The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1804-05-01 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

Mr. Serjeant BEST brought up . Bill for making
a better Prnvision tor Incumbeuts in the City of
London. which was read a first time.

Mr. N. BROWNE brought up the Caledonian
Canal Bill.—Read a first tune.

The Dalkeith Port Improvement Bill was read
third time and passed.
Mr. H. LASCELLES brought up a Bill for the
better Regulation of the Wooßen Cloth Manufac-
tory in YorLshirc. He observed, that the trade was
now going on under a suspended Aft of Parliament.
The chief objed of the present BiH was to prevent
men from weaving woollen cloth, unless they had
served an apprenticeship of seven years to the trade,
and also to encourage the weaving of cloth at more
even prices. lie now, he said, brought in the Hill
in consequence of a Petition which was pm:rated
to the House, and the Report of a Committee on
the same; hut, in doing so, he wished it to be un-
derstood, that he gave no opinion whatever of his
own with regard to the propriety of the measure.
After some observations from Mr. Wit 11E1170 act
and Mr. Baaoss in favour of the Bill, it was read a
first time.

A Petition was presented from several ir.hahit-
ants of l.i►erpool against the Bill now before the
House. for enlarging the Queen's Dock at Liverpool.
Ordered to lie on the fable.
On the-motion of the CHAICCELLOR of the
EXCHEQUER an order was made for laying be-
fore the 1 louse an Estimate of the probable Annual
Produ.:e arising in consequence of an Ad for lay;ng
Contributions on Property, Protessions, ()Aces, kc.
And a person from the Treasury appeared at the
Bar. and presented the same, which acre ordered
to I,e printed.

Mt U ILIA\ said, that in cor.secine-.ce of the
disc •:, which was about to take pltee a day,
on ti,e .abjetzt of the Budget, he wished to sstpone
his motion relative to the restraints whicl. Irish Ro-
man Catholic Militiamen, coming to this c.stiotry,
would be subjeet to ; and he fixed on Thus s.lAy next
for bringing on the same.
Mr. ALEXANDER brought up a Bill for m.k-
ing Allowances to British Militia Subaltern Officers
in time of Peace. which was read a first, and or-
dered to be read a second time to-morrow.
On the motion of Mr. FOSTER, an Order was
made, that the House do to-morrow resolve itself
into a Committee on the Petition from the Irish
Linen Merchants.

Mr. FOSTER brought up a /1,11 for directing
the Public Accounts of Ireland to be laid ar.nually
before Parliament.—Read a first time.
Mr. Secretary YORKE said, that the Volunteer
Bill, with the Amendments which the Lords had
mad: in i:, was not yet printed ; and be therefore
wished to postpone the coosideratiou of the Amend-

I

4~

ments till Wednesday....An Orler was male ac-
cordingly.
I.ord CASTI.EREACM tom notice, that on
Wednesday nett he would call the at: ration of the
Iluuse to the aubje t of the late Soc.:as...es in

CONIMITTF.F. OF W IYS AND MEANS,
Mr. BUDGET.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
moved the Order of the Day for the House to re.
solve itself ir.to a Committee of Ways and MeiClti,
lie also moved, that s vend Accounts of the p-.;.
I in,
I then
stilted
thunalithil'
duce of the Customs, Excise, and of the •War ,
Taxes, be referrei to said Committee. The l'stotooo
being agreed to, the Speaker kit the C"-atir, and the li
House resolved into said Committee ; Mr. As.cit; u-
nto in the Chair.
The CHANCELLOR of the E XCH EQ UNA
then rose and poke to the following effed: Ipiite . •
it is my duty to lay before the Committee the Wars
and Means for raisins/ the Supplies which mar -be
necessary for the services of the present year. Rut
before I submit the particulars to the consideration
of the Committee, I wish to call their attention to
the means adopted last Sesslon for movidinrfor
the expences of the war within the year. It seems,
Sir, to be universally acknowledged, for I hive
not been able to discover a single dissentient se.'
that no other system can be so advantageous as that
which enables the country to provide against a hat
accumulation of public debt ; and that as ae bast el
begun so we should continue to ad upon a system
that will enable us to continue the straggle as long 1
as it shall be forced upon us by the exorbitant am-j 1
bition and implacable animosity of the enemy.
was, Sir, upon this principle, and with this view, t 1 •
House agreed to my proposition in the Commit
of Ways and Means us the last session, for raising.'
4 very large proportion of the supplies within the
year. I stated, when I last addressed a Commit-
tee of the House upon the subjed, that if the %,,.
arr.ount of the Ways and Means should be '26,000.004 , ''' • i
by raising 10,000,0001. by war taxes, it would bd I I
possible to provide for the service of the year .0
without making any addition to the public debj:
that, combined with the surplus of the consolidatid
fund, of the sum applied by the Comnissioneri Ilbr
liquidating the national debt, and for the redemp.
tion of the land tax,
sums combined would affora the means of carry-
ing on thecontest without any addition to the national
debt. That this measure may not have answered
all the purposes which the most sanguine eaped-sio
tion may have anticipated, may be truo. ; but thaw
has produced the happiest effe& upon our fiaavoubt-
no one. I think, will deny. It hapFrned,
city, after the last war, that, horn some citnains
stances of internal pressure, and others ant. consta
the negotiation, this country es perienced a touch
derahle interruption to its commerce, and reduce '
difficulty by the large stock of sVest India p.of the,
on hand. Had it not been in the power . guy .
House to apply a remedy of another kineZ,.! ;,, I
would have been under the necessity of givintjx,t
sistance in money, and I believe, Sir, I needil,
say that a large loan would have only encreaet.le, .
difficulties under which the mercantile iuterest no '
laboured. These. Sir, being my sentiments tae:.,
that occasion, and feeling, Sir, as I then elid„
conceived that this House did create tocoarn-se ow
expe&ation in the minds otthe merchants, that when
the day of difficulty arrived, it was to Parliament
they were to look for assistance and relief. It became
us, therefore, to repel that idea, and to teach m
chants, a body of men for whom certainly I haeq 1
the highest tepee, to ad in the day of prosperity •
with caution, and to provide by a prudent foresight ' '
against the day of diffiCulty. R e should, I ma,
teach them to depend upon their owls prudence ft r
support in adversity, and not habituate them tolotat
to Parliament for assistance in every case of an-
barrassment. Sit', I do not mention this for tie
purpose of refleeting upon a body of men for whom
I have already said I entertain a L'gh reaped. I
advert to it. Sir, because the difficulties to obit+ I '
allude have been surmounted, and because I take '
credit to myself for the smallness of the loan last
session, at the same time that it enabled these
sons to overcome the difficulties of which they had
to complain. I shall nut, Sir, detain the Commit-'
tee in arguing the principle which I have laid down
of raising the supplies within the year. lam de- .'
sirou., however. to shew the measures which have
been adepted for carrying it into execution, and the 1
success which has attended them. In the Commit- I
tee of Ways and Means last year, Sir, to raise '
I:45030,0001. for the public service by war taxes,
upon that occasion I estimated the produce of
the tax upon property at 4,500,0ati1. but I als,
stated at the time my reasons for presuming a
probable defalcation, and admitted that if the war,.
noses produced H 1,000,0001 my hopes would be 4
fully gratified. In the discussions which took place
in the House opus the property tit. considerable
exemptions were granted to persons vi!iuse proper y
was under 1511 a-year, which coricellicraly made
a large dedudion from the produce of the tax as I
originally estimated. I do not. Sit) question the,
propriety of this decision, it was, no doubt, a wise
ono ; I mention it merely, Sir, as explanatory of
its eff-d, and I do think, I reason up•as sure and
certain grounds, when I say its elect was to ilim.i- •
nish the amount of the proauce of the tax b, a
sum of i,00.),09u1. Of coarse, S.r, th it wl'.:, I
orivinAlly e,tl :meld at 4.519,0001. could nom-, sc.
co: ~:1:.4 to my units c aculation, produce more Ciao
-;i5I).‘,0001.

Ti.e amount of the adf.trxta: Doty upta the
C ;•tom• a .3 Exr ,e WA. L. 114 f,
Th.• produ:e of t'ae Property Tax 3,

get -r 11,!
Co4sequently, if from 1r...400,0001. I otiginS
timated r produce of only 10,000,0001. I Lit
right to expolt. nor did I expea from 11,500,
more than 9,000,0001. I shall nr": mat%
amount of the Customs and Excise. The a.
amount of the Duty upon Imports and Exports
the year ending the 25th of January last, I fan.
2.221,6001. There was also a large
of duties outstanding, with the exc.4.•
the duties upon tea, making together, for
year, a sum of 4,399,2001. and conscque
intitled to estimate the produce of the c
the whole year at 8,7711.4001. But.
think I would be justified in cakul"
whole amount, as the sto:k b he
eluded, and may Wove:visaged

i 1
Is

.1

C.

11

°reusing (Engiand) .
(Ireland) .

Irma eharzt, ErgTind an& Leland
AA I England st,Leale charges
T,-uhnete . . .
11 g, %I,:t Duty, -0102,
A - •••• /...IMI •
• I lee Sas, V. C. IbK),

2G S. CIAO

I L. ',No

1,5iy1,000

ischecnet &P. eeAoJ. IS:4. to re:-.l‘oed by

3 lone 2,730,1nt en Aids 1 f:fic
Per a-t 49 Gan. 3, tap SS, pal of ,0
4,000,P00 I.
Pat act 4.1 tile 3, cap. 147. H. Is
Deets

"4

J.J.r r.~..')

S.'. v'.

,:t 6

Two- svvenovrt,•h• ci t‘.• • )
5t.72Pf1••,703.,,,0r‘ 4. • '
,ontr, in 4
Arik.l for Invlalmi 3•••••••• OT.
of 1.'4,0,04j1 Mr C v. L.l,
and enure* en ta••• •ter. 1 •
se dated ful4, not re Ito S
she kw:4v d.:Jt

~.i

4.-1..

to state, that the article of foreign spirits may be
also considesel as overcharged • but when all the
• returns are made, I am confident all the deduc-
tions will not exceed 567,0001. and consequently I
have alight to estimate the amount of the produce
for the whole year, ending the sth April, at
8,200,0001. 1 am desirous now, Sir, to state the
grounds upon which I calculate the future produce
of the property tax. In the first place, then, I
have the satisfaSion to state, that the assessments
attach to 120,000,0001. instead tf to 80,000,0001.
which latter was the amount of property to which
they attached under the income tar ; that
Irthe assessments are double what they were
under the income tax, and that the gross assess-
nts amount to 6,000,0001. Allowing, then,
t losses and deduSions, I think I do not exalt-
' "crate its probable produce in any future year, if I
state it at 4,500,000 L Now, Sir, that being the
case, I consider myself intitled to calculate the
produce of the taxes, which I hoped would amount
to 9,000,0001. touch higher, and I think, I shall
not be disappointed if I estimate it for any future
year at 13,000,0001. that is 8,200,0001. the amount
of the customs and excise, and 4,800.0001. the
amours; of the tax upon property. The result,
Sir, df this statement, must be to inspire the
highest confidence in the system which we are por-
sustw, and to affard the most 6444d-tory evidence
,if the extent vgiwower of our resources. In the
last year, whet tile taxes were net to produtlive as
at present. the encrease of the public debt was
only 3,390,0001. as stock ; a debt redeemable with
less than 2,000,0001. I was then represented
as over sanguine in stating the probable amount of
the war taxes at 4400,0001. It must, however, be
admitted that great delays and difficulties intervened
to interrupt the operation and diminish the aftual
produce of the war taxes, and yet, the amount of
the produce for half* year .vas only 112,0001. less
than my estimate. Sir, an apprehension was
expressed that this system would interfere with
the produce of the permanent taxes. I admit
that the system has not yet had a fair trial. As far,
bowever, as it has been tried, it has afforded no
ground for such a presumption, as we have
seen a large sum raised within the half year.
But still I admit that until the whole sum

/it eolltti3ed, it is impossible to ascertain what
Aka so large an addition of burthen may have
upon the produee of the permanent taxes. Gen-
Vuunan6however, will recalls& that last year was
ipeetday unfavourable. Owing to the negocia-
tinn, and otter circumstances, there was a great
stagnadun la commerce ; and yet, notwitl.standing
these dillculties and disadvantages, on referrirg to
the accounts of the produce of the permanent u tes,
upon the
,first of January, 1801, and first of Ja-
nuary, letl4, I find that the amount of their pro-
i duce, on the former date, was 14200,0801., and on
. the litter, 0,430,0001., Using a surplus in favour of
the latter of 500,0001. And I am intitled to state this
dlifusenera, because there was an over-payment for
detwhadis upon sugars paid out of the coilsolidated
rfund for that year, to the amount of 450,000 L I
find Olen, Sir, that the total amount of the permanent
tare for the year ending the Sth of January, 14-403, is
118' .1%0001. ; and for the year er ding the sth of
4.. nuke.. ,14104. 10.676.0061. Peduaing then the
duties imposed in 1801 and 1903, arnonnting in
1802 to 1,973,0^11. and in 18.i3 to 4,207,0001. the
total will wand thus: total produce of the year
1802, '26,423,0001.; total produce of the year
1803. 26,369,0001. ; being an increase on last year
of 143,0001. To this! might also add a consi-
derable sum on account of outstanding duties, and
consequently I am entitled to say, that the produce of
the permanent taxes is increasing, and that they ;tare
not suffered from the pressure of the war. Be-
sides this, you have also the inference which the
experience of the last war enables you to draw in fa.
your of the produce of the taxes under the present.
If their produce increased in that war, we have no

' reason to presume that they must decrease in this.
Sir, I have sated these preliminaries for the purpose
of justifying the system adopted last session, and of
encouraging, cxhotting, and imploring the House
to adhere pertinaciously to that system, as the ground
of producing a confidence at home, and a conYillion
abroad, that our finances are not to be exhausted,
and that we are to mamtrin the contest as long as
the interests and safety of the country shall require.
This is all that I feel necessary to say upon this
part of the subject. I shall, therefore, now dismiss
st, and state the particulars of the Supply, and of
the Ways and Means, for the ear. I shall begin
with stating the Supply :
SUPPLIF.S

Navy, ex. !noire of:121,0001. Oiduanee Sea Cery:re )1,715,000
Army (Eolt.lnd ..... . I 1,,1156,L00
a..d) ...... 11,.67,004)

----------19,143,000
3.691,GJJ
969.003

4.ef2,C:lt
Vote credit (inel..iinr smoom few 15e.4..4/ . af,J4O,OCO
tv Ife.laneous fE. and • i,•eudadly 617.000
40,0001 fur tv:ten.-«, not wet eot.d
Ditto (le'andst p•cleds..g Noo4ol. 164,000
toles-l:'4 fu: caul eunta.gooues
I aft P./menet!! Grants

Ot&I,0"1
400,000

34, i 03,000

t.2,2,p0n

Total serrtics 44vess,o^k,
Deduct en account of Ifehod, ac be!..w . . 4,71 :.h'.Y

Con •-coont of Erffatd f,5.:?3,149

WAYS AND MEANS
" I come now to state the W-ys and Mrans for
raising the supply voted.

The \Lilt Duly alrea,l+ voted
Duty PCIISI4IIA, OfFC,S, ACC
Silt VI I i Ways uil Mr4.l:, 1803.

L 750,000
2,0ti0,00n
1,970.009

lc Then the War Taxes, to the sth Apia, 1805,
consisting of additional Customs and Excise, esti-
mated at 8;200,0001. The Property Tax was c.ti-
mated at 4,801,0001. which in two yeats would yield
9,000,0001. but a small proportion of this has been
yet received for the present year ; ,deduEting then
from the produce of the two years, ending sth Apt il,
ISOS, the probable arrears at 2,000,0001. and de-
du aing what has been already received, I am led to
calculate on the produce, up to the above period,
at 7,237,0001. however, I choose rather to take the
average amount, at 7,000,0001. not doubting but
that the future produce if the tax will at least equal
what I have stated. This, added to the addi-
tional Customs and Excise, will give for the
produce of the present year, 15,200,0001. But
I will not take credit for the whole of that sum ;
I will allow the deduaion wanting to complete the
grant of 1803, 760,0001. then, at all events, the
probable amount on the sth of April. 1805, will be
14,440,0001. If the House feel, as I trust they do,
the extreme importance of supporting this system,
I hope they will not be disinclined to invigorate it by
an addition to the war tax. The House may recol-
let'l, that in the last Session I proposed an additional
duty of 201. a pipe on wine; but in consequence of
circumstances of peculiar temporary pressure on the
merchants, the additional duty was charsed at 121.
per ton. The charge on the individual did not bear
a fair proportion to the amount of the tax, which
should have been four-pence a bottle, supposing the
additional duty to have been 201. per pipe ; but in
point of fat-4 this charge had been made although
only 121. per pipe was imposed. I propose now to
make this additional duty 19 guineas, making an
additional duty of 200,0001. the additional duty of
12 1-half per cent. on imports, with the exception of
tea, wine, cotton-wool, and a double duty on raisins,
will yield an addition of 800,0001. making additional
war taxes 1,000,0001. adding then to these, the
14,460,0001., the amount may be fairly taken,
on the sth of April, 1805, at 15,440,0001.—.
Besides this, Sir, I estimate the amount of
the surplus of the consolidated fund, to sth of
April, 1805, 5,000,0001. I shall state the rea-
son for nor proposing this surplus at so large a
sum, as it was taken at last year. The produce of
the consolidated fund last year was taken at
6.500,0001.; but, in fio, it only realised 6,100,0001.
in fin quarters, which was. doubtless, a consider-
ab'e defalcation. I could shew, however, that this
deficiency did not arise out of any failing a of the
permanent revenue, but from a suspension of a
part of certain duties, and the increased amount of
the draaback. B: adding these, the sum total of
the consolidated fund would be raised above my
estimate. I take it, however, for the ensuing
year at five millions. To this I add, lottery,
250,0001.; vote of credit for the United King-
dom, 1,700,0001 t loan, 10,000,0001.; making in
all, for the United Kingdom, 56,510,0001.

" I come now, Sir, to state the terms on which
have this d.iy proposed an agreement with same
respetlable and monied gentlemen. The amount
of the present Loan for the united service of Great
Britain and Ireland is 14 millions and a half. For
the sepa-ate service of Great Britain the amount is
10 millions.

,4 It was propoled then that the contrail should he
in the 3 per cent. consol., when the agreement was
this made:

14.1' three per Celle. Redact-1
fre. 1001 none;
821 three per Coat. Coloots.
making a capital in the Reduced 10 millions, and
in the Consols 8,200,0001. with the usual bonus
of 5 per cent. discount for prompt payment.
T hope, Sir, that the terms of this agreement will
prove satisfa3ory to the House, whilst the readiness
with which Gentlemen who have great stake in the
country have conic forward, and the facility with
which the bargain has been made, will evince that
the credit of this country stands hitch, and holds out
with the fair prospect of its continuing so to do
The amount of the interest to be provided for will
be 530,0901; to this add for the charge of ma-
nagement 01,0101. and the one per cent. stock
created for the redemption, 106,1001. requiring in
the whole provision to be made for an interest of
736,1901. I nowrproceed to state to the Committee
the mode proposed for raising the sum requisite for
discharging this interest. In the course of the last
Session arrangements were made for consolidating
some of the leading branches of the pteslio revenue
in the Excise, Customs, and Assessed Taxes ; but
it was found impossible at that time to apply them
to the article of Stamps. Vrom this source, therefore,
I hope that without any considerable pressore being
felt. a prevision may be made to obtain a sum suf-
ficiently large to answer the new deman2s on the
public pulse. I propose. then, to impose addi-
tional duties epos stamps, already chargeable on
legal proceedings, and on the transfer of property.
Great inconveuience has already been felt from the
variety of stamps already in use; their number is
stated to exceed 300. and owing to this multiplicity,
the mode of applying them is not well understood.
It is proposed. :hen. to reduce and class them in
about thirty, whilst, by giving facility to proceed-
ings in the Courts of Justice. by certain arrange-
ments, I hope to be able, in a great measure, to
countervail any pressure that may be produced by
an addition of taxes. It is of importance not to
propose any considerable addition of (duty ; for what-
ever can alleviate the expences incurred in COlltti of
Justice, must be a matter of great public advantage,
and therefore, to stamps of this description, I do
not propose any considerable addition. With re-
sped to stamps for the security and transfer of pro-
perty, I am of opinion that a considerable aagenem-
tation of revenue may be derived. At proem the
stamps are comparatively high on the transfer of
property rf small amount; but the instrument
ought to bear some relation to the value of the pro
petty. My hope is, that all the intricacies which
at present prevail this branch of public revenue
may be oswiated, and at the same time an additional
reveaue of x'o.oool. may be obtained. This, then,
appears to he in itself a fit sulsjeCt for taxation,
v:hilst it will cover the interest and contingent ex-
per.ces of the present Iran ; and I would tardier state
to the Commute, after the most attentive con-

sideraiion which has been given to this stair& by
able men, I feel confident that a very considerable
addition to the revenue may be obtained, with the
concomitant advantage of affording great facility to
the public. I would now only farther trespass upon
the time and attention of the Committee by re,-api-
rillatige tint amount of the supplies which have bven
voted:

Navy, e%iiisive of 523,000, Ordnance Sea St•rriCe
Army (Cr B Jain) . .
(IrviaNd . . . . 3.587,000

---- 19,149,000
(.IrJiance (Grmt .
(Ireland) • . . 9'7,9 Ow

*,044,000
Vote acre lit (including 800,0001 fur In.-and) . ti,500,40
Miscellaneous !England) including ei7.000
40,0001. for services not yet T-4 d
Ditto Ireland, including t., 2.6,000
be voted for Civil Contingencies "
_ _