The Sun. — London, England, 1819-02-09 00:00:00

t hut la° 1 51° " gil l- 1 )o ioto comyfic'.o v°lo Elie it ieve a "it."l,orniftee: he OPl ) . ° ,:i i t iileY L ' )l %t e e.( le' o 5 l ( " 6 • ! bers, • ,1111 bis it ; weg of 114 ,O was 1-I ' ,l l o side of not,llll, 31i (lit' ti ;i: Iz r Qli ber '"iii cle 3ri s tillt chef t ? g o o -e iseglect' )11g „J. Mow , a oil fl io - t i, ; ,(l jt e pci ; lo g p P":V er 14° nos. c oce pig 1 01 l E l l e 11l tc) r ent I)1 el fc° fru 34 4 high il ' t / 6 1 t ,c 0 11 - WO c, *. ailVig A . (l it .tl:).e ep vett o f: I 4 tist"' I ' i si ; to Ls lo t and 0 ;1 if Ven t, or • Ne•- e re. cla - 114 erle ,te e ko ° w is 14 ci)s' tb i I. I . l° ll, it at cI 5 . e fr . is o cu. t oo ttba t o' C° • th° c t° be c ::: 10 i s t,i c 0:1 opi dio ta obe t3l p a t P"s— f ! (I°, l' ; fie sa- a t neo t 791 I t ° , 111, ,, io sv " v b :- e 0 voil, ir' / or , H of a , i6e it'' uoliverf not ice, OA' Intfiliiiiieitte:of triotthe.itc-.C,p,initr,etrilit.a.,:ll:enTl.l,li,ri°„lgn6foill;lheta*P;lll'e°.ll.l:llti: Cotrunit Y tt:e of Finance, though it was that t wb ich had so repeatedly been done within 1 "` "st few ears he was far from `considering l'ist which be Y was ' about to submit to the House se a • I , matter of course. He felt that-he owed to. ,the sonie explanation of the measure, ate' some 11 4 es of th ose arrangements w Welt MinisterS w ou ld ca nnot to sub m i t to Parliament in the course of the Session. The Government would be much If i ah lted it they .were not to consult e c onomy, net ! t l i e House must necessarily feel anxious t o k now . t:tare of the stimates which had been fret - heti e t t • t i. he E current year, f had.said that he dill not , it a m atter of course that the U.on-e should t h r., t 4t in every Session a Finance Committee. itie sle e thought would . be a great- abuse of those rtrill'aitnrial powers which, under !particular cir • ' tirl,l4"ets, the Ilimse was , called upon to exer los' Softie few years since it hecain7 necessary stl: 1111)4i nt a Comtne tee, in order to ascertain the to urn b;cle°f the Income of the Country, with a view tere t i tte th.e Expewliture applicable to a state r v Pe r t ". ()It movi n e for that Committee he Itio ettered t •e tim e r . 0 throw out an expression which at the 11 4 ,i s a . t net starthel the Member f O r - 1 . 3 '.( 1 ._ ( t i e . ,-...., - - rti'• - r. lie , dni th at h e was 1;ot saugoine.en""g" to '"' t a ssn eil , . tl !ey r i - ia f i hdt the House mould see the object which . "scup , ; I : i " Yiew when appirinting„the e,ommittet, tit, 4 • 11 '-' s he(1.in chat Session, but that,. as at the 1, 1 e ` n- the American 'l.rar, it Might be eliPect•ed e,,unict'"Py tikin two or [bite years before they i c,,,,l`tyterrdin the exlct si:urijon,in wiltch .. t l e '14111,"1"004.1. Itriiti these vieWs lie had,, ,. 01 . !41- . t i*Ct-, ) n:loveci for ;lie eppoitittnent of. 1.1 9 3 " . " n: tl 'otee . the .. ~' h' j eorreseonded with r t %iecia , t. all9 u evert la( e, 11.,,pujiltn ions. lie shotl . l4l now ( i i tt i o ie ve li f::: s r te th a e ti l l 'e a ; 11 3 re itut of the Commit lye, ''''? • , , of the %ti t 44t s Woeld prove t h is; the 531 ~ , t ,ll .c . D 4 't( l ' ili t:lt' . •' • I . its exnen . I,ll ce::,„ lY .lilnoved f rom year to , year, a . n c t i l i t t l i t i a n t is i t t ) s .. 1; , te„ rill .. dsing i e. nt e . ' lit .'" I- ' ~,.. ~ ., i)i. ' 1 f consirLrable 113 , I,loe ;t..tv e a surp4ls. , i ',-.„ „ Nmional,' t u tlit t() • i a l'PlY to the reduction t• 1 ••,- _ ; r 44 e , '- `: h e House need not fear the , t, he:wO l u a l , ' . l to ' l• 1 ' n em at any great length. ‘I• hat be , f . _ i lo 4 ' VI ' ( )t11(1 lie in -,'-..„;. • r 'ow co:npass. • -1 . he , \ t i ,,, . y n arr ow t ilt - eetiltl wish to ' • - \a .. l , t . . • retnaik on t h l t ie au fi t ri .t a y n j e t e the} f at its (Arlan. He should to . _ i, t e l e till ~frttis,ee fi le lk il n e c , e ut v i eaJ i i i i i i g A t' i ee accounts - up to 11 J 4 le 4 ilSt , , , iii ; I lif'et()l. Y DOW CO compre the I y ,,, b m it might of accounts nt pOitiL i be 111441. an(t °I the precediog year ti . o t(_) o t t he 't)k e 1 I .o,er. The first importa _ ,his i t In . '4;II Iti,. '''tb the income of 7Ye sr e'er ), Jan. 5, the country. '1 .4 ,1,66 4 17i:4e of it ii , ear em l i s in i g y, j w ai a 1 : 5 5 , 4 1 ,0 8 6 1 3 8 , , 00 w 0 a / s . 11t '. , 2 a l ' - ` ‘ )°i • Here e was then an increase in the- 2,:9es':o„.,:,ear over the l ast , amounting to 'I however allow L in t I "ut. lire House Avott". _ i wh ic h l ' i t i lne c i u i s i t ' l te, that in. the 51 1-1 8 .. 'e i' th e year elldlOg Jan. 0, ,66a,.9J01. , „•,,. . th t Inc ome of . tabu„ r°e cods i oc t „d e e t h e aunt of 2,313,000/. ,„ ;si ••• , es ... tt i , , egl e , o „ , arrears of property to /twr ' 'runt the 54,063 ,0001. tthe;iX i n e c n o d n 1 e w o a war ,0001. was Co ot "e,h t 4 "I ' lin g Jan. 5, 1819, bet 565 war tuxes. t O h l e t r a e 1 ,, NI& (l ed for arrears .of q s , . 4 A ti le .2 n io ti t ? this year with the ts,h i ( ) ) r i . e ece,, r ti v ii e g n i ue , of uratir ' .°°l. ?e ' reas ' e . be allowed was, a most • s tO be 114'jit 't )1 1 1.j o g illeNalisSelf must there iv t as a ope ,, c_ir r c ti t s tm en . 'lto a be c ons id tte d, which v .Vt 'to, ' „ ei f 9 e st .,:'t, and which •woold render. this . iithie 4,'sr ri - n. g r are . name ly, the excess in fe;;, utit x - e t -- -1— ioned in the last Re -1 ,et ci s -, welch, as trient 1•1 :e m ~e Vitiance Couireittee.29tight- to . b i esitb : 114 " a io tr- ' ll the amotautot the revenue It f ISlS, ti,al. X tes ( " t o - thet of, fBl9. ' T i 'e ati4"lll of th at : So that in tilt wary out 6 . • ' , It' it l e lit 't e 4lB t t : : ::l s lt 4 1) he reGy°e:,r,',°, i i n 1 ct._ 18 was 48,624,000 i. '1)11 1 , 'dt A,I . i, 19 was 54.063,0001., being a tir- t ,, t't 4 6 3 11 , ) 1 f , 14 ,,'' at sertnahclit rev enile of nut less t- tt i t sj-uoiooi , ( 1 , 1 . an increase of about 10 1 t i se he r r ‘her . s u ." the atik.eort or tbever.ttatient taxes t . lie*, I t Y 4 There, could not be a more . eoc n ottragieg try then ss4q.., the financial state of " t ie to " t t r itt s if ‘ ''''kd ;,), these facts. Anti n hat was min 411 4 :ing Wil S, that on examining all the various lit iv o ..,.`s on vitiich this revenue das collect et , . tut' h here. t -e• foetid that the increase in the tot al t 11 1 e l , WaB hiOt (TeaSiOned .by•BuY "'dile° start 4 St;;; e °lle article, or 4)11 a. few articles, but was 4 ti -''Yll'erease, extemii..g through tiSe whole Ile r t 'f ', se vatioui articles (excepting onl y . two 01 : 1 .- f 140 5; 1 :,.;, 1ea d of Excise), and indicating a state o l .. ) -- Y uot occasioned by any sudden or tem.: 14 4, 47 ed "se. For instance, if the articles -or - . or _ 14113 a nd tiles were taken,—and those mtgut Ile:if beconsidered as showing the state of the in -1.44 t• Y and activity t o one of the most important f ri Plebes of domestic employment,—it would be ilit: Nitthat there was an increase in the r . e , ve- T h oh the m to the extent of nearly one hall k : ' ) se who sat on . the Finance Committee last I t il-1• '''° 1 11(1 agree with him in the comparison l'e licil he non-matle, amid in the mode in which . (4,2 t4 411 it. ; f or i t was the same in which that to.`milittee itse!filad proceeded. Thet mode was pi ate tbegross income, subtractirig the Sinking ‘ tvittoldi and expences of managcm eig, front the 1 qtr 1- . - 'e revenue. In the lasi deliberations of that s tar t e, taking the best view which circum ; trances permitted of the financial state of the tf ltin trY, they stated in tht it report that the in -1 . hl )trt e this year would amount to 52 ,500,00-01. and ihge expenditure to 5 1,087,0001. leaving a surplus r •s l car ne --c VI- 443 2,000.1. It tiorefore appeared trout ~,t_e. ttatetnents-which he had now made, that in , b v ° lnt of fact this estimate of the Committee, fa -1,40p as it was, turned Out to be about .. u.e1e0,1401. short of the actual surplus income eat !he year. The amount "ot the expetteNure, as !151,08 tell by the Finance Committee, was ,087,0001.; whereas, by' the estimates which aloe! 7,0001:; be Lel !refut e the House, it would appear . _:,, 40 t.,., th e expenditure must he taken at 'only ttt',ll2',oool. being about 645,0001. less than ki'tt3 41 d ( 1 1 111 , 4t eO by the Committee. If to this there was kt „,_ et ' t he sum 0t,600,0001. which would be the to - I ri " t, ot of certain economical reduction s now , in pe„6•lllPLli"n. there was a prospect that the ex - th e c' ttir e ,would 'be less than was calculated by. 0 thisinibttlee, to .the extent of 2 , 1 45,0001. It pt ua,i . 'vas added the amount allowed hy the pi„, o c i e ,C, (ll lnnit tee, it would make the whole stir tl, 1.001. applicable ,to ti, reduction of tleit t :;:" li e ' l ''l. (Ilear, hel,F, Bea r !)—()ltt of , , , przl it i t e . an, t . ),G um of interest (It. 11,C. iOcti t as to be g tor. Thi y f . . ~ .s ,e , t i , , 0 couise, L.,,-,. L.: - ; ;d..e11 as \tt.- . . • a ctrar.:e. 'it on i!, for it neea not nail , be stated by him that his Right -Holt. Friend had no in tention of proposing any additional rates, The interest Ou the loan amounted to 1,000,0001. which still left 2,500,0001. of a surplus revenue. But it vas to be taken into consideration, that the revenue promised to be more productive than had beet) calculated on. . Even in the one Month of the year which had already elapsed, there was an increase. compared with that which preceded it, of 300,000L0r 350,0001. If, as might be ex pected, this increase would continue, it would not be too much to reckon it at 1,000,0001. on the whole year, which would bring' the surplus revenue again to three millions and a half, appli cable to the reduction of debt. And he trusted that the Mouse would see that if this turned out to be the case, the great subject for 'which the Finance Committee had been appointed would be brought to bear. At the same time, God forbid that he should be supposed to say that the coun try ought to be satisfied with this, svithOut look ing to any thing further. But this much' at least , showed that there was such a degree of solidity in the national resources, as opened the brightest prospects on the conntry, and must lead us to look forward to being 'ultimately able to mitigate the pressure of taxation, and relieve the country from some of those burdens which bore most heavily upon the people. It Wright be expected that he should nosy state, the view which his Majesty's Ministers took of the 311111 s required for the services of the present year. In this he would haVe to notice very.cousiderable reductions in various beanches of the forces Of the country.. Perhaps he might be told that Mimi) of these bad been made in consequence of the advice of the Right Honourable Gentleman op posite, As to this, he would only say for him self, that he would never quarrel with that Righ.t Honourable Gentleman's advice, and that he was determined most.religiously to profit by good ad vice froth any quarter, and by all that be could collect front" the Right Hon. Gentleman. The total amount of the array eStimates for this year, as stated by the Finance Committee, was 8,967,0001. This start did not include an increase of 300.0001. which it was reckoned would be caused by the return of the troops from France, although it was calculated that a reduction would be made to the amount of the troops so returned. But be was happy to ,state that the Prince Re gent's Ministers had made the estimates only 8,700,0001. irieht.ive of the 300,0001. Making a difference of 567,0001. less than those estimates ,were taken by the Finance Committee. In the Navy there would be a reduction to the-amount of 100,0001., and in the Ordnance of 100,0001. This made a total on the three classes of about 730,0001. There was an expence con nected wigh the return of troops from abroad (not a permanent expellee like the 300,0001: which he had - already mentioned, and which was occasioned by pensions, and all that was included under the head of Chelsea Allowances), but was occasioned by making up the pay for the broken p' rind. This expellee was occasioned by a cir cumstance of its being impossible to reduce those regiments nearest home. The expence occasioned by making op this broken period might be taken at about '230,0001 for the Army, and 100,0001. for the Navy and Transport Service. But this was to be considered as only a temporary expence, and would not alter the comparison between the estimates and those of last year, as in the ratter there was a suns of 700,0001. for ra tions temporary purposes, such as the 400,0001. to Spain for the Slave Trade. :The reductions this year in the army, which had been iu France, amounted to 20,126 tank and file ; in the colo nies, 9.40:3; in the artillery, 2. 1 035, making a total (including officers) of 35,268 men. .After all this, it was'only necessary for him to mention one simple facr which he thought would tend greatly to the satisfaction of the House. There was a Very general idea last year that the exports of the country were not equal to the imports, and a _great deal had been said about the ports of the Continent being shut against 'us. In answer' to all' these statements, he now begged leave to read an account of the real state of the commerce of the country—of the exports for the four last years. The result would be to show that this year ex ceeded even the year 1815, though that had Wen considered as a 'year in which the amount so greatly exceeded any previous one (by not less than 10,000,0001 ), that it was esteemed an over growth proceeding from unnatural and temporary eauses,,which could never be expected to occur again. In the statemeat which he would now read, he would take the three qtiarters of each year front January till October. In the year 1815 the amount of exports was 35,231,0001. — an amount greater by nearly 10,000,0001. than any preceding year. 1-8 t G 1817 181-8 The last year ~being nearly 100,0001. more than the excessive year 1815.—(Hear, hear !)---41e trusted that what he now stated would dispel gloom. 'He did not wish that it should diminish exertion ; but he certainly thought that it would show how little weight was due to the assertions of those who thought that the country ought- to recede from its duties, and from that high station which it so justly hdd in the politics of Europe. Having made !hese statements, he would wish to send them to a Committee who might consider them, and report upon them to the House. The effect produced by appointing sueli a Committee would, he thought, be to give additional confi dence to the country. And he thought that it was the. more necessary to appoint it, that it might have an opportunity of winding up those labours which had been hitherto so SUCCeBO(III3 , and so beneficially prosecuted. It did not at all enter into his mind that it would be necessary to recur tor the future to the annual apphintment of such a Cominittee, in order to. enable Members to have an'accurate view of thelinancial state of the country. He thought the Report which night now be 'expeeted front this Committee would complete the 'series of titre already before the House, and that it would be departing from the great system. on which the House had hither aCt ed, if they did nut, as nearly as was possi ble, select the same Members who had sat in the ilia' to compose that now intended. Thire iveie Onry two Nrcitiberit of the last Coin ni ttee Who hail not now seats in the House, namely . „ Sir '1; Acland and Mr. Robert Smith. He would therefore propose to supply toe place of . the tOrmer by Sir George Hill, and of the lat ter by Mr. John Smyth, of Cautbridge. The- Noble Lord concluded by moving, - . . " That a Select Conimittee be appointed to inquire into the . situation of the Income and Expenditure of the Coun try, and'als? to cons'ide'r of, the Expenditure of the COuntry to the year ending sth January, 160, so far as the same could be made up, and alio to inquire and report as to what reductions might be made in the Expenditure." Tranarea - - sad, that he was sure no man Who knew that the notice which stood for this evening was - for 'the l appointthent of a Committee now proposed fOr the third year, could have ex pected that the motion was to he. prefaced by such a speech as that which the Noble Lord had. just concluded, or was to lead. to a financial diS; cussion. For his own part, be•must Confess that he was taken quite by surprise. But at the same time, after what had falteu from the Noble Lord, he could not but trouble the House with a few remarks. The House was now called open) to appoint a Finance Committee, as ittappeared, for the last, time. Noe/ if they were to appoint Finance Cominittees merely to receive the Budgets of the Niible Lord, with wha ever names the list of such a ,Committee might be garnished, se riously speaking, they .were of no sort of be a nefit to the country. language was always the same. They al , a'ays filled their reports with expressions of satisfaction at the measures adopted by Government, and great satisfaction at the measures intended. The ori ginal purpOse of such Committees, and that which therhad formerly executed,was to .point out what . reductions might be made in the various branches of the expenditure. But that had been long Since departed from; The only purpose for which they were now appointed was to hold up gaudy estimates of the public revenue and resources, for the purpose of keeping up the spirits of the people. They were presented with budgets by anticipation; at least, that had been the usualeonrse with them. But even that could not be doue this time, for that anticipation had been anticipated by the Noble Lord thiS night.—The Noble Lord bad very plainly told the House that . his purpose in appointing the Committee was, that the House might have the statements in his speech, in black and ‘vbite,.in the Report of the Committee, which would be ready in a few months. • In short, it was a mere delusion to suppose that the Committee would produce any of those benefits which might might be expected from a minute inquiry into the fioanceS'of the country. They' .would enter into no detailed examination. But' the Noble Lord on this occasion entered into statements of the flourishing condition of oer commerce-, showing the present year to be the most prosperous that the country had ever seen. Into these statements he would not follow the Noble Lord, for he was not armed with those accounts and documents•of which the Noble Lord had So•largely:availed him self. This Audi however be must say, that if the Noble Lord was right in what he had told the House this night, then all his (Mr. Tierney's) mercantile .friends, with whom lie had talked on the state of our commerce, were wrong.— In saying this, he did not talk of mercantile Gentlemen on his own side of the House, but of others . ," for he happened to have a pretty exten sive acquaintance among Gentlemen ,of that pro fession. For his own' part he had no hesitation in saying, that he did look for some improvement in the state of the country this year. But acCord ing to the Noble Lord, the improvement amount ed to this—that there was an excess of the re venue beyond that of last year to the amount of 3,323,006/. front which, when 1•,000;0001. was taken for the services of this year, there remain ed upwards of 2,000,0001. of available surplus, ap plicable to the reduction of the public debt. The Noble Lord congratulated the - House on the cir cumstance, that.not only the income and expen diture met, but that there was a surplus of the income. A stouter assertion thsn this he never heard. The Noble Lord put entirely out •of the question that great charge the Sinking Fund. Of that the House had this night heard nothing. But if what he understood from the - statement of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the whet day was correct, the surplus on the Consolidated Fund, on the sth of January last, was 214,0001. But then there was an old debt on the Consolidated Fund, which had been studiously kept out of sight, and which it would require 3,000,0001. in addition to this - 214,000/. to wipe off. Supposing then that the improvement in the revenue of the cur rent year, which the Noble Lord calculated at 1,000,000/. should actually take place, there must bean improvement to the extent of 2,000,0001. to make the income equal to the expenditure,' and then we would be even and gait with the Con solidated Fund, and no more. For the Ways and Means of this year diet' nothing could be taken from the Consolidated Fund. There Was then the land and infilt tax, about 3,000,000/. and the war taxes and excise 3,500,0001. To these were to be added half a million for the old stores and lotteries, making a total of 7,000,0001. which was every farthing thar he could make our to meet the expenditure of the year, allowing the Sinking Fund to perform its ordinary' operations. Now there was one slim of which he had heard, nothing, and as there seemed to be posting days, wheu.any thing that was. owing to us was like ly to be mentioned, he was surprised it was omitted. What had become of the" 1,000,000/. which was due to us 'by France He was sorry to see that . the Chancellor of, the Exche quer made no sign. The Noble Lord, in men tioning the reductions, had talked of follow ing his advice. But -the advice followed by the Noble Lord and his Colleagues was none of his, it was the advice of the General Election.--. He might have given it till he wastired—it might have been given by the wisest sage of ancient times, yet would it not have been followed, unless countersigned .by the General Election.--=Last year 'he (Mr. 'l'.) proposed that 5.000 men should. be reduced. But that was opposed violently—it would have been exposing the country, and eo datigering the colonies. But now, when the re sult (*ache general election showed that there was a cur for ecocumy over.the ivholc country, Mini sters took the other tack, and made large reduc (loos. But even from the statements of the Noble Lord, the saving practically would not amount to. more than 400.0001.—[1-lere Lord CriStlereagh gave a short explanation across the table,]—He wonld take it then at 1,000,0001: List year the total amount of the , expences of the-Ariny, Navy, and Ordnance, and interest ou. Exchequer Bills, was about 21,000,0001. He , begged to know ,whether in round nombers this Wit ' s not the correct sure. --[Toe Chancellor of the Exchequer assented.]—Then after all the reduc tions this year, 'there was an expenditure of 20,000,0001. to be -met, in point of tact, with the inadequate sum of 7.000,0061. But how did this happen, when the statement of the Noble Lord was so different ? Simply thils-4y the joggle of leaving out the Sinking Fund. How was it in !elided to provide the 12 or 13,000,0001. for the Sinking Fond ? Was this then the prosperous state of the country, when 13,000,0001. Most be supplied by a Loan ? Was the mode by which the Noble Lord wrapped np the state of the finances in fiones to bring out such a result as a surplus of income, when there was in fact a deficiency of 13,000,0001. to be provided for ? Arid in this delusive mode of stating the finances of the country the Noble Lord was countenanced by the Finance Committee, who Stated the amount of the income and expenditure, arid gave the result as a surplus pot in by way of parenthesis, " exclusive of the expellees of.the Sit.iiiog Fund." For the 13,000,0001. the Right Honoorable the Chancellor of the Exchequer would most likely provide by Exchequer Bill,. And if the Chancellor of the Exchequer went on borrow ing by_Exchequer Bills, was it not a mockery to tdk of resuming cash payments at the `Bank ? The Chancellor of the Exchequer was this very night to take a vote Of the House for twenty four millioos of Exchequer Bills, and this, too, as a mere nutter of course. Now, in this sit nation of things, he would ask, whether it was not a mere joke to talk of going on without looking our situation fairly in the face ? This very year there must ,be 12,000,0001. at least raised by Exchequer Bills. Would the House (bell consent to vote this night the 24.000,0001. in one line as during the war_? Did the Noble Lard or the Chancellor of the L'xcheyner mean to say they Were ignorant of theeffeet produced on the paper circulation by such prOceedings ? There were nosy about 44,000,0001. of 'ExChequer Bills ontStand. iig ; and, in additiOn; there were 1,000,000/ . . voted for the Churches, of Which nothing had been heard ; so'lhat by the end of the year there woold he about 60,000,0001. of outstanding EX.. cheyier Bills. The TV:I3, whether the House was to be taxed to the extent of twelve millions to support the paper system, and keep up the fonds.. Lord CASTLEREAGH explained., He .dill not mean to enter into any reply to the statements of the Right Hon. Gentleman _on this occitsipn, though he conceived them to he delusive and, tal lacious. There was no delusion on -his payt,. as charged against hint by the Right Hon. 'Gentle man... But the Right Hon. Gentleman did delude the House, if he wished it to believe it possible, that a country could increase its revenue at the rate of 12 Or 14,000,0001., a year, when it ivas taking off taxes. He would certainly be - Surptised if any Man . could be so besotted (to use the *Right Hon. Gentleman's own phrase) as to suppose such a thing possible. The•ChstS:bst.Lon of the EXCHEQUER said, he was sure the Country would feel bow much was due to the labours of 'the Finance Committees, nov.vithstanding the • attempt of the Right Hon. Geotleman to detract from their merits. It would be quite unnecessary for him on this occasion to enter at large. into the Reports of their. Commit tees ; but be could safely recommend them to the attention of the House, and they would . see how little they deserved the character giVen them .by the Right Hon. Gentleman, and- whether-they had not examined the public economy in such a why as their situation required. If it was thou„ lic that any saving could be made in the collection of the -Revenue, and that the sums collected coull he applied more completely to the public service, there certainly could not be a more fit subject for the inquiry of the Committee. The Right Hon. Gent, thought the statement which his Noble Friend had given was too flattering, and therefore he chose to take a different aspect of the state of-oor Finance. For this purpose the Right' lion: Gent. turned his attention, to the state of the Consolidated Fund. Bot be forgot there was a considerable di minution in that bind since the .consolidation of the Entvlish and List' Exchequers. -The flight Hon. Gentleman was correct 'in'stating the sur plus on the year ending in January last, at 214,0001. But to look at the Consolidated Fund with fairness, it was n K esiary to look to the surplus of the Irish Consolidated Fund, which was not less than 600,0001. Then the Right Hon, Gentleman, in comparing the income with the ex penditure placed the whole-amount of the Sinking Fund to the expenditure. But no one ever sup. posed, in this' view of our finances, that it was possible to reduce our debt at - the rate of 12,000,0001. or 14,000,0001. a year, without con-, firming the whole of our, war taxes. The House had, however, decided against the continuance of a great proportion .of those taxes ; anti when 'hat was decided, the question to Which the decision went, was, whether they should proceed to re duce the debt at a rapid progress, or more But it was impossible at the same time to re lieve the people from , taxes, and to proceed ra pidly in the reduction of our debt.—(Hear, hear !)—He did not Mean now to quarrel with rite decision of Parliament with respect to the con tinuance of those taxes. lint by that decision, the Parliathent, by its own act, prevented the appli cation of sums for the reduction of the debt, which by, this tilite would have amounted to 50,000,0001. But from-the drift of the Rt. Hon. Gent.'s speech, to-night, it seemed as if he was desirous of re turning to the other system, and of ahandostinl that of relieving from taxation. If such waS the *Right honourable` Gentleman's opinion, lethint speak it boldly, atid he would find him tot unwii liog to lend his assistance.—(Hear, hear, and touch laughter !)—But there was only one-third course between the gradual improvement of the revenue and the 'slow reduction of the debt. lint the Right Hon. Gentleman did not think that GOUrSe sate, unless we were sure of a long period