The Sun. — London, England, 1844-04-30 00:00:00

T H AW INTE.LLIGENOE,• . _ . . COURT OF COMMON PLEAS, April 29. TALL...NCB . A.ND 11,1ERLET V. rtu DUNE OF BRUNSWICK. In this case . a rule had been Obtained by Mr. Sergeant Bytes, to set aside • the taxation of costs with regard to 804 103„ the payment of which was alleged never to have been :authorieed by the Duk© of Brunswick, and talso with regard - to that portion of the costa which re ferred to the •litfoi of Barnard Gregory v. the Duke of Brunswick and Mfr . 'Valiance, for which it was alleged Mr. Valiance was equally liable with the Duke of Eruns wick. Mr. Sergeant TALeocati now showed caused against the rule. He expressed his regret that it should be ne ee.saary to enter into this case, but thought be should be able to show from the affidavits of the plaintiffs that the Duke of Brunswick was labouring under a mistake whes he denied that he ever authorised the payment of the 80L 103. The Learned Gentleman then referred to the endavits of Mr. Valiance and Mr. Bierley. It stated that Mr. Valiance acted as s 'licitor to his Lordship from 1641 to November, 1843, end it denied the affidavit of the Duke of Brunswick and his equerry, Count De Wats that he (the said Duke) had forbad the payment of this SOL los., or that he had said he would not per-- mit it to be made. On the contrary, he had autho rised the payment, and knew for what purpose it was expended, he being told of it by Mr. Valiance. The money referred to eol's.lsted of, money paid to a person mune,' Banks, fox malting, inquiries respecting the case against the Duke by Barnard Gregory, and to certain uxtract3 which weropriated at the request of his High- Pess , :.,eientl copies of which came into the hands of his ghness, and for which 35/. was paid by the plaintiffs. Air. Valiance stated in his affidavit that Count 1)e 'Mils wee not present at the conversation which was sworn to have taken place on tho 34 of November ; but that in the month of Ooteber the Count 1)e Witti called on him et his office, and proposed ti him to participate in the profits of his costs, which he (Mr. Valiance) refused to Accede to, as it would be both illegal and immoral. .Se verai interviews and conversations took place afterwards. On one occasion, on the 20th of October, Mr. Valiance deposed that the Count Do. Witts called at his office ottld offered him 50/. for his costs ;and upon Mr. Valiance expressing his surprise, the Count took a second 501. out of his pocket, which he offered to Mr. Valiance, which wai likewise refused. The Count then said that the Duke desired him to offer 50/. to Mr. Valiance, and if he did Rot twee* that to offer him the second 501.; but, if be did not accept them, to bring back both. Mr. Bierley also deposed. that during a conversation he had with the Duke. De Witts off,:red hint 1001. to satisfy Air. Valiance, which he (Bierly) refused to accept. On the 21st of October Mr. Valiance attended the Duke, at his request, at his house in Bryanstone-'square, and after informing him of what took place respecting the offer of the two 504 notes, he was paid 1501., which formed part of noeL which had been paid by the Duke, -and for which credit was given him out of the 1,6141, the amount of the costs. On the 27th of October Mr. Valiance received a letter from the Duke of Brunswick, showing that he still enjoyed the confidence of his High- - mess. Ile called on the Duke on the 3d of November, the day on which the conversation took place at which the Duke was said to have rejected the payment of 801. 10s., when the Duke produced a book of solieitots' charges to him, which he purchased in Chancery-lane, according to the charges in which the Duke required that Mr. Valiance should make out his bill of costs.--(Laughter.) This Mr. Valiance refused to do, as the book was of no authority. Three days after, he had a conversation with the Duke, in the presence of'De Witts, and on the 11th November, he wrote a letter to the Duke, on which day he received a summons from the Duke, requiring him to deliver his bill of costs to Mr. Graaf, who was henceforth to be his Highness's attorney. On the 13th, Mr. Val iance received a letter from the Count De Wilts, refer ring him to Mr. Graaf, who was now, by his (the Count's) advice, the attorney of his illustrious master. Mr. Val iance was most reluctant to bring the matter before the fublie, and before the bill was taxed by the Master, he wrote to his Highness, reminding him of all he went through for him, and all the vituperation and slander to which he was subjected on 'account of the relation in which he was placed towards his Highness. With regard to the second point, he (Sergeant Talfourd) admitted that his client Mr. Val iance was indiscreet in going to the theatre with the Duke of Brunswick, when Barnard Gregory appeared to Play the part of Hamlet ; but Mr. Valiance was made a defendant in that ease, entirely in consequence of his relations with the Duke and the affidavit stated that th. Duke of Brunswick promised that he would bear all the' expenses of that action, and that Mr. Bierley Was his attorney in that Case. Lord Chief Justice TINDAL said that the rule was moved for on two grounds. The first related to the SOL 10s., the second ground was, whether the Master, in taxing the costs, ought to have taxed them against the Duke of Brunswick alone, or whether Mr. Valiance should be considered as liable to pay jointly with him. It was sworn that there was a promise of indemnity made by the Duke which he should have an opportunity of answering. • The matter must therefore go before the Master on this point. Sergeant WILDE' said that they should be certainly desirous of having an opportunity to answer the second part of the rule,' though he thought he could give , an answer from the affidavit of the plaintiffs themselves. Has client the Duke of Brunswick was subjected to an action in consequence of his attorney appearing with him at the theatre, where he ought not to have ap peared. But now he was not content to bear any part of the responsibility which grew out of his own act, and his Learned Friend moaned over his client, because he could not make any profit of tho matter. With regard to the first point, the Duke of Brunswick swore that he cievecauthorised the payment of the 801. The matter was referred to the decision of the Master SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS. 1a ON Wile DAILY PAPERS OP YESTERDAY. GLOBE.—The Irish State Prosecutions are progress ing ; but at a pace so truly snail-like, that they baffle all attempts of the most skilful to form an idea as to the time of their termination. The wordy war commenced ' on Thursday last. Mr. Whiteside, who is counsel _ - for Mr- O'Coanell, occupied the Court two days. Ilis speech was worthy of the high reputation he earned for - himself on the trial, by which he has de cidedly placed himself first on the list of advo cates at tho Irish bar. By an arrangement, in tared into between the counsel on the part of the Crows and those engaged for the traversers, with the consent of the Court, four . counsel on the part of the latter were to be heard in support of the application for a new trial. The Solicitor-General then to reply. Four more counsel for the traversers are then to address the Court, in support of the motion, and in reply to the arguments adduced on behalf of the Crown. The whole argument to be wound up by the Attorney-General. Se veral days will thus be occupied in this stage of the pro ceedings. Term closes on the Bth of May (next Wed nesday week). The interval will, therefore, scarcely ad mit of doing more than bringing the argument' to a close ' . within th e term. lt is probuble that the judges Will wish for time to consider the points on which the appli cation has been submitted, and postpone their decision to the next term. Shonid the Court, however, pronounceits decision on the motiou instanter, and that decision ne gative the application, a motion in arrest of judgmenl • will follow. A very considerable portion of the ensuing terra would be exhausted by the argument on this new impediment to the final issue. If on both motions—that for 14 new trial, and that in arrest of judgment—the Court should decide against the traversers, a writ of error' to the liens° of Leeds, as the Court of final appeal, will be applied for, avid will be granted as of course; but the house will not then ba in session to hear and detsr mine the appeal. As the ease proceeds, strongly confirma tory evidence of tint' play with the jury -lists, by some party or other baiing access to the lists, is discovered. Afrelarits have, we understand, been sworn by several personi:who were admitted as jurymen by the Recorder, &ft whose names were nerer placed on the jury list. These affidavits, with one of great importance, sworn by Mr. P. Mahone, one of the solicitors for the traversers, were not obtained in time to be used on the new trial Motion . . They will be available, however, in other stages; and will, we have reason to believe, be used by Mr. Wyse, in the raetion for Parliamentary inquiry, of which he - Ivasgiven notice. If doubt exist among the most emi nent English lawyere as to some of the other points on which the treversers and the Crown lawyers in Ireland are - at issue, no difference of opinion exists as to the va lidity of the objections taken to the charge of the Learned Judge who presided at the trial at bar. Without spe cifying the names-of the counsel who have had the whole case submitted to them for their opinion, •as •lawyers, eve state, advisedly, that the most eminent counsel at the tnglisli bar, of both political parties—whose names have been supplied to us—concur an pronouncing the grossly partial, and manifestly unconstitutional, charge of Chief- Justice rennerather es fully sufficient to sustain the writ of error, and thus to render void the entire proceedings. Sentence muse be pronounced on the traversers by the Court before the writ of error can be acted upon. It does tot e however, follow that, though sentence be passed, it should lee carried into effect. While the Judg ment of the Court below is liable to be reversed and the proceedings quashed, it would be monstrous—involvinsr, . not merely absurdity, but positive injustice--that the parties, legally, if not mora ll y, unjustly convicted, should Lif er the penalty of alleged guilt. Th e p un i s h ment for misdemeanor, as fixed by the law, is fine and im prisonment--either, or both. Should imprisonment form a part of the sentence, the period ass i gned would have bees endured before the judgment of the House of Lordi cou ld be pronounced upon the writ of error. If that jiidgment were is favour of the appeal_t o say nothing ; of the positive wrong thus inflicted on the parties f u lly punished, and for which no a d equate wrong . reparation Could bo made—what position would the Governmen!, in such ewe, occupy in the eye s of the Irish people ? Already regarded n•ithjea lousy-eand dislike—because, as - a party, i dentified with the p o li c y to . which the people attribute their" former wrongs and present , grievances —ti ley would . then appear, in the eyes of the Roman Catholic popuf lation of Ireland, persecutors and oppressors ; who, - under the pretext of " judging " O'Connell . and hie :co-defendants, " after the law, had caused them to - be . smitten. contrary to the law." The e ff ect of such a manifestation would be - to kindle the em hers of Irish discontent into a flame. A topic fraught with fearful power, when applied to the easily euetted temperament of the Irish people, would be sup ' plied to the orators of 'the Conciliation lien. The came of repeal would be re-invigorated with giant strength, and wessld progress. with giant strides. Its . leaders would be invested, not merely with the influence of heroic patriotism. which, in the estimation of their followers, had impelled and enabled them to endure suf . faring for their country ; they would then be reverenced . as martyrs. In attempting to crush repeal agitation, theivoletunent would it se lf b e crushed. If the result qtainued here, this would be of small moment. Id' eie o da, tin bur view, be b ene fi c i a l rather than injuri ous lit. `toe theist ire generally, but e s p ec i a ll y to Ireland. But K th e 0/ ` 6 l lity is, that theframe-work .of s oc i ety would ?'.. s't_.. - • l`~ V ~~~ ,~'~ ~,- ~~ '~ be shaken, if not shattered, in the madness of triumph. Surely, there is nothing so magnanimous in the act of punishing before the legal question is set at rest, lest the Repeal leaders should be ultimately found to have been illegally and unconstitutionally convicted, as to induce the Government to peril its own existence, and to jeopardise the national peace, in order to enjoy the satisfaction of placing a political opponent within the four walls or it prison! We know we speak the Ben tie:tents of moderate men of all parties, when we say that it would not only be more just, but more politic, because more safe, to allow the sentence upon O'Connelland his, - 6 d - efelidants, if passed, to stand suspended until the appeal made to the House of Lords is determined. The defendants would be, of course, held in their recogni zances to appear and abide the judgment, should the writ of error be set aside. We, however, anticipate the discussion of a question which is yet future—a contin gency which, in all probability, will never happen. STANDARD.—The Chancellor of the Exchequer will this night make his financial statement. The Budget this year presents itself under very favourable circum stances. There is, for the first time during a long series of years, it bona fide surplus to be disposed cf, instead of a demand to impose new burthens or a lame apology for " a bottomless deficiency." -We doubt, however, whether the difficulty of the Finance Minister's position is much alle viated by this happy change in the financial condition of the country. It is often as perplexing and as invidious to make a selection for the awarding of benefits as to make a selection for the imposition of burthens ; indeed, if the benefits or the burthens, as the case may be, happen to lie in a small compass in propor tion to the number of persons to which either is open, the distribution of benefits is the less likely to prove satisfactory ; for in that the majority must suffer dis appointment and what they will think unjust neglect ; in the imposition of burthens, the over-looked majority will be thankful for their escape. We have already heard one hundred different claims for the remission of particular taxes in coasideration of the surplus ; indeed, we believe there is hardly one tax in the schedule of the public revenue, for the reduction of which a claim, supported by excellent reasons, has not been put in. This is the natural course of things. Swift, in his Instructions to servants, lays down this rule : Ascertain your employer's income, and then consider that the whole of it is to be- spent—whether you are - cook, coachman, groom, footman, lady's maid, or anything else--en_ your own particular de partment. And this is just the way in which men reason with reference to the income of the public. This, however, is not the way in which a statesman can safely reason ; he must first look to the security of the income of which he proposes to dispose, and calculate with a little more caution than one of our Contem poraries, which contends, that because the existing taxes afford a surpltA this year, less than the exist ing taxes must afford a greater surplus next year. Having obtained a tolerable assurance of the sum to be disposed of, the prudent statesman will then consider not the claims of this interest or of that interest., but the claims of all ; and in acknowledging the claims of all, he is pretty sure to disappoint every one. Unhappy office of a finance mi nister, who, however he be called to act, is sure to be unpopular, unless he be dishonest. Mr. Burke truly says, it is as impossible to impose taxes and be popular, as to "love and be wise;" and with equal truth may it be added, that it is impossible to take off taxes without giving offence to the majority, probably to all ; for if the reduction affect all universally, " their common shares in such pro portion fall," that the - relief becomes a mockery. We 'say these things, not that we know, or pretend to know, what will be pro posed in the Budget, for the secret has been kept with remarkable care and with unprecedented success. No one in fact, even hazards a conjecture—but we speak in anticipation of the grave, and probably, in appearance, well-grounded complaints which will he offered to morrow, whatever the proposition opened to-night ; complaints almost sure to be loud and angry in propor tion to the good policy and the justice of those pro position& CORONER'S INQUEST. Mr. Wakley held an inquest on Saturday, at the Bedford Head, Tottenham-court-road, touching the death of Mr. John Herman Merivale, late one of her Majesty's Commissioners in the Court ofßankrVey, who died suddenly at his residence, No. 12, Bedford square, on the evening of Thursday last, under the following circumstances : Ellen Andrews, housemaid in the service of de ceased, said she saw her master on Thursday morning, when he appeared in excellent health, and left home to `itt — end his Court as usual. He returned to dinner about six o'clock, and about half-past nine, Mrs. IVlerivale and two of her daughters ran up stairs to witness in a state of great alarm. They said they thought deceased was in a fit, and witness immediately ran down into the dining-room, where she found her master in a sitting posture in his easy chair, and quite dead. Medical assistance was sent for, but life was found to be quite extinct. Miss Merivale had in formed witness that her father was left after dinner to take his usual nap, and not joining the family in the drawing-room at the accustomed time, she went to learn the cause of his absence, and found him as described. Witness had not the slightest suspicion that be had taken poison, and believed that his death was perfectly natural. John Wright, the butler, said he had attended de ceased at the dinner-table that day, and thought him in excellent health. Early in the morning he had complained of slight head-ache, but he subsequently told Mrs. Merivale that the pain had entirely left him. He was not in the habit of taking medicine. Mr. Henry Hildyard, surgeon, said he found de ceased in a recumbent posture in his arm-chair. Knowing that his efforts would be useless, he did not attempt to restore him. He considered deceased to have died from apoplexy. The CORONER briefly remarked on the melancholy nature of the case, and the jury immediately returned a verdict of—" Natural death. The deceased gen tleman was 67 years of age, and very generally re spected. STATE OF TRADE. FOREIGN WOOL TRADE, LEEDS, APRIL 26.—A steady though not very extensive busines continues to be done in Foreign Wools. The advance which has been obtained at the recent London sales, has also given rather a firmer tone to _prices in this market- ENGLISH WOOL MARKET, LEEDS, APRIL 26.—We have not any alteration to report in the state of the English wool market during the present week. WAKEFIELD WOOL MARKET, APRIL 26.—The market con tinues firm at previous prices. No alteration has taken place in any descriptions. LEEDS.—On Saturday there was a full average market at our cloth halls, compared with the markets of the last three months, but on Tuesday there was rather less business done. The demand is still for goods calculated for the home spring trade, and low goods for shipping, the supply of which are limited in quantity, and are taken out nearly as they come in. The stocks of goods of almost every description are lower than they have been for several years, and prices aro rather looking up, particularly in low qualities. Ihere con. tinues to be .a good steady business doing in the warehouses. The stocks of finished goods are light, and there is every prospect that goods will be higher in consequence of the ad vance in the price of wool, particularly in low qualities. ITECICHONDWIKE BLANKET MARKET, TimisnAv.—There is no alteration to report in this market since our last; very few blankets were offered to-day, most of the manufacturers being engaged with orders for some weeks. BRADFORD MARKET, TIIURSDAY.—In Pieces there are no material change i n e ith er pr i ces or d emand s i nce our last. Yarns are moved off as produced, and the spinners are gene rally bare of stock, which will prevent any further decline in prices. During''the week there has been more inquiry for Wool, and somewhat more business has been done. TRADE OF MANCHESTER, THURSDAY EVENING.—There has been a large business done in cloth this week, and the demand has, if anything, increased since Tuesday, though in prices the buyer has had the advantage. This arises from the manufacturers being willing sellers, and where a very slight advantage has been conceded to the buyer, there has been no difficulty in clearing off large lots. In twist, au active business has been carried on, at prices not quotably different from those of last week.—Leeds 3lercury. THE ATTOENEINGENERAL.—We are exceedingly happy to hear that Sir William Follett is daily . im proving in health and strength. Acting, however, under the wishes of his profes6ional adviser, the Hon. and Learned Gentleman has not resumed his profes sional duties, since his appointment to the office of At torney• General ; and it is not expected ho will come down to Westminster Hall during the present term. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OFCOMMONS,ApriI 29. The SPEAKER took the Chair at Po'ur o'clock. Mr. HOPE JOIINSTONE presented a petition from a Presbytery in Scotland against the abolition of tests in colleges. Mr. SCHOLEFIELD presented petitions from the British and Foreiga Anti-Slavery Societies at Chester-le-street, Newton Abbott ; ltelstone, Corn wall ; Darlington and. vicinity ; Reigate, Surrey ; Torquay, and Oswestry, against any fiscal regulations being adopted that will admit of the introduction of the produce of slave labour into this country; and praying that fiscal regulations be adopted in favour of the produce of free labour. Mr. MUNDY presen t e d a pet i t i on from Scar borough, in Yorkshire, in favour of agricultural pro tection. Mr. HINDLEY presented a petition from the Anti-Slavery Society, signed by the venerable Clark son, against any alteration in the duties on foreign sugar, which would tend to admit the artale from countries where slave labour was allowed. Mr. T. DUNCOMBE presented three petitions from Liverpool, Dublin, and Bradford, complaining of the prevalence of the truck system, and praying that the house would take the matter into its serious consideration. Mr. S. CRAWFORD presented a petition from certain operatives connected with factory work in Be!fait, signed by 8,300 names, praying for thetre striction of ten hours' labour daily to factory work. Mr. R. HOWARD presented a petition from c ar _ lisle against the Masters and Servants Bill, and stat ing that it was harsh in its provisions, and trenching upon trial by jury. Mr. ROSS presented several petitions from Pres byterian congregations against the present marriage laws as affecting persons of their religious persuasion. Mr. HARDY presented a petition in favour of agricultural Protectionfrom a_place in Lancashire. HE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, APRIL 30, 1844. Mr. FERRAND presented a petition from the West Riding of York hire against the Masters and Servants Bill. _ diminish the risk of embarrassment and danger which they foresaw from the act of the Court of Directors. Sir R. INGLIS said he had no wish to interrupt the Hon. Member for Bath unnecessarily. lie thought, however, that great inconvenience would arise, if Hon. Members persisted in exercising their right in a case like that before the House. Mr. FRENCH sail he thought there was another question which ought to be put to the Right lion. Gentleman at th 3 head of her Majesty's Go vernment. His answer would leave' the country Wider -- the impression that the Court of Directors lad taken the Government by surprise. Now he • wished to know whether it was not true that they had had, considerable . notice of the intention of the Court of Directors to remove the Governor-General of India ? farther than this—that as upon all the leading articles of the Customs there has been an increased consumption, so upon all the different articles of Excise there has been an improvement. Not equally early, but as surely indicative of the improving state of the country. In the year ending at the last quar ter there was an increase in every article of this kind. The House, therefore, will perceive that the increase has been progressive in every respect. With respect to the estimates, the, calculation I formed is as nearly as possible accurate. The estimate of 7,000,0001. in the Excise prodneed 7,101,000/. The taxes; which I estimated at 4,200,0001., produced 4,192,0001., and the only observation I have to make on that branch of the revenue is this—that there was an apprehension expressed that the income tax would lead to the diminution of other taxes, espe cially the assessed taxes. Now it will be found that that has not been the case, and that there has not been, in that branch of the revenue, the pressure that was supposed. With respect to the Post-office, lam happy to say that the increase from that source exceeds the amount of the calculation which I made by 28,0001. The estimate I made was 600,000/. ; the receipts have been 628,0001. With respect to the Crown lands there have been similar results.- I estimated the re venue from that source at 130,000/. ; the amount has been 147,0001. The miscellaneous estimates I esti mated at 870,000/. • the receipts were 803,000/. The total, therefore of these several items is, that the revenue which I had estimated for the year at 50,150,000/. has produced an income of 52,138,8401., being an increase to the extent of 2,700,0001. beyond my cal culation. With, respect to the expenditure of the country, it will be found that my esti mates have literally been exceeded. The expenditure in last year for the army was 6,188,000/., being a reduction of upwards of 500,0001. for the expenditure from the last year ; but it is due to the House that I should state this, that they should not labour under the impression that it was the case, that we have not been able to make the reduction. The difference arose from another cause, namely, that in the course of the last year the Indian Government made larger payments on account of the debt it owed to the Crown for the military service, and also from the further circumstance that, peace being restored, there had not been the same necessity to keep funds in the commissariat chest. The expenditure in the course of the last year has been reduced by 500,0001. The reduction in the navy is not one to be taken as a reduction of expenditure, because the payments on account of that service are made at uncer certain periods, and it is impossible to calculate what payments may be required for that service. As I was in error with regard to the amount of the revenue which produced 2,700,0001. more than I calculated upon, so in consequence of the decrease in the expenditure to which I have adverted, there has been an error in nearly the same direction for 650,0001. less than I calculated would be required, when I made my statement to the House last year, was expended. Taking these sums together it will appear that I had calculated on a surplus of 700,0001., the total surplus in the year will be a sum of 4;165,000/.—(Loud cheers.) It will be in the recollection of the House that, at the close of last year, I had to announce to the House a very considerable deficiency of in come to meet the expenditure, amounting to 2,400,000/. ; and, as I then stated to the House, that I believed that deficiency to be rather apparent than real, I recommended to the House to make no provision for the payment of that deficiency— not, to raise means by loan for the purpose of getting rid of it, but that it should be defrayed out of the surplus of future years, as cir cumstances, from time to time, might allow ; and I am happy to be able to announce to the House that the deficiency of 1843, which amounted altogether to 2,749,0001., has been cleared off and,discharged out of the produce of the revenue of the present year, and after the discharge of the debt incurred in the course of last year, it will enable us to present to the public a surplus of 1,400,000/. on the Ist of April just passed.—(Cheers.) So far then as the past year is concerned I believe the House will agree with me that my statement is satisfactory. We will now proceed to consider the estimates and prospects for the year on which we have entered. Mr. W. 0. STANLEY presented a petition from the Chairman and Board of Guardians of a place, the name of which we could not catch, complaining of the clause in the Poor-law Amendment Act relative to the burial of paupers; also, a petition from the Isle of Wight against the union of the Sees of St. Asaph and Bangor. Captain PLUMRIDGE presented a petition from Falmouth, on the subject of . tli - o Small Debti Sir. GEORGE Sl'RlCKLAND.Preserkte4 a pe tition from Preston against the Masters and Servants Bill. Mr. MILES presented petitions against the union of the sees of St. Asaph and Bangor. Also a petition from the Deanery of Bath and Wells, praying the House to , address the Queen for the purpose of oh taining for the clergy the right of meeting in con vocation. Sir R. PEEL thought he had not said a word frpm which any Hon. Gentleman could infer that the Government had been taken by surprise. The Go vernment most certainly was not taken by surprise ; but they had had the opportunity of stating their views to the Court of Directors, who had certainly given a fair and full consideration to their repre sentations before they took the step in question. Now he must beg to decline answering any further question. lie had given the House all the informa tion that could be expected from him, in answer to a question of which he had not notice, and he trusted that the house would not suppose that he acted with disrespect in declining to answer anything further. THE CHINA COMPENSATION. Mr. Alderman COPELAND presented a petition from Stoke-upon-Trent against any further grant to the college of Maynooth. Mr. STAFFORD O'BRIEN presented several petitions from the county of Kent against the union of the sees of St. Asaph and Bangor. HAIL-STORM POLICIES OF INSURANCE. Petitions, praying for a repeal of the Stamp Duty upon hail-storm policies, were presented by the Earl of March, Mr. Blackstone, Mr. Yorke, Admiral Dundas, Mr. Round, Mr. J. Round, and Mr. Ilussey. Mr. F. FRENCH gave notice that he should to morrow bring forward a motion with respect to poor laws in Ireland. Mr. W. WILLIAMS said that, before the Chan cellor of the Exchequer proceeded with his exposition of the Ways and Means, he should beg leave to ask the Right Hon. Gentleman to explain how it was that the money was borrowed upon Exchequer to pay the opium compensation, whereas the revenue of the last year exceeded the expenditure by a very large sum ? The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that the amount of the opium compensation was 1,200,0001., and the expenses of the war 800,0001., making in the whole 2,000,0001., which would be re• paid by the Chinese Government, and from that fund the Exchequer Bills (as we understood) would be paid off. The loan was made for the double purpose of paying the compensation and the defraying the expense of the war. Mr. lIUME said his Hon. Friend was not aware that the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in order to have a surplus income, had borrowed the sum of two millior.s upon Exchequer Bills. Had his Hon. Friend consulted him (Mr. Hume) upon the subject, he could have explained the matter to him —(Laugh ter.) His Hon. Friend, however, was quite right in putting his question. He (Mr. Flume) was aware that last year the Chancellor of the Exchequer did explain this smatter, and the late Chancellor of the Exchequer pointed out to the House the cheat that the Chancellor of the Exchequer was then putting upon the public. But he (Mr. 'Hume) perfectly understood at the time the money was borrowed that it was to be paid as soon as the remittances from China were received. SAVVGS BANKS. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER gave notice that, on Thursday next, he should move for leave to bring in a Bill for the regulation of • savings banks. TREATY BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND THE ZOLLVEREIN. Dr. BOWRING wished to know from the Right Hon: Gentleman at the head of the Government, whe ther he would have any objection to lay on the table of the House the correspondence which had taken place between the British and Prussian G3vernments on the subject of the late treaty concluded between the United States and the Zollverein. Sir R. PEEL was understood to say that he had no objection. FACADE OF THE BRITISH ➢iUSEUM. Mr. M. MUSES wished to put the question of which he had given notice, to the Right Hon. Gen tleman (Sir R. Peel), respecting the new façade of the British Museum. He wished to know whether the plan proposed had been definitively agreed upon ? Sir R. PEEL begged to state that he considered there never was any architectural plan which received more mature consideration than the present, and the decision of the trustees had been always understood to be final and complete. So long ago as 1822 a re solution was moved in the House that no plan for the British Museum should be proceeded with on the mere consent of the trustees, but that the consent of Parliament should be had. In 1823 all of the trustees had approved of the plan now in course of being carried into execution. The plan had been submitted to Committees, one in the year 1836 and one in 1838, and it received the implied sanction of both. Some courses of stone had actually been laid according to the plan, and no devia tion from the plan could be made without causing considerable expense ; under these circumstances he trusted the Hon. Gentleman would see the necessity of not disturbing a plan which emanated from a most eminent architect, and bad received the sanction of the Lords of the Treasury, and subsequently of two Committees of the House of Commons. Mr. WILLIAMS said he had another question to put to the Right Hon. Gentleman.—(Cries of " Oh, oh.") He had been informed that a very large amouut of money had been laid out by the Commis sioners for Reducing the National Debt in the pur chase of Consols. He understood that something like from 150,0001. to 200,000/. per week had been expended for some time past. He wished, therefore, to ask how much money had been laid out by the Commissioners for the Reduction of the National Debt since the commencement of this year, on ac count of surplus revenue—on account of savings' banks, and on account of money received for the pur chase of Government annuities. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he was sorry that he could not give the Hon. Gentleman the figures he required at the moment, not having had the slightest expectation that the question was about to be, put to him.—(Hear, hear.) He would be, however, perfectly ready to give the Hon. Gentleman the required information to-morrow. GrIVERNOR-GENERALSHIP OF INDIA. On the motion that the Order of the Day for going into Committee of Ways and Means be read, Mr. ROEBUCK rose. He begged to solicit the attention of the Right Hon. Baronet at the head of her M;jesty's Government to the questions which he was about to put to him. On Friday, in answer to a question from the Right Honourable Gentleman the Member for Edinburgh (Mr. Macaulay), the Right Honourable Baronet had made it clear to the House, and to the country, that the Court of Directors of the East India Company had recalled the Governor-General. As that was a matter which might be attended with very im portant consequences, he was now induced to solicit the attention of the Right Hon. Gentleman to his question. He (Mr. Roebuck) understood that on Wednesday last a dispatch had been sent from this country to India, on the receipt of which the Noble Lord at the head of the Indian Govern ment would cease to be Governor-General, and the government of that country would be transferred to others. The question to which he solicited attention was, who was now to be considered responsible for the Government of India? Whether was it the Government of this country, namely, the Administration, the members of which he saw oppo site to him, or the parties who had the power of dis missing the Governor-General, who were to be considered responsible for the government of that country ? He wanted also to know if the Right Honourable Baronet were able to give him an answer, and he should be sorry to put the question if an answer were at all inconvenient, as he had not given the Right Hon. Baronet notice of his motion, though perhaps the Right Hon. Gentleman was not wholly unaware of his intention to put it. A. dispatch went from this country which would alter the whole nature of the Go vernment of India, and anybody who knew anything of that country knew that from Cape Comorin to the Himalayas the greatest commotion—(Cries of " Order," from the Ministerial benches, amidst which Sir R. Inglis rose to " Order" and immediately sat down.) Mr. Roebuck resumed.—He had so often been subjected to this species of interruption, that he could not but believe that there was some meaning in it.—(Hear, hear.) They were now on an Order of the Day for Supply—for a Com mittee of Ways and, Means—which involved every question . interesting to the state of the nation—so that he was perfectly in order, and he was astonished that so old a Member as the non. Gentleman opposite should have interrupted him. He was about to re mark, that any one who knew India must be aware that the reception of news such as that to which ;he had alluded would create a great sensation among all the native powers from Cape Comorin to the Himalayas. Now nothing could be more dangerous to our dominions in India than the effect which might be produced by such a dispatch. He therefore wished to . know from the Right Honourable Baronet whether he was prepared to maintain the policy which had hitherto been maintained by the person representing the Government !in India; and, with respect to the Government of India at the present time, considering the extraordinary and anomalous position in which it was placed, he was anxious to learn if"the Right Hon. Baronet was prepared to take upon himself the responsibility of carrying out the policy of the Directors of the East India Com pany. He was aware of the difficulty of the question, and he admitted that he had not given notice of big intention to put it. Sir R. PEEL had not known of the intention of the Hon. and Learned Gentleman to put the ques tion on the important subject to which he had re ferred, and he (Sir R. Peel) should certainly have wished for a little time for consideration. In the first place, with regard to the provisions of the ex isting law, the House was probably aware that the relations of the Executive Government with regard to the administration of the affairs of India were extremely anomalous. The respective positions of the Governm en t a n d o f th e E ast I n di a Company were not very well defined. The Crown and the East India Company had each certain powers ; but with regard to the nature and extent of those powers, he must refer to the acts of the Legislature. The East India Company possessed the power of appointing the Governor-General of India. That power could only be exercised subject to the approbation of the Crown —that approbation • was signified by the sign -manual, counter signed by the Secretary of State. That was the exact provision of the law with respect to the appoint ment. The appointment was made under ordinary cir cumstances, by concert and mutual understanding, be tween the Government and the East India Company; but the letter of the law was that the right of nomi nation was with the East India Company, subject to the approbation of the Crown. The right of the East India Company to remove the Governor-General, without the concurrence ofthe Crown was, he apprehended, unques tionable. In the last Act, which comprised the charter of the East India Company, and extended it for a certain time, there was a proviso that nothing in that Act should be construed in any degree to diminish or in terfere with the power of the Board of Directors to recal the Governor-General of India. Now, all that he was at liberty, consistently with his sense of public duty, to state on that occasion, was that the Court of Directors had, in the case of the removal of Lord Ellenborough, exercised the right which they unquestionably possessed under an Act of the Legislature, to recal and dismiss at their will and pleasure, the Governor-General of India.— Mr. COLLETT (Athlone)—What is the amount of the property-tax ? • The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER— -5,315,0001. which is somewhat larger than the esti ) mate I had made last year, in consequence (as we understood) of there being a larger return from Scot land than I had anticipated. Now, Sir, in making ' an estimate for the year on which we have entered, I .have adhered to the rule I laid down for my self on a former occasion, that of not being be trayed into too sanguine expectations, . which the future would not bear out. • I therefore content myself with taking the Customs at little more than the amount they have actually produced last year, viz., 21,500,0001.; and remembering that last year we derived 800,0001. from corn, and not being certain at ,at this period of the year what may be the state of the harvest of the country, I have thought it better to take the estimate of the produce of the Customs as not greater than what they pro duced last year; and I therefore take the estimate, as I have already said, at what I I took it last year, namely, 21,500,0001. With respect to the Excise, from every account I have been able twderive, from those best conversant with the affairs of the Excise, I do not apprehend that there is just ground for fixing the estimate for the Excise at a higher rate than I estimated it in the year gone by, namely, 13,000,0001., which is the amount I propose to take this item at. I mean to take the stamps at 7,000,0001., the assessed taxes at 4,200,000/., and the property tax 5,100,0001., which is about the amount produced in England last year. To these I will add the Post-office at 600,0001. only, and, for thisreason, the revenue ofthe Post-office made some little progress in the course of last year, and I doubt not that in the course of next year it will make a certain progress also. But at the same time there are several arrangements now pending at the present moment with respect to the postage of foreign letters, and there are some negotiations going on with foreign countries with re spect to the postage of letters in foreign parts, which will necessarily lead to considerable expendi ture. Therefore, Ido not think it safe to take the estimate for the Post-office at more than 600,0001.; the Crown lands, I will take at 130,0001., and the Miscellaneous estimates at 250,0001., making together a total estimate of 51,790,0001. With respect to the expenditure of the country, the first item to which the House will naturally expectl should call their attention is the payment on account of the National Debt. The payment for the last year was 29,300,000/. —for the present, 27,697,0001. —(Cries of " Hear, hear.") But it will be necessary for me, in making this statement, lest the House may labour under a delusion in supposing that there realty is such a decrement in the expense of the national debt, to state that the deficiency which mnst be paid in the present year, as compared with left, amounts to 1,400,0001.; but, as I said before, the House must not be led into the delusion that that is the real decrease. When I recommended the reduc tion of the Three-and-a- Half per Cents., I suggested, with a view of equalising the payments, that the new Stock, which was previously paid in 'January and July, should be made payable in April and (0 ctober. The real diminution of the debt, in the present year, is one-half of the benefit derivable from the Three-and-a-Half per Cents., being 313,00*. I am anxious to impress this on the House, lest they should run away with the idea that the surplus is so much greater than it really is— lest they should believe it to be what they might at first naturally suppose, 1,100,000/. The charges, however, for the year on account of the debt and con solidated fund amount to 3,097,0001. Mr. HUME—The Exchequer Bills The CHANCELLOR of - the EXCHEQUER—. This includes the Exchequer 'Bills, and the interest thereon. The estimate for the year has been already, for the most part, before the House ; and the House is sensible that there has been riot a considerable, but a certain reduction in the total amount as com pared with last year, and a considerable redaction as to the preceeding year. I am far from saying that the reduction . has been carried to the extent to which the peace and tranquillity of the country must lead the House to expect; hut it has been carried to that point in which up to the present moment, upon a most careful review of the circumstances of the coun try, I believe it would be possible to carry it with safety. The estimate for the Army amounts to 6,616,0001. The estimate of the navy to 6,250,0001. instead of 6,380,0001., as in the preceding year ; and, in this expenditure, provi sion has been made for great national works. The ordnance to a sum of 1,842,0001., and the miscel laneous estimates, which haVe not yet been all voted by the House, I calculate will amount to somewhere about 3,000,000/. There are also, during the present year, several extraordinary sources o no of expenditure e. to I ll a i p eh pea l rs w t ish om t e o d t hartait wille t) be necessary during the course of the present year to make provision for the payment of several extra ordinary items, and the House ought to be made aware of those items. The first item to which I wish to draw the attention of the House is one connected with the late hostilities which have been carried on in China. The accounts which were presented to the House, last year, carried the accounts of the disbursements payable to the East India Company, on account of the war in China, up to a pe riod of six months shorter than that for which the East India Company claims. I have not yet been able to procure the accounts cf the whole amount which the East India Company claims, but I calculate that the sum which we shall have to pay to . the East India Company, in addition to the accounts already laid before Parliament, is..about 400,00 W, ancl,l have hear.) The determination to recal was taken by them on their undivided and exclusive responsibility. The act of recal was an act which had not received the sanction and concurrence of the servants of the Crown. Without that sanction and concurrence the act was unquestionably a legal and a valid act. With respect to the question of the Hon. Gentleman, whether her Majesty's Government con sidered itself responsible for the government of India, he must, under present circumstances, decline entering. into any discussion of that question.—(Hear, hear.) All he could say was, that with reference to the fact, whether her Majesty's Government did or did not coincide with the Court of Directors, their sense of public duty would induce - them to take that course which should appear to them best caTeultaddato THE BUDGET. On the motion of the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER the House then went into a Com mittee of Ways and Means—Mr. Greene in the Chair. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER rose and said :—Mr. Greene, the motion I shall have the honour to put into your hand is for a vote of Ex , chequer Bills, to be appropriated to the exchange of other Exchequer Bills, which will come due, in the ordinary course of business, in about six weeks time ; and I think it desirable to avail myself of this oppor tunity of bringing under the consideration of the' House the view 'of the financial condition of the country which the 'House is entitled to expect, and which it bust be anxious to receive at the hands of her Majesty's Government. It will be in the recollection of the House, that when, in of last year, I made a simi lar statement, there was, on the part of some Hon. Gentlemen, an expression of great surprise as to the actual state and future prospects of the country. We were told that the country was still labouring under the severest distress, and that it was not likely to re cover from its state of depression. AVe were also told that, notwithstanding the imposition of heavy addi• tional taxation, the year had still closed with a deficiency of revenue. The explanations given by the Government were not. satisfactory ; and there were those who' argued that a simil a r d e p ress i on would be observaMe in the coming year. On my own part, I was disposed net to invite rash expectations to future pros perity, nor to draw an overgrown statement of public fear, but I then took the liberty of stating to the House, that there were indications of improve ment which led me to anticipate a revival of in dustry, and an extension of commercial enterprise, and which must of course lead to a considerable im provement of the financial condition of the country. I am happy—and I am sure these Honourable Gen my views will be happy I then entertained, have also—that n tha w t btohedivffieerweds whichfrom been since realised, and that the alarming forebodings which were indulged in have turned out to be ground less. lam anxious, Sir, not to encroach upon the time of the House, and I therefore will not detain you by further prefatory observations. I will proceed at once to state what was the revenue and expenditure of last year, and then I will go to the revenue and expenditure of this. It will be neces sary, however, before I do so, to call the attention of the House to the situation in which we stood when this question was last before ; and more particularly, to explain to the Hon. Member for Coventry (Mr. Williams) the par- ; ticular circumstances with respect to the China opium debt, and the East India - Company , to which he has just adverted. The balance-sheet, to payments wlli m which he hag a d the year, and all moneys received within. the year. Therefore, on the one side, 2,000,0001. have been received from the East India Company and the China opium claim ; and on the other side, is the expenditure for those two objects. But the House will be • kind enough to understand that in the schemes of finance, I exclude those state ments from the debtor and creditor side of the account. And the Hon. Member for Montrose is perfectly correct in stating that I was then charged with having done so in order to make the appearance of a surplus when it was not the fact. The estimate which I made of the public income during the course of last year, has undoubtedly been very greatly ex ceeded. I stated at that time to the House, that after the depression we had been sustaining, and the disappointment of previous expectations with respect to that income, I had endeavoured to make my statement of such a character that at all events it should not' err on the score of being beyond what was likely to be produced. If there was any error, indeed, it was quite in the contrary direction. The estimate which I made. of the amount of revenue from the Customs for the year to come was 19,000,0001., taking for my guide the amount that had been produced by the Customs during the preceding year. But in the course of the past year the amount that has been received from the Customs is 21,426,0001., instead of the 19,000,0001. at which I had estimated it. This arose, in a great degree, from the following circumstance :—I had not anticipated that there would be any considerable importation of corn ; that article, however, has produced 800,0001. I speak in round numbers, in order to save trouble to the House. A further sum was produced to the revenue by a great improvement in the wine duties arising from the termination of those negotiations which had laid a sort of paralysis on the trade. The amount derived from this source was 350 f 0001. Other items of the Customs exhibited that a general im provement had_ taken place ; the most remarkable items in this increase arose from the duties on sugar, amounting to 200,0001.• upon tea, 300,0 00 /.; both satis factory indications of the revived power of consumption in the labouring population of the country. Lastly there was an augmentation in the duties on cotton wool, amounting to 200,0001., an indication of in creased activity in that department of industry on which the happiness of so large a portion of the manufactur ing population of this country depends. In addi tion to these items, which make together a very large proportion of the excess on the Customs' revenue, there have been several minor articles, which have exhibited, generally speaking, an uniform augmentation, keeping pace with . ; the extension of our commerce and the greater , employment of the population.. The estimates . winch I made with respect to the Excise have turned out to be nearly as accurate as it is possible for estimates to be. The estimate I • made of the Excise , revenue was 13,000,0001., and the amount' it has yielded is 12,900,000/. ; that, therefore, calls for little observation, .~:' reckoned that. sum in my estimate of the expenditure fur the current year. Another item of expenditure arises from the operation of that measure which I had the honour to submit to the House a short time since, I mean the reduction of the Three-and-a-Half per Cents. The House will, no doubt, bring to mind - the large amount of debt on which we at that moment operated. lam sure I am bound to return my thanks to the House for the cordiality with which they expressed their approba tion of that measure, and supported the views which T. proposed to them, and which mainly contri buted to the happy results of that mea sure—(Hear, hear.)—and to that support is mainly attributable the feeling of universal satisfac tion with which that measure was received throughout the country. It was naturally to have been expected that there would have been a considerable body of dissentients, who would have demanded to be paid off. That expectation, lam happy to say, has been falsified. The amount of dissentients in England amount to 60,9941., and in Ireland to 13,2801., of those whose assent is required to be expressed. I mean those who hold stock of 1818, the amount of stock held by those who have not expressed their as sent amounts to 172,8411., so that the dissentients on a question involving the conversion of an amount of stock of 250,000,0001., amounts only to the trifling sum of 247,110/., and these is contained in that portion of the holders of stock who are residents abroad, and in the colonies, - and who may within the time limited be expected to avail themselves of the opportunity of signifying their assent. Now, Sir, it has been customary, on former occa sions of this nature, when the amount to be paid off has been considerable, to raise money by loan for the purpose of paying off that amount; but I think, considering the small amount of the charge to be paid off, considering also the state of the revenue, and on other accounts, it is desirable that we should make provision for the sum which is neces sary to pay off these dissentients ; and, therefore, I propose to take a sum of about 200,0001., which I conclude will be about sufficient to pay the charge, and which will form a part of the expendi• Lure which I' have to lay before the House. There is another matter which requires some expenditure, but which I think is likely to re sult in futureconomy. The House is aware that in the year 1815 an engagement was entered into with the South Sea Company that they should continue to receive an annual interest from the Customs, together with an annual payment from the country on account of their establishment, until the guarantee-fund of the Society was renewed. The history of that Society I need not now state at any length. I may shortly state, however, that it was originally vested with peculiar and extensive privileges connected with trading to the South Seas ; that those privileges were repealed by the Act of the 55th of George 111., to which I have referred ; and that by that Act they were assured that they should receive from the public an addition to the capital of their stock. as the price of the surrender of their privileges, equal to one-sixth of the stock which they at that moment possessed, being the sum of 610,000/. In order to provide this guarantee .fund a sum was annually paid to the Commissioners for the Reduction of the National Debt, and invested with a view to its accumulating for this Society. It has now pro duced about 300,0001.; and there is a deficit of 239,0001. required to make up this gua rantee fund, for which the public are, in fact, paying an interest of 11,868/. a year. There are other advantages beyond this saving of interest, which may result from making an arrangement at the present time with the South Sea Company. So long as the Funds were low, it was in fact nearly impracticable to make any useful arrangement with the Com pany to relieve the public from the charge to which it was subjected. Whatever terms we might have made with the holders of this stock, they would have been entitled to demand from the public the full amount of „:100/. for every, 100/. of stock which they possessed. And, therefore, so long as the funds are lower than par, so long it is impracticable to effect that further reduction which may now, in the result of the funds coming to par, be bene ficially effected. Therefore, Sir, I think it is now necessary for the Government to be placed in a position, that if the opportunity should arise for making such a reduction, it may be able to take advantage of it by paying off the remainder of that debt, namely, 239,0001., thereby laying the foundation of a future 'considerable saving.—(Hear.) The total expenditure of the year for the ordinary service is -17,700,0001., and the extraordinary service to which I have lately adverted, amounts to 846,0001., making a total of 18,546,0001. So that, if you add that sum to the debt, which' is 30,097,1701., the total expenditure of the year will be 48,643,1701. If that be deducted from the gross amount of the revenue, that is 51,790,0001., it would leave an apparent surplus (subject to the reductions which I have before alluded to) of 3,146,0007., but if you make allowances for that por tion of the debt which will be due next year, that will leave the surplus 2,376,0001.---(llear, bear.) In a country like this where every one has the means and uses the means of in forming] himself of public affairs it is not other than could be expected that it has been for some time generally ' known that the result of this year's revenue would. not be different from the an ticipations which had been held in every quar ter. I find, in consequence of that anticipa tion, that I have been assailed by communications from various parties recommending that the increase of the revenue should be made available for 'of taxation on almost every article of consumption. I can assure those Hon. Gentlemen, many of whom I see now, that nothing could be more gratifying to me than to yield to their application. Nothing would be more gratifying to my feelings, if I felt it consistent with. my public duty, than to make those large and general remissions of the taxes which I was requested to do. But, Sir, when we consider of the remission of taxation, we must also consider the nature of the burdens which exist at the time that remission is to be made. I would beg the HOUse to bear in mind that when I bald them that we had at present a surplus revenue of 2,370,0001., that that revenue is not a per manent annual excess of regular and permanent revenue over the constant expenditure of the country, but it is the result, but for one year of the receipts of the revenue or the country over the expenditure, which has been incurred in the course of that year •;- that it is •a fund upon which, for the present year, we may rely, 'but it is not a fund of constant and future annual occurrence; The House must al:so bear in mind that, in the present year, that fund has been produced by the imposition of an extraordi nary tax.,rin tjg6,„ p ygar 1842, and 'which produces 5,1 - 00;000Er;014401T-$4t ) , the main ground of sur plus.• which, this evening, I have announced to the. House of Commons. Now, I', will call the attention of the House to the circumstances under which that tax was imposed. -It was imposed at a period : when the country had been labouring for a considerable number of years under the evil of the revenue of the country failing to equal the expenditure, and when there was the necessity for great exertion in, order to make the revenue sufficient to bear the .necessary charges of the country. It was imposed also with another object—namely, with a • view of giving _relief to the commercial interests •of the country; by reducing the amount of taxes upon a variety of articles, and for the purpose of trying the experiment whether by immediate reduction in certain duties you might not bring round in a limited period the revenue to the same amount as that which it was before the reduc tion took place. It was imposed, therefore, with the double object of supplying, during an interval, the previous deficiency of the regular revenue of the country, and for giving time for the repealed duties to •• recover, so as to be as pro ductive as before th . e reduction was effected; with that view it was submitted by my Right Hon. Friend to the House, and he stated his opinion, that if that tax 'were continued for five years, it would have the effect which he anticipated.—(Cries of " Three years.") My Right Hon. Friend took it for a shorter period.—(Laughter.) My Right Hon. Friend indeed took it for a shorter period for three years—and he did so en this ground, that •if at the expiration of • that period the result which he had anticipated to'occur at the end of five years should not occur,lhen the House would have an opportunity of considering whether they would continue. that impost for the same period, or whether they would take another mode of supplying any . deficiency which might exist. I have no hesitation in saying that, at the present moment, I cannot form any estimate of what those reductions -may-be. When I,look at the list of arti cles in the tariff on which reductions of duty took place, and at the increased consumption which has taken place of those—when I find that only on five has consumption decreased, while on all the test con sumption has increased —I must say, I entertain, very sanguine feelings as to the ultimate success of the ex periment. But the House will be good enough to bear in mindthatin somemain articles—timber, I will espe cially mention —on which a reduction of the duty has taken place, that reduction did not come into 'operation until the middle of last - year. The experiment, therefore, in these instances, has not had a fair trial ; and I am not therefore pre pared to say what course *ought hereafter to be pur sued in respect of them. In the course of the next year the property-tax must necessarily come under the consideration of the nouse, and it will be "for it to say what course it .will pursue with respect to the continuance or discontinuance of, that impost. Such being the circumstances, I think it must be obvious to every one that I should not have acted • a becoming part if I had induced the House to . consent to a large reduction 'of duty, which -might have had . but- one effect, namely, that of hindering rulininent. 'froni • 'conning •to' an s o e n of th t e he fina ne ri x c t ia t l e c u o n u fe n t t te ry re i d n d tl e i c e is c i o o u n r t fore, oen ttehratta thin p i r n o k po t s h i i t s io i o s s no fo t r th a e n pe y rerioddllefotlonttf..`oHr 'House considerable amount of the country. But there' , is another reason which' ar. conditiont is; e t r l: muSt . have COD 1 ,, independently of the property 'n lb reduction—of the taxation .ot derable weight with the House • In to pursue the course which we now recoialne We have had, as the House is - aware, a deo ciency of revenue as compared with expenditure, for a series of years. That deficiency continued fe induct gn.d. six successive years, and though for the present_r din have mastered it, yet it should be recollected by House that we are still suffering from the entitle: quences of it. Those deficiencies had to be met either by adding to the debt of the country, or by drawing on the decreasing amount in the Exchequer, 0' way which it was not safe for any country t o Why, Sir, when I addressed the House in the cours e of the last year, the balances - in the Exchequer we, : r e under 1,000,0002. per. * month ; by the od ° tion of the surplus of the revenue during the present year, those balances had arisen to fri 2,000,000/. to 2,400,0001. But when We:,1 1111 a balance of only 1,000,0001.. per month in the e chequer, what was the state of our account at tb Bank of England? We were obliged to WO ° 2,700,0001. in anticipation of the revenue, while r were at the same time obliged • to boreal 5,000,000/. more in deficiency bills, for the purpc,se of paying the public creditor the sums which we ll due to him. I think, therefore, that we o n ' not act wisely for ourselves, or honoursbl!f for the country, or, indeed, safely for its i n terests/.. 1 we do not make some effort to return to such $ sl aw of prosperity as will place the balances in the XX chequer in a position that will enable it to liquid ° , its payments to its creditors, and to bring the dentir i of the Bank on account of these deficiency bk, s , within some limited compass ; or, at all ev ents, l render the Government so far independent of tug' assistance, that it may have at its disposal a siderahle portion of the sum required for its 01 1 quarterly expenditure. The present 'quarter ° the year is at all times one of great • P res ; sure on the finances, in consequence of the payn_r u p, on account of the National Debt. We require Ist -- balances in the Exchequer, in order that we may ee t s '',; dependent of the Bank to a certain degree, and ccer t el l l the operations of the Government on the prineiP i e dy have just stated. Under these impressions, so 0°, 1 , 11 7,4 w do I feel the importance of this course, that even if " si ,". had been no question involving the continuance of wr property-tax coming on in the course of the next Yel!:, I should not have thought I was acting the part of "" honest man or a conscientious Minister, if I had f or borne to ask the House to apply the surplus of the Pr r e , sent year to the augmentation of the balances its Exchequer. I trust, and indeed I feel confi dent that the House, acting on the principle wh?,: - guided it on a former occasion, will not ,: s tate to comply with that request. I call hes% forget that when I brought forward the proposal for the reduction of the Three-and-a-Half per Cents., the ge ° ', at once cordially concurred in the sentiment that should not relieve ourselves at the risk of hazarding( dangers to be incurred hereafter, or at the expens e .„ ° those who are to come after us. And upon that Pr e ; ciple I now call upon the House not to give thernse' L l ot temporary relief by a present remission of taxation , u u ts to place the finances of the country upon a footing'Or to will enable it hereafter to follow the bent of 1 0 inclinations, and give rehef to its constitute without endangering the credit of the count r Y4 or risking its ability to meet the paYli t l i it was bound to make.—(Cheers.) These are the re ds sons which have induced me to resist the large desnen. which have been made upon us from 4°ll - quarters for a reduction of taxation. ~.c h at the same time there are some articles on vila taxes are imposed, upon which either a partial o r tots, reduction of the duty may be made without much in :1 ° , 0 , to the revenue, but the removal of which may be Cel,,, lated to give an impetus and improvement 1; trade. I propose to submit to the Hou se is variety of articles,, more or less of importance, in wir st , I think some reduction of the duty may be made . p o i s e with respect to those articles that will affect the Itetilie revenue, I allude to a regulation with respect to article of glass. I have had an application made to ir e, to repeal the whole of the duties on that arty but that lam not going to do.—(Hear, hear , to laugh.) That is not the course I am about 100 pursue ; but there is one portion of the duty ong4 s d which I think I can satisfy the House may be reP e ire without injury to the revenue, and the effect of 0"0 would give facility to trade. I allude to the distinctithe duties on flint glass and bottle grass. Flint glass, n t io s present moment, pays a duty of 2d., while bottle lose pays only a duty of three farthings ; each of t .to articles, upon exportation, are entitled the receive a drawback, nearly amounting te n d to whole of the duty ; and, in order to put All made fraud, the law enacts that no drawback shell.w plo on flint-glass, unless its price is sd. a pettl 4 , r ag& the fact is, that there have been great irnprovemenv tur ere in the manufacture of that article. Many manufa c ,o, if can make flint-glass at less than s d. a pound'‘, and, they do so, then they are deprived or t he drawback, added to which, when they go into uo, market they have to compete with the foreigner . , , manufacturing his glass at a less price, has the tage. There is another necessity why sore well °lter-litit°he should be made—there is great difficulty, so we ll . is i aa s article manufactured, in discovering which and which is flint glass; and when the claim for the dr:,..„ back comes, there are perpetual disputes as to the cl o y 4 Under these circumstances, I am of opinion that it W be beneficial to remove the distinctive duty between IS. and bottle glass. The reduction will only amount to. limited sum of 45,000/. a-year, but in the present yeas,;, it will be only 35,000/., as I propose that the reductio._; not to take place till the sth of July, by w hich t t h ill e l i f the manufacturers will have an opportunity to bond di g glass, and avoid the imposition of the duty. T, he s so' is bottle_g_o_ on bottle glass being three farthings, and on flint grel t i f ai pence, I propose that the duty on both shall be -L e d a three farthings. There is another article subject t ° „ p ac to which I am desirous of c a lling the attention of the Th ° . c se with a view to its repeal—l mean the duty on the or,tba of vinegar. --(Great laughter.) It may excite no s laughter or ridicule of Hon. Gentlemen who are v, quite aware of the bearing such articles have upon for factures; but looking to these considerations, I cann° a t he bear dealing with them. Now, if Hon. Gentlemen red se ninth report of the Excise Commissioners, they wil l s t his that, so far back as the year 1834, the repeal of 00 , duty on vinegar was recommended.—(Hear.) Th e e lo missioners stated that the produce of the ditty in t h ere year wa5.23,000/., for the due protection of which thii, was a code of regulations under the 58th of Georg e t to with regard to which they observed it was &Inc& for concede on what ground it was necessary to provideries the protection of so small an amount of duty by a se ta e • of provisions of so complicated and extensive a l l i e „` t es, The Act in question contained twenty-nine Co" ti the infringement of which was punished pee penalties varying from 1001. to 500/, The circums 0 - of vinegar being used by calico printers, and that versos facturers would be much benefited by the repeal ° f ve il duties, as well as the benefit which the public del: t on al from an article so generally in use, were all addi t :/ % 0 of in favour of a repeal of the duty. This was the opi n `"o4. a gentleman who directed the excise in 1833 a nd 1 , , is I may observe to the House, that vinegar only 1 ) ° , so d duty when Mack by - the4iikritilaettirer fur sal e ; therefore, as in the case of beer, the duty falls het''rti• upon those who have not the means of making th e , 11 , 0 a 1 clis for themselves, and are obliged to purchase it the manufacturer, whilst those who can make stash themselves are altogether exempt from the bO,rhe that presses upon their poorer brethren. sged revenue, in this respect, has but little inere— since the' period I have alluded to. It amou nte re il, 25,000/., and is a tax which I think ought to be rg e ., 11 4 is Acids of a particular kind are essentially netese,al,lo%, many branches of manufacture, such as calico - el l° , - „ret for instance; and in order to give to the manufee'"tbe the advantage of procuring those acids cheaPli'.,„ s le. law provided that pyroligneous acids in t ; c le , impure, and unrectified state, should be without payment of duty at all. This cone e '„ r er, was intended fir the benefit of the r nanufo r ed At the time the concession was made it was CO'n° ita d a very considerable one, because manufacturer s Act pyroligneous acids in the state contemplated by t)!. e ta rer, of Parliament. But as the skill of the mannr'" — seo improved, those acids were produced in an iralNhots state, which offered more advantages in their or n ery if they were used in what he might call their .1 1 sri_l e- f or fury state.—(Laughter.) I will, however, allow oit a tid• for the dealer to get rid of the stock on ; t oe' The next sultject is one of considerable WIT° ftll both as regards its consequences to the commerc e country, and the amount of revenue derived fro ln t o til e propose to the House a considerable reduction ultdur duty on marine assurance. By making that cfol tion, we aro likely to produce -an effect whic h 1 10 01 vantageous and appears attainable. To those 1 0 ° 3 ,00 anything of marine insurance, it is obvious that it c 8 settle itself in Great Britain. Marine assursnenjea quires large capital on the part of those who c°efore, it, and perfect confidence in their honour. If, th et id ssY there be any country in the world in which I sh °° C onn' marine insurance would flourish above any (Or? doe s ' try, it is Great Britain, possessing, es " afe t ' capital, integrity, and great extent of territort ill notwithstanding these things, marine insuranc e leetate, ° decline: The tax was originally imposed in 'pell war, and was valued at a very large amount- o.s ship that sailed, and all the property it carried, re hll" sured, and they could be insured no `v e. vibe° in this country. But then, after the Peac e !s ti tion fh the country was suffering under heavy contrwatictioil, imposed for the carrying on of the war, no r e . 163 4 was made in the duty on marine insurance. P it t ha t the pressure of this duty was felt Acybe so g'r e ' r l whi c h Lord Auckland, acting upon the principle t aw ill I now propose to act, reduced the duty on nsiderab surance to one-half; and calculated upon °°t•o loss to the revenue. But in that calcula truotwith: Auckland was mistaken, for in two years,' e d wha t l t t ; standing that large reduction, the duty equaf the P re° had previously attained. The consequen ce 0 fish seer; high rates of insurance is that at present idr" in chants insure in foreign countries in Pr e l l e e re ;d ° C their own ;" and Hamburgh, for instance, r_L . our ofeo marine insurance has very much increased• ill a ais soe- a y country, in marine insurance the s rry to 9 t, duty has decreased, and I am (.1 present high rata of duty. There is ano ther ;nor aneo ou stance which makes the duty on marl," su sanre hau materially so, a fact which I certainly attributeoi7ctuni s r eblY Jest 'trims' England heavier in rainy instances. s g w o h o e c n l s sent sent b 3, hy sa s i t l e in a g rn- v v e e s s s s e e l l s s ; i t s he c r t e m fo s r i" e ° 2l ursh AW, as between this country aAd.Franoes o.lPtaw",7, At gi• 1211