The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-03-14 00:00:00

caning were to bent aside, he knew not where they were tp direct
their views ; if they were not to he allowed to drink from those
springs where science and philMnphy whe presiding. deities,
he knew not front what source they could dHve their knOiTedge
Rut if, while thus proscribed, they found the age progreesivedo
advancing in intellectual vigour, by the application of philosophy
to their 'drains, were they who stood there, some of them as Minis-
ters of the Crown, and all of them united in the great cause of
legislating for the welfare of the country, were they to tarry and be
behind their countrymen ? (Very great cheers.) Notwithstanding
the progress of universal knowledge must be, as they knew, slow
and greilual in the first instance, still it was the duty o! Parliament
to take care that they were before their countrymen in the advance
of mind, in order to assist them in the opinions they were to foist.
and in order to correct any error into which they might fall upon the
most important subjects that could affect their interests. (Hew,
hear, hear.) Ile knew there were persons who thought this gene-
ral diffusion of knowledge. was a misfortune, (hear, hear.) but he
knew set how that n ind could be constructed which could look ot
such a circumstance with eyes of fear and apprehension. (thank.)
To him this circumstance appeared to be one which would more
materially tend to the safety and prosperity of the State than any
other; as an enlightened people would me that the general good
was more likely to result from their abstaining from then resort-
ing to the use of means which would be prejudicial in their opera-
tion, and thus would he prevented that accession of public cals.
I mite which sometimes resulted Emu ignorance or prejudice. Ia
short, he felt convinced that this general progress of intelligence
would exemplify the truth of that philosophical axiom, which de-
clared that "-knowledge was power." (Cheers.) To his mind, then,
this circumstance w 041.1 be beneficial, both' with respect to the dif.
ficulties in which the country had been recently pieced, and in re-
spect also to all similar kinds of difficulty in times to come. For
if he should find the pe4le at large, the begislatute and the Go-
vernment, henceforward building their cal-ulationa on sound pie-
miaca, he confessed he thought they might treat with comparative
indifference those dangers that either now or at any future period
might be experienced from similar causes, partly because the origin
of them would be known, and partly because, efter the dangers
came, the country would be the better able to know how they ought
to be met. It was, then, amidst these circumstances, that the
House had to look at the situatie in which the finances of tie
country stood, and to consider the prospects, that were before them.
(Hear, hear.) He thought, however, that before he could mutilate.
torily proceed to explain to the Committee the way which his Ma-
jesty's Governmeut thought it fit to act 'Roder these circumstances,
he ought to call the attention of theCommittes to the course which
had beerrpursued on this subject during the last two or throe
years. He was the more anxious to do this, because he
had been reproached in no equivocal terms of having, by his retire-
sentatianit in that House of the prosperous state of the country,
contributed to produce much mischief. (Hear, hear.) It might
be true—undoubtedly jt was true—that, in describing the situation
of the country during the period it had been his lot to hate any
thing to do with its finances, he had used language of cougratula-
tion to the House; it was true he had described the country in a
state of prosperity, and he did not now recede from that represen-
tation (cheers); and he would still say that in her resources the
country was in a situation that would justify the language he bad
used., She was not In a state of decadence, because circum.
KAMM had interrepted the stream of her prosperity, and had for a
moment thrown her back. (Cheers.) But this at least he would
venture to say, that however he might have erred in language while
under the influence of those exulting feelings that were naturally
inspired in the breast of an Englishman, when contemplating the
happy and commanding situation of his country (cheers)—how-
' ever he might have been tempted to use language of congratulation
with more warmth and earnestness than prudence would have dic-
tated, this he would still say, that nothing had been sai.l by him
but what was founded upon facts. (Hear, hear, hear.) He be-
lieved be could middy the Haut that thine facie would justify
whatever expectations had been held out by him ; and that, how-
ever he had erred in language, he would show that he had not only
not intentionally deceived them—that was not imputed to hint—
but he would venture to assert, that no deception had been prat.
tised at all. (Cheers.) When in the year 1823 it was his lot to
state to that House his view of the finances of the country, he had
ventured to affirm that its that year a certain amount of revenue
would be realized ; :le begged leave to ask what was the result ?
This lie would proceed to show, premising, however, that his esti-
mates were founded not upon mere assumption, but upon the plain
and simple basis of revenue actually received. He would thew to
the House, in the years 1823, 1824, and 182 i, that in every indi-
vidual instance in each of those three yearseenot only had those ex-
pectations held out by him been completely realised, but that they
were exceeded in a degree which he would kigmld to say the must
eangaine man in the country never ventured to apticipate. (Hear,
hear, hear.) In the year 1823, then, he assumed (founding his
calculations on the actual receipts of the preceding year) that the
revenue to be derived from the dudes on Customs and I.%cioe.
Stamps, the Assessed Taxes, the Post Office, and the smaller
items which were comprised under the term Miscellaneous Rev,.
nue, would amount to 62,200,0001. The House proceeded, in ate
course of that Session, to repeal 3,200,000/. of taxes; and during
that year he computed a loss wouldje sustained by the Revenue
from such means to the extent of abott one million and a half; o
that, in point of fact, according to his calculation, there would ne-
turally have been a deficiency of 1,500,000/. front the sum he hid
estimated would have been received. But what was the result ?
Why the actual receipt of the revenue for that year amounted to
52,017.0001., being less than that at which he had originally est,.
mated the probable receipts by the small sum of 183,0001. (Hera,
hear.) He thought, therefore, it was pretty clear from that state-
ment, that he had not held out any expectations which had not
been fully realised. It he referred to the year following, the sane
result would be found. In 1824 he assumed the Revenue to be
realised would be 51,257,0001. In that year he proceeded to redttee
taxes to the amount of 1,727,0001, of which 530,000/. was to be
deducted from that year's revenue ; and yet the actual produce of
revenue of that year, notwithstanding the reduction in taxes, was
positively more than the seam which lie had assumed would be re-
ceived. lie had gone, as he had already stated, on the assump-
tion of 51,257,0001., being the amount to be realised; now, the cc.
tual receipt of revenue for the year 1824 was 52,562,0e0/., beirg
no less than 1,305,000/. beyond the estimate he had made, although
a very considerable reduction took place in the revenue of tin:
year. (Hear, bear, hear.) In the year :325 the estimate el
revenue wait 51,975,000 i. The reduction of taxation for that year
was 600,0001., ens yet the actual receipt of revenue, notwithstano.
hug the loss occasioned by the commencement of the recent difficul-
ties in the latter part of the year, actually amounted to 62,250,1X18/.
(cheers), being more than the original estimate, which was funded
upon the assumption that there would be no reduction of taxa-
tion at all, by 2134,000/. (Hear, hear). The result of the three
years was this, that the estimate which was formed of what would
be received during those three years was 155,444,000 e, and the
actual receipts of revenue for those years was 156,838,0003/...-ex
ceeding the estimates by 1,398,0001.—whi1e there had been, to .
ing the same period, a reduction of no less than eight nul.
lions of taxes. (Cheers.) He might therefore at least venture to
say, that he had not erred as to facts, however he might have
exceeded the language of calm remark, while exulting, as it
was natural lie should do, when describing the prosperous situatton
of the country. (Cheers.) But while on this subject there was
another point to which he would advert. Ile had stated that in the
course of the three Past years, 1823, 1824, and 1825, taxes to the
amount of no less than eight millions had been reduced; but he
should give a very imperfect view of the situation of the finaocei
of the country as to what had been done in this respect, if he did
not request the Committee to go back a little furtive in its history
since the peace, and to advert to what had been effected from the
year 1816, after winding up the expenses of the whole period of the
war. He thought it highly material that this should be considered
in the revenue of the actual state of the country, because it, had
been stated that the reduction of taxes since the war had not been to
an amount scarcely worth speaking oft and because it was argued
also, that it was impossible far the Government or Parliameot to
think of returning to a more sound elate of things, such as throe
they were now contemplating, unlessthey were prepared materially
and essentially to curtail the war emsentlinwe of the country. (hear,
hear), and to reduce In a considerable degree that amount of taxa.
don of which they were now in the acnualeecelpt. He conaedered,