The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1805-03-16 00:00:00

SALT TAX.

Mr. FOX wished to state to His Majesty's Minis-
ters the substance of a communication which he re-
ceived by a letter from Yorkshire. It observed,
that by the last Salt Duty Bill there was a severe
penalty laid on all retail shopkeepers who should
sell at any thing lower than the standard price, and
the same penalty was exaaed in that now in its pro-
gress. IVhen the present Bill was first brought in,
an officer was sent down to Rotherham, and the
places adjoining, to announce the new duty, and take
an account of the stock in hand. In consequence
of this, the salt manufadurers ceased to sell;
but the retail shopkeepers continued to sell at four
pence halfpenny a quart, as before, for which infor-
mations were laid against them to recover the pe-
nalties. He wished to know whether these proceed-
ings took place by the authority of Government ?
• The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
replied, that the sending down of the officer was
certainly premature, and that it
.would be unrea-
sonable to inflid any penalties upon the shop-
keepers.
IRISH BUDGET.
Mr. FOSTER moved the.O'rder of the Day for
bringing up the report Of 'the 'Comniittee of the
Ways and Means of Ireland.
Mr. J. FITZGERALD opposed the bringing up
of the Report. He contended, that the Loan was
made to a larger amount than was necessary, and
that if it were even necessary, the interest of it might
be defrayed, without having recourse to any new
taxes. The Revenue of Ireland was only taken at
4,000,0001. ; so every body knew that it would be
considerably more. In the last year, the Right
Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Foster) imposed additional
taxes of 1,150,(001. by way of ategglation, and
76.0001. to defray the expences of a direst loan ;
and he now stated, that there was out of last year's
revenue a surplus of 813.0001. but that it must re-
main locked up in the Irish Treasury until the pro-
portion of Ireland to the joint expences of the Em-
pire should be paid. Upon this pradice of retain-
ing the surplus of the Consolidated Fund since the
Union. it w•-ild fnllow that there must be now a
total surplus of about four millions applicable to
the expences of the year. This was a mode of pro-
ceeding very disadvantageous to Ireland. Ile sa-
crificed much by opposing the Union; but, now that
it was effeded, he considered the two countries as
one, and thought they should be treated equally.
The sums returned of Duties due but not imme-
diately payable were tnthe amount 0fi.i56,3461 which
either were or ini;ht to be now in the Treasury of
Ireland. Ibis, as well as the balances in the hands
of the Colletiors, (ight to be a produdive fund, and
if it was not, lie must call upon those who promised
Ireland so much benefit from the Union to put an
end to this system of patronage and influence.
It was allowed on all hands, to be a very great
grievance to that country, and yet, notwithstanding
so many complaints, the Government had not re-
moved any °near these colledors, though in a man's
private concerns he would not allow an agent to
pay himself, and also retain an eighth part of his
receipts, unless, on the assurance that the balance
was quite safe. He had a right, therefore, to take it
for grained. that this was a solvent and sufficient
answer, fur which reason 1w should bring it into the
general amount of the year. He would even venture
to ask Mr. Foster whether he had reason to think
that a remission was given of any of these balances ?
and if he wanted a clue, he would refer to the me-
morable failure in 100. These balances were .o
enormous a grievous, that as long as he had a seat in
that House, he should bring the subjed annually
under the consideration of Parliament. Were these
sums available, they would have superseded the
necessity of a 10;111 in this country, of two millions
and a halt for Ireland, and it would be easy to re-
cede from the plan of borrowing another million,
and to issue Government paper is the room of it.
Even the four millions of revenue promised, must be
ntore uncertain under this system, as it must come
through the hands of the same baskrupt colledors,
who were already so very much in arrear. To
prove the hardships Ireland laboured under, lie con-
tended that one of its greatest difficulties arose from
the debt it comrades' in the year Idol 3, for the pur-
pose of purchasing the representations of Bo-
roughs necessary to be disfranchise., for the pur-
poses of the Union. He did not see wby this should
fall exclusively on Ireland. or why England, which
benefited by the Uaion, should not pay a part (lithe
expences of it. On these and various other grounds,
he maintained that his country expeded from the
Right Honourable Gentleman that he would resist
new taxes in Ireland, while there was a considerable
balance due to it from England, which had the
means of payment.
Mr. DAWSON said, the Right Honourable
Gentleman who spoke last had anticipated much of
what lie had intended to state. He confessed, that
some of the taxes proposed appeared to him unex-
ceptionable, though there were many of the articles
upon which he wished all taxes to be abolished in
that country. Though he had no objeCtion what-
ever to the duty proposed on raisins, pepper, and
coffee,yet helhad every objeffion toencreased duty on
timber. Instead of being, as stated, a protedion to
the growing plantations in Ireland, it would encou-
rage the cutting down of what little timber there
was, and leave the cottages of the miserable pea-
santry perfedly unroofed. The present plantations
being only in their infancy, would not be available
in less than half a century. and, to depend upon them
for immediate purposes, would be as absurd as that
of a man who, being advised to drink cydtr, should

set abnnt planting an orchard
the tax upon horses, and he
nate between horses for -

as they were both so generally
deprecated most was, the pr
induce some future Chancellor
extend the tax to horses

touched upon all the arti
taxes, and dwelt principal
to which he would. h we,

in consequence of the assin

Hon. Gentleman, that thi

ed, and he also hoped that ,
be collated with more regularity
stead of costing the country,
pence of 11. 16s. per cent. Whi

I, he hoped

be paid to the distrins of hi
the distillery of that petni
key, which, though under
duce a shilling to the Et
smugglers were stationed
country. To prevent these
hoped measures would bet
ritime turnpike gates, between
WAterford, and Donaghadee,
communication opened ben--
con and Ireland.

Sir .1. NEWPORT thought
comprising such a multitude
have been submitted to the '

men, as it was impossible
House to be so good a judts
taxes may have in ditferenL
more immediately concerned.
schedule, he found the due'

copper, tar, &c. raised w
vier duties, while rattans,

other inferior articles, experienced a diminution.
As to timber, he said the last duty had diminished
the consumption so much, since the Union, that
the revenue on them was eleven thousand pounds.
The present tax, he thought, would reduce the
consumption so much, that the duty would not pay
the expence of the collection, and would render the
cottages uninhabitable. 1 he want of domestic
comforts at home frequently encouraged the inha-
bitants of the country to idleness and riotous con-
duct at home. In the south of Ireland, the Want of
timber was a most grievous hardship, as in the
county of Tipperary there were farms to the extent
of sometimes two miles without a hedge or bush to
be seen upon them. Fle conaplained greatly of the
want of security to the mails in Ireland. which were
sometimes robbed in the middle of the day by
single man, only armed with a stick. The effea of
this was that the letters from Waterford to Clonmel
were obliged to he sent by special messengers, as
none but boys are employed by the post office. At
the general pos office the letters were thrown by
carelessly and promiscuoutly, and accessible to air
one who should think proper to callfor them. Whza
the letters were win out, it was ti.tt LI for the raw -
man to go home first to dinner, and then leave the
letters behind him, while he went tora pubic house;
so that if the expeaant merchant went to tl.e mae's
resid:uce, he found the letter, lying there totally
unproteCted ; and the hills and notes were very
generally either lost or embezzled. The costs of
the accountants now were at their own discretion,
liabl- to no check whatever, as there was so perion
to check them ; and such he complained was the
case in all the public boards and office; in Ireland.
Mr. HAWTHORNE said, that the balances of
the ColleCtors, though stared at 1,200,00 th. r ere ac-
tually no more than 130,0001. as the Duties were
not yet paid, which were to produce the remainder.
As to the general state of the country, he said, that
so fat from Ireland's being unfairly dealt with, the
expences of the Army, and works necessary for its
defence, amounted to a much greater sum than the
whole of its proportion to the joint expellee of the
Empire ; so that its taxes mutt have been much
greater only for the Union. To prove this, he re-
ferred to the accounts, which would chew, that the
proportion of its debt accumulated ma re in the four
years before the Union, than in the four years since
it had b.,en carried into effedt.
Mr. FOSTER said, he deemed it unnecessary to
go into a detail of all the branches of the valet al-
luded to. The appropriation cf the produce of the
sinking fund is Ireland was to pay the expences of
the loan, the ratio of its separate expences, and pay-
ing the usual sum towards the sinking fund. If
then there were arrears of money, there were also ar-
rears of charges, and it was necessary to leave ba-
lances in the hands of the collectors to prepare for
any contingency, and not be unprepared for any
thing that may happen in ease of any attempt on
the part of the enemy. In fact, if tb-se funds were
taken away, there would be a necessity for other
plies to defray the coming charges, and if any lint
remained indisposed of, it would come in aid e:
the supplies of the ensuing year He owned, indeed,
that the balanczs remaining with the colleflors woo
very great, in spite of all the exertions he had ma.' •
to prevent it ; but such had been long the pri.e e •
in Ireland, and old habits could not speed ly he g t
rid of. In respell to the duty on timber, he WA.
glad the obj •etions were stated, as this tar Nei
nosily confined to deal board and staves; and ail
timber used in the butter and provision tr....
were totally exempted. The new duty, which
was no more than is. rid. on seventy-two cubic t, t
of timber of the value of GI. would be scarcely f
by any one, for when, in consequence of the war, t. e
price of the same quantity of timber rose from 3
to 61. the buildings continued without any dimi-
nution. In regard to the Horse Tax, also, Gentle-
men would find the exemptions were extended to
all horses which carried or brought home a load;
to all those used by clergymen, physicians, etc. ; to
those on which farmers rode to places of worship,
to markets, or to the quarter sessions. He ad-
mitted that the conveyance of the mails was very
insecure, and world remain so, unless, for the con-
venience of the public, and the safety of letters,
the Post Office was enabled to employ other mes-
sengers than boys, • io loitered on the way, and
were exposed to robberies. To spew what uncer-
tain couriers these were, he mentioned an instance
of a gentleman who met one of these post My'
playing ball, and the bag of letters lying by him-
When the gentleman asked him how he could he so
careless and dilatory ? the boy replied—" Oh. please
your honour, that is not the mail, it is only an 14-
. press." . In proportion to the trequentcy of rot

:hard. repr4med
he could #t
pleasure sod h'orses for use.
ierally united ; bat what he
:F:lcheilitudrsesc;e7Hl
the precedent which might
:ceulseludr oinf talgesele
articles in -the entsiogise of
pally on the Postage fluty,
wever, make no o. jai r),
ssorance given by the Right
the posts would be pmteet.
hat the revenue of it would
regularity and economy, in.
awry, as it did now, an ex-
it. While these suhjrcis were
hoped some attention would
f houses in Ireland, and for
trnicions spirit called Whit..
ler the Excise, did not pro.
Exchequer, while posts re
td through all parts of
hose smuggling abuse,. ; e
betaken for establishink rri
nween the it.,r:s
khadee, and a mut,-
between the cuaat of C. tn.,-
thought that the schedule,
tude cf merchandise, should
the inspection of mercantile
ale for any Membitir of the,
udge of the local effee such
Ferent places, as the parties
erned. In referring to that
Julies on spermaceti candles,
to seven times their fot
tans, walking sticks, and
experienced a diminution.
he last duty had diminished
uch, since the Union, that
,as eleven thousand pounds.
bought, would reduce the
hat the duty would not pay
:Pon, and would render the
. Ihe want of domestic
ands, encouraged the inha-

',cries, be said, in the same proportion must be the
number ofirosecations, which moldered the expenci
of the contaion something more than 1001. per
cent.
Sir J. NEWPORT and Mr. FOSTER severally ex-

planted.
Mr. ALEXANDER spoke very shortly in favour
of the Resolutions.
Mr. FITZOIRALD, Mr. FOSTRR, and Mr. BUR-
novas, severally explained.
Mr STEWART said a few words against the
Resolutions.
The first Resolution was then read and agreed to.
On reading the second Resolution, for the six
per Cent Duties;
Mr. MAY rose, and said, he had presented a
Petition against these Duties, from the inhabitants
of Belfast, and he begged the patience of the Hou .e
till he stated a few observations in support of the
Petition of his co stituents. They had rot, he said,
desired him to present it, from any wish to exempt
themselves from the payments of taxes in general,
yet from a wish to have taxes imposed in such a
n. eier, as to bear equally on all descriptions of
e.'• .11 This tax was not so constituted, but bore
e-t.teiy, and with peculiar hardship, on the retail
.rnycrter, while the wholesale importer was alto.
eetaer exempt from it. It therefore affefled great-
ly the commercial industry of the country, and, as
such, be hoped the Right Hon. Gentleman would
agree to relinquish it.
A long and desultory conversation followed, in
which Mr. MAY'S objeCtion was supported by Mr.
J. LA TOUCH'S, Mr. CARR' Sir G. HILL, Sir C
PAICL, Sir J. Islewrottr, Mr. HAWTHORNS, and
Mr. Nieces., wbo all agreed on the same ground
of its being a tax en the commercial industry of the
country. That the tax had long been paid by the
retail dealers, because, when it was originally im-
posed, and many years afterwards, the duties on all
articles ware very low, and scarcely felt, but of
late years they had increased so much, as to become
very burdensome on the retail dealers. Many duties,
which, till 1794, were only 7d. are now is. lid. ;
and many others, nearly equal to the price of the
articles on which they were laid. And this tax,
having been repealed since the Un;on, the retail
dealers think it hard the same should be again re-
newed.
Mr. FOSTER said, the tax had been complained
of from the time of Chart's II and therefore, in
time of war, he could not agree to give it up. The
wholesale merchants had purchased their exe.nption,
by comma, with the Commissioners of Excise, and
had paid ready money down, so that the six per
cent. should be taken off. Whenever the country
could begin to reduce the taxes, he would agree
to relinquish it ; but he could not du so in time of
war, such as the present was.
Mr. CORRY begged to say a few words, as he
was the author of the repeal of this tax, since the
MI of l'uton took place, and his reason for ding
so was, that he wish •cl to put the two count:Ls as
much on a par as prisiihle in every respell, hut par-
ticularly in commercial egulations. There was,
be said, no retail trade taxed in this way in Eng-
land, and, in consequence, the trade of England had
greatly prospered, because it was an incentive for
men to employ their capitals, arid to enlarge the--
as much as possible. Ho thr stem the renev•
the tax was neither politic our necessary. . • .
it, in his opinion, prove effea sal, 1.,:-
direa tax on commercial industry, and v
prove a bar to the English capitalist to en.! eking
his money in trade in Ireland, when he rotted hat it
was cramped by so Leavy a tax. For th,•;e reasons,
he should objed to the Resolation, though he was
sorry to be obliged to oppose any thing in the s'iep•
of a tee at such a morneet is the present. The qv..•
non being cilled for, a division took place
For the Resolution 107—Against it 4k—Majo-
rity 69.
Mr. PITT postponed his Motion respeding the
Militia from Monday, on which day some oth im-
portant business was fixed to cons? on, to 'l'ues
day, as the subjeet fixed for that day was not likely
to take up much time in discussion.
LEeIaCY DUTY FILL.
Mr. NTT moved the Or ier of the Day for the
House to resolve itself into a Committee of the
whole House on the Legacy Doty Bill, which beiag
read ;
Mr. FOX said, several objedions would he
made to some parts of this Bill, ..ehich went to the
principle, and would, in all likelihood, take up
much time. He did not therefore think the Right
Honourable Gentleman would bring •t forward at so
late an hour.
Mr. PITT said, whatever objedions there were
of that kind, might be made in future stages, and
the Bill was so highly important, as involving a tax
or tfoo,onol. that lie thought it his duty to perest in
carrying it forward immediately.
Mr. -FOX asked when the Report would be
btought up ?
Mr. PITT answered on Tuesday, if the busi-
ness previously fixed for that day did not occupy ties
much time ; if it did, he would then take the first
open day afterwards.
The House then went into the Committee, and
the Report was ordered to be received on Tuesday.
The Committee of Ways and Means was post-
poned 6'l Wednesday.
The 1+ use resolved itself into a Committee •-f
Supply. File Report was orderi.d to be received
ra-morrow.
Mc. WILBERFORCE moved for an account of
the nunsber of ships, with their tonnage, and the
number of slaves they carried, which had arrived
f rnm Africa within the last ten years ; and also
for
an account of the number fitted out for Africa.
Ordered.
Mr. HUSK ISSON brought in a Bill to enable the
Lords Commissioners of the Treasury to issue Ex-
chequer Bills on the aids of the year I flue. Read a
first
time, and ordered to be read a second time to-
morrow.
Mr. ALUIAVIDEII brought in a BB for regulating
,ee Duties on Spirits in Ireland. Read a first time,
ald ordered to be read a second time to-morrow
, :.It. &caesurae brought in a Bill for regul icing
%re Drawbacks and Bounties or, Sugar, exported
Read a first time, and ordered to be
time to-morrow.
.ANDES moved for leave to bring in a
Iteguletion of Trade.-.-Ordered.

r. )N DON,
SATURDAY, MARCH IG.

Some of the Evening Prints of yesterday, alluding
to our account of the state of the Catholic Question,
say. "We think it necessary again to assure our
Readers, that the very respectable Charaders who
brought that Petition are anxious to keep it from all
considerations of party, and will therefore apply to
some independent Gentleman." Now if, by inde-
pendent Gentleman, some of the Evening Prints,
mean Gentleman not connefted with Party, in con -
tradidion to our statement, in which it was asserted
that the Catholic Delegates, disappointed in their
application to Mr. PITT, intend to apply to Lord
GILD /VILLE and Mr. Fox, we venture to assert, that
our account is correct. that it is form exthertty, and
that some of the Evening Prints know nothing about
the busines►. It was totally unnecessary for 'ome
of the Evening Prints to add, that the Catholics
have been anxious to keep the question from all
considerations of party. No Paper in England,
Ireland, or Scotland, has ever advanced any thing
to the contrary.

There are letters in town from India up to the
10th of November, but they give a very imperfect
account of the military operations .inst Note R,
subsequent to the 30th of August, nn which day the
remnant of Lieut. Colonel Mossim's detachment
had effected its retreat to Agra.—General Lord
LAKE appears to have immediately marched from
that place to Matuta, where HOLK AR was posted.
He arrived there on the 3.J, but HOLKAR had pre-
viously sent off his infantry and artillery northward,
and remained on the ground with his cavalry to
cover their retreat: For this purpose he contrived
to engage Lord LAKI'S attention, until the 7th,
when, being attacked by the British army, he fled
alter a slight resistance. On the 15th of October,
Colonel Musa •v, apprised of General L A Kes ar-
rival at Mature, had advanced towards Ruttnn,
from whence, it was supposed, that those two com-
manders, marching in opposite directions, expected
to hem in HOLKAR between them.

A report prevailed on Thursday at Dover, in 0:112.
• equence of the arrival of an American vessel off
that port from the Texel, that the Dutch squadron
had put to sea. It was, however, shortly after-
wards contradiflod by another American vessel,
which left the Texel last Sunday. She has brought
intelligence, that when she left the Nieu Ilep the
Dutch fleet was lying there with their sails bent,
but tht• ships were not above half manned ; and that,
inetcad of preparing to put to sea, they entertained
apprehensions of an expedition from this country
against them. Another report of an embargo
having been laid upon all American vessels in the
ports of Holland is, we are inclined to think, equally
unfounded. In the existing relations between the
two counties. an embargo could only be for the
p 1-p sse of secrecy, but that could not be oktained,
unless the measure embraced the ships of all neutral
nations indiscriminately.

Yesterday a Court of Directors was held at the
East India House, which adjourned at six o'clock
till We Inesday next.
Private letters by the Hamburgh Mails positively
state, that a strict embargo is laid in the French
ports on all Swedish vessels.
A letter on the 9th inst. received on Thursday
from Holhan4, mentions, that all the French troops
staii.. -,ed on the coast are immediately to be with-
d:
The officers and crew of the Spanish frigates de-
tained before the Declaration of War, are to be
sent home immediately. Transports have been or-
dered to be equipped for that purpose.
All remains ot the Fever having disappeared at
Gibi altar, General Fox, and the troops under his
c roman were landed, on the 30th January, and
the ;tort was opened ; the G ;neml gave a grand
be to which the principal inhabitants were invited.
Every possible precaution has been adopted to guard
against the return of the disorder.
l'he Lnrk, NoaroN, from Newfonndland, for
Poole, is captured and carried into France.
The &iron, Foan, horn New•oundland, for Por-
tusol ; the Emblem Packet, --, from London
for Lisbon, are captured by the Fawa Spanish priva-
teer, aid carried into Vigo.
The Queen PAu Lsom ; the 17e/f, JUDESTIL j
and a Danish vessel, from Leghorn, for the West
Inlies, are captured by a privateer 'ielonging to
1..)rt01-4, carried into Antigua, and there con-

.1.4. ul•os u? 41. M.
--
41.M.' to Mr. PITT n
al- House to resol
the whole House or
of read;
ty- Mr. FOX
If made to some c
ar• principle, and
sa- much time. F
for Honourable Gc
LEY !mean hour.
on Mr. PITT s
rre of that kind, rr
it.... she Bill was so 1
At t of t.°oo,otlol. th
ei carrying it forty
ed, Mr. FOX a
Ire brought up ?
cal: Mr. PITT
:4.., ness previously
1,,t much time ; if
nu open day afters
vas The House t
all the Report was
ide The Commit
IA ported 6'l Wedi
oil The H, use
plt Supply. the 1
the to-morrow.
SI. M. WILBE
ui- the number of
tk- number of dal
to from Africa w
mit for an account
to Ordered.
'S Mr. HITS K I!
Lords Commiss
KY chequer Bills or
ar first time, and r
in. morrow.
WIP Mr. ALLXAN
illi Lie Duties on S
ter' 4-id ordered to I
MO Mi. ALIX4III
sr i 1:1e I)rawbacks
ial. intrn Ireland.
DV "1.1 a second ti
- Mr. AI.IZANI
fidl for the Reg
rob- A Ijourued.
I.
i- --sit •