The Express.
London, England, 1848-08-26 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, SATURDAY EVENING, AUGUST 26, 1848.

country by which she was governed. In no history
was so humiliating a picture sheens as that which
Ireland exhibited at the present moment. He
trusted the hones would pardon him if he had said anything
to offend ear individual, but he would fling to the winds
every prejudice or principle, in order to see Ireland made
equal to England in that comfort and independence which
en indus, rious pool le deserved to have secured to them by
the goverment under which they lived. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. BROTHERTON thought the suggestions of the
hon. member for Stroud were well worthy ot the considera-
tion of the house, the government, and the country. Ile
would add, as a forth, r suggestion, the adoption of an in-
come tax in Ireland, the revenues arising from which to be
applied to the amelioration c,f the c: edition of the people
and the relief of those districts in which from p verty
and destitution poor rates could not be collected
Mr. LABOUCHERE did not rise to protract the debate,
but to express a hope that at this peri=l of the !es...ion end on
the present state of the house, a debate on the state and
condition of Ireland should not further he c nitinued, when
no possible result could follow, but that his right hon. friend
(the Chancellor of tae lisehequer) might now be allowed to
proceed with his financial statement. (Hear.)
AfVr a ter words from Mr. J. O'CONNELL,
The motion was negatived without • division, and the
house resolved its:lf into • committee of ways anti means.

FINANCIAL STATEMENT,
Tb• f•LIANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER then rose,
nod said that though the question he had now to brine
under the attention of the committee was of vast general
Importance, yet from eta character it was Hot calculated to
excite the same attention as the conversation which had just
been interrupted on the mate of Ireland. At this period of
the lesion it was, however, important that the statement
he was about to make should be made this night, and with-
out further delay, and this was the 0..1y reason why the go-
vernment wished to press it now, and not because they
thought the state of Ireland was in the slightest degree a
matter to which they ought not to give due athntion, or that
it was not a subject of paramount importance. Having said
them much, which he hoped would satisfy hon. immix re that
the government was not indifferent to the state of Ireland,
he should at once enter ui on that which was • proper sub-
ject for the consideration of a committee of ways and means,
and inform the committee of what he b. hued the financial
state of the country to be, and what mell•Ilt es the government
had adopted with respect to it. In the first place, it weuld
be remembered that the whole or the estimates for the year
having been vote t, the whole of the expenditure fee the y. ar
was well known to every hon. member. In addition to this,
at the beginning end on several occasions during the present
'einem various !statements have been made nom time to time
which hive put hon. membets pretty well in possession of
what was the state of affairs in this respect. Hence
he did not suppose it would be expected that he had now to
state much that was new ; but :still it was necessary that he
should inform the house on tine occasion what was the ex-
penditure, what the present income, and of the manner in
which be proposed t ) mace the income equal to the expendie
tare. This he would do as shortly and as concisely as was in
hie power. Hon. members would probably remember that
when, early in the session, his noble friend at the head of
the government made • statement of their prospects he held
out to the country as follows: his noble fricud then estimated
the probable recoils," of revenue and income at 51,260,0001. ;
ho estimated the charge for debt and other charges on the
consolidated Mod at 31,280,6001., and the expenditure
on the estimates at 21,820,441, making the total
expenditure for the year 53,101,0111. His noble friend
further stated the extra expense of the Kaffir war and the
eve,' of naval expenditure for the preceding year to have
*mounted to 1,345,411 e, which, auded to the previous
amount of expenditure, as he had just stated, made a total
of 54,446,452/e and ho intimated the int. ution of the
government, to make an addition to the militia contiu-
gencies to the amount of 150,0001., which increased the
estimated amount of expenditure for the present year to
51,596,452/. In order to meet this expenditure a proposal
had been made by the government to raise the income tax
from 3to 6 per cent., tor the next t• o years. Ibis would
have increased the revenue to the amount of 3,500,0001.,
and made • total estimated income of 54,750,0001. To
this proposition fur increasing the rate of the income tax we/
added one tor remitting the duty on copper ores. That
variation would have lessened the amount of revenue by
40,0001., which, supposing parliament had acceded to the
increase of income tax, would have reduzed the revenue to
64,710,0001., from which, if the estimated expenditure, viz ,
54,596,4521. was deducted, it would leave &simples of 113,5481.
Hon. members would also recollect that tne proposal made
early in the session was a temporary iucresse of taxation for a
riod of two years, and the reason was that a great portion
of the incrcaae of expenditure had arisen from circumstances
of a temporary nature. Of these ho might mention the
Kaffir war and the excess in naval expenditure, to which he
had already alludedeanie which had occurred in the preceding
year ; and it was necessary now to replace in the Ex-
chequer the moneys which had been thereby absorbedeA great
pinion of those increased 'spews wee neceuary to carry oa
the heavy works in the dockyard., which had been begun
by the preceding government, met which it was desirable to
carry out, and which he believed had incurred • logs to the
country from their non-completion at an earlier period.
Feeling this the government thought it necessary, in order to
meet the heavy demands on the resources of the country to
propose an addition for two years of 2 per cent. to the incase
tax. That proposal on the part of the goverment hail cer-
tainly not been received with any favour by the House of I
Commons, and he (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) was
prepared to admit that the circumstances under which the
country then laboured, with the distress which had
prevailed during the preceding six or eight months,
furnished a good reason why an increase of taxation was not
submitted to. (Hear, bear.) Further than this, during
the discussions which ensued upon the proposal of the go-
vernment, the circumstances which emu on the continent
produced the greatest uncertainty with reference to the com-
mercial and financial affairs of the country, and this fact had
made the government more willing to abstain from imposing
any additional taxation, but to leave to future consideration
and leebeation the most advisable course to be pursued.
Since the withdrawal by the government of the proposition
for increasing taxation tt had become necessary to reconsider
the whole finances of the year, and to make such alterations
in the proposal of the government as the altered Mecum-
emcees of the country rendered adesable.; and he now came
to state the course the government had pursued and its re-
sults. The first object and duty of the government, of
course, had been to revise every item in the estimates. And
here he must observe that, in the course of the two or three
preceding years, no inconsiderable increase had been made
in the expenditure not proposed by the present, but by the
preceding government. lie found that in the year 1846
there had been an increase of estimate and charge, as com-
pared with the preceding year, to the extent of 1,610,0001.,
exclusive of those charges which were consequent on the
transfer of the payment M. county rates in agricultural dis-
tricts, in consequence of the alteration in the corn laws, to
the general revenue of the country. The whole of these
charges involved an increase in the expenditure
of nearly 2,000,0001. Now, his hon. friend the
member for the \Vest Riding (Mr. Cullen) not long
ago had said, and said most truly, that neither the present
nor any other government was responsible for the increase of
expenditure, in which the House of Commons had concurred.
It was true that the proposed increase in the government es-
timates had been voted with very Ittle opposition, and his
hon. friend said wisely that for that increase all parties
were to blame, it blame there was, and that neither party
ought to recriminate, but to look at the present state of the
country and see if they could not one and all set their ',boul-
ders to the wheel and reduce the expenditure without im-
pairing the efficiency of the public service. In respect to
one branch of the increased expenditure—he alluded to that
fir increasing the national defences of the country—he
thought the right honourable gentleman the member for
Wiltshire (Mr. Sideey Herbert) had lest year only reflected
the sense of the whole house, when he gated that there ex-
isted a general feeling of alarm that the country was insuffi-
ciently defended ; that the people out of doors entertained
feelings of the same kind. Chat opinion had been happily
changed ; but, for himself, he must say that he hal never
been one of the alarmists ; and he was happy to think that
the country had lately taken a different view of the subject.
(Hear, hear.) Now, with a view to a reduction in the na-
tional expenditure, the first step taken by the govern.
ment had been to obtain the appointment of two select
commiteees—the one to look into and examine the mis-
cellaneous estimates—the other to take into considera-
tion the military and naval expenditure of the country.
The result was, that honourable members had now
before them two most able and valuable reports, from
which the greatest possible information on each of these
subjects could be derived. He must remark that it was not
for the purpose of averting any responsibility from them-
selves that the government had moved for the appointment
of these two select committees, but Dec mete it was thought it
would prove most useful in order to enable the house itself
with a great saving of time to make reductions with due dis-
crimination. On the appointment of these committees, the
government nail turned its earnest attention to the subject,
and it hail become his duty to call upon all the public
departments to revise their estimates, having reeard
to all possible economy, and he was bound to
state that all departments had met the government in the
same spirit, and the result had been a considerable reduction
in the estimates as prepared originally and those since voted.
In the amount of the forces no reduction had been made
from the original proposal, which was believed to ba neces-
sary for the defence of the country. The opinion of the go-
vernment in that respect had been confirmed by the House
of Commons in respect to both the military and naval force,
and from the circumstances which had since taken place he
could not think there was any reason to regret the proposal
of the government and its adoption by parliament. In the
manufacturi g districts in the north there had been a con-
stant demand for military protection, and that protection
which those districts had • perfect right to demand the go-
vernment would have been ill able to hive afforded if they
had not possessed the disposable military force which they
had proposed, and to which parliament had acceded.
With regard to other portions of the expenditure, it was con-
templated to make large reductions, and they had done so as
far as was possible. The vote for the navy was reduced from
the original estimate by the sum of 209,0001. The rote for
the army, including the old militia, was reduced by 200,0001.,
the ordnance vote by 123,0001.; the miscellaneous vote by
235.000 i.; and the expenses of the militia, which were calm-
laud at 150,0001.—the whole reduction being 866,2001.
From this was to be deducted 25,0001. on account of the pen-
sioners who were called out in aid of the civil force ; and
some other small sums, amounting to 13,2001., which left the
actual reduction of expenditure 828,0001. The expenditure
for the year amounted to 31,280,8001. for the debt and other
charges ea the Consolidated Fund. The expenses for the
navy were 7,518,6101., for the army 7,120,7951., for the ord-
nance 2,801,7601., for miscellaneous 3,783,5701 , which, with
the 25,0001. for the pensioners, made the votes in supply
amount to 21.141,7351. Thus the total expenditure for the
year was 52,422,3351. The receipts for the year were esti-
mated at 51,210,0001., and by the arrangement which he
mentioned before, of applying the appropriations and

to the servios of the present year, instead of al-
lowing them to accumulate. for the ensuing yearhaa
sum of 600,0001. became available fee this year. e d
' mentioned before that the barley mop of hot ear was an
exceedingly good one.; There was, therefore, eonuderable
increase in the excise revenue on ',cruet of the malt duty.
There was, on the other hand, 'considerable falling off ex-
pected in the stamp daty, io consequ.ence of the dem:email=
lot railways. But, on the whore, an increase was anticipated,
and the amount of that increaxe was 340,0001., to which
was to be added the sum of 80,0001 , the last remnant of
the Chinese money, which made altogether an income of
expenditure
itthaerare therefore
the ay ul deficiency292l733thwe
Now, when the house recollected the statement that had
friatalt,oooande
ordTinha'ryre
been made at the beginning of the year, he hoped that on
the whole it would consider this to bra satisfactory state.
men —(hear, hear;—and that it would give tne government
credit for desiring as mach as possible to reduce the expendi-
lure. They thought it would be bad economy to make at
once all the I...elections that had been recommended, but re- I
ductions to a very great extent had been made; and rei.his
hon. friend the Secretary to the Admiralty stated some time
ago, it was hoped that further 'eduction, would he made
had made redue-
nt
ie., tat. Le atrhianatle
anaatv e
of hx2spe, 0
on doi ti u,re
and. !'h
ieeyhoped that would
be taken as an Named of their anxious desire to
equalise the expenditure and income. (Hear, hear.)
Looking to the st ,te ot the continent and other causes, it
would be very difficult to make an accurate statement re-
specting the revenue of the next year ; but unless some-
thing took place which he did not then foresee he had
little doubt that the income would be more than the expen-
diture. (Hear, tear.) But he must refer to the execndr-
tore of past years—an exeenditure not incurred in the pre-
terit year, but for which it was necessary to make provision.
The expenditure of the Kaffir war amounted to 1,100,000 e,
which had to be paid out of the money in the Exchequer ;
and, according to the invariable practice, at was neces-
sary to replace in the Exchequer the money so
expended. It had also been found necessary to sub-
mit to the house on Wednesday two very considerable
votes—one for the relief of Irish distress, and the other for
paying the charges which had been incurred in providing
medical assistance for the destitute Irish emigrants who went
to Canada last year. The amount expended for the Kaffir
war, and the navy excess, was 1,315,4111.; and the amount
for the r. lief of the lrisn emigrants was 393,5101.
making altogether 1,738,9211. to be added to the
exce.s in the current expenditure of the year. The
whole amount of deficiency was therefore 2,031,0001.
Tim committee would remark that some time ago—
in 1846 system was proposed of making advances tor
the purpose of drainage in England and Scotland, and for
enraging proprietors in Ireland to improve their estates. 111$
noble friehd had pointed out the advantage of this is the
paragraph which he had read to the house. A sem of
1,5( 0,0001. was allowed fir these purposes, which made up
the sum of 3,500,0001., in round numbers. Now, with re-
spect to one of these purposes, drainage in Eegiaad, he had
the power of issuing special Es chequer Bills. But that sys-
tem did not prove setbeactory, for it was found that the paper
was invariably at a discount, and *old for less than ordi-
nary Exchequer Bills. Of this 3,500,0001., all that bail been
advanced waa 510,0001. They were, therefore, liable to the I
amount of the remaining 3,000,0001. It was impossible that
anything like a demand to tide amount Could made upon,
them in the pr sent year. but as the money already lent, was
applied there would tie a greater demand tor more to com-
mence new works and to carry oe those al; eerily begun, so
that 'the charge en the inersalirlatcd fund would be for a
certain time an increasing charge. There were other
charges under an act which had rowed two yeses ago.
Ulmer this act 70,0001. was given tor New Zealand; 170.0001.
for the colonies at Trisidad and Guiana; 30,0001. for Tobsgo,
and some other sums which amounted altogether to 300,0001.„
with which the consolidated fund was also charged. It
would be necessary for him to provide means to meet these
demands. With regard to the mono, for the improved
drain:see, there was the mist ample security. There was no
que-tion on that point with reapect to England and Scotland.
With regard to Ireland, the paragraph to which he before
Retailed showed that the outlay would give a return of 8 per
cent. A means of improved income was thus afforded to
those who berroweil, aid no memo was half so like ly to im-
prove the character and physical candition of the labourer.
lle, therefore, thought there was g oel security fur the money
advanced for the improvements in Ireland also. Therefore,
what he proposed to do was, to replace to the treasiry the
amount of 2,000,0001., which was the excess of pet expendi-
ture, by borrowilig in the mark.e. In 1842—the last occa-
sion on which a niceaure of this kind was adopted—the course
puree d, in order to meet the deficiency of that year, was to
burrow on the quarter-day, by m. ens of deficiency bills,
It was carried into effect in the January quarter of 1843,
when the deficiency amounted to 8,560,0001. In the ensuing
quarter 2,749,0001. was borrowed on ways and mains bins,
and in the next quarter 4,803,0001., making altogether
7,519,0001. Now although that course was justified by suc-
cess on that occasion, he must say that it was a dangerous
course to pursue, and one wheb, in the present prospect of
things, he did not feel himself justified in following. He,
therefore, (proposed to take the pewee whic the right. hon.
baronet (Sir H. Peel) took in 1811 of raideg money to that
amount by the lose of Exchequer Bills, or the er cation of
, stuck. la the autumn of 1841 there was a deficiency of
I two millions and a half, and parties were allowed to sub-
scribe money on Exchequer Bills or stimk was Cr. ated, and by
these means a sum of 2,460,0001. was raised. Thin was
the course, therefore, which be prop lied to adopt on the
present occasion, though he admitted it was one which, in
ordinary circumstances, was linble to objection. (Heer,
hear.) It was increasing the debt in rim° of peace, but It
mast be recollected that the eireunistnnees of the times were
suce that the ordinary rules would not ap- ly.
They proposed in the early part of the year to meet the defi-
ciency by subjecting the country to a temporary increase of
taxation. Neither the house nor the country ti-ought it
advisable to accede to that proposition, and the right hon.
gentleman the member for Stamford, whose authority was of
weight on such a point, said that there were good reasons
why they should abandon it. Well, are, the house and the
country were not wil'ing to submit to a temp awry increase of
taxation, the government did not think they would be justi-
lied in imposing a permanent tax for the purpose of its
paying the expenditure. They thought it would be very
unwise to propose any addition to the customs or excise
duties seeing that the house would not consent to the tem-
porary taxation proposed, which hest 11 thought was the most
advisable mode of providing means to meet the deficiency.
The circumstances under which this proposal was made were
of no ordinary nature. Is the course of the last y. ar there
hail been a famine in Ireland, and most severe commercial
&erre, in this country, during th whole of the last autumn,
renewed and eggravared in the present year by the revolu-
tions which had burst forth almost throughout Europe, to
Pay nothing of the insurrectionary movements which had to
a certain eats nt manifested tnemselves at home, lie d d not
believe there was any modern instence of such a general
des ruction of human food in any one country, as that which
had occurred hie year in Ireland, and the demand for money
to remedy the affliction had been, of course, proportionably
unusual. The commercial distress of last autumn was most
oppressive, and we were only just beginning to recover from
the effects of it, when there burst forth on the continent that
complication of revolutions which, independently of the
present evils inflicted upon the countries undergoing them,
put an almost instantaneous check—he might, indeed, call
it a stop—to the export trade of England, as far as the conti-
nent was concerned, producing, as an obvious matter
of course, a most destructive interruption in the employment
of our artisans. At the present moment the mere blockade of
the northern ports was operating most maleficially upon our
commerce, and most deeply were we concerned, therefore,
as a matter of self-interest alone, in the efforts which were
making to put a stop to the unhappy hostilities between
Denmark and Germany. It was an occasion on which
earnestly to reflect how deeply England was interested in
the preservation of the peace and prosperity of hi r neigh-
bours. (Hear, hear.) It bad been suggested that the
distresses and disorganisation ef the continental tuitions must
at all events be good for England in a commercial point of
view; but this was a total and most mischievous fallacy.
(Hear, hear.) He was convinced that even on the narrow
ground of sell interest it was essential to us that the nations
of the continent should bn peaceful and prosperous—(hear,
hear)—and that to this end, not lets than to the ends of hu-
manity and christisnity, we ought in all direceons to apply
our most earnest efforts to put art effectual stop to the ffis.
order and disorganisation which so extensively prevailed
among the continental states. (Hear, hear.) In the pre-
sent uncertainty of European affairs, it was, of course,
very difficult to estimate, even approximately, our coming
revenue, or the expenditure we might be called upon to
make, but, unless things took a decidedly worse turn than
he anticipated, he had every reason to hope that the next
year would after' us a. reduced expenditure and an increased
revenue. (Hear, hear.) In the present year, amid all the
heavy disadvantages to which he had referred, he thought
the house wonld agree with him that our position was much
better than could have been hoped. (Hear, hear.) And he
would rep, at, if only things on the continent did not tetro-
grade, there was every prospect that our revenue would in
'the forthcoming twelve months improve. (Hear,
hear.) He would briefly state to the house a
few facts, proving that, under the inevitable de-
pression to which our commerce and our finances had this
last year been subjected, we had still been able to maintain a
position, commercially mad financially, calculated to afford
the British people great consolatory confidence in the re-
sources and, power of their country.. He would not draw
a comparison with the year 1546 7, a year in which every
thing had been carried on to an extent which we were not
likely to see renewed for a while, but he would take the
year 1845.6, and compare it with the year 1847-8. In the
year 1845-6, ending sth April in the latter year, the ordinary
revenue of this country was 51,2;58,0001. ; in the year
1847-8, ending sth April, 1848, the revenue was 51,627,01.
so that, despite the terrible commercial distress of the latter
period, the ordinary revenue exceeded that of the former
period by several hundred thousand pounds. (Hear, hear.)
He would advert to another satisfactory circumstance. In
the beginning of 1847 it was his duty to state to the house
his estimate of the probable income of that year. It had
been, of course, impossible for him to foresee that revulsion
of credit which afterwards occurred, but early in February
he had calculated that the income of the year would
amount to 52,065,0001., and, despite the revulsion
of credit to which he had referred, the actual income
of that year was not less than 51,627,0001., or only 438,0001.
leas than the amount he had estimated. (Hear, hear.) In
that year, he would further point out, there had been a very
serious falling off in two important items, those of malt and
spirits, entirely arising from the failure of the spring crops,
which of course he could not have foreseen ; the falling off
in the revenue upon these two items alone reached no less a
sum than 1,400,0001., and the house would at once see to
what an extent the general revenue from other sources
must have improved, to have admitted of this heavy loss
upon two items, with so small a diminution of the general
revenue. (Hear, hear.) As to the prospects of the present
year, they were, so far as they-at present went, anything
but unsatisfactory. Taking the year from the sth of April

in the preceding year,—no material distress having
being then very
from April to July, 1847, and the revenue
was, upon the
high—he found that in the present year there
eempeei.
whole revenue, a decrease of only 116,0001. the
to the present time, and comparing it. with the same period
in-
deed, taken together, he found that, fasfr
57:00a01°.sszand,
this year, there was an increase of some ,t
allowing out of this for the corn dutiee, no
ale
son. (Hear, bear.) In the customs and excise douse,
there was still n
in the same puled last year,
200.0001. or 300,0001. in the customs. (Hear, hear.) With-
out
making too sal guine a deduction from these facts, he
increase in the customs of 22,0001. in the comparison, and of
thought he might refer to them as affording a proof how,
under the most disadvantageous circumstances, the energies
soil power of this country maintained its people in a p wition
of comparative superiority to evils whose effects promised to
be so tearfuley oppressive, and as giving a clear indication
how much may be looked forward to from commerce with
the reetorati of tranquillity on the continent. The facts
he had stated were further highly satisfactory as showing the
great power of consumption in this country— (hear, hear)—
en
because, although the exports had to a great extent fallen off,
the imports had been maintained to a very high puha; it
was a great proof of the benefits of the general cheapness of
c nicks that had prevailed for the last unitive months, that
the people at liege had, amidst all tae pre enure of the times,
been enabled to purchase so extensively as was proved to
have been the case by the condition of the customs and ez-
, cise duties to which he had referred. (Hear, hear.) Deep
cause bad we to be grateful for the state of peace which had
prevailed among us, when we compared the condition of
our revenue in these respects with that of the French customs
revenue. It was, as he had before observed, inconsistent alike
with the dictates of humanity and of policy to rejoice at the
distresses dour neighbours; but as a most strikieg amnesties'
of the blessings of tranquillity, and ho addressed it more em-
phatically to the mieguided men amongst us who, in sseking
to destroy that tranquility here, tended to decr y their own
means of subsistence—(hear, hear)—he would briefly coin
pare the condition of the French customs revenue with that
of England, his facts being taken, in each case, from offi-
cial elqcuments. In the five months, fr .m January to May,
1847, the French customs revenue amounted to 2,191,0001. ;
in the same period of 1848 the receipts were only 1,290,0001.,
showing a diminution of not less than 900,0001., or 5-12ihe
of ,het revenue. The customs receipts of Engl.nd in the
same months of 1847 were 8,308,001; in 1818, 8,207,0051.;
being a decrease of only 100,0001., or 1-e3rel of the revenue ;
and iri the last past month of the pre sent year he found th it
the proceeds of the French customs had linen off no less than
belt u compared with lest year. With regard to the state
of trade in England at this moment, he did not me en of
course Co *ay that it was in what could be called a flourishing
condition ; but he had no hesitation ie declaring that through-
out the country it was in a sound and promiong condition
—Omar, hear)—and that employment was f ecnming pr tey
general. Turning to a tolerable criterion of the state of
prelite—the state of the Bank—he found that the drain of
hulli us, which had been represented as extreme, was
by no means, in point of fact, so vensive. The
bullion in the Bank on the 13th of August
was 13,655,0001. ; on the 20th August, 13,371,0001. ; the
reserve being on both occasions about a milli 'a. The
raw materials of manufactures were generally cheap with us;
and, upon the whole, while our present trade was in no un-
satisfactory state, we were, he considered, in a position pecu-
liarly adapted for taking immediate advantage of any favour-
able turn in the affair_ of the continent. The state of the
craps throughout the country was obviously a matter of
general and deep concern. Without going into detail, he
would state that the general result of the inlormation he had
collected was unhappily anything but fay. urablc as regarded
the otato crop in the southern portions of &vend.
In Scotland, however, end generally throughout the north,
there seemed to be little or molting to apprehend in this
respect. (Hear, hear.) As to the corn crops, also, there
appeared no grounds for deseondercy northwards; and, in-
deed, as regarded the south of England, the rain, which had
so plentifully visited London and the immediate neiahhour-
hood, had been only partial elsewh re. (Hear, hear.! From
Ireland the accounts were so corned. tely centradietery that
it was almost impossible to arrive at anything like a clear
result. It would seem that in many parts much damage had
been done to the potato crops; hut, again, it was stated
that in a vast many cans where the stalk had turned
black, the tuber, on examination, had been found mini, jured.
Allowing, however, for ye tooxtensive destruction, the potato
had this year been planted ouch an usual xtent in Ireland
that, shout i it please Providence at this time to stay the ra-
vage of the disease, there would be still a crop fully equal. to
the growth of former years. (Hear, hear.) Ile was fortified
in this opinion by a communication he had that morning re-
ceived from Mayo, and which seemed the result of much in-
quiry into the subject. It must be borne in mind teat for
various reasons there was a very general tendency in Ireland
to exaggerate the probabilities of a bad crop there. (Heir.)
There was a. prevalent tendency, moreover, to rely upon a
renewal of that eleemosynary aid from England which, un-
der the visitation of last year, had been so plenteously ma
corded, a chaise which he feared had op< rated in but too
many instances to teteen the dependence of the labouring
classes in Ireland upon their own energies. (Hear, hear.)
He could not but regard this tendency as most injurious to
the permanent wthare of those who indulged io it, and he
considered therefore that it should be emphatically discoun-
tenanced. (Hear, hear.) lie did not think it just or expe•
dient to hold out any prospect of a renewal
of that comprehensive aid which had been before given ;
end while it we ulo be manifestly inhuman and impossible to
refuse relief to individuals who in t',e absence of such relief
nowt die, Le must express the conviction that throughout
Ireland the most entire discouragement shonld be given to
the idea that upon upon all occasions there could be dis-
pensed in Ireland the extensive eleemosynary aid which had
be. n distribu•ed there in the course of the past year. (Hear,
hear.) It was his present opinion that the crops in Ireland
would produce an adequate maintenance for the Irish people
fur a long time to come. Should the reverse turn out to be
the case, it would then be necessary t e recur to the wisdom
of parliament for the best means of meeting the evil. The
right hon. gentleman concluded, amidst loud cheers, by plac-
ing the vote in the hands of the chairman.
Mr. BERNAL put the question that the sum of
10,584,8711. 9s. 10d. be applied towards making good the
supply granted to her Majesty for the service of the year
1518-9.
Mr. HUME said that it would be well for the right hon.
gentleman to recollect, amidst the cheers and congratulations
with which his stat, meet had been received, that it often
happened to people in distress to congratulate themselves
upon the prospect of a little relief, whilst, in fact, it ulti-
mately tuined out that such expectations were not realised.
II a total straneer to the financial condition of
the • country had witnessed the present proceeding he
would certainly have come to the conclusion that
great reduction in the expenditure of the country had bees
effected by the right hon. gentleman, instead of which the
upshot of his statement turned out to be that the country
was about to borrow 2,000,0001. in order to make up the de-
ficiency that existed, after all the parings and savings stated
by the right hon. gentleman had been allowed for. This
was a fact de •g of the most serious consideration ; and
when he came to understand what the state of the country
was, and how serious the difficulties that surrounded her
were, he must say he could not join in the congratulations
that had been offered to the house. He felt this the more, be-
cause there bad been no hopes held outby the right hon.gen
tleman that there would be effected any reduction in future
'urea the naval and military establishment the cost of which
had occasioned all the evils under which the nation was
groaning. It was not by such paltry reductions as 120,0001.
that the requisite effect would be produced, and moreover it
must be recollected that this reduction was only obtained by
postponing the construction of public works, and not by the
reduction of a single man in the army or navy. The only
real raving in this te spect was the 150,000/. which would have
been expended by calling out the militia contingents. Now
he must again complain of the vast increase of expenditure
that had taken place in the military establishments of
the country during the thirty-three years of peace. There
were more men under HMI in Ireland than there
were voters. The number of even under arms in Ireland
might be computed at between 60,000 and 70,00 el men. He
doubted if the number of voters in that country could be
found to muster 40,000. The business of that house was to
one how they could permanently reduce the amount of taxa-
tion, which had gone on increasing of late years in a sur-
prising degree. There was an average excess of above four
or five millions of expenditure over that of the ye-r 1841.
The country had a great right to complain of this. Whose
fault it was he would not attempt to examine. But the
effect of this excessive taxation was to press down the people,
and to destroy the. permanent interests of the nation.
And, moreover, et must be recollected that the
sum of 54,500,0001. brought into the treasury did
thatof
Ethueropewhdoilde
not
toouinfetr ofmi any encouragement
geenixceeneetetil.
btail9o:enooo,,
not include the 4,600,0001. which was the con of collec-
eds,ooooet i. The right hon. gentleman had stated that the
thin country to reduce her military establishment. He
differed entirely from his right hon. friend on this point, for
he did not think the external circumstances of Europe, or
the internal state of the country, was such as to warrant so
large a force being kept on foot. The working classes in
were many
persons
indiebssatietisreefied
England, the artisans and industrious citizens, were not
starving and the unemployed portion of the
de e.
el
disaffected towards the government. It was only the
prison because they had spoken too freely
thamtiththethresit gire rehewot t e
lying
°tgo
their sentiments. They had no more right to be shut up in
gaol than many persons whom he saw on the benches near
and around him, who bad spoken much more freely than
those unfortunate persons. (" Hear " anal laughter.) Ile
confessed that he had spoken as freely as an bod • y T respecting
political events. He had never concealed his I' •po meal
seatiments, and he hoped before long that there would be a
cessation of this persecution. The right hon. gentleman pro-
posed to provide for the deficiency of 2,000,0001. by means of
a loan. He would have to repeat the some
operation next year, unless the government changed
the system and reduced the military
quietly disposed.
Englend wasexpenditure.
He could not, he was sorry y
to observe, say the same thing of Ireland. But that cou r
bad been made what she is by bad legislation. The right
hon. gentleman proposed to raise the 2,000,0001. deficiency
by creating 31, per cent. stock. This was a very dangerous
and a very ruinous proceeding. If the government wanted
money, why not borrow it at the price of the day Every
loan effected by the creation of stock had proved 1
less to
nation. In the last great loan of 15,000,0001. he had the
shown
that a lea of from two to three millions had been
He hoped the same error would incurred.
not be again com-
mitted. The government could very well borrow the
,sum required at 6 per cent., pay the interest for a
year or two, and then take the ben fit (• a laugh)—of the
price of money when it should become
had cheaper. He could
only express has deep regret that no hopes been held out
of some future reduction of the military
had occasioned establishment which
the financial difficulties under which the
country laboured.
Lord O. DENTINCK said he would • not dispute the•cor-

--es%
rectal", of the hon, member's assittion when he new,
he had held far stronger language than many of the p,
now confined for eeditious expressioris, seeing that
she
member was the man who had ri commended.'"
Canadians to throw off their alleeise, as
crown of Great Britain. With respect to the stotemsee
house had heard from his right hon. trieuel, he era. of eek:
that there never was a more insolvent aceuuut rends
parliament than that of the Chsneellor of the Ruh. to
The CHANCELLOR. of the EXCHEQUER
z
that-the amount expected to be readied by the enare`F:...
had not been stated in the receipts 01 the esurent
as a further falling off in the stamps was ailniejp,„ed.
would be probably covered by the 'mount re avoi is MI
corn entered.
Lord G. BENTINCK said It was then entirely to he
attributed to the temporary reetoration on the ern Les chit
the revenue was better by the sum or 300,0001. thaw it ti
last year. But in the tint financial statement et it
government the house hao been intorrned that the deheofte,
amounted to new 3,000,0001 n, which tobe cann.o,4-4
the additional amount of income tax calculatedat 3,;0000p1
The house, havirg put a stop to that project, as new hll
that the malt duties had so far exceeded-the estimated pee
duco as to render the receipts of the excise 6.00,0001, .seta
than they were the preceding year.
The CHANcELLOR of the EXCHEQUER ,fated
that he had included the customs increase in this sun ski
not the excise only.
Lord O. BEN TINCK.—But the corn die its form pang
the customs receipt*, and yet they arc not included 1,114
sum of &0,0001.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER isplti,ot
that his statement wee to the effect that the customs see
excise togethe r would funds., an exe.ta of 'beet
million over the receipts of lost year, sod that the c wee
had efforded 22,0001. above itic amount received fettle vas
responding period of the preceuinst year.
L n'd 0. BENTINCK said the meet hon. gentlem-na,lies,
ever, did not specify what the deficiency was in the swore
received for stamps; so that one the wh-ole, there num
looked for a total decrease intim cost 'ins and eo loco uolvida
I standing the allf ged iecreae on 600,6001. B.nt when the
• ho n.gentlem an talkedof waking no his deficiency of 2,000,04
by the creation ot new st.ck, he mioht just as weal Wag
flying late for it was an auslogeus .operation. Wheal
talked of looking forwind to an iecreasing surplus hTtla
t; co.er the existing deaciotcy, he forgot to intern the
h mse where he (xp,et•.d this increase to come trom. Tat
cern nuties, which had yielded 670,0001. a nto'tth, meld
totally cease on the Ist of Febru.ry next Srthot them
would be a further decrease inattood of an increase iathe
revenue ; and the sugar duties end cepper duties were aln
items not likely to swell the figures is the columns of cm.
toms receipts during the next year. The richt loon tenths
man, in aping Sir It. Peel, had quite forgotten that wumM
b meowed mom y :n 1842, he had just put on a prepay tse
which yielded him a revenue of 0,000,000/. W 1 here. sh„,
whole tenor of the right hon. gentleman's statement wu to
show that there was a decreasing revenue and an increnisg
deficiency. The confidence therefore &nolo) end by bin ot
the present occasion was altogether unwarraut ble. Thee,
again, when he tinted of having saved 8.50,0001. is them.
rent yeat's expenditure, it must b.t recollected that the
chief portion of this saving was in the sums appropriated for
the construction of public works, which must be ploceated
next year ; so that, taking the right hon. geutletuan's owe
st dements, it could only be mid that tis prospects,
instead ot being cheerful, were darker than tan.
The relines presented to that :mum a f w days before
showed that while the revenue from customs had decreased

the expente rf colle.ting it had bten augmeated. Oa the
whole be had never Lewd a s;a:ement mule. umatiftetory
than that of the riAlit hon. I..toth.man.
Mr. J. O'CONNELL made a few obeervatiocs with refer.
erne to the frith portion of the right hon. gentlemaa's
'dares&

Sir H. WILLOUGHBY said that there was Cu. point
which the Chancellor of the Exchequer had overlooked in
his statement, and that was the 'gradual hicrease of the
ur.funded ,seht. On lookint over the returns he had mom

Mined the increase to have isms upwards o! seem millions
in two years. (Hear.) With respect to the general quo
tion he did not think the government could Lave time
better than they had done on the pres:nt <evasion.
Mr. MUNTZ could not congratulate the government on
their present display, but he was not at all surprised. The
right hon. gentleman had spoken of the increase of tie
customs; but how had that Lerease been !roc:heed? By
the ruin of our merchan's, who had been übli!ed to sacrifice
millions in the course of last year. (Hear.) He did not
think that the Irish famine had disturbed our commemial
affairs to the extent alleged, but at all events we had bor.
rowed eight minims to inset it.
Mr. DItUMMOND considered that we had came to the
ne pins ultra of taxation, and that the circumstances of the
country would not admit of nay more burdea.s. (Hear, hem.)
If reductions were to be eff,e:ed iii the army and navy, the
proper course for the noble lord at the head of the govern-
ment to take would be to send for the authorities in the•
departments and take their opinion as to what was necessary
for the defence or the country.
Lord J. RUSSELL said that his right hon. friend the
Chancellor of the Exchoquir had stated the probabie defi-
ciency at ;300,0001, but that did not justify the assertion oldie
hen. member for Montrose that no reduction in expenditure
had been, or could be, made. Oa the c ,ntrary, many ro
ductions had been made and wou.d be made so a, to bring
our ordinary expenditure permanently wit-in our iIICOML
Ills right hon. friend had made no doclaratious about them
then, but in former stemma they had been announced by the
secretaries for the Admiralty and the wme.a..... At the ore
time he must say that he did not regret having kept up the
naval and military force of the country during the retest
events. (Hear, hear.) Whatever compl iota might be
made of their numberf, ho did not think that, with the
events on the continent, with the excitement pt. dated
bete, end the encouragement likely to be given to Mil.
guided men, who thought they had only to go into
the streets with knives and daggers to create a reveutioa;
and with the late attempt in Ireland it woult have bees
sound policy to have curtail d the army or navy. t lieu,
' hear.) He trusted, however, that before long they might
be able to make some re:due:ion. lie did not think that
much would be done in that way by following out the sug-
gestion of the hon. member for Surrey, as he (Lord)
Russell) hod always found that he could make out an esti-
mate 10,000 men less than the military authorities. (A
laugh.) He had only further to say that government was
not as yet in a poeitiou to state what they would do snare-
' gard to Ireland. He hod still hopes that the potato hems
would not be so great as had been expected, but still muck
would be required, and he must only crave the madam
of parliament in the matter.
Mr. ROBINSON suggested that much relief-might be
afforded in the way of commutation and revision of texatiom
He wished also to point out that we loot three or four
millions of revenue annualy by the indiscriminate applies-
tion of the principles of free trade. With these exception,
he thought the statement of the right hon. gentleman very
satisfactory.
Mr. M.GREGOR would have preferred a 5 per cat
income tax for one year, to be followed by a general !Ilia=
of taxation ; but the experience of the session had convinced
him that if such a propenition had been made, it would hare
met with every obstrection, He thought the raising the
money by cone.ls a wise plan, ea, if we should have a
plentiful harvest, the deficiency could ba easily made up
He thought the government statement qui e as satisfactore
as could have been expected under the circumstances. Ba
was anxious to reduce the expenditure. not by paltry a-
vings in the salaries of junior clerks, but by a careful revi-
sion of all the great heads of expenditure.
The resolution that 10,581,8711. be granted out of the
solidated fund was then agreed to.
On the resolution authorising the raising of the 2,000,0001
deficiency by the issue of exchequer bills, or by three pm
cent, stock,
Mr. HUME suggested that it would be:better to raise tib,
money by debentures at five per cent. than by selling stoek
at present prices to be bought back at a future time at
great increase.
' The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER °Mend
that the course he proposed was that which had been sin-
ally adopted, it being found that the money could. be raised
on more easy terms in the the ee per cent stock, which was
I the popular stock.
Mr. DISRAELI asked whether Prawia was still ea
independent state and in a position to act indepen-
dently, whether she had still a minister plenipoteethry
at this court, or what was the nature of the
lions at present subsi,ting between the court of St. James's
I and Prussia—whether the King of Prussia was an indepen-
dent sovereign, and responsible for his cc's—but above all,
whether there was any probability of a speeds termination of
the blockade of the ports of the Baltic and the North Sea ?
Lord PALMERSTON admitted that government had bees
much disappointed as to the conclusion of the armistice between
armistice. With regard to the guarantee of England to
Denmark, England was not in a position to carry
out that guarantee by force, for inasmuch as she was
acting in some degree as a mediator, she could no: combine
that character wan that of a pasty in the case, which she
would be, if she undertook to carry out the guarantee. Tile
question was not if Schleswig should be restored back to the
King of Denmark, to which it belonged, but what should be
the internal administration of Schleswig—whether it should
be, as the Danish government wished, a constitution coal-
bined with that of Denmark, or as the Germane efederstion
wished, a constitution combined with that of Holstein: It
was not, therefore, a question of conquest or of forcibly
wresting a territory from its sovereign, but merely one of
government; and he trusted that the good sense of all the
parties concerned would enable them to arrive at a wain
factory settlement without bringing the guarantee Cato
question, seeing that it did not bear on the practical point s&
Issue. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. DISRAELI admitted that while England acted m
' mediator, she should not be called on to enewee the gua-
rantee ; but when he first called attention to the subjetti
_,lll°
had not been called upon to act in that character. lie imam
to know how it was, it the noble lord undertook to mediate
between Denmark and Germany, that during the proves of
the mediation more than 40,600;,men of the German ont-
tingent arrived at the seat of war—an act which had led to
the renewal of hostilities and the revival of the blockade. It
appeared to him that when the circumstances which bad
thus justified the renewal of the blockade occerred,
the
noble lord was at liberty to enforce the guarantee. ,
sheLoharddPshALMosenE, PALMERSTON—ssUmnedosubbeteell4igyesEs'asgt laisnsduiniadghsti us
mediator, if one party had, having consented to the medie"
tion, afterwards declared war ; but, as there was a probam:
lily of still settling the question by mediation, it appetmu
to him that that was the better course. (Hem) ,
Mr. DISRAELI—Why was it not made • condition
the mediation that hostilities should not be renewed, lad
that no armed contingents should be marched to the test
of war ?
Lord PALMERSTON—The first thing he did was Wpm-
pose an armistice, the terms of which attye been for seem
time under discussion, but is not yet concluded. Ibe
however, that the generals on both aides have received •

dare to abstain fro!
tice has been &ctne
of hostilities. (CI
Mr. COBULN,
Manchesttr, woo
him she inju-y
blockade 01 the B
*pa pad tlpresAy
character of mtd,
was the present at
England were is
matter. ; yio„,
bouse,becompluib
• litle loan, and t
Instead of this, th
andpe
8
e
e
cy
ght
e
•
t hi
iyuh"olai tentett
ananefieyethamandgbigsnhe.
set haederticalihti nblnehretOnnie.
housetii ornihnot seipccttime.ddhwfeci.lls). ‘lr
,‘' 1;1'
distinct.
11:c. ta''yldeetrrihgwe.
ipnoahl
set
,iu,hhfu.yalmr °.
rest
rte(:,'4l
to
e
th
pa
de
ts
th
b
p
th
si
he
a
mi
NB
increased ; and w
to diminish mpt
should state how
rity of our ,nstlu
Mr. ILUMB
founded on these
The CIIANC
Monday.
The resolutions
BAT

On the orutt

this bill,
Bur IL WILLt
to the committs
Forests rendir
ppccuditure to part
Merck io each yt
Lord MORPE
be paid to the en'
Mr. FIUME,
board, the anti
through commits
RENEWABLE

Sir W. SO'I
which lied bet n
draw it. hoping
suing mid, n, w
in the meantime,
Mr. M. J. 0'
the bill, and wild
fired to the Lon.
The bill paw
Dome amen Omen

The house hat
the West In.lis
The CHANC:
resolution auths
American and
In answer to I
The CIIANC.
the Mauritius
principally apph
Jamaie..is, ant' It

Ultirn'etely "
tion, it bei, g ur
out, on motion t
The reatlutiot

Leave W,B
motion of Itl.e
for regulating t
for providing foi
of saving. ba,k
to provide I th
up homes on
the tame noble 1
under the act au
pros% ment of lx
were bevel Ally h
CONDUCT

Mr. F. NI AU
for by the hon.
duct of Major G
that the hun. ea
correspondence
The house ad.

des to shotsin from hostilities ; and though uyet no armis-
tice has been actually signed, there is practically a suspension
hoeulitits. tem im.
Mr. COBDEN, as ono of a deputation of marcher:its from
Mancheette, who waited on the noble rued to represent to
Ley the injuky sustained by British commerce by the
bleeksde of the Baltic ports, begged to gav that that depute-
*a heel eapremly urited en the noble bra not to change the
ammeter nt mediator for that of .t belligerent, foe, had as
was the regent awe of things, it would be mw,h worse if
England were in the position of • brang rent in this
matter. (Hear) With regard to the question before the
bease,lie complained that government were now a out to raise
a lit le lean, mad to add to the permanent debt of the country.
Instead of this, the thou d retrench and diminish the ex.
graffito°. The Cnancellor of the Exchequer had said that
retrenchm. nt h .d ben e Meted since the spring to the ex.
tent of 800.00(1. This had probably been taken, for the
in,„,t, par, tram our armaments. He thought something more
might be taken Wien th.. acme source without diminishing
the security nt the country. He befit ved we were stronger
by the tiaurishieg state of our finances than by our military
and naval armaments. With a surplus, instead of a de-
ficiencs, we Were lin a condition to meet the world. (Hear,
beer.) He therefsre would prate to meet the present
detieienev by increased economy than by a loan.
The tight hoe. g, utteman hail said the expenditure would
be less then :t wee, but he had not told them that the in-
come would not also lie leas. There was another point in the
right hon. g. utleman's speech he did nut like. While he
was telling the house that we were in a state of bankruptcy
and insolvency, he produced a long lint of sums he was about
to lend—loans t o T,bago, Trinidad, New Zealand, and then
• loan to the gentry et Ireland, to enable them to imnrove
their Mates. Now, he cones-veld that when we could not
pay our debts without borrowing, we were not iu • condition
to lend. I Hear, hear.) He hoped before parliament separated
the boo, wou..) press on the Chancellor of the Exchequer
by a.distinct resolution the neeessity of retrenching on the
public expenditure hi fore they again me. The majority of
the house who hail opposed the prop-sition to reduce our
establishments, and had voted the expenuiture which occa-
sioned the present i't ticieney, were Minna to provide fee it by
a tax which should be raised at once whatever discontent it
might ace isi
Mr. NE NUEGATE observed that the great difficulty was
that our resource, lad diminish, d while our necessities had
increased; and when the hen gentleman called on the house
to diminish ,xpenditure by reducing the establishmt nts he
should state how it multi he done consistently with the secu-
rity of our l,ai.
Mr. HUME listed when the wind reading of the bill'
founded on these resolutions would tele.. place ?
The CHANCELLOR .f the EXCHEQUER. —On
Monday.
The resolutions were then agreed to, and the house resumed.
BATTERSEA PARK, &c., BILL.
On the orucr of the day fur going into committee on
this bill,
Si, B. WILLOUGHBY moved that it be an instruction
to the committee that the Commissioners of Woods and
Forests rend, ran account of their mimed income and ex-
penditure to parliament, witnin two months from the 31st of
March in each year.
I.3rd MORPETH promised that teary attention should
be paid to th. subject; and after a few w rds from
Mr. HUME, who advocated the total In modelling of the
board, the in.4ioa was withdrawn, mid the bid passed
through committee.
RENEWABLE LEASEHOLD
LCONVERSIONL (IRE-
LAND) 81.
Sir W. SOMERVILLE said that from the opposition
which had het n elver dto this bill he felt compelled to with
draw it. hoping to bring it forward again early in the en-
suing semi n, w th such anientla.ents as might be suggested
in the meantime.
Mr. M. J. O't'ONNELL regretted the withdrawal of
the bill, and said that the interests of Ireland bad been sacri-
ficed to the Lem.on companies.
The bill pase d through committee pro forma, to receive
some ainetoments, and the order was tilt n discharged.
Ne EST INDIA COLONIES.

The house hasten gone lute c mmittee ou the subject of
the West Inais
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER proposed a
molution suthorairg the grant of All,oool. to the South
American and West India coloni,ts.

It; answer to L..rd G. BENTL.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER stated that
the Mauritius wu not included in t •
.is ...rest, which was
principally applicable to the Ore,: colonies of British Guiana,
Jamaica, Jae rob .go.
Ultimately " the Mauritius " wu inserted in the resolu.
Wet, it heir g understood that i. might be afterwards struck
oat, on motion to that effect.
The resolution was then agreed to.