought to have looked boldly at the evil, and not have shrouded themselves under the cloak of an inquiry into the workings of joint-stock banks. The result of that C omm i ttee h ad b een that which be in the be ginning predicted it would be. The real causes of the crisis, in his opinion, were to be found in the conduct, in the first place, of the Right Hon. Gentleman himself in contracting the 1 6,000,0001. loan; and in the next place, in the conduct of the Bank of Englaud after that loan had been contracted. To these two circumstances he attributed the whole of the embarrassments which this country had experienced. He hoped, however, that a new Parliament would make amends for the errors of the present. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, in expla nation, stated that the estimates of the present year had been increased by some items of a peculiar character, and which were created by P ar li ament i tself, or by the commercial neces sity of the country. Of this kind were the charges incident to the expedition to ascertain the practicability of opening a steam communi ca ti on w i t h I n di a; the making a provision for educating the emancipated slaves in the West Indies ; the preparing of the plans of the intended new Houses of Parlia ment; the formation of a prison establishment in the Isle of Wight, and other charges of a peculiar nature. The Right Hon. Gentleman then read the following statement, with a view to show that the estimate of the present year for the army, navy, ordnance, and miscellaneous services did not ex ceed the average of preceding years : 1837. GRAN'I OF FAEI4MEritIN tug FuLL.ewiNp FUR 'TIE ARM!, NAVY, AC' - 3 stisira.LAN6i2ii EX( iI I gIVE OF CHARGE OF UNFUNDED DEPT i Estimate, as formed by the Clminittee of Finance in 1827. X 17,30,000. Grants in )825 X 17,593,000 ) Average. .:::..::::.:.::+ ,4)1 ; 4093000 1827 18,746,0uu j 1828 17,776,000 ) 1t:Y29.. it ]7,626,000 0 £17 ; 330,000 1830 181 t • • • 1Z,782,000 g 1 "' •• ' ' i:1,41 tidd ;016 03' (ion 18:13 14,620,u66 1834 14,479,000 1833 14,12:3,000 £14,418,000 J 636 14,652,000 ,£13,138.000 Without trotAllng the Ceinthitted with tiny further rem arks, tie would conclude by declaring that lie entertained the Nikes confidence that the great resources of the country Were wholly unittipairqa: Mr. illdilAiibS said that the alight iion. iientleman had promised to give every information on the subject wiio: the financial statement of a Minister was supposed to embrace ; but what was the information he had really furnished? Simply this—that the commerce end manufactures of the country were in a state of deep distress, that the revenue of the country had fallen off, and that he could not reduce the taxes. Humble individual as he was, he yet would presume to give that ex planation which the Right Ilon. Gentleman had omitted to do. He charged the whole of the distress of this country upon the want of attention of the Right Hon. Gentleman the Chan cellor of the Exchequer to his duty, or else to his gross igno rance of the nature of that duty.—( Laughter. ) Hon. Gen tlemen laughed ; but they had much better get up and answer what he stated than indulge themselves in laughter. Perhaps this was the last occasion he should have the honour to address the House.—( Renewed laughter.) He had no doubt that the Hon. Gentlemen would soon be called to account by their constituents for daring to interrupt him when he was calling for an explanation of the causes of the distress which had plunged so many thousands of families into utter ruin. The Hon. Gentleman proceeded for some time longer to address the House in a strain of severe invective against the Mi nisters, but in a manner so excited, and amidst so many bursts of laughter, and cries of " Oh, oh I" from the Minis terial benches, that we find it utterly impossible to give anything like an intelligible report of this part of the Hon. Member's speech. He charged the Government with having falsified the balances of the country by tampering with the currency for their own selfish purposes, and merely for the sake of keeping themselves in office, reckless of the misery they inflicted on others.—[Lord Palmerstofi was here ob served to smile]. He was not surprised at the gross ignorance of the Noble Lord the Secretary for Foreign Affairs in matters of this kind, and therefore he did not feel annoyed at his laughter and want of attention. Mr. CURTEIS rose to order. He submitted to the Chair that it was out of order to state that any Member was grossly ignorant of what was taking place. Viscount PALMERSTON begged to state that the Hon. Member for Knaresborough was perfectly at liberty to make any observations on his supposed ignorance, as he did not feel in the slightest degree annoyed at it. Mr. G 0 ULB U ,RN observed that the Hon. Membee:vras not out of order in the observations he had made. Mr. RICHARDS then proceeded to address the House. He observed that the Hon. Gentleman who had called him to order knew much more about sheep and oxen than he did about the rules of that House.—( Laughter.) In his mind, it was perfectly evident that the Chancellor of the Exchequer was either grossly ignorant of his duty, or that he altogether ne glected it. The Right Hon. Gentleman had stated that there would be no falling off in the malt and hop duties ; now, he (Mr. Richards) would bet two hundred guineas to one that the harvest would not be so productive as to fulfil the expecta tions of the Right Hon. Gentleman.—(Laughter.) After some other observations the Honourable Member resumed his seat. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, in reply to the Hen. Member for Knaresborough, begged to observe, that the Chancellor of the Exchequer left the Bank of Eng land unchecked and uncontrolled in their proceedings as to Exchequer Bills ; therefore, the Hon. Gentleman was wrong in his statement that it was in his power to control that body. He (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) had never lowered the interest of Exchequer Bills, and was not aware of the circum stances on which the Hon. Member grounded his charge ; on that account, therefore, he might be open to the accusation made against him by the Hon. Gentleman of gross ignorance of his duty or negligence. With reference to the wager offered by the Hon. Gentleman he had no doubt as to winning it.—(Laughter.) Mr. MAX WELL observed that if he felt inclined to bet he should almost have been induced to back the wager of the Hon. Member for Knaresborough. He was most anxious, be fore Parliament separated, that Government should do some thing for the benefit of the labouring classes. He trusted that they would send persons as Commissioners to make inquiry into the condition of the great bulk of the people in the manu facturing districts, with a view of doing something to bett e r their condition. He was satisfied that there were millions of persons in the manufacturing districts, of opinion that the House had altogether forgotten their interests. The Hon. Member fur Middlesex, instead of proceeding in the way in which he did, should endeavour to transfer the taxation from the produc tive classes to the wealth of the country. Mr. H UTT said that the financial prospect immediately before them was anything but cheering. Looking to the pre sent derangement of trade and consequent stagnation of ma nufacturing industry, it was impossible not to anticipate a considerable falling off in the public revenue ; and this ca lamity was the more fearful on account of the small amount of surplus revenue.—(Hear.) The same event occurred, it was true, in 1826, after the mischievous excitement of the previous year ; but the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in 1826, had a surplus of five millions to fall back upon ; in stead of which the Right Hon. Gentleman had little or nothing that he could reckon on to supply the defalcation. The country was not in a temper to bear with new taxes and as to meeting the deficiency with a new loan, he pre sumed that, under the financial circumstances of the State, that would be even still less advisable. The charges of the present year were swelled by the increased interest. on Ex chequer bills. He thought the augmentation amounted to 300,0001. Now, he would like to ask if, under these circum stances, it was not desirable to fund Exchequer bills ? Sup. posing the funds to be at 90, they were paying interest on the permanent debt of the country at the rate of 31. 6s. Bd. per cent., while at the present rate of interest-on Exchequer bills they paid 3/. 15s. per cent. Unless, then, there was some difficulty which he did not anderstand in the way, it would be a manifest advantage to the country that a portion of the float ing debt should be so reduced. Again, by contracting the circulation of Exchequer bills, a facility would be afforded of reducing the rate of interest upon them, and thus relieving the country by another process —( Hear.) There was one other point to which he would briefly refer. At this period of the Session, and in the present state of the Parliament, it would be injudicious to introduce any discussion on the state of our monetary and banking systems. Still he was sure that the working of these systems must in the course of the last twelve mouths have given the Chancellor of the Exche quer many painful and anxious reflections.--( Hear.) He only trusted they had produced such an effect on his mind, and on that of public men in general, that in a new Parlia ment the whole subject would be brought under consideration. Very few persons, he believed, were not now ready to admit the truth of Lord Ashburton's observations that the monetary system established in France was very superior to our own. There could be no doubt that in the last twelve months we gave been on the verge of a suspension of cash payments, an evil to which the defective constitution and administration of the Bank of England seemed to be helping us fast on ward, For the present we were relieved. The Chancellor of the Exchequer e however, was too wise to suppose that the present cessation of demand for British gold by America was anything more than temporary. As soon as cash payments were resumed in the United States, and there could be little doubt that the event was not far distant, the operation of the American mint regulation on the gold standard of this coun try must be renewed, and the evils of our present monetary system be made manifest by one of the greatest misfortunes this country could suffer—a sudden suspension of cash pay ments.—( Hear, hear.) Mr. GILLON thought that, notwithstanding the smallness of the surplus, the Chancellor of the Exchequer might have ventured with perfect safety upon a reduction in the soap du ties to the extent of one-third, as recommended by the Com missioners of Excise Inquiry. He should early next Session bring forward a proposition for the total repeal of the duties on soap. Mr. CL AY said that though the financial statement just made was not so cheering as those of late years, yet it was quite as satisfactory as he could have anticipated. The com mercial distresses of the country, he trusted, were now com paratively passed away ; but it was essential that the whole banking system—the defects in which had in great measure brought about these distresses—should, at as early a period as possible, undergo a thorough revision, and he should be perfectly ready to second the motion of which his Honourable Friend had given an intimation, for a complete inquiry into the Bank of England. It was quite clear that the enormous power of issuing paper money should be confided to nooth other body than one directly responsible to the supreme Govern ment of the country.---( Hear. ) Mr. ROBINSON greatly regretted that the financial statement was so little cheering, and he feared there was little reason to expect a more satisfactory st a te of things next 3• 'ear All the causes which had justified a reduction of taxation in past years were now at an end ; the expenditure of the coun try was yearly on the increase ; last year not less than half a million additional was voted for the navy, and this year the estimates presented an increase of 200,0001. for the army, of half of that sum additional for the navy, and large additions for the ordnance and miscellaneous services. He did not, however, like the Hon. Member for Knaresborough, charge the Gevernment with the responsibility of the existing national embarrassments ; he believed that nothing the Chan cellor of the Exchequer could haste done in his official capacity would have averted those difficulties.—( Hear, hear.) Nothing could relieve the country from the liability to such distress but a thorough and searching review of our whole taxation. Mr. WALLACE believed that all the commercial distress of this country was attributable to the powers possessed by the Batik of England. That body had speculated as free traders in our specie till they drove it out of the country, and they now wanted to bring it back at the expense of the people. They had ruined the United States of America. The budget ought to be brought forward at the commencement of the year, and not at the close. He should feel it his duty on Monday to divide the house on his motion that the financial year should close on the sth of Jattuary. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that the etiaige which the Ilan. Gentlemen r.-present.-d him to have nadrie against,. the commercial interest of the cotritry, that it had isbt pioilted by the,edvice he gave in April laat, existed only in the Non, Penflenean's imagination. The Hon. Gentleman asked him where he gat en intimation of the corning danger, and said he must have obtained it from the tank of England. He got no such intimation neither frc;tti Olt tidti any . caber body ; but when he saw a fall in the price of al! change, i.e felt as every man fiC:ii'dg.ini434 Hith daminerce na turally would feel, that danger was near, and diet it scenic them to exercise great caution. Colonel THOMPSON said, when so many Hon. Members telttsee fof the distresses of the country, he too might be permitted ld firet?oetreatt. Allow the men who were declared to be starving to ptifelnia food *bete they could get it.—( Loud cries of " Hear.") Might it fief Mote a grave man to smile to see the Government of a great corntliev• dial dountry hitlaneing and making inquest after a little gain in one place ; and a little leas in another, and all the tiltile the tteders of that torrimunity tvere forbidden to bring from abroad the villy kitid of goods that would pay, because they were the only kind that 'tete wanted here 7—( Cheers. ) 'g'a'ffes it not be well, among other selective, to think of try ing this? The: 'Jon. Member for Lancashire, for Instance, whet, he brought forward, es he promised to-night, the dis tresses of the hand-loom weavers, Wtettld he join him (Colonel Thompson), or allow him to join him, in calling for relief by letting them purchase cheap brcad where they could? This was where the public would some day find the mischief lay aed here they would look for the remedy in preference to all the other ways suggested. Mr. POTTER said, that the Hon. Gentleman the Member for Knaresborough had asserted that there was a diminished quantity of food in the country ; and that if the harvest should turn out a late one a great scarcity would ensue. He was astonished that, entertaining such opinions, he did not make an effort to obtain a quantity of food by letting out the corn now in bond. Late as it was, the House ought to endeavour to effect this most desirable object. He considered the bread tax the most oppressive of all taxes. The landed interest had a complete monopoly of the home market, not only in grain but in animal food. Salted meat was liable to a duty of 12s. per cwt., and fresh meat was entirely prohibited. This ought not to be. Mr. NV AKL E Y objected to the budget being delayed till so late a period of the Session. When the Right Hon. Gen tleman was asked what reduction of taxation he intended to propose, he replied, " Stop till I bring in the budget." Thus they were wheedled on, and now, when they were near the last day of the Session, they found that there was to be no reduction of taxation at all. The only way of preventing the recurrence to such a mode of transacting the public business was to make the financial year terminate, as was proposed by the Hon. Gentleman, in January, instead of in April, as at present. There could be no reduction of taxation while they voted such extravagant estimates. They had voted 21,000/. for putting Marlborough House in a state of repair for the Queen Dowager.—(hear, hear, from the Opposition Mem bers.) The Hon. Gentlemen opposite cheered that point.— (Hear, hear.) That lady had 100,000/. a-year allowed her out of the public purse, yet she had not enough to be able to spare what was necessary to put a single palace in order. He would give another example of what the House was disposed to do. They had voted 9,0001. for three pictures.—( Cries of " Hear, hear.") This looked like a job.—( Loud cries of " Oh, oh I") If these were times of distress the public money ought not to be so applied. Mr. RICHARDS explained. Mr. G. F. YOUNG doubted whether the House would sympathise with the Hon. Member for Finsbury in his clap trap objections when he complained that they had expended 21,0001. for the repair of Marlborough-house, to provide a re sidence for the Queen Dowager ; and that they had given encouragement to the fine arts by expending 9,0001. in pictures for the National Gallery.—( Hear.) He thought the Right Hon. Gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer had exer cised a sound discretion in delaying the Budget. If he had brought it forward six weeks or two months ago, considering what was then the commercial situation of the country, he would probably greatly have aggravated the embarrassment existing in the commercial world. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER explained, and the vote was agreed to. 29,4001. were proposed for the expenses of the British Museum. Mr. HUME wished that the British Museum should be open for six days instead of three in each week. Lord STANLEY, as one of the trustees of the British Museum, could say that the public were afforded greater ac commodation than could be found in any public instituttion in Europe. Upon Easter Monday there were 23,985 persons who had visited the Museum, and upon Whit Monday 30,000 and odd persons visited it. He was happy to observe that no damage was done, notwithstanding the great attendance. Mr. HAWES remarked that the catalogue of the British Museum was exceedingly defective. The catalogue ought to be improved; for if that change did not take place the M useum was of little benefit to the public. After a few words from Mr. ESTCOURT, Colonel THOMPSON could not allow the vote to pass without noticing that it was not among the working classes; but the aristocratic classes, the iconoclasts were found. He appealed to the public papers, and the records of the courts of law, to show that it was not the working classes whom it was dangerous to admit within the wind of a public monu ment.—( Cheers.) He could not also avoid noting the grievous injustice of taxing the working classes among others for the support of the British Museum, and then cutting them off from the use of it on the only day they had leisure to enjoy it. As the Honourable Member for Wigtonshire had given notice of what he would do in another Parliament if lie found his way there, so he (Colonel Thompson) hoped it was com petent to him to say, that if he were not of the dying swans so many of whom had sung to night, he trusted to be able to give some assistance towards relieving the working classes in the metropolis from this crying injustice.—( Hear, hear.) The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER allowed that the morals and improvement of the people would be greatly promoted by free admissien to all our public buildings and institutions. Sir R. INGLIS observed that the admission to Westminster Abbey, to St. Paul's, and to the British Museum, did not rest on the same principle. After a few words from the CHANCELLOR of the E X- C H EQUER, the vote was agreed to. BURNING OF THE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT. Sir E. POLLOCK wished to call the attention of the Committee to the loss sustained by the late Speaker of the House of Commons, and the other officers of the House, in consequence of the fire by which both Houses of Parliament had been destroyed. The whole amount of that loss had been estimated at between six and seven thousand pounds ; and, in his opinion, those on whom that loss had fallen had a claim on the justice of Parliament for compensation. The Hon. and Learned Gentleman here read an extract from the Report of the Committee of the House on the subject. By that Report it appeared that the fire had originated in the gross neglect of the servants of the House. There were legal difficulties (which the Hon. and Learned Gentleman deecribed) in the way of recovering this loss by law ; but he was sure that the House of Commons would not be governed in their course on the subject by a consideration of what was strictly the law of the case ; but that they would rather be influenced by their feeling of what was justly due to the individuals concerned. In every case in which the had occurred in the Royal Palaces —and he particularly instanced the fire in the Duke of Cam bridge's apartments in St. James's Palace—persons who had suffered had been indemnified for their loss. Mr. HUME wished to know whether, if Hampton Court Palace were burnt, the House of Commons was to be called. upon to compensate the twenty or thirty families who were al lowed to live in that building? Sir F. POLLOCK replied that the cases were not at all similar. The Speaker and the other officers of the Crown were public servants. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER was far from desiring to argue the claim set up by the Honourable and Learned Gentleman in a spirit adverse to the claimants. The , claim in question had been preferred to the Treasury, an d the Treasury had pronounced upon it. No claim, however, had been preferred until several years after the catastrophe which had occurred ; and then that claim related only to the Speaker. Now it did appear to his Majesty's Government that whatever rule might be applied to the Noble Lord who at the time filled the chair of that House, was equally applicable to the other officers of the House. The precedent of the fire in the Duke of Cambridge's apartments in St. James's Palace, did not apply to the case brought forward by the Hon. and Learned Gentleman. In that instance the loss was paid out of the privy purse. On inquiry his Majesty's Government found that the late Speaker had insured down to the time when he intimated to the [louse his intention of retiring from the chair. Lord Canterbury had afterwards been induced to abandon that in tention, and to resume his station in the House for the public service, and to facilitate the proceedings of the Reformed Parliament. Now, that circumstance was one which had great weight with him, and, in his opinion, ought to have great weight with the House.—( Hear, hear.) In his opinion it was a just claim, and justly entitled to the consideration of Parliament. Government had thought that they were not entitled to give relief; but, on the contrary, preferred that the claim should be brought forward and discussed in the House of Commons. Mr. WA RBURTON thought that the House should be very jealous of making this grant. Mr. BANNERMAN supported the grant. Mr. GROTE opposed the grant, maintaining that it could not be supported on any principle of justice. Mr. ELLICE was disposed to look at the equity as well as the strict justice of the case under consideration, and would support the grant. Mr. S HEIL referred to the case of the fire at the Custom Ilouse, Dublin, in which 100,000/. had been granted as com pensation to the merchants, through the persuasive arguments of his Hon. and Learned Friend, the then Member for Dublin (Mr. O'Connell).—( A laugh.) Mr. F. BARING denied that his Noble Friend (Lord ATthorp) was influenced by the Hon. and Learned Member fur Kilkenny in the course he pursued. So far from this being the case, that Hon. and Learned Gentlemen was at that period a decided opponent of the Government.—( Hear.) Mr. C. BULLER was of opinion that, as no insurance office would have guaranteed Lord Canterbury's property, the nation was, under the circumstances, bound to make up his Lordship's loss. Mr. G. F. YOUNG was of opinion that the property was insurable, and the public should not be called on to make good a loss arising from individual neglect. Mr. WALLACE opposed the grant. Sir R. INGLIS would support the grant on the ground that the Speaker suffered through a want of due caution on the part of the public servants. Mr. PEASE thought that those who suffered from th. , fire v:..re entitled to a fair compensation, and he felt himself bound . c . to vote for the grant. VI: AL-. ROBI N SON opposed the grant. V7' Ir. C. FE RG US SON would cheerfully support the grant ; i.:l for it was evifilent that the property was not 'lost through the .., neglect of the Speaker or any of his domestics. IT. HUME thought all the facts should be before tbe,, Howie' to enable it to decide; and he would move that thet.4 Chairman report progress, to give time for a statement of the whole case. _ __ A fter a few words from Mr. H. HUGHES and Mr. HawEs, • The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER wa s of , opinion thina Committee ought to be appointed to ascertain the particulars of the case. Mr. GOULBURN thought the cl a im was s t rong ly founcicd l . . .• in justice. After which the Chuirman reported progress, and the House resumed. . _ '1 he ATTO R N E Y-G ENE RAL brought up the Report o the Imprisonment for Debt Bill. Mr. RIC HA R. DS would take the sense of the House on the question of receiving the Report, as, in his opinion, Hon. Members had not an opportunity of sufficiently considering the Bill. He would move that the Report be received this day three months. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL had afforded every possi bly opportunity of considering the Bill which the state of the business permitted. Sir F. POLLOCK objected to the clause allowing twenty one days' notice without giving security, as, in that case, many of the small tradesmen would be forced to become bankrupts. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said the clause had been recommended to him by commercial men of all classes, and the law as it would stand under this Bill would be found t great improvement. Mr. HAWES said that no measure that could be suggested as a substitute for the law of arrest would be more beneficial tt the small tradesmen of this country than the present Bill. The clause objected to, as it stood, sprung entirely from men in trade, and men who were anxious that the law should rest or. principles of humanity and justice. After a few words from Sir F. POLLOCK and the AT TO RNE Y- GENERAL in explanation, Mr. RIC HAR.D S moved that the House do now azljourn. The gallery was then cleared for a division, and the ;lum bers were— For the adjournment Against it • ••• 58 Majority against the motion for adjournmoti. Mr. Sergeant GO ULBURN called the attention of 6,1 House to the fact that the Bill did not give the Commissioner: of Bankruptcy, notwithstanding the great increase of labour ii imposed on them, the power of committing for contempt. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said that he found he could not carry such a provision. Mr. RICHARDS said if the object of the Bill were t, prevent credit being► given to improvident young men, it woule fail in that object totally. He complained that in the cours'' of the proceedings on this Bill he had been used very discour teously. He moved that the Bill be re-committed. The gallery was cleared for a division— For the amendment l6 Against it 56 Majority against the amendment —4o On our return to the gallery, we found that Mr. RICHARDS had moved that the House do adjourn: For the motion.. l4 Against it 54 Majority The Report was then brought up, and the Bill, as we under stood, ordered to be read a third time on Monday. The other Orders of the Day were then disposed of, and the House adjourned at Half-past Two o'Clock to this day. The Duke of Wellington's grand dejeune, to IN given on Monday next, at Apsley House, in honour of th. solemnisation of the marriage of his Grace's niece, Miss Pa. kenham, with Sir Edmund Hayes, Bart., M. P., is confined t , sixty relatives and friends of the respective families of the in tended bride and bridegroom. The Hon. General Pakenhatn father of the fair bride, is recovering very fast from his lat, accident, as also his son ; but we understand that the Hon General is obliged to keep his room. COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA.—The Court Jour nal, which, as our readers know, is devoted to the detail of al that relates to Court movements and fashionable life, will soo. become, from peculiar circumstances, an organ of still highe• interest than it has hitherto been. The number of to-day con tains an interesting paper on the establishment and prospects o the New Court, and also a very beautiful poetical epistle, by distinguished authoress, on the accession of her present Ma jesty to the Throne. MR. JAMES'S " MEMOIRS OF CELEBRATE' WOMEN," are extremely agreeable, and, we should say, ern• nently useful. We have at this moment upon the Throne youthful Queen, and certainly, as far as it is permitted her ver . humble subjects to know anything, a Queen full of promise It is therefore, to a nation full of hope, extremely pleasant 1, be furnished with specimens of female wisdom and virtue, an , of those attributes which constitute a great, impartial, and nob!. monarchical character. —John Bull. _ _ On Sabbath last, the Magistrates and Council, ac companied by Dr. Duncan, and dressed in deep mourning walled to the New Church in procession. The pulpits an, the galleries of the two Churches were bung with black and a number of the respectable inhabitants marked, by thei, attire, the respect in which they held the late Sovereign The proclamation of her Majesty will, we understand, tak, place here on Wednesday first.—Dumfries Courier. COLBURN'S NEW MONTHLY MAGAZINE ANI HUMORIST.—EDITED BY THEODORE HOOK, ESQ —The num ber of this excellent periodical for the present month is mol, than usually rich in articles of first-rate ability. The Edito continues his Gurney Papers, and Captain Marryat has give. us the Phantom Ship, and an article entitled Ralph Restless Douglas Jerrold, Miss Landon, Leigh Hunt, the author o " Glances at Life," Laman Blanchard, Alfred Crowquill, an. others of distinguished note, have also contributed a variety o entertaining papers. Not the least attractive feature of tb. number is an excellent likeness of his late Majesty, which i accompanied by an interesting memoir. SINGULAR EXPLOlT.—Yesterday a man under took, for a wager of twenty guineas, that he would, in a boat row under the eight following bridges, and also walk ore them, in the short space of three hours. He accordingly starter from London Bridge, and walked over it, taking his boat of the other side ; as he did Southwark, Blackfriars, Waterlec Westminster, Vauxhall, Battersea, and Fulham Bridges' performed this extraordinary task with comparative ease, an , in ten minutes within the time allowed. The man's name is understood to be Scott. The above feat has been pronounce( by the watermen upon the Thames as a very clever exploit._ The odds were six and seven to four a gainst him. The NEW FLAT GU --- -D WA T ---- 6 ----=_—_-- HEs are offered in double-bottomed eng ine -turned eases, w ith yertir 4 movements, for Seven Guineas ea ch, or, with highl y . finished hori zontal movements, jewelled and warranted, at Nine Guineas each at T. COX SAVORY'S, W orking Goldsmith, Silversmith, an Watchmaker, 47, Cornhill, L ondon. I N.l3.—The horizontal con struction is stron g l y recommended fn its superior accuracy. BIRTHS. at his house in Norfolk-street, Park-lam Esq., of a daughter. On Friday, 30th June, Albion-street, the lady of Jones Lloyd, , Hyde.park, the lady of H. Lous d N. Hastings, a t s h ti e ng 9 s B:l E l ustilt..,,oifoarn.. t Esq., of the lady of H. L. Shari On the 29th ult., in Chester-street, Grosvenor-place, the lady t , etfhea2diateheuitlet.;..at x,en sing on_ gore, r q. of a son. ' , 1 st ult., at Cheltenham, the lady of J. $• a a John ;''''Y' —5 ' On the .... Esq. , of a son. ,j: Tlurton-crescent, Mrs. J. Lloyd, of a son. 29th ult., at the Vicarage House, Wandsworth, the wif of the Rev. Wm. Borradaile, of .: daughter. On t t h h e e - 3 8th ult., _ _ MA RRIEI.;. 'he Rev. Geo. Pri ce On the 23 th ult. , at Kibworth Harcourt ' Rector of Offord Cluny, Hunt s , to Sarah, e f,l es ,. .daughter of Joh: re, and ni ce , Mit c hell, Esq., of Kibworth Beaucham Leicestersi;'. to R. 'Mitchell, Esq., o f E n d er b y Hall,p i ' n the same cow: Y. On the 29th ult., at St. Thomas's, Southwark, MT. Jame, t Johnstone, of Grenville stree t, B runsw i c k-square, to Emma oat:. eldest daughter of S. Bayfichl, Esq., Southwark. A ug n the 29th ult., at St Mars Islington, , eldest da n O H M ustus ulbert, .A . , Curate, t y'o,Mary g hter of th , late J. Lacy, Esq., of Islington. the Rev. Charle. ____---------- DIED. On the 7th of March, at the Mauritius , the Hon. Samuel Bate Ferris, Li eu t.-C o lonel in the Hanoverian service, and Treasure, and Paymaster of the Island. On the 28th ult.,llenry Fisher, Esq., of Ilighbury Park, aged 56. On the 28th ult., in Half Moon-street, Saville Hallifax, Esq. aged 59. On the 19th ult., at Liverpool, David Armstrong, Esq., o9 ai, eo dn ri On the 29th of Ap ril, at the Cape of Good Hope, Major , rtbe Scott Aiteheson, of the Cape Mounted Riflemen. On the 27th ult., at Richmond, Mr. Samuel Parsonage, age d 37 On the 25th ult., at Dr a y ton Green, Thomas Venable': Esq.. ewlaiftee of W. W. in his 47th year. of tilt., B a i t n h , D a e n v d n n y s o h u i I r , e g; b s t u i d l d a u i n g g h s t . e it r i o a f r t y h , R o O be n rt t s h , e E l s 6 q t . h, Moody, of Barhampton House, Wilts. , aged 28, Martha younges t daughter of the late Nicholas Graham, Mary, wife of B. D . D uppa ,E srl., On the 26th tilt. , a t S p eldhurst Lod ge , Esq., formerly o' Lombard-street. . Kent daughter l‘lar of the l a t e M a j or -G enera ' of O Hnou t i h o e gb 2 o ti o th ro u H lt. o , u a s t e, B K ri e g o h t t , on, H. Gladwin, of Stubbing Court, Derbyshire, 1 MONTHLY MILITARY OBITUARY. General—G. Earl of Granard. Colonel—Fra. Smith, R. Art., London. Licut.-Colonels—Burke, Unatt. ; Evelyn, do. ; Cuyler, do; N. C(.lc, It. Mar. ; Bailie, do. ; P. Johnston, Bar. Mast. R••"e -rant. Major—Aitcheson, Cape Mounted Rif. Captains—Luke, R. Art., Woolwich; Crooks Bn. ; Adair, h. p. 10 F. ; J. C. Barton, h. p. Patterson, h. p. 4 W. I. Reg., Chatham ; A. B, lais ; P. lll‘Crummen, Bar. Mae., Sierra Leone Lieutenants —Lay, 8 F., drowned at sea ; Eve Bn., Windsor Castle; A. M'Donald, late 6 with ; Hislop, h. p. 60 F. ; Ducker, h. r Cornets and Ensigns—Knatchbull, dia on board the " Thomas Grenvil) Corps of Wagg., Linden, near kenny ; Scrininger, 1 W. 7 8 R. Vet. Bn. ; Dresine - Quartermasters—W Hill, h. p. CorEicar Medical Depar don ; Dist. Sur h. p. ; Assist 112, Strant of AI iddlese. ritt, late 2 R. Vet. H. Vet. Bn., Wool t 9 F., Howden. t Dr., on passage from In • ; e;" Schaffner, h. p., Foreiang Hanover ; Levinge, 71 F., IC. II- * . , Reg., Edinburgh Armstrong, late,:l ~, late 10 tt. Vet. Bn. ,• Eason, h. p. 45 F 4) Atson, 84 F , Jamaica ; Hagart, h. p. 77 F. ; • , Rang., Windsor. ,roent--Insp. Gen. of Hosp. Green, h. p., Lon%) g. T. Wilson, h. p. Staff ; De p. Purr. Paterson , Surg. Parken, M.D., h. p., 17 Dr., Cheltenham. - :;" -- ted and Published by MURDO YOUNG, of 140 1, at The Sun O ffi ce, Igo. 112, Strand, is th•custi f.—Saturday, July 1, 1837. r , , J , late 9 R. Vet.l 87 F., Guernsey ; Alton, Unatt., Ca- II J r fY