The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1804-06-21 00:00:00

IRISH BUDGET.

When the gallery was opened for the readmission
of strangers, the House was in a Committee of
Ways and Means, Mr. ALEXANDER in the chair.
Mr. FOSTER was also addressing the Committee
on the subjeal of the finarces of Ireland; which, he
said, he was extremely sorry to inform the Mouse,
were growing worse and worse every year; and, in
order to prove this assertion, he would make a com-
parative statement betweea their situation at present,
and some years hack. In the first place, he would
inform the Itonse, that the debt of Ireland, in the
year 1 79 3, amounted to no more than 42,400.0001.
that in the year I skO, it was 25,500,0001. and at
the present moment, it was near .',3,000.000.
quantity added to the debt this year was nine mil-
lior.s and a half. If England was to increase her
debt in proportion to that sum, according to the
settled rates of duties in each country, the sum of
that increase would amount to 64,000,0001. But it
was evident that England did not increase her debt
this year to any such aiflount. If the due propor-
tion, therefore, was not kept op, and if Ireland con-
tinued to accumnlate a much larger debt than she
should do, according to the rate of debt accumulat-
ed in England, it was plain that the former country
was going upon A system wholly ruinous; and one
which it required the whole energy of persons con-
nesled with Ireland to put a stop to. Parliament
might propose an equalisation of taxes, and a con-
soadation of the accounts of both countries; but in
the progress Ireland would be found to be increasing
her burdens far beyond what Great Britain increased
hers. And the worst circumstance of all that be-
longed to this ruinous system was, that the Govern.
mein of Ireland was borrowing money out of the
country; and by that means, not only created ab-
sentee debts, and absentee taxes, but was contrafted,
by all the means she possessed, of increasing her ex-
ports, and diminishing her imports. While she was
able to raise money, by loans in Great Britain, every
exertion towards accomplishing these great causes of
national wealth was taken away. But the debt so
raised, had a still worse tendency; it had the effe9
of diminishing that revenue, that should pay the
interest of it. Ireland was in as bad a state with.
regard to her revenues, as her debt. The year be-
fore the union with this country, the ordinary reve-
nues of Ireland amounted to 2,800,0001. and she
owed 25,000,0001. In the last year, with all her
increase of debt, the revenues were only 2,789,0001.
being about 16,0001. less than in the year 1800.
After the payn.ent of the interest of the debt, and
other charges in Ireland, there was not a sum of
300,00a1. remaining for Ireland, to pay her quota
in the joint cxpences of the kingdom. This was not
all; the prove& before her was still worse : the re-
venues had already fallen between 9. and 300,0001.
' a year ; and if they should fall next year, there
would not be a six-pence to answer any one purpose
of public expenditure ; and Ireland would be a mere
' sheet of blank parer, contributing nothing towards
the exigencies of the State. It was absolutely ne-
cessary, therefore, that other means, besides those
already in use, should be resorted to. This situ.s

tion of Ireland was one which he could hardly have I J
believed, if it had not been stated to hint in a man.
nerwhich could leave no doubt in his meld, as to
the truth of it; and he would appeal to all the j
Gentlemen from Ireland, who now heard him, whe. I
ther the most proper, effeaual, and manly course
to pursue, would not be to look at these difficulties
in the face, to endeavour to surmount them, to raise
a competent revenue, and to put that revenue on a
footing that should cause it to keep pace, he would i
not say with the sister country, but with that of our
own country on this side of the water ? ahey know
that heavy taxes must be imposed, and that the pay-
ment of them must be enforced ; and t'.•) must be
aware that their assistance was necee try towards
accomplishing that purpose. The Gentlemen from '
Ireland knew how difficult it was to conea the re-
venues them that every one of them ought to
exert himscif as much as possible to put a stop to
private distilleries, and all other frauds upon the
revenue; and that if they did not do so, increased
taxes must fall on their own property. It behoved
them therefore to put down private stills on their
estates, and use every other means by which
the taxes could be fairly colleaed. It must be
a further inducement to them to make these es.
ertions, when they considered, that in the year
1805 the revenues must be equalised with the ex-
pences. At the time when he held the office
of Chancellor of the Exchequer in Ireland, he
did, with the assistance of the country Gentlemen
there, establish such regulations as caused the re-
venue to be kept up to the full amount at which it
had been estimated ; and, during the space of se-
ven years, nut one theiing was added to the taxes
If great exertions s ere now'made for putting the
revenues on a sure alai permanent footing, the
country would be able to go on ; and would possess
ways and means to do so. He was sure that Ire-
Lind contained resources within herself; and that it
was only necessary to find out the best means of
calling them forth. Besides what he had already
stated, it was fit tart' 1-louse should know that the
revenues were contOrd in a very bad way, and
which contributed to the dieiculties of the country.
This evidently appeared born the documents then
on the table. The expenses of colkaion had lately
increased to 76,0001. a year, over and above gaie-
ties, pensions, Sec. 1 here Was another circumstance
in the colleaion of the revenue: that required the
serious consideration of Parliament ; and that was
the enormous sums of money suffered to remain in
the hands of the colleclnrs. In England, notwith-
standing her great revenue, there was not is the
hands of revenue colleetors a sum above 50,0001.
But the balances, in the hands of the Irish revennc
culleaors, exceeded tioo,bool. Ia lieet, rI,C3C ba-
lances were 466,0001, and, in the ensuing year,
they increased above 100,1001. more. These sums
must appear enormous to those who saw hardly
any arrears in the hand: of English Collec-
tors. He would ju..t state to she -House some
of the articles on which there were such balances.
In the Stamp Office department, there was a ba-
lance of 80,0001. remaining in hand ; although
the whole of the taxes arising from stamps did
not exceed 182,0001. a year, and the whole of
this revenue was colleeted in the city of Dublin.
Tire next he should notice was the Post Office; the
balance in the bands of those who coneacd the Post
Office Duty, was, in the year 1803, 16,0001. and last
year it was 22,9001. although the whole of the reve-
nue was only 25,0001. a year. He would not go so
far as to say that all the persons who owed this
money to Government were insolvent ; but he must
say the circumstance of so much being due, was im-
putable to the bad condna of the Board in Ireland,
which had the power to prevent it. Besides the due
concoction of the revenue, it would be necessary to
have some reform in the mode of colleaing it. And
in doing this, the exertions of the Irish Gentlemen
would be necessary. In the third place, it would be
necessary, that a great decrease in the internal ex-
pences of Ireland should take place. But for the
accomplidiment of this objea, he should look to
the superior powers of the Administration and Go-
vernment of this country : for it was a thing which
the Irish Gentlemen could not do. And he was
confident, that the Right Hon. Gentleman now at
the head of the Administration, would gladly assist
is any measure for that purpose. %e ith respea,
however, to the econcrny necessary in the collection
of the revenue, that was in the power of the Gentle-
men of Ireland : it could be effeaed by a Paribirnen-
tary regulation; and, in order to shew thatevery thing
ought to be done towards promoting it, he should
shortly move for leave to bring in a Bit, to appoint
certain commissioners of enquiry, who should ex-
amine into the state of all the offices of the financial
department in Ireland, and give a full report as to
the situation of every thing within that department.
Until this was done, he could not introduce any re-
gulation with regard to the better collection of the
revenue. His objoft now was, to propose an in-
crease of taxes in Ireland ; and with the leave of the
Committee, he would state what they were to be.
He thought the best way would be to propose a
proportional increase of duties on the same arti,ks
on which an increase lately took place in Great ill s-
tain. The tint article then was wise : on all Trer:.h
wines imported into Ireland, he should propose
to encrease the duty to 791. a ton; Port eel.; Madeira
701.; and on Rhenish and all other Wines, 681.
Indeed there was no other wine of any other de-
scription imported but Rhenish. He thought it best
to lay the duties to this amount. because the wine-
merchant would raise the price of it sixpence a bot-
tle. According to the average calculation of the
last seven years, he supposed this duty would pro-
duce the annual sum of 109,0001. The next article
was malt, on which he would propose to lay an ad-
ditional duty of I s. Sd. a barrel. The duties already
payable on teas were eel. 7s. per cwt. on fine green
teas, and on small and black teas 2.51. These duties
hi proposed to double, •d the produce would be
180,0001. The next woud be en additional duty of
Is. sd. per lb. on tobacco, which would produce

J 12,0001. The next was on home-made spirits, on
Wltich he proposed to add 2W. a gallon ; :mil the pro.
duce fie estimated at 41,0001. Sugar was:mot:ler ob-
jesa of taxation. On this he should propose an equali-
sation of the duties, by which
-the produce on raw
sugar would be 3.5,0001. and that on eel:. cd sugar,
3.3001. With regard to an increase of the stanip du-
ties, be was happy to fir..l the tax he was next About
to mention, bad already met the approbation
of many of the gentlemen of Ireland. This was a
duty on all affidavits made before justices of the
peace, on which it would be necessary to have a
stamp. Such affidavits as these wore very frequent
in Ireland; and if that country wanted a revenue, lie
saw two reason why they should not be made to c.:11-
tribute towards it; and if they did not contrii,ute,
that musk be owing to a decrease of those affidavits,
which wofill be no evil whatever. The nest article
a duty payable on the registry cf" all Ist..tholds. ,
He felt it would be rather a delicate thing to pro-
pose a tax of this kind. It would, however, be
very small, and not produce above 30Oul. Jittit if
gentlemen thought it would be injurious to persons
in Ireland, or obj?,!t.:4. to it in a constitutional
paint of view, he would be ready to withdraw it.
lit the next place, he should propose to restore the -
duty 0f.6 per cent, on retail importers ; and that
would produce 80101. Atai:her mode ef eticreas-
hag the revenue, and one which would produce the
most beneficial efrefts, would be to direis, that the
whole rerenues of Ireland should he paid in British
money. This would go some may in remedying
the evils arising from the unlavourab,e course of ex-
change; ard in equalising the currency of the two
countries; which was so IMIC)1 to be desired. It
would go a step to I:mai ,rise the people to such a
measure ; and the encreased reve cue attain from it
would amount to 190,0001. The whole of the
duties he now stated would amount to 1,0001.
There was one more which he had to mention, and
that was an addition which roust accrue to the re-
venue from alteriha the modee.f charging the slaty
on wash ; and wlich would pi educe the sum of
400,0001. These were the principal taxes he Fad to
propose. And in uffering•them Loth., House, he
would again call for the support and assistance of
the Gentlemen of Ireland, to render them, as wall
as the other duties there, 440 A, I is: %Gold, iu
the sea-fearing language, eccoenmend it to theno to
give a long pull, a strung pull, and a pull altogoe
ther, in order to raise the vessel of the state awl
keep her from siaking. If they Irslifie thk ex .-rtion,
they would do a great and esoiraial Len. .fit
to • the Empire. By the now duties he j.i>t pro•
posed, there would be an increase of r %roue,
of upwards of 12,000.0001. Ani th.n sum
was net to be raised, Ireland would aeser be able
to keep pace with Great Britain. He was con-
fident that Ireland was able and williorto imy her
due proportion of the public taxes; and that that
ought to be done rather than resort to the system
of borrow' ag. hssidaa the &miss i.e ;ah4rAey sratcd,
ielat W tai...ce one or two other articles tinder the
head of stamps. The first was a regulation, by wi ion
private tankers in Ireland shon4 not be ;SO .red to
compound for the duty of their notes, but that
whole of the duty be levied upon the noteo
selves. This regulation might_ have the effe.4l of
preventing improper persons from setting tip liar k-
ing houses. The next was, that there shnuLt be a
stamp on every permit pawed for the conveyance
exciseable goods. The amount of the stamp
would be from 2d. to Is. The Right Hon. Gen-
tleman next cailed the attention of the Committee
to the necessity of a clear settlement of the joint
accounts between Great Britain and Ireland. Na
account whatever was settled since the (Jain;
and it was a most extraordinary thing that
two great Houses should have been so .hing its
partnership, and never have asked how they wars
paying, what they had paid, or bow :bar. ac-
counts stood 1 So far as it rested with hint to ma
move these difficulties, be should neither spare Isla
labour nor his time in endeavouring to du 1.,.) ; arkl
he hoped every thing would be ready by next Session
of Parliament, to prepare for a html settlement.
IL: wished, if it were possible to be done be:Ore the
present Session broke up, to make an art argt meat,
according to which, a certain time should be axed in
every session for bringing on the busiLts, of ltelapd ;
and in that case, he should hope that Iri,h Gentle-
men would pay more attention than they had hither-
to done to the business of their own country.
then concluded with moving resolutions pursuant to
his statement.

Mr. CORRY said, be did not rise for the purpose
of throwing the slightest impedimert in the way of
the business brought forward by the Right lion.
Gentleman, but merely to offer a few observations
in justification of persons to whom be had alluded.
If the revenues of Ireland were not well aotleoed,
the blame did not lie with the Board of Corsonis-
sioners ; for they never had, or never exercised the
sans rowers to enforce the colligtion, as were Ks-
seised by the Commissioners here.. 'Thar, ! ow rot,
rested with the eLscritive Government of laristati ;
and in jaw:Lineation oti them, he must say. that alley
did cher% their powers to Tommie tl.v due colleftiim
of the revenwut. list certainly acquitted the Right
• Hon. Gent. of animention to inculpate any per.
son; and he bored that the affwirsof lie.a•id writsld
prosper in his hands. As to the joint account of thei
two countries, it was, in mast parts, very easy to
be Hide out; he had himeeif made up one 'last
Ses ion. Some parts of them could not easily be
settled ; bnt.no more money had been raised on the
joint account than Was oreebsary. •
Mr. FOSTER, in expinantion, said.' thas- tbe
light Hon. Gentleman had certainly .lone him no
more than justice.. when he salt that-lie bud no in-
tention of throwing blame on any on:. .
Mr. CORRY ruse to explain : and on that occa-
sion observed, that he bad omitted to answer ~t.e
of the statements of the Right Hon. Gentleman;
that in which he olk.etved. that very great battoces
remained in the hands of colleetors. He thought it
necessary, in justification of the Leavens:cent of Ise-

land, andato remove a prejudice that might otherwise '
exist dgainst them, to state how this matter actually
stood. Large balances were frequently suffered to
lie in the hands of colleetors for the purpose or
convenience, in order the more ea,ily to pay 'Lose
detachments of the army and volunteers that hap-
pened to be stationed in the distrias where these
collectors Wt fr. And it frequently happened that
money lay in their hands, because they could not
• get good bills to transmit it to Government ; and
(;overnment was often obliged to send messengers
on purpose for the money.
Mr. FRANCIS said, he was by no means satis-
fied with the account of the balances given by the
Hon. Gentleman who spoke last. The Right Hon.
Gent. opposite (Mr. Foster) had represented the
balances being left in the hands of the colleltors, as
an abuse; the Hon. Gent. who spoke last, said
these balances were left in their hands for the purpose
of paying the Army and Volunteers. He thought
there must have been some sots of mismanagement
somewhere 4 If the Government of Ireland was
not vested with sufficient powers to take the ba-
Lutcts out of the hands of the collectors, they should
have applied to Parliament to have obtained them.
It was a melancholy fact to reflect on, that the whole
of the revenue in Ireland was swallowed up in pay-
ing the interest of the debt. He was sorry to find
the Right lion. Gentleman had so arduous a task to
to perform, as to raise taxes to such an amount,
when he acknowledged that the trade of the country
had lately fallen off to so great a degree. He as-
sured him, however, that he had his best wishes for
his success in the undertaking.
Mr. FOSTER said, that if the difficulties at pre-
sent existing were looked fairly in the face, and
properly met, he had no doubt but they would be

overcome.
Mr. DAWSON objected to that tax which was
proposed to take place on the registry of freeholds,
a. he thought it would bear too hardly on the infe-
nor classes of the people. In respect to all the
other taxes, he would do all in his power to assist
him in making them efficient. He would also join
him in his long pull, so far as it went to the tax on
wine, though be was afraid that the tax might cause
the consumption to be less, and, in that respect, Ut-
tare the truie.
Mr. FOSTER said that be had no doubt as to
the eliciaacy of the tax on wine, from the well-
know,
„predilection which his countrymen, Irons the
moisture of the elimgte, he supposed, had for the
bottle.
Sir J. NEWPORT said, that as there was an
abealute sec .ssity fee raising taxes, he could not see
bow they cr,a, I be better proportioned than these
were in gene with the exception of that on to-
bacco, which, i.stead of producing an increase of
revenue, he feared would tend to diminish it, by the
great opening and encom.gement it would give to
smugglinz.
Mr. POSTER said, the observation of the Hon.
Baronet was certainly very accurate, but the pre.
seat was p be an excise and not an impost dirty.
Mr. PONSONBY thought the present state of
Ireland vendetta tares absolutely necessary, and
thaw proposed by the Bight Hon. Gentleman were
as unexceptionable as any that could be re-
to. He could have wished, however, that the
idolise wines had been taxed lower, and the su-
perior wines higher ; as the inferior wines are much
moss used in necessary consumption, as in cases of
sickness, &c. than the superior, whit h are mere ar-
ticles of luxury, and used by the wildcat only. He
11Notisined the same sentiments with regard to the
its ea tobacco, as had been expressed by Sir John
Newport, and feared it Would be evaded by an in-
clines of smuggling.
Mr. KERR thought:the tax on the registering
of freeholds might prove an injudicious ove, aitd
wettlit li heavy on the middling and lower classes
of freeholders.
Mr. LEE exiles_ 1 his entire approbation of the
taxes now prop.. .1. He was convinced of the ne-
cessity for adopting them, and he had uniformly,
since the union, called on the late Chancellor of the
Exchequer for Ireland, to come forward with an
increase of taxes, instead of resorting to the riinotts
system of loans, which had added so largely to the
debt, and so greatly increased the raze of Exchange.
'lire Resolutions were then severally read and
agreed to. The house resumed, and the Report
was ro red to be received to-morrow.
'I he Scotch .Idditional Force Bill was recommit-
ted. Several new clauses were added, and the Re-
port ordered to be received to-morrow.
Mr. ST eRCts Bonaire brought up a Bill for pre-
venting the Coining of Dollars in England and
Tokens in Ireland, which was read a first and or-
dered to be read a second time on Friday, and to
be printed.
SLAVE TRADE.
Mr. WILBERFORCE moved the order of the
day for the further connderation of the Bill for the
Abolition of the Slave Trade; and for hearing of
Counsel against the same ; which being read, he
said, as there was then a very thin at• indance of
the House, and it might be more so, be would pro-
pose to postpone this order till to-morrow, when he
I hoped he should be able to bring it on at an early
hour, and avoid the ditagretable delay which had
already occurred by there not being a sufficient
'soother of Member, present to proceed with business.
General GASCOIGNE hoped the Hon. Gentle-
man would then positively proceed with the business,
as it was very inconvenient to many of his consti-
otents, who were come to town to attend the pro-
gress of the Bill, to hate it so often postponed. Ile
hoped it would tome on at an early hour also.
If it did not, and their attendance shoeW take
place, he would, however great the cry was against
it, enforce the Order of the House.
Mr. WILBER FORCE said, that with r...ard to
the management of the business, the lion. .. octal
was the last person he would consult, though he
might be inclined to accede to arty thing that could
contribute to this Hon. GeneriPs personal conve-
nience. I-:e was, however, surprised to hear those
complain of delay, of which they themselves had
been the cause.
Mr. W. Suit u said a few words to the same
purpose.
Mr

-41 would be
mentioned that
- Island of
guarded
language
'tub past,

"That Massa King Wilbee was wiiiing to free them,
but that the P; allanstut would...not.let .him e! and
when tlsaprasent state ofJahaaka iras sineerfry,etsn.,,
sidered, he,was sure it wouldbe Much M oro politic
to defer tlSei Bill, than to pass and send- it out at •
present. •
The ATTORVII GENERAL thought it
would be better to pass•the Bill as soon as possible,
and set the minds of the blacks at rest at once.
They would then see that " Massa Wilbee" had
every wish and desire to alleviate anti better their
present situation, but that he had no intention of
emancipating them. They would know what Par-
liament really meant to do in the casai and, in his
opinion, the sooner they knew it the better.
' The further consideration of the report, and hear-
ing of Counsel against the. Bill, were then ordered
, for to-morrow.

Mr. FULLER said, he hoped this Bill s
postponed to Another S: ssion. He mentio
there were now 7000 prisoners from the 1
St. Domingo in that of Jamaica, who were
by a hlact. regiment. 1 le. alluded to the 1
that. had been used b) the blacks some ye.
•