The Express.
London, England, 1849-03-17 00:00:00

ANTIGUA.

Mr. MACKINNON caked If the ; loan advanced to the
Island of Antigua, in consequence of the earthquake, was
in oonne of repayment; and if not, when the next instal-
ment would be paid ?

The CHANCELLOR of the 11.7LCHRQUER said that
the heal yovereuest bad peeled ea set to postpone the pay-
ment of the yeleeipal. hial_tbe I.oo.yeerly swami et tke
isterast rme salowebei ►y dot.
_ _

VOTE BT-BALLOT.

Is reply to Mr. t.Cisikoittio:

Mr. A:BERKELEY said he intended to bring in a bill
for legal Wag vote by ballot the first opportunity after Easter,
in pursuance of the resolution of the honselsst sesaioa.

SCHLESWIO.HOLSTEIN.

In reply to a glisten from Mr. SANDARS, respecting an
Oficial node from the Minieter of Marine, at Denmark, of
an intention to resew the blockading of the ports of Sebes- •
wig-Holstein, ceseary to the past& intentions announced a
few 'veep ago by the noble lord,
Lord PALMERSTON sea that the givernment bad
elan reeved information that it was the intention of Den-
naerk to velum's* those blockades. As the matter was still
under discussion. be hoped that that intention would not be
persisted in. He could only say, that such blockade would
let be in euvardaire with the --wwaleations prtvlouly

made to Prude ropeating the patting en end to the ai-

ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE.
It was here resolved that the boon, at its riming, adjourn
to Monday.

SUPFLY.—ANNUAL BUDGET.
On the question that the Speaker leave the chair, for going
into a Committee of Supply,
- - - -

Mr. HUME said that as the new rules of the house pre
eluded him from bringing forward the two motions whicit
stood on the paper, he should abandon for the present that
which called upon the hones to adopt means to prevent the
repeated explosions from fire damp in coal mines, and bring
it forward on an early occasion, as be considered It of groat
importance. The other motion he would now proceed with.
It was, " that in the present state of the finances of the
country, her Majesty's ministers, before calling on this
home to vote the estimates for the public service, should
submit a general financial statement of the whole or ex-
pected revenues, and the total intended expenditure for the
mains fiaansial yeses." He had hoped that her Majesty's
minima would not have rendered such a motion neon-
way, but would have, in aaeordaree with much previous
, and more particularly at amontent like the present,
prase e
have side their annual financial statement. Being relue-
tent to do so, he thought it was the duty of the house to en-
force it. Utilises was anything unusual or unconstitutional
in such a mune, he would not press it on the house. Bat at
had been adopted by different administrations, and he was
the more inslined to demand it now, when he recollected
that last year they had three, if net four, financial statements
before they obtained any general statement of the expected
income and expenditure of the country. It was easy for mi-
nisters to calculate within half a million what they expected
the revenue to be, end they ought at least to have made up
theirminds as to the expenditure. Thee received the accounts
for the several departments in December, and ought to be
in a position to do to. Considering that they had been
for some years wasting the capAsal of the country, and
that at the end of last sem on they were under
the necessity of borrowing 2,000,004 it did appear to him
that the first act of the government Wore they asked the
house to vote one shilling for the axe radium of the country,
, ought to have been to have stated of at the revenue was to
Is, which they had had ample time! s eeeertain, and what
the expenettuln, in order that that h suss might be in a post.
! don to decide whether it might not be advisable to effect a
reduction of the public burdens. If ministers were unwilling
to make that statement, he must only conclude either that
they had not yet seed* up their minds what the expenditure
was to be, or were afraid to set before the public the amount.
If hon. members would on'y consider that their duty in that
house towards the public was to act as treat's'e for
the public funds, an the same way that they would
act, sf they were prudent men, for themselves, he
was sure they would admit the justice of hie motion,
The question was no party one, and he addressed himself
alike to whip. tortes, and radicals, when he called upon
them, as honest and discreet trustees, to act towards the
public in the supervision of expenditure, as they would in
affairs of their own. He might be told that what he de-
manded was unusual. If it had never taken place before, he
should say that such had been the waste and extravagance,
and so heavy the burden of taxation, that the present was
the moment when they ought to adopt such a course. It
was never too late to do well; but they had numerous pre-
cedents for it. The first act of the whig government, on
acceding to office in 1830. was to introduce a budget. On
the llth of February Lord Althorp said ho considered
it his duty to the house te lay before them not only
the
which the government Intended making. It might be
objected that the estimates were not all on the table of the
house. Bat Lord Althorp said on that occasion, that although
the whole estimates were not on the table, he was anxious
to state what reductions her Majesty's government bed
made, and what they intended to do. He wished the pre-
sent government would follow that example. Lord Althorp
then stated the amount of taxes at 60,000,0001. Last
year it was upwards 0f09,000,0004, showing an increase of
taxation of nearly 10,000,0001., although the noble lord at
the head of the government declared in 1830 that retrench-
ment, non-interference with foreign states, economy, and re-
form were to be the grounds and principles upon which the
government was to act. That declaration, which was repeated
in the other house by Lord Grey, gave great satisfaction to
the country at the time. It was setts' on by Lord Althorp,
but abandoned by succeeding administrations until now,
when, lensed of enjoying that relief from taxation which a
tints of plea ought to give, we were burdened with
10,000,0001. additional. Now, Lord Althorp made his state-
ment on the 11th of February, sad did not move his esti-
mates until the 18th, when the house had before them a fall
statement of the expected revenue and expenditure of the
ensatry, and were therefore in a much better position to
enesbler those estimates. 'That precedent alone justified his
praent motion. But he was fortified with others. In
1841 the budget was brought forward on the 14th of Feb.ruary the first estimate voted was on the let of March.
In 1846 the budget was introduced on the 29th of May, and
no estimate taken till the 24th July. In 1847, the budget
was on the 22nd February, the first estimate on the let of
lordMar!hin;saamdc.ltstayboearra,
won
speetheerthintroofdfarnexhisyn,ewther-to-nobe-ble
firrgotten budget, but did not ask for a vote of money until
the 20th.
ed A storm then &MS and led to results which
vof what Knee/able materials go ern em were made.
, Whig or tory, it was all alike ; and he called upon every
, member who was anxious to relieve the country from its
heavy burdens to aid him in putting the strew upon the
present government with that object It was complained by
some hon. gentlemen that he and his hon. friend the member
for the West Riding of Yorkshire were proposing to take
off taxes without providing the means. Now the noble lord,
in his budget of last year, gave them tho following esti-
mate:
Fended Debt 427,778,000
Usfunded do.. 752,000
CHASO,IIOO
Oessolldated fend charges
Nadir war 51,100,000
Navel mow last year 245,000
d 1,345,000
Navy d 7,728,610
Army
Ordnance
Klmellanerna
01,820,444
£54,446,,000044
150

Militia

Total £54,596,044
In 18 years from the time Lord Althorp introduced his
, motion, what had we arrived at ? With the Reform Bill he
bad hoped to obtain a proper check on expenditure ; he
would never have slaked for reform of that house, but that
there might be a stricter and more careful consideration of
the interests of the community et lerge, in respect, first, to
that which immediately touched every man, the finances of
the country, and then in respect to those other matters on
which the p:ospenty and happiness of the country depended.
He regretted not the efforts he had made to obtain reform.
(Hear ) By the Reform Bill power had been wrested from
the boroughmongers and given to the crown; for neither
king nor queen could then rule this country but through the
oligarchy, who then had power. That power had- been
placed is the hands of the middle-clam electors • and
if they had neglected their duty, he wasglad
they were made to smart for it. (Hear' heir.)
He wished he could throw the whole w ht of the taxation
on those corrupt men who had • the trust *mewl
in them, and had suffered the country to labour under a
taxation of 69 millions darling. Mang to this the 12
millions of which the hon. member for Backs complained.
with other items, it need not be matter of surprise that this
country was in dilienities with such an enormous amount
taken from its industry. The time mas come tbr the public
to open their eye; already there was a glimmering of fight
from Liverpoelt which he hoped would rapidly spread end
enlighten all the borougbe and counties in the kingdom.