The Sun. — London, England, 1841-05-01 00:00:00

EVENING EDITIGN COURT OF SEWERS, WESTMIN- 3TER, A tiS-..7rs for the City and Liberties of Westmin ster was yesterday held at tie office of the Commissioners, iu Greek-street, Soho, at 11 o'clock, for the purpose of swearing a Jury, to inquire into such things a.: shall be given them in charge, and to present what houses, lands, and tenements, are benefited by the new making, repairing, or cleansing, the Common Sewers in the Western Divi s i on of the Vest minster Sewers, or that they may receive hurt, loss, or disad vantage, by defect of new making, repairing, or cleansing, such sewers ; and also the annual rental value of the several premi ses, for apportioning, according to the interest of each indivi dual, his due share of the expense appertaining to the sewage. The Jury List having- been called over, various persons who had not answered to their names were ordered to be summoned to show cause why they should not respectively be fined 5/. for non-attendance. One of the Jurymen, whose real name was Scolhck, having been summoned as Sedgwick, a long discus sion ensued as to whether the panel could be altered, the Chairman contending that the Court had the power to have it altered ; and Mr. Thistleton Dyer, and other Commissioners, that such power did not exist, and that it was not a question for the Court to entertain, as to whether the panel should or should not be altered. The CHAIR ;lAN having put the question as to whether the panel should be corrected, Mr. THISTLETON DYER protested against the question being put, and requested the Under-Sheriff to state whether he legally possessed the power to alter the panel. The UNDER-SHERIFF said he had known such alterations made in the Court of Queen's Bench and at the Quarter Sessions. The question was then put, when there appeared for altering the panel 10; against it 4. The UNDER-.SHERIFF refused to alter it himself. The Court had the power to do so. Captain BAG uE though the Chairman would be taking upon himself a dangerous responsibility if he were to alter the panel after what had fen from the Under-Sheriff. Mr. BROUGHTON said it was a mere point of practice, and the Court clearly had the power to alter the panel in the same way as the Court of Queen's Bench exercised the power. The UNDER-SHERIFF, to put an end to the discussion, would takempon himself to make the required alteration, and it was made accordingly. The Jury having chosen 31r. Thompson as their Foreman, were impanelled and sworn. The officers of the Court to be examined having beenbrought lip en masse to be sworn, according to the usual practice of the Court, Mr. THISELTON DYER protested against their being sworn in such a manner; they ought to be sworn as they came up to give evidence. The CHAIRMAN interrupted the Hon. Commissioner. In point of order he had no right to discuss the matter then, and he should put the question that the officers be sworn in the usual manner. Mr. MuLLIN's thought, as the Jury were to hear evidence in open Court for the first time, they ought to adopt the usual practice of Courts of Justice, and not abide by the practice, which might have been very proper when the Jury retired to hear evidence. 81r. Baouc HTON said that if the usual practice of the Court was to be departed from the matter should have been proposed when the Court was sitting in its deliberative and nut in its judicial capacity. The question was then put and carried, and the officers were sworn in the usual manner. The CHAIRMAN then proceeded to read the charge to the Jury, and having explained to them the duties that would de volve upon them, and described the state of the sewage in the western division, proceeded to state that it had been usual to snake the Sewers-rate upon the basis of the Poor-rate ; but that it appearing that various properties not rated in the Poor rate were liable to Sewers-rate, such as churches, public build ings, burial-grounds, &c., the Court had ordered a survey of suct,preperties to be made, and the result of the inquiries of the surveyors would be laid before the Jury for their conside ration. The Chairman then proceeded to read various por tions of the law relating to sewers, with a view of showing the legal liability of every species of property to be assessed to the Sewers-rate, that rate being, in fact, a tax upon the land of a more extensive nature than even the Land-tax itself. It was for them to sly whether there was any property legally exempt from Sewers-rate. They might be of opinion that there might be difficulties in the way of levying the rate upon Churches and Palaces, but it was for them to say whether there was any escape from the clear words of the law. The Attorney ann Solicitor-Generals had given it as their opinion that the Palace was exemapt, but that could not be. The Chairman then at great length related the history of the liti gation respecting the rating of the Palaces, &c. ; the fact of the presentment of Churches, &c., by a former Jury, the decision of the Traverse Jury as to Chelsea Church, and the opinions of Dr. Phillimore and Nlr. Hoggins as to the power of enforcing a rate against the Church, together with the proceedings adopted by the Court, in consequence of those opinions. He thought that they would be of opinion that all the circumstances of the case created a virtual exemption for Churches. With regard to Courts of Law and the Houses of Parliament their Solicitors were also cf opinion that there - were circumstances which would render the enforcing the rate against these buildings difficult if not impossible. It was far the Jury to determine whether, as regarded church's, pa laces, Royal gardens, the Houses of Parliament, and the Courts of Law, they were of opinion that it would be advisable to present them as liable to the Sewers-rate or not. The Jury might hear the evidence either in open Court or retire to another room for that purposo, if they thought proper. The FOREMAN thought it misre advisable that they should retire to another room for the convenience of examining plans. He wished to know whether the rate was prospective or retro ,spective, . . The CLERK—Principally prospective. The FOREMAN was about to ask questions relating to the laws of Sewers, when The CHAIR3IAN said the solicitor would be examined before them, an,l would explain the law. The FOREMAN wi,hed to know whether they must all agree. The CtialaatA N—Twelve must sign the presentment, and a presentment must Le made. FOREMAN wihed, then, that they should retire to rer :form thpir duties. Mr. 1.5.. - sLiF. wished to know on what authority the Chair initi gave the Jury the option of retiring. lie strongly pro tested against such an alteration being submitted to.. Mr. ADEY rose to order. The FOILEMAN of the .Juiss protested against their bring detained by these discussions. He wished to retire. Mr. MULLINS protested against the Jury sitting for any other purpose rhan for inspecting the tlans ; and it he stood iakme he would oppose their retiring. The CHAID.MAN said the Jury had requested to retire. Mr. LESLIE ruse, but was met by loud cries ot " Order," which rendered him in.tudible. 13nocc I'TON msr to order. They had come to an extra ordinary state when a Juryman in the box was protesting against the decision of the Judges. Never had he heard, after a charge had been given, any of the members of the Court protesting against it. The FortEmAN wished the question should be put at once, as they Here sure the Court would decide they should retire. :lir. T. DVEIL protested against a Juryman dictating to or interfering in the di , eust,ions of the Court. It was most mile comus, and what he had never before witne,serl or heard of. Mr. LESLIE said the responsibility rested upon the Chair wan fur giving the Jury the option of retiring. They had been sworn to examine, the questions there. The CHAIRMAN put an end to the discussion by telling the Jury they might retire, and they did retire accordingly. During their absence, in answer to a question from Mr. Dy The CHAIRMAN stated that the charge was to be consi ekred as the charge of the Chairman alone. Air. T. DYER said that 31r. Smith had been sworn to give evidence as the solicitor of the Court, now he had called for his appointment, and it was not in existence. if hereafter the rate • hottki be disputed on that ground, he hoped it would be remembered he had warned them in time. '1 he CIIAI itMA N said that bills had been presented by :Messrs. Smith and Son, and raid to them fur business transacted by them as Solicitors to the Court. Tue Jury did not return into Court until nearly six o'clock, 'when they delivered in a presentment, front which the Foreman stated they had omitted the churches and burial grounds, and that they were desir, us the Court should be as lenient to cha ritable institutions as possible. The Jury at one time had been desirous of omitting them. They had likewise omitted the kelaces, the Parliament Houses, and the Courts of Law. The CuatitmAN then discharged the Jury. Previous to their leaving the box one of the Jury said he thought it hard that the Commissioners should have to keep the churches drained, and that those churches should be ex empt from the rate. He should therefore be glad to see a pe tition emanate from this Court to Parliament, praying for the abolition of Ecclesiastical Courts, when they might rate churches without the fear of incarceration. The wual notices of the presentment were then ordered to be published, and the days of appeal fixed for the 25th of May and he 22d of June next. Mr. L ESLIE d es i red that the presentment might be read, as he understood the Parks had been omittalso. On reading the presentment it was feund that the churches, burial-. grounds, royal palaces, courts of law, Houses of Parliament, and the parks, were omitted. On the motion of Captain BAG TIE, the charge of the Chair man was ordered to be printed, and the Court adjourned at six o'clock. The Commissioners whose names appear on the present men t constituting the quorum to whom the presentment is made, are—J. L. Donaldson, Esq., Chairman; Captain Niue, ji,N , G. Barker, W. White, J. Goldsmith, and J. Jacobs, Esq. BERLIN, APRIL 12.—A great subject of con venation in the highest circles is the expected arrival of the Ele toral Prince of Hesse, a very near relation of our Royal fam i ly ; he being the son of th e p i ous Electress of Hesse, sager of the late King. The object of his visit is said to be Ito consult our prudent Monarch on the succession to the Elec toral, because his sons being born in a Morganatis marriage, - are not qualified to succeed to the Throne. We have often had to state instances of the fecun dity of sheep, butfollowing the is one whi c h we t hi nk has ,_3lrs..Bell, of Mork, near K eswick, rarely b e at s u r p a ssed has at plesent in her p during the ossession a favourite ewe of the fell liPeed, wii c h, last four years, has prod uce d no less than itinelambs, the whole of which she has reared, excepting, spring, which, however, have every 4 3 f course, those yenned this app' aranc e e y di ;' in , As a fai t . . well.— Cumberland Pacquet. specimen of the arguments employed at Nottingham influenced by with such voters as were likely to te Path representations, we are assured by a gentlernan, cal; I;___ --° .mppened to be in the town on commercial business, as a fa ct vn . L . a _ manly stated by teal' , i.nt his own knowledge, that it was cam.. - "Y canvassers fcr Mr. Walter, to those who were 'mown to b e e. suspected of being favourable to their view*, , that Mr. ts. or were Walter's election would turn out the pretest blinistr , and that the Tories would obtain the pardon of al l p Y olitical offenders, and bring back Frost and the other tu, rt i sts who were trans ported for their share ia the ins urrection at N ewport. Poor deluded simpletons ! had a T ory Government been is power at the time of the insurrection, ever man =- y victed of taking active pa r t i n t h e outrage would assured hive been banged. DISTRESSING ACCIDENT.--(), Frid lastay, as the Subscription Coach, which was filled wit h assenu inside and out, was entering this town, on its journey- warts one of the wheels came off, and the coach wai t westwar passengers, however, all escaped unhurt, with the exception The Isaac Sparkes , Esq., of Crewkerne, who, we deepl y 1, 2 , 41 of state, was thrown under the coach and sustained a eote - p; ; ;,,;°, fracture of the leg, and severe injuries of the foot and ands alrieh rendered amputation necessary a few hours afterwards: r. Sparkes, we are happy to hear, is going on favourably. He harkonly gi pt on tbe,coach at Lopen Head, and had intended 1 enig a .Tdrquay:-.llWe deeply lament to state that intelli spree has just reached us of the death of Mr. Sparkes, result lag from the above accident. ]— Sherborne Journal. We understatd, - that in acknowledgment of the eminent pallid_ _services rendered by Major-General Sir George Arthur, during kis administration of the govern - ment - ot Upper' CanaN he is about to be raised to the dignity of a*,Barenet.;:' The Gallant Officer's return to this -comity wass the inevitable consequence of the Act wbitit united theTanadian Provinces, and which, there. fore, brought to a close his separate command, both civil and military. SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS. FROM THE DAILY PAPERS OF YESTERDAY. GLOBE.—Lord Howick has intervened in somewhat the manner of the Beefeater in the Critic in the denoue ment of an intricate situation of parties. The Noble Lord presented himself betwixt them with an admonition to each on tho propriety of composing their differences a regards Ireland. In the Queen's name I charge you all to drop Your swords and daggers ! The swords and daggers may be considered as dropped for the present. There can neither be Stanley nor Morpeth legislation neither thrusting nor parrying. If Ministers, on the one hand, have abandoned their position of defence, so have Opposition tacitly and vir tually that of attack. It is as good as acknowledged by Sir Robert Peel, and even by Lord Stanley, that it may be necessary to consider the franchise, in reforming the registration. They are, in effect, constrained to the quasi-recognition of that principle, though they will not consent to the Ministerial mode of carrying it into execu tion ; and in this dissent are joined by a small number of Liberals, and aided by the apathy and absence cf others. The contre-projet of Government to that of Lord Stanley has not, therefore, been fruit less, nor has the discussion been thrown away. The principle that a new constitution of the fran chise must accompany a new regulation of its exer cise we regard as having been established in the de bates on the rival measures. The views of the two parties which divide Parliament, and the shades of opinion which form minor divisions in parties, have been pretty strongly illustrated in the course of the same discussions. The Tory leader professes to find grounds for congratulation in the contrast between Liberal divisions and Tory unanimity. These grounds are more specious than solid. Apparent divisions, and the absence of apparent divisions in parties, afford no conclu sive evidence of their sound or unsound internal condition. Divisions may result from vigorous thought and sincere feel ing ; unanimity may indicate the suppression or absence of both. It is evident at once that a matter so problematical, pre vious to experiment, as a measure for the reconstruction of a national franchise, must give rise to divisions of opinion ; and such divisions show themselves without restraint, where no overpowering general feeling impels action. That there are no such divisions on the Tory side—if it is true, which we don't believe, although Sir Robert Peel says it—proves nothing to the credit of the Tory party. It may only prove that those of them who have rational views on the subject do not care to distinguish themselves from those who have none, or none reasonable. STANDARD.—Lord Morpeth's Irish Voters Bill was last night defeated in committee by a majority of 300 to 289—a majority of eleven in a House (including tellers, Chairman and Speaker) of 595 Members; leaving of the whole number but 63 absentees, paired or other wise absent. This is a clearly unequivocal declaration of the sense of the House of Commons upon the great minis terial measure of the session. It is, we believe, this day six years, to the day, since Sir R. Peal resigned office in con sequence of a far less plainly spoken hint from the House of Commons ; but we expect as little that ministers will imitate the conduct of Sir Robert Peel in this part of his conduct as we can expect them to imitate him in the rest of his honourable career. They will not, to borrow the words of their friend Mr. Hume, play any such foolish game. They will rather adopt Mr. O'Con nell's suggestion, and present their disgraces by the Imperial Parliament as a new title to the affections and support of the Irish Repeal4rs. The particular question upon which the House divided was, the adoption of the second clause of the Bill; the clause which would fix the franchise upon the occupation of an 6/. rated tenement with any fragment of a fourteen years' tenure, and without any re ference to a beneficial interest. This Ministers described as the principle of their Bill ; and, being beaten upon this, they abandoned the measure; but, as Lord Stanley predicted for them, the measure was the only thing they would resign. The debate was the most animated of the Session. COUR IE R.—The finishing touch was last night given to the IMerpeth moonshine sketch for Irish legislation by its withdrawal from further exhibition. Lord John Russell, with as much coolness as if he had never it that the wretched daub was the perfection of a.t, concluded his " last dying speech and confession" on that special badge and abortion of O'Connell slavery, by moving " that the Chairman do leave the chair," without re porting progress, or asking leave to sit again. It is now, therefore, not worth the while to waste more words upon a scheme of which, from its birth to its exit, it may truly be said that its concoction was a compound of fraud and folly, that its presentation to Parliament was an unparalleled combination of Mi nisterial meanness and effrontery, and that its procras tinations, vacillations, and transformations day by day since, are among the most memorable Protean specimens even of Ministerial shiftiness, trickery, and dishonesty. In the midst of disgraces so unexampled and so multiplied —disgraces which 'would hive swamped a dozen other Ministries—nobody thinks of inquiring when did Minis ters resign, or when will the O'Connell GGvernment give up. We notice the simple fact, leaving the comment to the ri.ghtmindedness of every honest and honourah'c man. Even the well-bred dog does not wait to he kVied out. We havo an opinion, however, that although Lord John will not permit the last days of Whiggery to be registered under the Irish Act, yet, if we may be allowed the vile pun, Mr. Baring with his Budget may compel him to budge from his quarters before the greedy hangers on of office shall have succeeded in effecting an entry upon another quarter, and so establishing a claim to the usual complimentary quarterage dues. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS, APRIL O. The LORD CHANCELLOR took hi 3 sent on the Woolsack tt five o'clock. Lord POLTINIORE presented several re!itians from the county of DCV3D, against Cburch-rotes. Lord KENYON presented petitions from places in 11:e county of i‘liddlesex, against the Bastardy Claut - es in the Poor-law Bill. Lord IIOUNTCASHEL presented numerous tient; from congregations of Presbyterians in the counties of Down, Antrim, and Londonderry, against lay patron age in the Church cf Scotland. The Earl of ROSEBERY presented a petition from the Chamber of Commerce el' Edinburgh, against any in terference with the system of banking in Scotland; also a petition from the Mayor and Corporation of Bath, in fa vour of the Jews Declaratio n Bill. The Earl of FITZWILLIAM presented a petition from Plymouth against the Poor.law Continuance Bill, He did not agree with the potitioners, but thought that the Bill, so far from being oppressive, was highly beneficial to the deterving poor. Lord LYN DHLTRST presented a petition from Bir rniogham praying that the town might be excluded from the Borough Improvement Bill. Th. 2 Earl of WARWICK presented a petition from an individual against the Borough Improvement Bill. Lord WHARNCLIFFE presented a petition from Trustees of Turnpike-roads in Yorkshire, complaining that although the Railways bad taken all profitable traffic nff their roads, they were oblige) to maintain them at their o..vn cost. Lcrd FITZWILLIAM thought it would be the best way to abolish turnpike toils altogether, and to throw the expenses of maintaining roads upon the districts through which they pals.. Earl STANHOPE presented a petition from the town of Derby complaining of certain clauses in the Drain: be Bill, and praying that the town might be exempted from its operation unless the powers which it was intended it should give were ea.trusted to local commissioners; also petitions from the Commercial-road, and from certain inha bitants of Clonmel, praying for a suppression of the traffic in opium. The Marquis of LANS D O WNE brought in a Bill for fat:iii.ating the ante of lands for the building of schools. DRAINAGE BILL. The Marquis of NO RMA NBY moved the further con siderat'ou of the Report on this Bill. Alter some conversation, in which the Marquis of Nor f,e Marquis of Salisbury, the Earl of Wicklow, and other Pecrs took part, _ _ _ The ,larquis of SALISBURY moved the following prcviio to the sth clause, " Provided always that it be not lawful far the said Commissioners to do any injury to or to interfere with the aprl'eation of any stream or water courres used for mills, or other lawful purposes, without the consent of the owner." The Marquis of NORMA NB Y objected to the amend. ment, as it would materially interfere with the operation of the Bill. The amendment having been withdrawn, The Report was agreed to; the Bill was ordered to be engrossed, and read a third time on Tuesday. THE BUILDING REGULATIONS BILL. Oa the motion of the Marquis of NORMANBY the Report on this Bill was received, and the Bill was or dered to be read a third time on Tuesday. BOROUGH IMPROVEMENT BILL. The Marquis of NORMANBY having moved that the Report on this Bill should be received, Lord CALTHORPE presented a petition from Bir. mir e igham against this Bill. Cord LYNDHURST gave notice that on the third reading be should move that Birmingham be exempted from the Hear, hear.) The Noble and Learned Lord taso gave notice of an amendment to the effect that no provision of the Bill should interfere with the validity or invalidity of the Charter granted to the Bo rough of Bolton, now in litigation. The Report was then agreed to, and the Bill was ordered to be read a third time on Tuesday. SOUTH AUSTRALIAN BILL. Viscount DUNCANNON having moved the Com mittee on this Bill, The Duke of WELLINGTON expressed a belief that it would be expedient to put an end to the South Aus tralian Commission altogether, and to place the manage ment of the colony in the hands of the Colonial-office, as was the case with our other colonies. The Bill then went through Committee, and the House adjourned till Monday. HOUSE OF COMMONS, APRIL 30. The SPEAKER took the Chair at the usual hour. BRIGHTON AND SHOREHAM ROAD BILL. On the motion that the Brighton and Shoreham Read Bill be read a third time, Captain PECH ELL moved the introduction of a clause to compel the Brighton Railroad Company to make a bridge across the road instead of crossi ng it on the level. Mr. GORING thought it would be impracticable to construct a bridge at such a place, and Gpposed the mot . oi. Mr. EA STHOPE said it was impossible to const ruct a brroidsgs the e so near the wharves with a gradient which would be co mpatible i n the railway traffic. There was no intenti on to c line with steam-engines, the carriages being drawn across the road by horse power. He objected to iinhetheelaruasLoan principle, for he had no interest whatever ;h he co u ld s tate to the House that on a railway with which h e was connecte d , t h e L on d on an d Southampton, aem. h c igli the Vauxhall t erm i nus, by found to occasion less prac tical roinacdon horse w power, and it wasvaesniecnrocsestehdaonnthaelebvueilldnienagr of a bridge. THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY, MAY 1, 1841. Lord G. SOMERSET objected to the clause, as well upon its merits as from its being informal, the Standing Orders providing that no clause of such a nature could be brought forward on the third reading of a Bill without due notice. Sir A. DALRYMPLE was anxious to afford every facility to the Railway Company for the transport of their goods, but ho did not think they ought to add so import ant a clause upon the 31 reading of the Bill, due notice of it not having been given. Earl SURREY and Mr. ESTCOURT opposed the clause. Mr. EASTHOPE hoped that his Hon. Friend would not divide the House upon the question. The SPEAKER said the rules of the House had not been complied with, as the clause had not been furnished to hir. Captain PEC HELL was very sorry that the rules of the House had not been attended to by the parties, and would not, of course, divide the House, after what had fallen from the Chair. He was glad that the discussion had arisen, and he trusted it would soon be settled, whe ther rails might not be laid across a turnpike road, when the fact was apparent that they would, so far from being any hindrance, be an advantage to the public. The Bill was then passed. On the motion of Mr. B. WOOD, the South Wes tern Railway Bill, No. 2, and the Southwark Improve ment Bill, No 2, were read a second time. Mr. WILLIAMS presented a petitiun from Coventry praying for a reduction of the duty on certain articles used in the manufactures of this country to enable our manufacturers to compete with those of foreign coun tries, and also for a reduction of the duty on sugars, coffee, sad ether articles. Mr. GREG presented a petition from a parish in Manchester praying for the abolition of the Corn-laws. Mr. E. TENNENT presented petitions from various places in the counties of Down, Tyrone, and Mayo, pray ing for the abolition of lay patronage in the Church of Scotland ; also a petition from a place in Staffordshire praying for Church Extension. Mr. WALTER presented a petition from a place in Nottinghamshire praying for Church Extension ; also a petition from the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, and Guar dians of a union in Shropshire, praying that the powers of the Poor-law Commissioners might be restricted and their salaries reduced. Mr. GRANTLEY BERKELEY presented a petition from Molesvvorth, praying for the abolition of Church rates and Ecclesiastical Courts. Mr. WALLACE presented a petition from Greenock with 4,987 signatures, praying for the abolition of patronage in the Church of Scotland ; also a petition from the same place praying for the abolition of Church-rates. Mr. B. WOOD presented a petition from a congrega tion of Baptists for the abolition of Church-rates and Ecclesiastical Courts. Mr. HA WES presented a petition is favour of the Re peal of the Corn-laws. Mr. J. E. GLADSTONE presented a petition from Walsall in favour of Church Extension. KING'S COUNTY ELECTION. Mr. WILSON PATTEN, as Chairman of the Select Committee appointed to try the merits of the petition against the Election for King's County, reported from the Commit tee that Mr. Armstrong was duly elected to serve in Parlia :rent as a knight of the shire for King's County, and that neither the petition against the return nor the apposition to it was frivolous or vexatious. CORN-LAWS. Lord JOHNRUSSELL gave notice that on Monday, the 31st May, he should move that the House resolve it self into a Committee of the whole House, to consider the Acts relating to the trade in corn.—(Loud cheers from the Ministerial side, and loud and long continued counter cheers from the Opposition.) Therefore, so far as regarded the early part of the year, the expectations I had entertained of the revenue were equalled if not exceeded by the result. I wish to state the particular articles in which you will find a falling off. I have directed returns to be made of the last year—not the last financial year—of articles in which there has been an increase or a falling off. That return is as follows : (Comparison of years, 1839-1840, as to gross rec-Jipts.) Articles in which there has been an increase, both in quantity and amount of duty : Increase of quantities. Inc. in amount of duties. Butter Cheese .... 18,367 cwts 13,417 Coffee Olive Oil 173,900 gals 2,410 Pepper 98,727 lbs ....... ..... 4,608 Silk (raw and thrown) 427,482 1b5..... ....... 12,657 Timber 74,573 loads 111,495 Cotton Wool 175,430,954 1b5.... 233,590 Articles on which there has been a decrease in quantity and an increase of Duty : Decrease Increase in amount in quantity. of Duty. Resins Tallow Tobacco 71,4291b5. ...... .. 95,892 Deals, &c., from British America... 782 gt. hds. I wish more particularly to call the attention of the Committee to those articles on which there has been a de crease both in quantity and amount of duty, because I am sure, with regard to the principal ones, that Honour able Members would at once observe the grounds of de crease, and see that they were not u nna t ura l _ . Articles in which there has been a decrease, both in quantity and amount of duties. Decrease in quantity. Decrease in amount of duties. Currants 6,136 cwts Molasses 111,656 cwts Spirits Sugar 250,343 cwts Tea 2,873,767 lbs ... ..... 186,102 Wine Deals (European) 1,664 gt. hds. Sheep's Wool I need not explain to the Committee that the falling off in the two articles of molasses and sugar did not arise from any unwillingness in the country to consume such articlea, but from the prices they bore in the market. For the falling off in the imports of French spirits there was an obvious reason in the French commercial treaty. The other main article in which there was a falling off was tea; and I need not suggest to the Committee that the cause was in the state of our relations with China, and the rise in the price of the article thereby occasioned. In the Excise the falling off was in Ireland.—( Hear, hear.) The increase and decrease in England and Ireland had been as follow : EXCISE REVENUE.-EXCHEQUER PAYMENTS. GREAT BRITAIN. Year ended 56 April, 1840 £12,040,000 Year ended ith April, 1841 12,530,000 Increase £490,000 IRELAND, Year ended sth April, 1840 £1,497,000 Year ended sth April, 1841 1,143,000 Increase £354,000 Of this deficit,—Spirits £305,000 . Of this deficit,—Malt Thus there is a decrease in the Excise in Ireland of C54,000/.—( Hear.) Now, Sir, if that falling eff had arisen from any diminution of the resources of the country, or, if it had been that the smuggler had taken the place of the fair trader, that result would have been a subject of deep and sincere regret, but from all I can learn from the united opinions of gentlemen connected with Ireland, and in conformity with the opinion of the Revenue officers, vvho were the best able to furnish official information, I am afraid that it has arisen from increased habits of temperance in the people— ( Loud cries of Hear, hear," from Mr. O'Con nell and the Irish Members)—and I own, Sir, that how ever inconvenient it may be to the statement I have now to make, I should be ashamed of myself if I did not make that statement with the grcateat and sincerest pleasure.__ (Cheers from both sides of the House.) I may mention incidentally that I have not the account for the last quarter of the revenue from the corresponding articles of tea, sugar, and coffee ; but on the early part of the year there was an increase, and I have no doubt that a still larger increase will be found on the last quarter.—( Hear, hear.) With respect to other articles, I will mention the increase which hal taken place, in order to show that the falling off in the excise showed no material defalcation in the resources of the country. With this view I bad a paper drawn up which showed the per centage increase and decrease on all exciseable articles compared with the average of the list three years. The return is as follows: Increase per cent, in the Quantities of Exciseable Articles charged with Duty, in the Year ended sth January, 1841, compared with the Average of the three pre ceding Years— TILE UNITED KINGDOM. Auctions ... Increase 61 per cent. Bricks l3 Fiint -3 Glas Plate Broad . 211- Green ~, ~ . 13,4 Mal.t 6l Paper Post Horse licenses 3 Hard Soap Vinegar 5 1-3 axiaiso.—The quantities of the following Articles charged with duty have decreased:— Glass, Crown Decreased 1 20 per Cent. P.'1 33 Bl • Licenses -3 Post Horses lO l- Spirits Tne diminution in spirit licenses was partly the result of the decreased consumption of spirits in Ireland, and partly the consequence of the 13 , 11 passed last year with respect to the sale of beer. The articles of stamps and taxes had both produced more than the estimate. Postage had been estimated beyond the actual produce by 160,0001. ; but this had not arisen from mistake in the calculations of his Noble Friend tic Postmaster-General as to the increase of letters, bus from increased expenditure in the department. The large additional assistance which had been required from the greater number of letters, from the charges in connec tion with railways, from the spreading of double posts, and the accommodation afforded to the public in registering money letters, had rendered necessary an increase of the Post-office establishment beyond what his Noble Friend the Postmaster-General had contemplated. The cal culation of the increase of letters had not been erro neous, but the nett revenue had been diminished by the increased charges. I have now stated to the House the amount of the actual income and expendi ture of last year, the amount of the deficiency which ap peared, and laid before them such information, wit bout over whelming them with details, as might enable them to see the sources of the filling off which had token place. I have now to lay before them the anticipations of the Govern ment. The charge upon the Consolidated Fund will in all amount to 31,820,000/. The Army, including the Commissariat and Militia expenditure, 6,587,000/. The Navy, inclusive of 199,000/. of former years, 6,805,0001. The Ordnance, 2,075,0001. The miscellaneous charges, including the whole of the items actually on the table of the House, and some small items, which is ill be laid be fore the House in a short time, 2,935,0001. The Estimate for Canada, 108,000/. I am not prepared to state that in the present year I shall he able to put an end to the present system, which I acknowledge to be a bid one, and has lasted long enough ; but I think it will be neces sary on the present occasion that we should have the money, but of course the House ought to have and to exercise a complete control over it. I will be able to give the House every insight into the details hereafter. The House is in possession of all the information re specting China which I could afford them. The charge made by the East India Company amounts to 475,000/. That estimate was framed up till to-morrow, the Ist of May, 1841, that being the termination of the East India Company's financial year. There is a question pending between the Company and the Government, as to certain charges, and upon whom they were to fall. I apprehend, however, that if I made provision for -100,0004, leaving the 75,000/. over until the accounts are made up, I think I shall satisfy the East India Company, and have made provision for the present year. I have not deducted any sum in the expectation, or upon any suppositiou that the expedi tion will terminate sooner than expected, I merely deduct the 75,0001. until the accounts are squared. The charges will then stand thus : Consolida:cd Fund . . -£31,520,000 Army 6,587,000 Navy 6,805,000 Ordnance Miscellaneous 2,935,000 Canada lOB,OOO China 400,000 Making the total of the estimated expenditure 50,731,0001. I now propose to state th?. estimate I have made of the coming revenue, and in so doing, although last year I stated I was prepared to take a favourable view of the prospects of the year, I have endeavoured in the present year, finding the difficulties which I anticipated might be passed over still continua—l have endeavoured, in com munication with those Officers of my own Department and of the Treasury, who were the best fitted to assist me by their experience, to take an estimate, which I am able to tell the House is one of a very sober character.—( Cries of " Hear, hear," and laughter.) I think I shall be able to show that what I have stated is quite correct. The Customs for the last year produced 21,700,000/ , though there was a period of six weeks in which the increased duty of 5 per cent. did not attach. I have placed the estimated income of the Customs at 22 millions, being somewhat more than the actual produce last year. The actual produce of the Excise last year vva513,673,000/., witn some fraction. Of the increase on the 5 per ceut., it is impossible for me to say what part at tached during the last year, but, with regard to the Excise, there is this great advantage, that in many things —as, for Instance, the malt duty—it is not available for a long time, yet you will be able exactly to tell the amount, and to know what will be paid. The average for the Excise for the next year I have put, in round nurribers, at 14 milli on! . The stamps produced 7,183,0001, and I have put them at 7,130,000/. The taxes produced 3,989,4321., and f have placed them at 4,300,000/. The Post-office I have placed at 450,000/. The Crown Lands at 180,000 t, and the Miscella neous at 250,000/., which last year produced 311,0001. The total income that I expect during the next year amounts to 48,310,000/. The expenditures as I stated, will amount to 50,731,000/. Of this expenditure the House will observe that China forms an item of 400,000/., and there is another sum of 191,000/ , the navy debt of last year, making in all 591,000/. Now that sum does not form part of what is the permanent expen diture of the country, and it therefore does not be come necessary to make a permanent provision for it. With regard to the expenditure, then, I think there is every prospect that it will not at any rate be likely that wo shell be called on for anything like the sums of former years:. The expenditure for the next year, leaving out those two items referred to, will amount to 50,130,0001. That leaves 1,800,0001. to be provided for. Looking, then, to the future prospects, and to the state of the expenditure of the country, it is the opinion of her Majesty' s G overn ment that it is impossible, consistently with the stability of the finances of the country, to leave the position of the revenue as it stands, and not to make some increase to the income of the country.--( Hear.) Taking the whole subject into consideration, I consider that it will be necessary to make up the permanent revenue to fifty millions by such means as Parliament may please to adopt. If I can makeprovision for that I shall have placed the finances of the country upon a stable and sure footing. It was my fortune last year when I had to address you upon a similar occasion to call upon this House, and to call upon the country for additional taxes for the purpose of placing the revenue in a better position and making up the deficiency which then existed, and if it become necessary for me again to undertake that duty. I should not shrink from laying before the House a pro position for a system of taxation, however unpopular it might be. In my opinion there is no tax so inconvenient or so injurious that it could for a moment be weighed against the great inconvenience and calamity of a per manently disordered state of the finances. Under these circumstances her Majesty's Government have taken into their serious consideration the course they will feel it their duty to pursue. It becomes necessary either to fall back upon some of those taxes which we have ourselves repealed—either the house -tax, or the tax upon coals, or some other repealed tax. The sum is so large, that it is absolutely necessary that we should act with boldness. It is impossible to attempt, by any mitigating measure, cr by any small measure, to deal with such deficiency.—( Hear.) You therefore have the choice either to return upon these old taxes which you have repealed after due considera tion, and upon the opinion that they press severely upon the trade and commerce of the country, or you must on the other hand take away the exemptions and introduce into your taxation those parties who have been hitherto exempted, as was proposed last year by an Hon. Member of this House; you must include the legacy duty, and you must include real property under the legacy duty—(Cheers)--or you must take away some of those exemptions by which particular classes are benefited—such as the tax on agricultural horses, or some of those exemptions which I have no doubt would add considerably to the revenue, I mean in proportion to the cost of collection. Or if you do not choose to adopt that, you mast adopt another course —you must lay a tax upon those new articles of strength —upon gas and steam, which are so new born in the world as hardly to have benefited us under the system of taxation which, during a long war, we were obliged to apply to almost every other article. (Hear, hear.) Or, lastly, you must take that which I find now so popular, although I am old enough to remember that it was the object of the bitterest attacks and execra tions —I mean an extensive property tax.—( Loud cheer ing.) It becomes therefore our duty to consider whe ther, by some new modification of those taxes which arc already laid upon the people, we may not be able to obtain the necessary supplies for the public service, without adding to the burdens of the country. I apprehend that the House will have already judged that the two articles with which I propose to deal in my Budget are timber and sugar.—(Loud cheers.) The House will recollect the duty on colonial timber was We. a load, while the duty on Baltic was 655. a load, thus giving a protective duty of 450 per cent. on the colonial timber. The subject has been repeatedly before different Administrations. My Noble Friend Lord Spencer pro posed an adjustment of the duties, by diminishing the pro testing duty of 455. to 305., and by raising the colonial duty from 10s. to 20s. ; what I DOW propose is to reduce the duty on Baltic timber from 555. to 50s. The subject was referred to a Committee which went patiently into the in -1 quiry, and examined various parties connected with all in terests. The Committee made a Report containing much valuable information, and confirming the views of my Noble Friend as to the expediency of the reduction which he proposed. Now, Sir, I propose to adopt the proposition of my Noble Friend. I feel satisfied that an arrasigemect might be made by which the consumer in the country will be much bene fited, and the revenue will receive considerable addition. ( Hear, hear.) I shall also adopt certain other recom mendations of that Committee as far as they are practi cable. They recommend that the duty on deals should be adjusted in a more equal and fair manner. My Noble Friend Lord Spencer was satisfied in his own mind that he would derive from this source as much as 750,000/., but I am willing to take the estimate as low as 600,0001. The present duty is 1 ls. 6d. upon Colonial timber, and 565. 6d. on Baltic. I propose to put a duty of 20:. upon Colonial timber, and reduce the duty upon Baltic timber to 50s. making the differential duty still 30s. It is exactly Lord Spencer's proposition. He expec:ed to raise from that plan the sum of 75,8001. I propose to take it at 600,000/. I now come, Sr, to the other art . cle, sugar. I am sure I need not call the attention of the 11 ouseto the inconvenience—to the more than inconvenience, that for more than the last two ye irs has been suffered by all classes, bet more especially by the lower classes— ( Cheers)—from the high price—the exorbitant price—of this a-title, which, if not a necessary of life, is at all events one of the poor man's luxuries. This very circumstance, to which I alluded in a former part of my address, when I stated to the Committee the falling off which had taken place in Ireland, by the people leaving off spirits and taking to coffee and tea as a substitute, if we really sec that by keeping up the high price of sugar we would interfere with that which every mal who has any pretensions to be called a statesman must be ex tremely anxious for—namely, the introduction of sober and industrious habits amongst toe people—if you will look at that only I am sure the Committee will be most anxious to allow the poorer classes to obtain something like a decent supply of this necessary article. I am not about to adopt any wild, or what my Noble Friend might call philosophical plan. I propose still to leave a considerable protection in favour of colonial sugar. I propose to leave a protection of 50 per cent. in favour of the colonies. The present duty upon colonial sugar is 245., plus 5 per cent. ; the duty upon foreign sugar is 635., plus 5 per cent., which amounts to an actual prohibition—far better to state fairly and honestly that they would not admit foreign sugar at all. I propose still to give the colonial produce a protection of 50 per cent. I propose to reduce the duty on foreign sugar to 365.—( Hear, and cheer,. ) By my proposition, the duty on colonial sugar will he 245. per cent, plus the 5 per cent. ; the duty on foreign sugar will be 365. per cot., plus the 5 per cent., bong exactly a differential duty of 50 per cent, fur protection. I have endeavoured, Sir, to go through the calculations necessary on this subject, and have stied to the House what I think it probable the increase will be. I think it not impossible the increase will amount to nine hundred thousand pounds, but I take it a.: seven hundred thousand pounds. The sum the Committee recollect I proposed to provide for was 51,700,000/. The increase of sugar, if it realizes 700,000/ , and of timber 600,0001., will produce the sum of 1,300,000/., leaving a deficiency of 400,0001. My Noble Friend at the commencement of the proceedings of this evening announced to the House a measure which will be thought before them respectirg the duties which now attach upon corn.--( Cheers and counter-cheer,:.) This is a subject of the deepest and gravest importance, and one which I am not willing to treat of in an incidental debate. At the same time 1, cannot overlook it in the statements I am about to make, and certainly I shall leave this sum of 400,000/. and upwards unprovided for, feeling satisfied that the proposition my Noble Friend has adopted for that sum, will be found a sufficient provision in the revenue derived from it. But whatever may be the result it is my determination to make up the revenue to the amount al ready stated, and if I cannot thus make provision for that sum of 400,0001., I shall produce it by direct taxation. I have felt some difficulty as to the mode of dealing with this question, as I have been anxious to avoid as much as possible mingling the subject of revenue of the country with the discussion of so important a question as the Corn-laws ; but at the same time I cannot conceal from myself, nor can any gentleman in this House conceal from himself, that this is a question of principle.—( Hear, hear, hear.) It is not a mere scrambling for sums of money to be col lected into the revenue, but it is a question whether you will give a protecting interest t 1 those whom the subject concerns, or whether you will keep the law as it at pre sent stands, and impose additional burdens upon the popu lation.—(Ministerial cheers.) If you take it in that view you must consider, not only the question that pro tects the %Vest Indian interest, or the Canadian timber in terest, but you must consider that the principle of that protection must be given to the growth of corn. I shall state those points which I consider may refer to the revenue of the country, and my Right Hon. Friend the P,esident of the Board of Trade will, in his depart ment, submit to the Committee such measures as be may think may be with safety to the revenue recom mended to Parliament for the revision of the law which is now in existence. I come before the House to stele to thc In the state of the revenue and of the income which will accrue in the present veer; and I ask the House, for what I feel assured they will not refuse, I call upon them to make proper provision to preserve the good faith that is certainly the interest of this country. It becomes a question in what mode the deficiency is to be made up ; and before I propose to them any direct taxa tion, whether it be one tax or another, I ask them whether they will be prepared entirely to refuse to consider the ii - terests of their own population ?—( Hear, and cheers.) Or whether they will, by reducing these protecting duties, ob tain what is required for the revenue without adding to the burdens of the people ?—( Hear, hear.) This Revenue que;tion you will have to answer by the vote which I shall hereafter have to submit to the House. But I cannot forbear from calling the attention of the House some what to the position of trade, and to the advisability of attending to the subject which her Majesty's Government suggest to their notice. It is not now a question of mere abstract principle. You have at present a heavy debt. Even if there were no deficiency to he made up, 1 should venture to recommend to the House to adopt a more libe ral policy with regard to this subject. I do not ask . them to adopt all the opinions which they may hear from different quarters, but I ask them to look to the present state of affairs.—(Loud cheers from both sides of the House.) You have the German League extending its ramifiea• tions, and every year, if I mistake not, growing more inclined to protect its own manufactures, You have the American tariff —you have a treaty with Brazil, which must be the subject of negotiation. I can not but feel you are come to a most important crisis in affairs, and that upon the decision which this House may make upon these propositions must depend the success of your commercial policy. You may negotiate as you will, but what will be the answer which you will receive from abroad ? They will tell you that certainly you press that their mar kets may be opened to you, but it has so happened that lately you have had the question brought be fore yourselves—that it was a question not making an abstract claim upon you, but a question of whether you will raise one million and a half and more by taxation, or by admitting foreign goods into the market, _ and they will tell you that they hear what you say, and they see what you do. That you have written your own condemnation—..that is the answer that must be returned to you, although you may press upon them the expediency of adopting a high line of policy they will tell you that you yourselves are adopting a very different one. Sir, I admit that I have wandered from the subject more immediately before me to one which does not strictly belong to it, but it is one in which I feel the greatest interest, and which is of the greatest importance to this country, and one upon which 1 sincerely trust that if there was any intention even to admit the produce of foreign markets, and proceed in a course of liberal policy, that this country may not delay and postpone the measure till they had passed the mark, and have nothing left them in the end, but to give way with regret and des pair. The Right Hon. Gentleman resumed his seat amidst loud and general cheering. Mr. G 0 ULBURN said it was impossible to have heard the statement of the Right Hon. Gentleman with out concurring wish him in the opinion that we had ar rived at an important crisis of our affairs.—(Loud cries of " Hear, hear.") By the course of conduct which had been pursued fur the last five years with the revenue and expenditure of the country, we bad arrived at a critical moment, when it was at last necessary to come to a determination whether that course was still to be pursued, or the revenue was to be placed in a safe condition.—[Great interruption from Members leaving the House, and talking between the bar. The Speaker ordered the Sergeant to remove Mem bers from the bar.—Mr. Goulburn at length proceeded.' He had not had the slightest intimation that the measure of the Right Hon. Gentleman would be brought under discussion this evening, and he was not prepared to give an opinion upon it. Indeed the Right Hon. Gentleman himself had not given an opinion.—( Hear, hear.) Indeed he had not told the House how he expected to raise the amount of revenue of which he spoke. He had said that he intended to reduce the duty on foreign sugar, and that he expected thereby to raise 700,000/. ; but he did not soy in what manner that sum was to be produced.—( Hear, hear.) Tne Right Hon. Gentleman had also said that the duty on corn was to produce 400,000/. But he had not informed the House whether or not that was to be in addition to the amount (1,200,000/. ) of last year.—( Hear. ) He (Mr. G.) would decline for the present to go into the several questions involved in the Chancellor of the Ex chequer's propositions ; but at the same time he begged to he considered as perfectly free from any opinion one way or the other, until he had an opportunity of looking into documents and making inquiries as to the ground' of the Right Hon. Gentleman's anticipations.—( Hear.) The accounts laid before them were even worse than he had anticipated. They had not received the accounts of the revenue until that morning, and what did they pre sent? a deficiency up to the end of the quarter upon the whole year of 1,850,0001. ; and they were told that in the rear which was to come there would be a deficiency to a similar amount. Let me call the attention of the House to Cie time when these gentlemen came into office. They began with a revenue of 46,000,0001., while the expenditure was somewhat under 45,000,0001, leaving a surplus of above 1,000,000/. available for national purposes. What was the state of things at the end of the fifth year of their ad ministration? The result was, that with ;a revenue in created to forty-seven and a half millions, the rapid progress of expenditure had been so great, that they bad not only got rid of the whole of the accumulation left in their hands, and with an aggregate deficiency of 5,000,000/., but even for the year which was to come they were obliged to estimate a deficiency of 2,000,000/. more. That was the state to which the lion. Gentlemen opposite had reduced the revenue. That result bad been effected by a course of proceedings against which he, for one, had constantly pro tested. lie had always contended for keeping the ' revenue in some degree of assimilation to the expenditure. In 1835 the Government had at their dis posal a nominal surplus of a million, a real one of 600,000/. With that surplus they repealed certain taxes to the amount of 156,000/., and had addei to the expenditure to the amount of 340,000/., which, together cell surned the surplus left to them by their predecessors. To gentlemen who denied the advantage of a surplus to our revenue he knew that would bo no matter of complaint. In the year 1836 they had a surplus of about 1,000,0001, and what was the consequence ? They repealed taxes to more than that amount, and proceeding on the principle that increase of expenditure should keep pace with decrease of taxation, they added, a million to their expenditure, so having a surplus of a million, they disposed of, and plat .d the country a million in debt. In 1837, there was a deficiency of 650,0001. which was made by increased expenditure to nearly an other million of money, making no corresponding fforts to keep up the taxation. In 1838, naturally enough, there was another deficiency, and, as he had almost said, naturally enough an increased expenditure of 400,000/. ;n" 1839 the deficiency amounted to 1,500,000/. and added to that was the deficiency of previous years, amounting to more than a million, and leaving them in debt more than two millions. They then thought that a fit opportunity for repealing the duty on postage-4 Opposi tion cheers)—thereby reducing the revenue 1,500,0001, and acting contrary to their ordinary principles, they did thus reduce the expenditure about 150,0001. What must the consequence of these proceedings have been ? It could only be that at which the House had now arrived. They were now called upon to take extensive measures for putting the revenue of the country on a safe basis.—( Hear.) Now he, (Mr. G.) did not propose to quarrel with the estimate the Right Hon. Gentleman had made for the year to come. He would only rema-k that there was again considerable increase of expenditure. With respect to the Post-office he now found a dis tinct admission that that measure had not answered the expectations of those by whom it was adopted. The Right Hon. Gentleman last year took the estimate of the Post-office at 530,030/ ; it produced only 413,000/. ; and what was the estimate he took for the present year? Why nearly 450,0001.—( Hear.) It should be remembered too that a considerable revenue was now de. ived by the Post-office from letters that formerly passed under official franks. Looking to the financial accounts, they would find that the net proceeds of the Post-office had not exceeded 240,000/. He alluded to that, because he was anxious to caution the House, at a moment when they were called on as a financial operation to make a partial reduction in the duty. They ough not to be led away too hastily by the statements made by the Government, without a close and accurate examination of the real case. As he was speaking of the Post-office, there was one subject to which he would call the attention of the House—the statement which was made with respect to the Irish Post-office. It was said that the net revenue which the Irish Post-office brought into the re venue was 6,000/. ; but on referring to the financial account - Oat was recently made, it would be found that the Irish Post office never could have paid anything into the Exchequer, because the expenditure of that post-office had exceeded not only the whole of the receipts, but the whole of that portion of the stamps that had been sent over from Eng land, and with which the Post-office should be fairly charge". Yet in the return made to the House the Right Hon. Gentleman said that 6,000/. had been paid into the net revenue of the Irish Post-office; whereas the real case was, that 27,0001. had been sent over the present year to make up the deficiency which had taken place in that department. The Right Hon. Gentleman, when men tionining the estimate of 450,000/., did not say that that estimate was made from an ap prehension of the number of letters being in creased, but that the number of officers em ployed should be increased, to carry on the busiacss. Now, when the proposition for the re- duction of the postage to one penny was made it struck him (Mr. Goulburn) that some of its effects would be to get rid of a great number of clerks, and so lessen the expenses usually incurred. lie could not avoid offering these few observations with respect to the details of the revenue as submit ted to the House by the Right Honourable Gentlemars Fur the reasons he had already stated, he should forbear, until the measures were distinctly submitted to the consideration of the House, from giving any opinion as to their effect upon the country, but when they were proposed he would at once state his views upon the subject. Mr. HUME said there was much in the speech of the Chancellor of the Exchequer which had given him satisfac tion, though there was much also which had caused him great regret. With regard to the reductions which were proposed to be made it was an instalment of that which the people cf England had long expected, and which the welfare of the whole empire required. Bet there was not one word of the Right Hon. Gentleman's speech of that night with respect to what appeared to him (Mr. Hume) to be the first point for the House to consider, viz. whether there was to be any reduction in the heavy expenditure which ceated that excess. He could not help expressing his deep regret that in the present state of things that point had not been taken into consideration. He would now make a few observations upon what had fallen from the Honourable Gentleman who had just sat down. He quite agreed with that Honourable Gentleman that the great excess which had occurred in the re ‘eoue within the last six years was much to be deplored, and that the Government ought no to have suffered these defalcations to have taken place. But he would ask. the Right Hon. Gentleman whether he, or :any one on that side of the House—there might indent be a solitary exception— had any right to taunt the Treasury? He (Mr. Hume) might do i , but they had no right. He bad endeavoured to lessen that expenditure. He had pointed out to the House what would be the result of those extravagant and in creasing estimates from year to year, and he had called on the Honourable Gentleman near him not to listen to the voice from the opposite side, which would hurry him on into increased expenditure. It any indivi dual was entitled to make the speech which they had just heard, it was not the Hon. Gentleman, for he challenged him to point out any one instance in which he had pro posed to reduce the great and increasing expenditure. For the last three years there had been additional taxes to he amount of 3} millions laid on, and there had bean a failiqg off for the last 4 years of 5,1 millions, making a total of nine millions increase of the expenses of the coun try. Tnat arose from the neglect of the House and its utter disregard for the reduction of the public expendi. tune, and be might add that on the several divisions he had taken to reduce the expenditure of the coun try, the number who voted with him seldom ex ceeded seven or ten. He was gratified to think that the Right Honourable Gentleman had been com pelled, by the increasing burdens of the people, to look about and devise another mode of increasing the resources of the country. It was now clear, that although last year the Right Hon. Gentleman had laid on taxes to the amount of 2,340,0004, so far from its producing any incr e ase, it had caused a decrease of 300,000/. on the last as compared with the previous year. Con sequently the estimate of the Right Honourable Gen• tleman bad failed. The revenue, which was 47,843,000/. for the year ending in April, 1840, was for the year ending April, 1841, with the 5 per cent. additional taxes and customs, and the 10 per cent. increase upon the as sessed taxes, only 47,433,000/., being an actual reduction of 400,000/. upon the receipts of the previous year. It appeared from that that the Right Honourable Gentleman had miscalculated to the CRIMINAL JUSTICE Mr. BARNEBY begged to ask the Right Hon. the Attorney-General whether it was his intention to bring on the Criminal Justice Bill that night? The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said he ahnuld not bring it forward unless he had an opportunity of doing so before ten o'cicelc. PUNISHMENT OF DEATH. Mr. KELLY said it would be in the recollection of the Noble Lord (Lord J. Russell) that he bad postponed the Committee on the Bill for the Abolition of the Punish ment of Death, at his suggestion, until Monday, the 3d of May, and be hoped it would be convenient to the Noble Lord to bring it on and take precedence on that day. Lord JOHN RUSSELL had suggested the post- ponement, in order that the Bill might be better con sidered when there was a full attendance of the House. He was ready to agree to the proposition of the Hon. and Learned Member, that the Bill should have priority on Monday next, and he would state that he did not intend to oppose the Bill of the Hon. and Learned Member, but in the Committee be would propose various clauses. Mr. LUCAS begged to remind the Noble Lord that Monday the 31st of May was Whi&-Monday ; and he wished to know whether it was his intention to bring for ward his motion with respect to the Corn-laws on that day. Lord JOHN RUSSELL sail as the 31st of May would occur in Whitsun week, he should bring it forward on the next Order Day afterwards. Col. SIBTHORP rose amid much laughter. It was almost impossible to bo surprised at any anything that was done by the Government, but could any one conceive it possible—( Loud cries of" Question")—he would ask was it, or was it not, the intention of the Noble Lord to bring forward a discussion on the Corn.laws—( Cries, of Ob, oh, and quesli.m)—could it be believed that any individual holding so important a station as the Noble Lord could gravely come dean to the house and give notice cf so important tolion without that due preparati.in for which the Howe had a right to look ? (The Hon. Mem• b:r continued speakirg for a few moments in an exci:ei manner, but the laughter and cries of " Oh, oh," and " Question," effectually drowned his observations). Lord SANDON—iiefore the House went into Com mittee, he begged leave to present a petition signei by 7,000 merchant!: and inhabitant% of Liverpool, praying she Howe st an early perkd to enter into a revision of our Corm - nercial Tariff.—(Cheers,) Mr. E WART pre‘ented a petition, signed by 53 000 of the ichlbitlnt.i of Li%c-pool and its neighbourhood, to the same efi'.2ct, but more especially praying for the repeLl of till C,rn-laws. Mr. M. I) HILT PS preseaed a petirin from the Cham ber of Commerce of Manchester, pra)ing the House to remove all r.:strictions from trade, and, above all, for a Repoli of the Corn-laws ; the petitioners expressly stlted that :hey were willing to g've up all protection to the trades in which they were engaged. TITE BUDGET. On the motion of the CHANCELLOR of the PAX. CHEQUER, the House then resolved it. cif into a Com mittee of supply. The CHANCELLOR. of the EXCHEQUER the 3 rose and said—Sir, the vote I am about to put into your hands is One of the usual votes of the Session, and is pet for the purpose of being followed up by a resolution of Ways and Means to vote certain Exchequer bills ne cessary for the public service, and for paying bills now outstanding. The vote itself would in reality require no explanation, and I take it with a view of laying before the House at the earliest possible period a statement of our financial prospects of the year, and those measures which her Majesty's Government propose to recommend to the cnsidcration of the House. Sir, I shall detain the House in endeavouring to bring the case before them with as few words as possible, and with this view, I call the attention of the House to the statement which was made by me last year of the expectations which I had of the income for the year, and of its expenditure. Gentlemen who will refer to that will find, upon the whole—(there were some few additions after I made the statement, which, however, correspond with it)—that the expenditure of last year, as stated, amounted to 49.499,000/.,while the income was estimated at 48,641,000/ leaving an estimated deficiency of 858,000/., it was pro posed to meet that deficiency, arising from extraordinary expense., and fr)va taxes not coming into operation, by a vote of Exchequer hills, which was reduced to 800,000/. in consequence of the French treaty net coming to a (Inclusion. Looking to the actual results of the year, a filch Hon. Gentlemen would find iu the paper I have just put before them, it would appear that the actual ex penditure and income were as follow : Actual expenditure., £49,285,396 Actual Revenue 47,443,399 Deficiency . . 1,841,997 This was a deficiency much larger than had been esti mated. Tho House would recollect that 800,0001. of the deficiency was proposed to be met by a vote of Exchequer bills. This left one million of deficiency beyond what was apirehended. Perhaps it would be advisable that I should state the actual expenditure and income, as corn. pared with the estimated expenditure and income. They were a 3 follow : Estimated expenditure £49,499,741 Actual expenditure, as appeared from the returns Showing an amount of expenditure below the estimate 0f..... 214,345 Hon. Gentlemen would recollect that the actual payments of the ear for services did not precisely correspond with what was considered the expenditure, and they would find, with regard to the navy, that although the sums issued ap. pearei less than the estimate. they did in fact exceed it. The income, as compared with the estimate, was as fol. lows:— Estimate X48,641,000 Actual £1,197,601 It was a natural question—from what arose the great de ficiency, in reference to the estimates laid on the table of the House. I think I shall be able to show the House that it had not arisen from the additional taxation which had been laid on, or from the manner in which it was laid on, but from a falling off in the revenue, which would have taken place although that additional taxation had not been imposed. The House would recollect that the estimate of the Customs and Excise added 5 per cent. to the average amount of former years ; and undoubtedly, when they came to look at the first two quarters of the year 1840, the returns would be found to bear me out in the estimate I have formed. The increase on these two par. ters appeared to be as follows ; Custorns—Quarter ended sth April, 1839 £4,411,569 . sth April, 1840 4,572,623 Increase £161,054 Quarter ended sth July, 1839 ...... X 4,871,333 1840...... 5,137,934 161,054 266,601 Increase 427,655 Excise—Quarter ended sth April, 1839 £1,841,511 1840 88,485 -- 141,640 Increase ,230,125 Quarter ended bth July, 1839 £2,57 0 , 311 1640 2,711,951 Increase A141,640 EVENING EDITION. amount of 2,800,0001. upcn the year .He (Mr. Hanle) had cautioned the Right lion. Gentleman teat year against laying on additional taxes upon the necessaries of liie, because he might be assured that they were only trampling upon the interests of la bour, and depriving the mass of the people of employment, by which they were incapacitated from purchasing the or— dinary supply of excisable articles. It appeared to him that they should have laid a tax upon the landed property of the country, and that it should be placed on the same footing as personal property, by ehich 13- millions might be obtained annually. He did not think that the Right Honourable Gentleman had any thing to boast of with regard to his estimate—on the contrary he might take the result as a lesson for the time to come. He did think the Right Hon. Gent. had acted right on the present occasion. He did think that the Government. looking at the failure in the necessaries of life with which the country was afflicted, and looking at the privations which a large portion of the community, the industrious classes, were subject to now, while they were willing to work but unable to ohtsin employment. anxious to pay taxes if they could, but incapable of doing so, in conse quence of the monopolies which Parliament bad kept up, and the murder—he could call it by no other name—of a certain portion of the people, he did think that under these circumstances the Government had taken the wisest course. Tens of thousands had been deprived of the means of subsistence in consequence of our provision laws, which thus ruined the people. Tue Right Hon. Gentleman the Chan cellor of the Exchequer could not find one individual who had looked to the state of the country who would not advise him not to lay any further taxes on the necessaries of lif . He was therefore perfectly right in what he had done, and he (Mr. Hume) ohonght that the result would meet his expectations. He hoped that the Right Honourable Gentleman would lay before the House for its information all those statements which he had read that evening. If he (Mr. Hume.) rightly understood the plan of the Government it was thio, that they were about to remodel the Corn-laws. That was the first measure ; and that they were also to change the duty on wheat, timber, and sugar, the most important ar ticles. He thought that the Right Host. Gentleman had thus taken the best means to keep up the revenue—he thought the Right Honourable Gentleman would do well under the circumstances :o leave it to the President of the Board of Trade to supply the deficiencies of the country. He was persuaded that the contemplated changes would be productive of benefit to the consumer beyond any measure brought forward in his ('dr. H.'s) time; while they would not oeily not de crease the revenue, but greatly add to it, and thee working men would thus have the means of earning for themselves a livelihood, and need not be dependent for their subsistence on the Poor-law, or any other source. And let him tell the Noble Lord, who had charge of the Poor-law in that House, that many of the complaints which had been Drought forward against the Bill, wo aid never have been heard if her Majesty's Government, two or three years ago, or at the time of its introduction, bad brought in such a measure as that which they now proposed to introduce. By the intended change they might safely leave the working classes to their own resources, because th ear would throw open to them the market:: of t'oe world, and thus enable them to ears a sub.. sistence, free from the trammels of a workhouse. He hailed the proposed change as a good beginn.'ng, and. hoped yet to see his fellow-countrymen happy ami cons,- fortable, despising the Poor-law, because it would be a dead letter ; he hoped yet to see that time, for no man wa, willing to labour so hard as an Englishman, whenever it was possible for him to procure it. Was it fair, was it honest, was it merciful for that House, to maintain laws which pressed so hardly, and proved so destructive tee those who could not help themselves ?—( Hear, hear.) He, hailed the measure as a means of putting an end to thee sufferings of the poor, of creating a permanent revenue,.. and of benefiting all classes in the community. He hoped, before the discussion closed, to hear the Right. Hon. Member for Tamworth repeat that he had no objection to the consideration cf the Corn-laws. —( Cheers.) Two years ago he objected to go into the consideration of those laws, without at the same time, taking into consi deration the duties upon every other article of pro duce.—( Cheers.) Now he did hope that the Right Hon. Baronet would give that satisfaction to the country by saying that, in his opinion, all laws should be made for the benefit of all, to forward the interests of all classes, and that, if any class should be favoured, above all others it should be the poor man, who lived under laws in the making of which he had no voice. He rejoiced at the change which was about to take place, and if it could be carried out it would work the regenerae tion of the country.—(Cheers.) Ho would ask what would be the state of the landed interest of the country ? What would it be worth, if the country were to become a country of beggars in consequence of the operation of bad laws ? Could that be considered a satisfactory state of the country, when every meeing was obliged to ba held under the prate ction of policemen ? How,. could the rich men of the country enjoy their comforts when they knew that they were surrounded by others of their countrymen who were starving ?--(Loud cheers.) How could they enjoy their comforts and luxuries, whea they knew that by their monopolies they were pauperizing the working classes for the sal c of the landed interest themselves? For the general interest and security of Englishmen, they mest have equal Legislation—( Hear and cheers. )--4, nd there must be an end to this monopoly of the landed interest. On that ground he congratulated the country on the prospect before them. Instead of endless debates on party questions, and on Poor-laws, they now saw the means placed within the reach of every Evg'ishman of earning his subsistence.—( Cheers.) He had not hitherto had it—his had been a hard fate, placed in the midst of the rich, whose luxuries had been obtained by keeping up the presea infamous system, which had rendered the poor man miserable.—( Hear, hear.) He hoped they might now look forward to a better system, and one which, con sidering the manufacturing capabilitities of the country., held out the brightest prospect. The Chancellor of the Exchequer bad alluded to the German League to which' another State had been added, to the - United States, andl to the Brazils. With regard to the Brazils at the present moment, the country took from four to fiver millions annually of our manufactures, and we did not take above 500,0001. annually of their pro.. duce. They were now about to alter the tariff and ex clude us. Let British manufactures he excluded from that market and from the United States as they assuredly would he, he would ask the landed proprietors what their possessions would be worth, with millions in a state of starvation, and bow could they enjoy these possessions comfortably when they believed the people of England had been driven to distress through their monopolies ? He felt obliged to the Government for the manner in which they had brought forward the question. It was not a party, but a national question.—(Cheers.) And ho should be sorry to make use of a single phrase that would have the effect of making it a party one. With regard to the Post-office revenue they would find that in the year in which the reduction had been made the total revenue of the country was' greater than in the year pre ceding it. In 1838 the revenue was 46,000,0001. In 1839 47,833,600/., and in the year 1840 47,843,0001, But that system would never work w ell in its present state. From his habits and station, a Peer of the realm was unfit to be the head of that departelent—(Hear, hear) — and as a proof of the inefficiency of the present system he would merely ret'er to the speech of Mr. Spring Rice on the subject. A Noble Lord (Lowther) was as wily con vinced as he was of the necessity of Post-office reform, and the deficiency complained of would continue until the re forms should he effected. He thought, Also, that the Go vernment should require every letter to be pre -paid. The number now paid for was exceedingly small', at id the prin cipal expense was incurred on letters of that description. Oa the whole, although nothing had been, said about lessening the expenditure of the country, he was pleased at the spirit in which the Right Hon. Ge ntleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer had opened his budget. He eetrely concurred, in the sentiments which had been ex pressed, and he was sure that they would be echoed by the country at large. Mr. CHRISTOPHER said be should not make any observations which were calculated to lead to a general de bate on the subject of the Corn-laws, resel . ving what he had to say until it was brought under the consideration of the House by the Noble Lord the Secretary for the Colo nies. Still, as the representative of a large county con stituency, he thought he had a right to complait i of the manner in which the Chancellor of the Exchequer had expressed himself with regard to that particula r sub ject.—( Hear, hear.) He thought that, in ste ad of the line of conduct which had been purs,xed, her Majesty's Government should have come forward as a united Government, and have stated what it was which they intended to propose.—( Hear, hear.) The Right Hon. Gentleman had distinctly stated what he intended to propose with respect to the duties on timber and sugar ; anal it had been thrown out as a clap-trap to a certain class in this coun try, that certain med•fications would be proposed of the duties on the importation of foreign corn. He trusted that 'before the House adjourned her Majesty's Ministers would come for ward and distinctly state the intentions of the Government in reference to the Corn-laws. He thought his Hon. Colleague opposite (Mr. Handley) should put the question to the Go vernment no less than himself. Unless some declaration were made, the announcement would be received as it ought to be, namely, as an attempt to conciliate those who differed from the Government.—( Hear. ) Mr. HANDLEY could assure the Hon. Gentleman who had just spoken, that he did not represent the whole county of Lincoln, in his opinion on this subject. Whenever the question was fairly brought forward, he would be prepared to perform his duty to his constituents.—(Hear, hear.) Mr. GOULBURN wished to put a question to the Right Hon. Gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The Right Hon. Gentleman had stated that there was 1,80 0,0001. to be provided for. He further calculated the deficiency in the next year to amount to the aim of two millions. He had told the House how he intended to provide for the Comm.,n defici ency, but he (Mr. Goulburn) would be glad to be informed how he meant to provide for the deficiency in the last year, as the Exchequer Bills were so reduced that there was no fund for that purpose ? i t il h s e EXCHE QUER forthatpurpose. wished to put a q uest i on with respect to replied that he a T s t h r o e . u G t l d . I i A s A s u p N e s C E:x o L e h N i E O q u R e f the import duties on sugar. The Right Hon. Gentleman had advised the House that he intended to alter the duty ou foreign sugar from 635. to 365., the additional duty of 5 per cent. re maining in each case ; and he had stated that he expected by that alteration to realise a sum of at least 700,0001. He (Mr. Gladstone) wished to know upon what data that calculation was founded. He would put to the Honourable Gentleman three questions on this subjoet. First, what did the Hon. Gentleman calculate would be the amount of sugar imported from the British possessions in the East and West Indies and the Mauritius during the coming year? and, secondly, what did he calculate would be the consumption of the United Kingdom during the coming year ? His third question re lated to the time when this object was to be discussed He sincerely hoped that there might he no unnecessary delay, as nothing, could be more distressing to those who held sugar in this country, as well as to those, who purchased it, than the uncertainty which prevailed with reference to the intentions of her Majesty's Government. Therefore he hoped her Ma jetty's Government would fix an early day to bring for ward their proposal for altering the duties on sugar. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he would look at his papers for the purpose of seeing whether he could answer the questions. Mr. WARD said the subject of the Corn-laws was too large :